DOCSLIB.ORG

Household and Family Religion in Persian-Period Judah

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Household and Family Religion in Persian-Period Judah in HOUSEHOLD HOUSEHOLD PERSIANPERIOD JUDAH PERSIANPERIOD e extensive excavations conducted at Tell en-Nas. beh provide a unique opportunity for studying a wealth of material culture from the Persian & period in the Levant. José E. Balcells Gallarreta draws upon the evidence RELIGION FAMILY of houses and household architecture of di erent sizes and construction methods to investigate socioeconomic relationships, especially those tied to Persian-period religious practices. Unlike previous scholarship that HOUSEHOLD & focused on o cial or state religion or textual evidence alone, Balcells Gallarreta utilizes archaeology of religion and domestic contexts to in reveal the existence of household religion and rituals in Persian-period FAMILY RELIGION Tell en-Nas. beh, along with other contemporary sites in Yehud. Maps, tables, photos, and illustrations supplement Balcells Gallarreta’s case, PERSIANPERIOD providing a rich resource for scholars and students of the Hebrew Bible and the archaeology of Yehud. JUDAH JOSÉ E. BALCELLS GALLARRETA is Founder and Faculty Member at Iodea.org, where he focuses on Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern An Archaeological archaeology. Balcells Gallarreta Balcells Approach Ancient Near East Monographs Monografías sobre el Antiguo Cercano Oriente Society of Biblical Literature Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente (UCA) Electronic open access edition (ISBN 978-0-88414-225-6) available at http://www.sbl-site.org/publications/Books_ANEmonographs.aspx Cover photo: Zev Radovan/BibleLandPictures.com José E. Balcells Gallarreta Ancient Near East Monographs Monografías sobre el Antiguo Cercano Oriente Society of Biblical Literature Centro de Estudios de Historia del Antiguo Oriente (UCA) HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILY RELIGION IN PERSIANPERIOD JUDAH ANCIENT NEAR EAST MONOGRAPHS General Editors Alan Lenzi Juan Manuel Tebes Editorial Board Reinhard Achenbach C. L. Crouch Roxana Flammini Esther J. Hamori Christopher B. Hays René Krüger Graciela Gestoso Singer Bruce Wells Number 18 HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILY RELIGION IN PERSIANPERIOD JUDAH An Archaeological Approach by José E. Balcells Gallarreta Atlanta Copyright © 2017 by José E. Balcells Gallarreta All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permit- ted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Oce, SBL Press, 825 Hous- ton Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Control Number: 2017940546 Printed on acid-free paper. I am most blessed by the great family that surrounds me, and for the love and support that they provide every day. To my father and mother-in-law, Jim and Kay, for your encouragement, editing support, and continued prayers. To my sister and brother-in-law, Ana and Miguel, for helping with whatever was need- ed. To my parents, Juan and Léonie, for your support with so many things. To my children, Christopher, Ana, and Katrina, for your encouragement and won- derful memories along the way; thank you for your willingness to relocate in support of my studies. To my dear wife, Carole, for your unending love, pa- tience, and support during these past years; you never gave up no matter what, and believed in me and our ultimate purpose. To you all I dedicate this study. CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................................................. ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................. xi ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................... xiii INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 The Need for Research .................................................................................. 1 State of Research ........................................................................................... 2 Project Scope ................................................................................................. 3 1. METHODS AND DEFINITIONS ................................................................. 7 1.1 Social-Scientific Theories and Methods and Their Contributions to Biblical Studies ....................................................................................... 7 1.1.1 Texts and Methods ........................................................................ 9 1.1.2 Archaeology of Ritual and Religion ............................................ 11 2. PERSIAN PERIOD RITUAL IN EZRA .................................................... 21 2.1 Significance ........................................................................................... 21 2.2 Background of Ezra-Nehemiah ............................................................. 22 2.2.1 Provenance .................................................................................. 22 2.2.2 Geographical Boundaries for Yehud ........................................... 23 2.2.3 Judah and the Southern Levant under Persian Rule .................... 27 2.2.4 Persian Influence on Religion ..................................................... 31 2.2.5 Language ..................................................................................... 35 2.2.6 Demographic Changes: Social and Ethnic Groups ..................... 37 2.2.7 Identity Formation ....................................................................... 