Ancient Israel Research Articles

Gendered National Memory on Israeli Postage Stamps

Abstract In this article we focus on the gendered national construction on Israeli stamps commemorating renowned women over the course of Israel's history. We analyze gender construction on both the selection of the stamps and in their design. Based on analyses of the social role of women in Israeli historiography, archival documents, interviews with fourteen key figures involved in conceiving and designing the stamps, and the way stamp design constructs gendered memory, we outline major aspects of commemorating women in stamps: gender blindness, women's accomplishments, identity politics, and the emergence of gender as a theme. These are discussed in the context of gendering in official commemoration, the development of feminist historiography and discourse in Israel, and the conjunction of these issues and stamp design.

Modern concepts of teeth whitening – a narrative review

Whitening has been known since Biblical times. Nowadays, in the developed world, patients are placing a stronger interest in the aesthetic appearance of their teeth. As a result, public demand for aesthetic dentistry, including tooth whitening, has recently increased. Aesthetics of the teeth is of great importance to many patients.
 The aim is to summarise and discuss the teeth whitening procedure, tools, materials, and methods, as well as its efficacy and safety. In addition, the paper aims to provide full and comprehensive information for dentists and their patients about the merits and perils of whitening.
 Methods. Relevant literature from Scopus published in English was selected using the following search criteria "tooth OR teeth AND whitening OR bleaching" by 2022. In total, there were found 3840 papers. Then, we applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria to the selected scientific papers to choose the relevant ones.
 Results. A comprehensive study of the available information related to means and products for teeth whitening was carried out. Whitening may be accomplished by the physical removal of the stain or a chemical reaction to lighten the tooth colour. The indications for appropriate use of tooth-whitening methods and products depend on the correct diagnosis of the discolouration. When used appropriately, tooth-whitening methods are safe and effective.
 Conclusions. Tooth whitening is a form of dental treatment and should be completed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan developed by a dentist after an oral examination.

REX IUDÆORUM: FROM THORNBUSH TO THE CROWN OF THORNS

The aim of this study is to trace the development of the messianic thought from its pre-monarchic roots (Pre-Temple) to the monarchic period (First Temple), to the post-exilic period (Second Temple), and to the post-Second Temple period. I hypothesise that the first identification of the messiah (the anointed) with the military leader was an intellectual and religious endorsement of the “original sin” of kingship described in the allegory of the trees (Judges 9:8-15). However, the Babylonian exile catalysed the process by which Jews learned to abstract their expectation of the messiah from the “pagan” worship of the extant commander-in-chief. I trace this gradual process of learning to its acme in the Qumran literature: where historical and extraterrestrial strains of messianic thought are reconciled. Then I follow Mack and Juel in arguing that Mark the Evangelist used the wisdom pattern (learned after the Babylonian exile) as the foundation on which to rethink the concept of kingship from scratch. Thus it was no longer kingship that “seemed” divine but wisdom that “seemed” royal. The significance of Jesus’s scandalous ministry could only be captured by the irony which Mark uses to narrate his Gospel: Jesus’s coronation as a king could only happen as mockery because his claim to kingship does not make the slightest sense. Hence the idea of messianism was liberated from the confusion with the powers-that-be by being identified with the powerless teacher whose life embodied the wisdom tale pattern at the heart of Israel’s history – Egyptian slavery and Exodus, trial and vindication, exile and homecoming, death and resurrection.

Victorian ethnographic perceptions of Palestine and the historiography of ancient Israel: a preliminary exploration

ABSTRACT Victorian travellers, explorers and scholars in the Levant produced a series of ethnographic observations of Palestine’s indigenous population essentially through biblical lenses. These perceptions sought ultimately to retrieve the biblical past in the context of the imperial present. At the same time, modern historiography about ancient Israel developed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. While the full-blown allochronism and Orientalism of the early modern Western visitors to Palestine have in recent decades been surpassed by more critical insights in the scholarly assessment of the region, some traits from that Victorian ethnographic and Bible-centred gaze still linger in contemporary historical constructions of ancient Palestine through the concept of ‘ancient Israel’, notably in the conceptualisation and periodisation of such a history.

