Hershel ShanksReseñas

Sacred Relics

interesting but difficult to read unless this is a subject of great appeal to you. I found myself constantly re-reading paragraphs to try and understand the meaning and after 80 pages decided it was no longer pleasurable to continue.

Transcript of a symposium, with photos (apparently from the slides shown). Answered my random wondering what ever happened to the scrolls that were found--they are still being pieced together.

This is really two books in one, and both are excellent. Hershel Shanks (editor of my favorite mag, Biblical Archaeology Review) tells the story of the discovery of the James ossuary, and Ben Witherington describes the person both scholars believe this limestone burial box belonged to: James, the brother of Jesus. I’ve been following Shanks’ arguments in BAR over the years, so I already know he’s a proponent of the ossuary’s authenticity.

The box itself is inscribed “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” The Bible agrees: Jesus’ father was Joseph and one brother was James. The box was discovered in the collection of a private collector, who had no recollection of its origin … and no idea of its potentially incredible value. It’s dated pretty accurately to the first century, so while we cannot say with any certainty that it’s authentic to THE Jesus, both authors are convinced it’s an authentic first-century bone box.

This practice of removing the bones from the tomb and burying them again in a small box was practiced only for a short time, from about 20 BC to 70 AD. This, too, points to the period of Jesus. But what are the odds that this box once held the bones of the brother of Jesus? All three of these names—Jesus (Yeshua), James (Ya’akov), and Joseph (Yosef)—were quite common back then, but it’s still possible to estimate the odds. One estimate is that about 20 such James’s (with the indicated brother and father) would have lived in that period; another estimate is between 2 and 4. But how many would have a brother so famous that his brother’s name would be indicated on his ossuary? That would be a rarity. If this is the brother of the “real” Jesus, then, as Shanks posits, this little box may be “the most astonishing find in the history of archaeology.”

Then Witherington takes over halfway through the book to tell us about James, the brother of Jesus. Who he was, what he taught, how he died. While Peter and Paul may have become the most famous apostles, James was in reality probably the most important after the death of Jesus. He was appointed as the head of the Jerusalem church, the mother church.

Among other things, Witherington goes head to head with the Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity. While the Bible lists several brothers of Jesus, Catholics maintain that Mary remained a virgin after Jesus was born, and many believe the listed “brothers” are really just cousins. This idea was promoted by St. Jerome. Witherington quotes John P. Meier, a leading Catholic New Testament scholar, as saying that if the James ossuary is authentic, it is probably the last nail in the coffin of Jerome’s view of the brothers of Jesus being cousins.

I’ve always enjoyed the writings of both these authors, and this book doesn’t disappoint.

NO OF PAGES: 256 SUB CAT I: Jerusalem SUB CAT II: Biography SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: This book traces the turbulent history of the Holy City on the 3,000th anniversary of its establishment by King David as the capital of Israel, via the archaeology of the Holy City.NOTES: SUBTITLE: An Archaeological Biography

NO OF PAGES: 85 SUB CAT I: Dead Sea Scrolls SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Exciting new discoveries regarding the Dead Sea scrolls, as scholars begin to examine the evidence.NOTES: SUBTITLE:

NO OF PAGES: 380 SUB CAT I: First Century Judaism SUB CAT II: Archaeology SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Eight eminent Christian and Jewish scholars have collaborated to produce an account of the origin and formation of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism during the first 600 years of their parallel development.NOTES: SUBTITLE: A Parallel History of Their Origins and Early Development

Articles from Biblical Archeology Review and Bible Review. Sourcebook of discovery and primary questions about the Scrolls

A good collection of articles from the magazines which lobbied for the full publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (Scholars dragged their feet not out of any religious cabal but to carve out little exclusive professional fiefdoms for themselves and their favored students: anyone who wanted to examine these texts had petition them and thus they could set themselves up as arbiters and experts. Very professionally (and historically) selfish.)

The scrolls have now been fully published in the Discoveries in the Judean Desert series, in microfilm, in at least 2 competing CD-ROM versions, and are fully represented in current translations. Anyone may read them and see there is nothing inimical to Christianity (unless you were is not aware that 'messiah' was a Jewish concept that came before Christianity...)