39 2.3 Analysis of Ezra ..................................................................................... 40 2.4 Review of Other Persian Period Biblical Texts ..................................... 47 vii viii HOUSEHOLD AND FAMILY RELIGION IN PERSIAN PERIOD JUDAH 3. PERSIAN PERIOD RITUAL ARTIFACTS FROM TELL EN-NAṢBEH HOUSEHOLDS ........................................................................................... 49 3.1 Significance of Tell en-Naṣbeh ............................................................. 49 3.2 Persian Period Tell en-Naṣbeh ............................................................... 52 3.3 Archaeology Related to Ritual and Religion ......................................... 56 3.3.1 Ritual Artifacts ............................................................................ 64 4. PERSIAN PERIOD ARCHITECTURE AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE FROM TELL EN-NAṢBEH ....................................................................... 81 4.1 Ritual Loci: Architecture and Natural Landscape ................................. 81 5. PERSIAN PERIOD RITUAL MATERIAL CULTURE FROM OTHER YEHUD SITES .......................................................................................... 121 5.1 Shephelah Sites .................................................................................... 121 5.2 Archaeology Related to Ritual and Religion ....................................... 122 5.2.1 Ritual Loci: Architecture and Natural Landscape ..................... 122 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ......................................................... 133 APPENDIX A: TELL EN-NAṢBEH MATERIAL CULTURE DISTRIBUTION FOR STRATUM 2 ...................................................... 145 APPENDIX B: TELL EN-NAṢBEH STRATUM 2 BUILDING RECONSTRUCTIONS ............................................................................. 159 APPENDIX C: PHOTOGRAPHS OF TELL EN-NAṢBEH RITUAL ARTIFACTS STRATUM 2 ...................................................................... 169 APPENDIX D: TELL EN-NAṢBEH STRATUM 2 BUILDING SPECIFICATION ..................................................................................... 177 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................... 179 ANCIENT SOURCES INDEX ...................................................................... 189 MODERN AUTHORS INDEX ...................................................................... 191 ILLUSTRATIONS Figures Figure 1. Approximate geographical area of Yehud. .................................. 25 Figure 2. World powers during the sixth century BCE. .............................. 28 Figure 3. The extent of the Persian Empire. ................................................ 30 Figure 4. Tell en-Naṣbeh Stratum 2 architecture. ........................................ 53 Figure 5. Excavator’s distribution of possible ritual artifacts. ..................... 65 Figure 6. Tell en-Naṣbeh Building 74.01. ................................................... 87 Figure 7. Tell en-Naṣbeh Building 110.01. ................................................. 89 Figure 8. Tell en-Naṣbeh bedrock elevations in northern areas. ................. 91 Figure 9. Tell en-Naṣbeh Outer Gate. .......................................................... 97 Figure 10. Tell en-Naṣbeh Outer Gate complex. ......................................... 99 Figure 11. Ancient map of Tell en-Naṣbeh and its surroundings. ............. 118 Figure 12. Map of Tel Lachish with Buildings 106 and 10. ...................... 125 Figure 13. Details of Buildings 106 at Tel Lachish. .................................. 127 Figure 14. TEN Building 74.01. ................................................................ 160 Figure 15. TEN Building 93.03. ................................................................ 161 Figure 16. TEN Building 110.01.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Zephaniah 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on Zephaniah 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE AND WRITER The title of the book comes from the name of its writer. "Zephaniah" means "Yahweh Hides [or Has Hidden]," "Hidden in Yahweh," "Yahweh's Watchman," or "Yahweh Treasured." The uncertainty arises over the etymology of the prophet's name, which scholars dispute. I prefer "Hidden by Yahweh."1 Zephaniah was the great-great-grandson of Hezekiah (1:1), evidently King Hezekiah of Judah. This is not at all certain, but I believe it is likely. Only two other Hezekiahs appear on the pages of the Old Testament, and they both lived in the postexilic period. The Chronicler mentioned one of these (1 Chron. 3:23), and the writers of Ezra and Nehemiah mentioned the other (Ezra 2:16; Neh. 7:21). If Zephaniah was indeed a descendant of the king, this would make him the writing prophet with the most royal blood in his veins, except for David and Solomon. Apart from the names of his immediate forefathers, we know nothing more about him for sure, though it seems fairly certain where he lived. His references to Judah and Jerusalem (1:10-11) seem to indicate that he lived in Jerusalem, which would fit a king's descendant.2 1Cf. Ronald B. Allen, A Shelter in the Fury, p. 20. 2See Vern S. Poythress, "Dispensing with Merely Human Meaning: Gains and Losses from Focusing on the Human Author, Illustrated by Zephaniah 1:2-3," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 57:3 (September 2014):481-99. Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L.