Psychological history and predicting the future

The central hypothesis of new work on Agency is that when people believe they can achieve their goals, progress occurs. When they do not have this mindset, stagnation occurs. This seems to be true for the Greco-Roman Epoch, Ancient China, Biblical time, and Europe from 400 CE to 1800. New quantitative methods for measuring progress and for measuring the frequency of agentic words allow for rigorous collaboration between psychologists and historians. These same methods may contribute to predicting the future.

Нехалкидонские (древневосточные) общины во внешнеполитической деятельности российского государства и Церкви. Конец XIX – начало XX в.

The article analyzes the contacts of the Russian state and Church in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century with the non-Chalcedonian communities - the Assyrian-Nestorians of Northern Persia and Eastern Turkey, the Syro-Jacobites of Mesopotamia, the Monophysite Church of Ethiopia. These undertakings, largely determined by the desire to strengthen the religious and ideological influence of Russia in the strategically important regions of the world, were not, at the same time, purely pragmatic. Factors of a cultural and symbolic nature were also of great importance, namely, the opportunity to get in touch with the heritage of ancient churches, whose historical roots dates back to biblical times, to take them under Russia's protection and thereby elevate the role of the Russian Church in the international stage. Russia's help would make it possible to reveal the cultural riches hidden in the bowels of remote religious communities, to create the basis for the revival of Christianity in the vast expanses of Asia and Africa. The doctrinal basis for expanding contacts with non-Chalcedonian churches was the idea of the proximity of their doctrine to the dogmas of the Orthodox Church. The undertakings of the Russian church-state structures resulted in the foundation of the Russian mission in Urmia (Persia), the conversion of part of the Nestorians and Syro-Jacobites to Orthodoxy, the strengthening of ties with the church of Ethiopia, and help to Ethiopian Christians in returning the shrines of Jerusalem that once belonged to them. Successfully developing activity was interrupted by the First World War and the revolution. However, the relationship of the Russian Church with the non-Chalcedonian confessions continued in the second half of the 20th century.

Harari’s concept of macrohistory: origins of popularity and academic status

The unprecedentedly high level of popularity of Y. N. Harari, а professor at the faculty of history of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and his main book trilogy, foreground the problem of interpreting and explaining the so-called Hararimania phenomenon, which has become a notable event in the academic community and popular culture of modern Western societies. The purpose of this article is the historical and philosophical reconstruction of the creative evolution of Y. N. Harari with an emphasis on identifying the fundamental meaning and status of his concept of macrohistory in this evolution (process). At the same time, the internal inconsistency of this concept is substantiated, which is largely responsible for the dual nature of its perception and assessments in the mass media and professional academic discussions. The designated goal of the article is achieved through contextual interpretation and the solution of its several basic tasks. Among them: identifying and explaining the most important stages of the professional socialisation of Y. N. Harari, as well as determining the reasons behind his transition from medieval studies to macrohistory; identifying the thematic priorities of Y. N. Harari, special attention is paid to the topic of transformation of homo sapiens into homo deus; characterising the educational role of Y. N. Harari’s concept of macrohistory, in particular, the part of it that is associated with the popularisation of modern science and its futurological potential; carrying out a contextual analysis of Y. N. Harari’s idea about a new humanistic revolution, in the process of which classical ideas about humanism and liberalism must necessarily give way to techno-humanism and the data religion. The novelty of this article is determined by the following circumstances. Though there is extensive debate about the work of Y. N. Harari this article represents one of the first attempts to implement not only a historical, but also a philosophical and conceptual reconstruction of his main ideas set forth in the famous book trilogy. Simultaneously this is one of the first articles to make the analysis of Y. N. Harari’s concept of macrohistory the main focus point. This sets us apart from most of the publications devoted to Y. N. Harari, which are usually presented in the form of short and purely descriptive literary reviews. The article presents a new aspect to consider about the creative evolution of the Israeli historian – the interpretation of the causes and origins of the significant popularity of his ideas and main publications. These include the author’s deep understanding of the specifics of mass consciousness and the way its representatives perceive popular science texts. This subtle and adequate understanding largely explains the emotional figurative language, genre originality and literary style of Y. N. Harari.

