The Greek addition to Daniel Susanna and Chariton of Aphrodisias’ Callirhoe are early examples of novels/novella. These works reflect on legal protocol and the place of women vis-à-vis the law and the household, exposing female bodies to make their point. This article connects these features to ancient novelists’ utilisation of female bodies. Cont…[Read more]

1 Samuel 28:14 describes the appearance of the ghost of Samuel, who, upon King Saul’s request, was raised by a medium. We identify four key elements of the ghost’s visage, all of which relate to the living Samuel or King Saul, or their relationship, and all critique King Saul and foreshadow the loss of the kingship and his demise. The four ele…[Read more]

Recent works on the categorisation of ancient Judaism have begun to call into question the division between Judaism and Hellenism, often reified as two distinct cultural spheres, even as scholars seek to explain texts and artefacts which show elements traditionally ascribed either to Judaism or Hellenism. These theoretical formulations have made…[Read more]

Athaliah and Alexandra were the only two women to rule as queens of Judah/Judaea in their own right and both women’s reigns are reported in Josephus’ writings. Despite their uniqueness, however, Athaliah and Alexandra are rarely compared in scholarship; the former is usually dismissed, and focus centred on the latter. This article contends tha…[Read more]

In Exodus 2, Moses has two mothers; his Hebrew mother, who nurses him and the daughter of Pharaoh, who financially supports his Hebrew mother, adopts him, and names him. Pharaoh’s daughter appears in scholarly discussions, yet little attention is given to her role as mother of Moses. Indeed, this motherhood is downplayed in the biblical texts, a…[Read more]

Athaliah and Alexandra were the only two women to rule as queens of Judah/Judaea in their own right and both women’s reigns are reported in Josephus’ writings. Despite their uniqueness, however, Athaliah and Alexandra are rarely compared in scholarship; the former is usually dismissed, and focus centred on the latter. This article contends tha…[Read more]

This paper supports the case that Antiochus IV Epiphanes was linguistically alluded in the Greek translations of Book of Daniel, which connected him to the »Abomination of Desolation«.14 It is likely that Antiochus’ title Ἐπιφανὴς was being referred in the use of ἀφανίζω (to destroy, make desolate) and its cognate nounal form, particularly in…[Read more]

While the kingdom of Israel experienced eight military coups in its shorter history, the kingdom of Judah saw only four assassinations of its monarchs, three of which were Athaliah, her usurper, and his successor. This sequence of untimely royal deaths in Judah stands in contrast to the stability of Israel’s royal line under the Jehuite d…[Read more]