    [Show full text]
  • The Orontids of Armenia by Cyril Toumanoff
    The Orontids of Armenia by Cyril Toumanoff This study appears as part III of Toumanoff's Studies in Christian Caucasian History (Georgetown, 1963), pp. 277-354. An earlier version appeared in the journal Le Muséon 72(1959), pp. 1-36 and 73(1960), pp. 73-106. The Orontids of Armenia Bibliography, pp. 501-523 Maps appear as an attachment to the present document. This material is presented solely for non-commercial educational/research purposes. I 1. The genesis of the Armenian nation has been examined in an earlier Study.1 Its nucleus, succeeding to the role of the Yannic nucleus ot Urartu, was the 'proto-Armenian,T Hayasa-Phrygian, people-state,2 which at first oc- cupied only a small section of the former Urartian, or subsequent Armenian, territory. And it was, precisely, of the expansion of this people-state over that territory, and of its blending with the remaining Urartians and other proto- Caucasians that the Armenian nation was born. That expansion proceeded from the earliest proto-Armenian settlement in the basin of the Arsanias (East- ern Euphrates) up the Euphrates, to the valley of the upper Tigris, and espe- cially to that of the Araxes, which is the central Armenian plain.3 This expand- ing proto-Armenian nucleus formed a separate satrapy in the Iranian empire, while the rest of the inhabitants of the Armenian Plateau, both the remaining Urartians and other proto-Caucasians, were included in several other satrapies.* Between Herodotus's day and the year 401, when the Ten Thousand passed through it, the land of the proto-Armenians had become so enlarged as to form, in addition to the Satrapy of Armenia, also the trans-Euphratensian vice-Sa- trapy of West Armenia.5 This division subsisted in the Hellenistic phase, as that between Greater Armenia and Lesser Armenia.
    [Show full text]
  • Iranian Coins & Mints: Achaemenid Dynasty
    IRANIAN COINS & MINTS: ACHAEMENID DYNASTY DARIC The Achaemenid Currency By: Michael Alram DARIC (Gk. dareiko‚s statê´r), Achaemenid gold coin of ca. 8.4 gr, which was introduced by Darius I the Great (q.v.; 522-486 B.C.E.) toward the end of the 6th century B.C.E. The daric and the similar silver coin, the siglos (Gk. síglos mediko‚s), represented the bimetallic monetary standard that the Achaemenids developed from that of the Lydians (Herodotus, 1.94). Although it was the only gold coin of its period that was struck continuously, the daric was eventually displaced from its central economic position first by the biga stater of Philip II of Macedonia (359-36 B.C.E.) and then, conclusively, by the Nike stater of Alexander II of Macedonia (336-23 B.C.E.). The ancient Greeks believed that the term dareiko‚s was derived from the name of Darius the Great (Pollux, Onomastikon 3.87, 7.98; cf. Caccamo Caltabiano and Radici Colace), who was believed to have introduced these coins. For example, Herodotus reported that Darius had struck coins of pure gold (4.166, 7.28: chrysíou statê´rôn Dareikôn). On the other hand, modern scholars have generally supposed that the Greek term dareiko‚s can be traced back to Old Persian *dari- "golden" and that it was first associated with the name of Darius only in later folk etymology (Herzfeld, p. 146; for the contrary view, see Bivar, p. 621; DARIUS iii). During the 5th century B.C.E. the term dareiko‚s was generally and exclusively used to designate Persian coins, which were circulating so widely among the Greeks that in popular speech they were dubbed toxo‚tai "archers" after the image of the figure with a bow that appeared on them (Plutarch, Artoxerxes 20.4; idem, Agesilaus 15.6).