Pain in the world of the Old Testament : Linguistic images, cultural concepts, literary conceptions

For along time, biblical views of pain were used to relieve and legitimize suffering. Nowadays, however, pain is seen as an evil to be fought. Despite this difference, it is worth researching the variety of images of pain in the Old Testament in order to include them in current debates. 1)To reveal pain as acomplex experience of physical, spiritual and social aspects in the Old Testament texts and 2)to search for correspondences and differences between biblical and contemporary approaches to pain. Aphenomenology of pain in the times of ancient Israel is based on analysis of the Old Testament texts in the original Hebrew language. Even if native speakers are no longer available for comparison, the written language expresses an authentic attitude towards pain. In the Bible there are neither clear terms nor theoretical treatises on pain but linguistically coded patterns of processing complex painful experiences. Because, according to the biblical body image, feelings do not exist in human beings, pain is often experienced as an alien destructive force. Images of pain developed with aview to the individual are used as metaphors for collective situations of suffering that last over along period of time. Social and political upheavals played acrucial role in the development of Old Testament images of pain. That is why the ultimate cause of pain is only partially attributed to the divine, but more to human violence structures. The texts focus their hope on God as adeliverer from distress because he allows himself to be affected by pain.

The Case of Joseph’s Coat: Giving Gifts to Children in the Hebrew Bible

Joseph’s coat is one of the most recognizable garments in the Hebrew Bible. In The Gift, Marcel Mauss theorizes that a gift contains part of the giver’s social persona, thus requiring a counter-gift to be given. Drawing on Mauss’s work as a heuristic category, this study investigates the economy of gifts and counter-gifts in the Hebrew Bible using Joseph’s coat as a case study. Joseph’s age at the time he receives the gift and the seeming lack of a counter-gift form the two main questions that this study investigates. To answer these questions requires determining who made the coat, a question best answered through an archaeological analysis of how textiles were created in ancient Israel. The paper concludes that an ancient audience would have understood both Jacob and Rachel to be makers of the gift, and therefore the (expected) recipients of a counter-gift. The end of the Joseph Novella suggests that this expectation was met after a period of delay, during which time Joseph grew into adulthood and rose to a position where he could properly return a gift on par with the special coat.

T&T Clark Handbook of Food in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel. Edited by Janling Fu, Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, and Carol Meyers

‘Nothing is more fundamental to human life than food’ (p. 1). The opening words of this volume set the scene for a far-reaching and detailed study of food in the Hebrew Bible which considers the topic more closely than has been achieved before. Food in the Hebrew Bible is ubiquitous but studied notably less than other topics. Though there have been a handful of excellent studies on the topic, this handbook provides a far-reaching exploration which is of great benefit to the field. The book is arranged in five parts. Part I, entitled ‘Environmental and Socioeconomic Context’, begins with ‘Environmental Features’ by George A. Pierce. This is followed by ‘Houses, Households, and Social Structure’ by James W. Hardin, which emphasizes the absolute centrality of food to the ability of any social group to survive, but considers this through the lens of the sociopolitical arrangement of ancient Israel. This section of the book ends with ‘Economy and Trade’ by Joshua Walton.