Nearly all of the scrolls pre-date the lifetime of Jesus. They are not Christian but Jewish (although exactly what sort of Judaism is fiercely debated.)

This collection of articles by prominent scholars and specialists follows some of the debates about the scrolls and their era. It is a popular book but archeologists and scholars turn to Shanks' magazines for the 'short versions' of their colleagues' works and discoveries. (For contrast, pick up a magazine like "Near Eastern Archaeology" which has the full, technical versions of similar work.)

Although a bit of a time capsule, this book is a good introduction to the world of Dead Sea Scroll scholarship which dates to shortly after their full publication (1991, if memory serves.)

-Kushana

NCLA Review - Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archaeology Review, tells the story of the only one of the Dead Sea Scrolls written on copper. This Copper Scroll purports to describe what happened to all the silver, gold, and other treasures removed from the Temple in Jerusalem prior to its destruction in the year 70. These treasures, according to the Scroll, are buried in 64 different locations in the general vicinity of Jerusalem. Is this for real or is this an interesting piece of folklore? Shanks says that the majority of Dead Sea Scrolls experts, he included, take it seriously. This small, copiously-illustrated book tells about the discovery, translation, and attempts—so far unsuccessful—to find this hidden treasure. If your library already contains a translation of all the scrolls—those by Garcia Martinez, Vermes, or Wise et al. for example—you may wish to add The Copper Scroll. It may make you grab your pick and shovel and head for Israel! Rating: 2—RO

This book brings together some of the best letters to the editor published in Biblical Archaeology Review magazine. They are one of the highlights of this publication and often very lively.

Informative, entertaining, and controversal, at times. This magazine was one of major the driving forces instrumental in making the Dead Sea Scrolls more accesable. One highlight of this magazine is the Letters to the Editor section.

"These ancient synagogues have revealed a Judaism that is as varied, as complex, as teaming with life and closely assimilated to a majoritarian culture as today in Judaism". Book Jacket. Text and Illustrations are both excellent.

"Hershel Shanks is well-informed about the scholarly work that has been done and knows how to present it in a simple and attractive manner...at once precise and picturesque...I approve his entire historical and archaeological reconstruction." Revue Biblique

A concise overview of the modern scholastic understanding of Israel's history. Introduces a lot of the major arguments along with their evidences and reasons that bring history, bible, and scholarship alive. Many helpful and useful notes and references. Entertaining, educational, and thought-provoking. Written in easy-to-understand language. Ideal for anyone just getting their feet wet or who really want to dig in. The one drawback is the liberal slant that permeates the text and dubiously colors some of the conclusions.

http://btripp-books.livejournal.com/9112.html

Case 8 shelf 4

INDEX; NOTES

Bible.--O.T.--Antiquities.

Dead Sea scrolls--Congresses.

NO OF PAGES: 206 SUB CAT I: Jerusalem SUB CAT II: Temple SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: According to the Hebrew Bible, King Solomon built a Temple to the Lord in Jerusalem on a threshing floor that his father, King David, purchased from Araunah the Jebusite for 50 shekels of silver. "No other building of the ancient world," claims the Anchor Bible Dictionary, "either while it stood in Jerusalem or in the millennia since its final destruction has been the focus of so much attention throughout the ages."
This stunning book, with its 160 illustrations, is a history of the Temple or Temples in Jerusalem from Solomon's time to the present. The book reads like an archaeological excavation, digging deeper and deeper at one site. Starting with a discussion of the Palestinian denial of a Jewish Temple, the book proceeds to explore the Islamic Dome of the Rock, the little-known Roman Temple of Jupiter, Herod's massive Temple Mount, the Temple built by the exiles returning from Babylon, and finally Solomon's Temple. With a lively and informative text to accompany the pictures, Jerusalem's Temple Mount is replete with archaeology, history, legends (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim), inscriptions, biblical interpretations, and forgeries.NOTES: Purchased from Amazon.com. SUBTITLE: From Solomon to the Golden Dome