    [Show full text]
  • Emergency in Israel
    Emergency in Israel Emergency Update on Jewish Agency Programming May 16, 2021 The recent violent events that have erupted across the country have left us all surprised and stunned: clashes with Palestinians in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount; the deteriorating security tensions and the massive barrage of missiles from Gaza on southern and central Israel; and the outbreak of unprecedented violence, destruction, and lynching in mixed cities and Arab communities. To say that the situation is particularly challenging is an understatement. We must all deal with the consequences of the current tensions. Many of us are protecting family, coworkers, or people under our charge while missiles fall on our heads night and day, forcing us to seek shelter. We have all witnessed the unbearable sights of rioting, beating, and arson by Arab and Jewish extremists in Lod, Ramla, Acre, Kfar Qassem, Bat Yam, Holon, and other places. As an organization that has experienced hard times of war and destruction, as well as periods of prosperity and peace, it is our duty to rise up and make a clear statement: we will support and assist populations hit by missile fire as we did in the past, after the Second Lebanon War and after Operations Cast Lead and Protective Edge. Together with our partners, we will mobilize to heal and support the communities and populations affected by the fighting. Our Fund for Victims of Terror is already providing assistance to bereaved families. When the situation allows it, we will provide more extensive assistance to localities and communities that have suffered damage and casualties.
    [Show full text]
  • Pax Persica and the Peoples of the Black Sea Region: Extent and Limits of Achaemenid Imperial Ideology
    Pax Persica and the Peoples of the Black Sea Region: Extent and Limits of Achaemenid Imperial Ideology Maria Brosius The problem of the historical record In contrast to ancient historians studying the Black Sea region in the sixth and fifth centuries BC, archaeologists appear to have a considerable amount of data on which to base scholarly debate. The finds emerging from Georgia and Azerbaijan are particularly striking. But, while archaeologists are able to hold on to undeniable factual evidence for Achaemenid presence in this region in the shape of Achaemenid column bases and entire palace-like structures, the attempt of ancient historians to provide a historical assessment of the Black Sea region in the Achaemenid period resembles a clutching at straws. To be sure, the evaluation of the archaeological evidence is not without its own problems, yet incorporating the Black Sea region into the historical discussion of our period poses a difficult challenge. Amongst other concerns there is a debate over the extent of the Persian controlled area,1 the exact definition of its borders, the duration of Persian presence, the question of Persian naval communication across the Black Sea, the status of these regions within the Persian political structure, as well as that of the Greek cities of the Black Sea region and Persian rulers.2 The following observations aim to address some of these issues and con- tribute to the discussion on how we are to contextualize the evidence for the Black Sea region during the Achaemenid period and to evaluate the impact of the Persian presence there.
    [Show full text]
  • The Outbreak of the Rebellion of Cyrus the Younger Jeffrey Rop
    The Outbreak of the Rebellion of Cyrus the Younger Jeffrey Rop N THE ANABASIS, Xenophon asserts that the Persian prince Cyrus the Younger was falsely accused of plotting a coup I d’état against King Artaxerxes II shortly after his accession to the throne in 404 BCE. Spared from execution by the Queen Mother Parysatis, Cyrus returned to Lydia determined to seize the throne for himself. He secretly prepared his rebellion by securing access to thousands of Greek hoplites, winning over Persian officials and most of the Greek cities of Ionia, and continuing to send tribute and assurances of his loyalty to the unsuspecting King (1.1).1 In Xenophon’s timeline, the rebellion was not official until sometime between the muster of his army at Sardis in spring 401, which spurred his rival Tissaphernes to warn Artaxerxes (1.2.4–5), and his arrival several months later at Thapsacus on the Euphrates, where Cyrus first openly an- nounced his true intentions (1.4.11). Questioning the “strange blindness” of Artaxerxes in light of Cyrus’ seemingly obvious preparations for revolt, Pierre Briant proposed an alternative timeline placing the outbreak of the rebellion almost immediately after Cyrus’ return to Sardis in late 404 or early 403.2 In his reconstruction, the King allowed Cyrus 1 See also Ctesias FGrHist 688 F 16.59, Diod. 14.19, Plut. Artax. 3–4. 2 Pierre Briant, From Cyrus to Alexander (Winona Lake 2002) 617–620. J. K. Anderson, Xenophon (New York 1974) 80, expresses a similar skepticism. Briant concludes his discussion by stating that the rebellion officially (Briant does not define “official,” but I take it to mean when either the King or Cyrus declared it publicly) began in 401 with the muster of Cyrus’ army at Sardis, but it is nonetheless appropriate to characterize Briant’s position as dating the official outbreak of the revolt to 404/3.