The Spirit within Me: Self and Agency in Ancient Israel and Second Temple Judaism by Carol A. Newsom

The Spirit within Me: Self and Agency in Ancient Israel and Second Temple Judaism by Carol A. Newsom

Snip the Tip

Abstract Male circumcision originated as a covenant of God with Abraham in biblical times. This practice is rooted in the Jewish and Islamic religions as both claim ancestry with Abraham. Although neonatal male circumcision was mostly performed in these cultures, it became a common practice in the United States in the 1800s. As this is not medically necessary, the frequency of male circumcision is decreasing in some parts of the world, although circumcision in older men is increasing because of the health benefits reported. Although there are several techniques to perform the procedure, pain management during and after the procedure is important. The nurse must ensure that the infant is the right candidate for the procedure, support the parental decision, and monitor the infant for any complications. Research around male circumcision on the long-term effects, reduction of complications, and economic and health benefits earlier in life may be important.

Joseph Smith's History: It's Complicated

Joseph Smith's History: It's Complicated

ULUSAL HÜKÜMETLERİN KRİPTO PARALARI DÜZENLEME ARZULARINI WESTFALYA ÖNCESİ EGEMENLİK KAVRAMLARI ARACILIĞIYLA ANLAMAK

Crypto currencies, electronic currencies and block chain financial technologies (Fintech), have been debated issues whereby national governments are trying to put certain regulation upon them, especially citing security concerns. Crypto currencies can be used for money laundering, untraceable transactions of criminal and terrorist organizations and thus constitute genuine security risks. To many evangelists of these new technologies, governmental desires to impose regulations is viewed negatively. However, although usage of these technologies will likely continue to expand in the global economy, there is a desire to put them under regulation by most of the major nation states. It is necessary to understand the essence of currency as a tool of national sovereignty long before the age of the Westphalian concept of the modern state system. The desire to regulate Fintech derives from a concept of sovereign power that goes back to biblical times and far beyond the Westphalian notion of the sovereign and independent modern nation state. That notion of sovereignty rests on the power to mint money. Furthermore, the concept of such a sovereign power is observed in Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe as well as the early Islamic understanding of sovereign power. Thus it is essential to understand globally how the symbol of money has been a sovereignty symbol before starting any discussions on national or international levels of regulations.

FromHealingtoWounding: The Psalms of Communal Lament and the Shaping of Yehud’s Cultural Trauma

AbstractBiblical trauma studies strongly emphasize that texts and traditions that eventually formed the Hebrew Bible helped both the authors and the (former) “readers” to cope with catastrophic events. This approach, however, leads to side-lining other functions of biblical texts, for instance the extent to which biblical texts were used and transmitted not only to “heal” but also to “wound” the collectivity, namely to shape the collective identity of ancient Israel and early Judaism as profoundly damaged. The perspective of cultural trauma studies may help us to go beyond the “healing hermeneutics.” The present article aims to understand how the psalms of communal lament in Books II and III of the Psalter contributed to make the collective trauma of the Babylonian attack become Yehud’s cultural trauma during the Persian period. It suggests that by building and transmitting a coherent metanarrative of the catastrophe and through the communal laments’ dramatic images and metaphors, the redactors of these portions of the Psalter made sure that during the Persian period the people of Israel in the province of Yehud would be wounded by their ancestors’ pain.

Saul, Benjamin, and the Emergence of Monarchy in Israel: Biblical and Archaeological Perspectives edited by Joachim J. Krause, Omer Sergi, and Kristin Weingart, [Ancient Israel and Its Literature], SBL Press, Atlanta, 2020, pp. xii + 233, £28.00, pbk

Saul, Benjamin, and the Emergence of Monarchy in Israel: Biblical and Archaeological Perspectives edited by Joachim J. Krause, Omer Sergi, and Kristin Weingart, [Ancient Israel and Its Literature], SBL Press, Atlanta, 2020, pp. xii + 233, £28.00, pbk

Israel's Rightward Turn

The ousting of Benjamin Netanyahu last year and the rise of a short-lived governing coalition that included, for the first time in Israel's history, an Arab party, presented the vanishing liberal left in this country with a much needed—if fleeting—moment of elation.