    [Show full text]
  • The Satrap of Western Anatolia and the Greeks
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2017 The aS trap Of Western Anatolia And The Greeks Eyal Meyer University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons Recommended Citation Meyer, Eyal, "The aS trap Of Western Anatolia And The Greeks" (2017). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2473. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2473 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2473 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The aS trap Of Western Anatolia And The Greeks Abstract This dissertation explores the extent to which Persian policies in the western satrapies originated from the provincial capitals in the Anatolian periphery rather than from the royal centers in the Persian heartland in the fifth ec ntury BC. I begin by establishing that the Persian administrative apparatus was a product of a grand reform initiated by Darius I, which was aimed at producing a more uniform and centralized administrative infrastructure. In the following chapter I show that the provincial administration was embedded with chancellors, scribes, secretaries and military personnel of royal status and that the satrapies were periodically inspected by the Persian King or his loyal agents, which allowed to central authorities to monitory the provinces. In chapter three I delineate the extent of satrapal authority, responsibility and resources, and conclude that the satraps were supplied with considerable resources which enabled to fulfill the duties of their office. After the power dynamic between the Great Persian King and his provincial governors and the nature of the office of satrap has been analyzed, I begin a diachronic scrutiny of Greco-Persian interactions in the fifth century BC.
    [Show full text]
  • Tribes and Empire on the Margins of Nineteenth-Century Iran
    publications on the near east publications on the near east Poetry’s Voice, Society’s Song: Ottoman Lyric The Transformation of Islamic Art during Poetry by Walter G. Andrews the Sunni Revival by Yasser Tabbaa The Remaking of Istanbul: Portrait of an Shiraz in the Age of Hafez: The Glory of Ottoman City in the Nineteenth Century a Medieval Persian City by John Limbert by Zeynep Çelik The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi‘i Symbols The Tragedy of Sohráb and Rostám from and Rituals in Modern Iran the Persian National Epic, the Shahname by Kamran Scot Aghaie of Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi, translated by Ottoman Lyric Poetry: An Anthology, Jerome W. Clinton Expanded Edition, edited and translated The Jews in Modern Egypt, 1914–1952 by Walter G. Andrews, Najaat Black, and by Gudrun Krämer Mehmet Kalpaklı Izmir and the Levantine World, 1550–1650 Party Building in the Modern Middle East: by Daniel Goffman The Origins of Competitive and Coercive Rule by Michele Penner Angrist Medieval Agriculture and Islamic Science: The Almanac of a Yemeni Sultan Everyday Life and Consumer Culture by Daniel Martin Varisco in Eighteenth-Century Damascus by James Grehan Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, edited by Sibel Bozdog˘an and The City’s Pleasures: Istanbul in the Eigh- Res¸at Kasaba teenth Century by Shirine Hamadeh Slavery and Abolition in the Ottoman Middle Reading Orientalism: Said and the Unsaid East by Ehud R. Toledano by Daniel Martin Varisco Britons in the Ottoman Empire, 1642–1660 The Merchant Houses of Mocha: Trade by Daniel Goffman and Architecture in an Indian Ocean Port by Nancy Um Popular Preaching and Religious Authority in the Medieval Islamic Near East Tribes and Empire on the Margins of Nine- by Jonathan P.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of Parthian Coinage in Media
    The Politics of Parthian Coinage in Media Author(s): Farhang Khademi Nadooshan, Seyed Sadrudin Moosavi, Frouzandeh Jafarzadeh Pour Reviewed work(s): Source: Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol. 68, No. 3, Archaeology in Iran (Sep., 2005), pp. 123-127 Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25067611 . Accessed: 06/11/2011 07:31 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The American Schools of Oriental Research is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Near Eastern Archaeology. http://www.jstor.org The Parthians (174 BCE-224CE) suc- , The coins discussed here are primarily from ceeded in the the Lorestan Museum, which houses the establishing longest jyj^' in the ancient coins of southern Media.1 However, lasting empire J0^%^ 1 Near East.At its Parthian JF the coins of northern Media are also height, ^S^ considered thanks to the collection ruleextended Anatolia to M from ^^^/;. housed in the Azerbaijan Museum theIndus and the Valley from Ef-'?S&f?'''' in the city of Tabriz. Most of the Sea to the Persian m Caspian ^^^/// coins of the Azerbaijan Museum Farhang Khademi Gulf Consummate horsemen el /?/ have been donated by local ^^ i Nadooshan, Seyed indigenoustoCentral Asia, the ? people and have been reported ?| ?????J SadrudinMoosavi, Parthians achieved fame for Is u1 and documented in their names.