The Limits of Drag: Women, Gender, and the Other in Hayehudim Baim

Abstract The Israeli sketch comedy show Hayehudim Baim skewers many elements of Jewish and Israeli history, and its satirical, secular, liberal readings of biblical figures and religious practices have created political controversy. Yet despite its apparently progressive take on Jewish history and Israeli culture, the show’s use of drag as a central feature of its satire reveals certain practical and ideological lapses in its treatment of gender norms. A series of sketches about the biblical matriarchs Rachel and Leah, both married to the patriarch Jacob, demonstrates the limits of the show’s ability to engage in a progressive critique without resorting to regressive notions of gender and sexuality deeply embedded in Zionist ideology.

Slavery and Sacred Texts: The Bible, the Constitution, and Historical Consciousness in Antebellum America. By Jordan T. Watkins

In this work, Jordan Watkins shows that antebellum arguments over slavery produced a new historical consciousness. In the decades leading to the Civil War, American thinkers paid increasing attention to the status of slavery in the Bible and the US Constitution. As they argued over the meaning of these sacred texts, Americans became more aware of the temporal divide between their present and the biblical and Revolutionary pasts. This growing awareness of historical distance produced a new interpretive challenge, as well as new readings of Christian scripture and the Constitution. In other words, Watkins argues, the sensibilities that shape how we read and appropriate sacred texts today—particularly, our awareness of historical distance and contingency—are rooted in the antebellum slavery debates. Watkins’s argument unfolds chronologically. In the first three chapters, he focuses on biblical hermeneutics. As German biblical criticism made its way across the Atlantic, American scholars began to emphasize the importance of historical differences in properly interpreting scripture. Chapter 1 describes how Charles Hodge, Moses Stuart, Andrews Norton, and others used historical reasoning and contextual interpretation. Across the spectrum from Calvinist to Unitarian there was a “growing awareness of historical distance from biblical times” (p. 30). Chapter 2 looks at Transcendentalist thinkers, especially Ralph Waldo Emerson and Theodore Parker, who concluded that scripture was transient and that only truths grounded in conscience could dismantle slavery. Chapter 3 turns to the debate over slavery in scripture: proslavery interpretations such as Richard Fuller’s, and antislavery readings by Francis Wayland, William Ellery Channing, Albert Barnes, and more. By the 1830s and 1840s, Watkins shows, antislavery interpreters began using the words “context, circumstance, and accommodation” to uncover the “apostolic expectation” that slavery would one day end (p. 112).

Recontructing the Formation of Israel's Religion in the context of Old Testament Biblical Text

The Old Testament can be said to be an interpretation of life and beliefs at that time and period, namely in the world and beliefs of ancient Israel. In addition, the Old Testament is often considered the primary source for the history of religion and worship of ancient Israel. In the Old Testament found a presentation and description of the history of the ancestors of Israel as a nation until they entered the land of Canaan, and so on. This paper aims to reconstruct the history of Israel's religion in the context of the Old Testament world. To achieve this goal, the researcher uses a literature approach by analyzing the occurrence of the Old Testament canon, the context of the Old Testament, the history of the Israelites, and Israel's religion. The results of this study conclude that the religion of Israel occurred through the development process of the religious system that existed at that time. The claim that Israel's religion was imported from outside, then came into conflict with the Canaanite religious system basically has no religious historical basis. The emergence of varieties of monotheism that occurred in Israel around the 2nd century BC as recorded by Josephus was the culmination of an inclusive form of monotheism which gradually developed into exclusive monotheism during the Hellenistic period. This indicates that Israel's religious system in the era of the first temple was not monotheistic, but polytheistic which in practice often took the form of henotheism and monolatry. This research is expected to contribute to the study of theological topics, especially in the study of the formation of the nation and religion of Israel.