    [Show full text]
  • Biblical Coinage Coins That Have Links to Israel and the Bible
    Biblical Coinage Coins that have links to Israel and the Bible By Colin E Pitchfork 1) Quarter Shekel Unique in the British Museum struck before 333 BCE. The reverse (or tail side) portrays a seated deity on a winged wheel with bearded mask lower right Described by Hill (1914) and others as the first Jewish coin following the description in Ezekiel 10:16 Barag (1991) suggests the deity as the God of Yehud ie. The God of Israel. Gitler & Tal (2006) suggest it is a product of the Philistian mint produced by Edomite Jews and one of the earliest coins of the Yehud series. 2) Persian Empire gold daric struck in the time of Darius I to Xerxes II 485-420 BCE The obverse (or head side) shows the Persian king kneeling with spear and bow. The shekel is a weight when mentioned in the Bible but the daric is mentioned in Chronicles I (29, 7); Ezra 2,69 and 8, 27, Nehemiah 7, 70-72.Ezra 2,69 mentions in the verse “one thousand darics of gold and 5000 pounds of silver. 3) Yehud silver half gerah (issued before 333 BCE). With obverse a lily (symbol of Jerusalem) and reverse a falcon with Hebrew “yhd “ script. “YHD” is the Persian name for the province of Judah. 4) Bronze prutah of the Maccabean king John Hyrcanus I (135-104 BCE) “ Yehohanan the High Priest and the Council of the Jews” Biblical Coins - Coins that have links to Israel and the Bible by Colin E Pitchfork 5) A bronze prutah of Alexander Jannaeus (104-76 BCE).
    [Show full text]
  • Megillat Esther
    The Steinsaltz Megillot Megillot Translation and Commentary Megillat Esther Commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz Koren Publishers Jerusalem Editor in Chief Rabbi Jason Rappoport Copy Editors Caryn Meltz, Manager The Steinsaltz Megillot Aliza Israel, Consultant Esther Debbie Ismailoff, Senior Copy Editor Ita Olesker, Senior Copy Editor Commentary by Chava Boylan Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz Suri Brand Ilana Brown Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd. Carolyn Budow Ben-David POB 4044, Jerusalem 91040, ISRAEL Rachelle Emanuel POB 8531, New Milford, CT 06776, USA Charmaine Gruber Deborah Meghnagi Bailey www.korenpub.com Deena Nataf Dvora Rhein All rights reserved to Adin Steinsaltz © 2015, 2019 Elisheva Ruffer First edition 2019 Ilana Sobel Koren Tanakh Font © 1962, 2019 Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd. Maps Editors Koren Siddur Font and text design © 1981, 2019 Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd. Ilana Sobel, Map Curator Steinsaltz Center is the parent organization Rabbi Dr. Joshua Amaru, Senior Map Editor of institutions established by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz Rabbi Alan Haber POB 45187, Jerusalem 91450 ISRAEL Rabbi Aryeh Sklar Telephone: +972 2 646 0900, Fax +972 2 624 9454 www.steinsaltz-center.org Language Experts Dr. Stéphanie E. Binder, Greek & Latin Considerable research and expense have gone into the creation of this publication. Rabbi Yaakov Hoffman, Arabic Unauthorized copying may be considered geneivat da’at and breach of copyright law. Dr. Shai Secunda, Persian No part of this publication (content or design, including use of the Koren fonts) may Shira Shmidman, Aramaic be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 the Assyrian Empire, the Conquest of Israel, and the Colonization of Judah 37 I
    ISRAEL AND EMPIRE ii ISRAEL AND EMPIRE A Postcolonial History of Israel and Early Judaism Leo G. Perdue and Warren Carter Edited by Coleman A. Baker LONDON • NEW DELHI • NEW YORK • SYDNEY 1 Bloomsbury T&T Clark An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Imprint previously known as T&T Clark 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com Bloomsbury, T&T Clark and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2015 © Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the authors. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-0-56705-409-8 PB: 978-0-56724-328-7 ePDF: 978-0-56728-051-0 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Typeset by Forthcoming Publications (www.forthpub.com) 1 Contents Abbreviations vii Preface ix Introduction: Empires, Colonies, and Postcolonial Interpretation 1 I.
    [Show full text]