Books in Brief

006

Egyptian and Jewish MSS.

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells, Volume I: Texts

Edited by Hans Dieter Betz

(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986) 339 pp., $39.95

Genizah Manuscripts of Palestinian Targum to the Pentateuch, 2 Volumes

Michael L. Klein

(Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1986) Volume I, 363 pp.; Volume II, 131 pp., plus 182 plates, $100.00

Few devotees of Biblical Archaeology Review will want to read these two books. Yet they are important to know about. They represent the laborious, painstaking, detailed efforts of scholars to make available to their colleagues reliable texts of primary ancient documents. Other scholars can then use these texts in their own work—to draw inferences in a variety of ways, especially when these texts are understood in the light of other available materials known to one scholar or another. Such is the task of scholarship.

The first of these books, edited by Hans Dieter Betz of the University of Chicago, is a new edition of magical papyri dating from the second century B.C. to the fifth century A.D., mostly Greek, but also some in demotic (a form of cursive Egyptian) and Coptic, translated into English by a team of 16 distinguished scholars.^a

From literary sources we know that large numbers of magical books existed in antiquity. For example, in Acts 19:19 (inaccurately cited in Betz’s book), we learn that when Paul was in Ephesus effecting miraculous cures in Jesus’ name, “a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the value of them and found it came to 50,000 pieces of silver.”

Unfortunately, almost all of these ancient magic books were suppressed, destroyed or suffered the ravages of time. According to the Roman biographer and historian Suetonius, in 13 B.C. the emperor Augustus ordered 2,000 magical scrolls to be burned. Sometimes the magicians were burned along with their books.

Short magical texts have survived on clay bowls, on tablets of gold, silver, lead and tin, 007on inscribed potsherds and even on inscribed gemstones. But the bulk of the extant magical texts were written on papyrus and came from a single acquisition that forms the heart of Betz’s book.

In the first half of the 19th century, an Armenian named Jean d’Anastasi was serving as a “diplomatic representative” at the court of Alexandria in Egypt. Like many diplomats and military men of his time, d’Anastasi was a passionate collector of antiquities. Among his acquisitions was a large collection of magical books written on papyrus, at least some of which he obtained in Thebes. Betz believes that many of the papyri came from the same place, probably a temple or tomb in Thebes, perhaps the collection of a famous old magician. We should be grateful for the acquisitive instinct of these two collectors, one ancient and the other modern, for it is to them that we owe the survival of what is now known as the Anastasi collection.

Initially, however, Anastasi’s magical papyri were not highly regarded. Eventually, they were distributed to various museums in Europe where they were stored as curiosities. Over a hundred-year period, however, most of the then-known papyri were published. A German edition bringing together these papyri was begun sometime before 1908 and finally came to fruition in 1974 (the Preisendanz edition). Betz’s English edition is completely new and contains 50 texts not included in the German edition. Betz’s book will undoubtedly be the definitive edition of these papyri for generations. A second volume will contain indices, a table of parallels between the magical papyri and early Christian literature, and a comprehensive bibliography.

These magical papyri tell us a great deal about the daily life as well as the religious beliefs of the time—direct evidence, as it were. As Betz observes, “Modern views of Greek and Roman religions have long suffered from certain deformities because they were unconsciously shaped by the only remaining sources: the literature of the cultural elite, and the archaeological remains of the official cults of the states and cities.” This collection of magical papyri serves as a powerful corrective. As Betz tells us, these documents are “ … as important for Greco-Roman religions as is the discovery of the Qumran texts for Judaism or the Nag Hammadi library for Gnosticism.”

The papyri contain individual magical spells and remedies, magical formulae, hymns, rituals, liturgies and even bits of mythology. Expressed in Greek, demotic and Coptic, some texts represent simply Egyptian religion. In others, the Egyptian element has been transformed by Hellenistic religious concepts. Most of the texts are mixtures of several religions—Egyptian, Greek, Jewish and even a little Christianity.

Jewish magic was famous in antiquity. These papyri contain divine names and entire passages that seem to come from some form of Judaism. Did this material originate with Jewish magicians? How did it get into the hands of the magicians who wrote the magical papyri? If some of these texts or passages do come from Judaism, what type of Judaism do they represent? These are the kinds of questions scholars may now be prepared to address.

While the Betz book is a joint effort of a team of 16 scholars, the Klein volumes represent a nine-year effort by a single human being. The texts involved are Targums—Aramaic translations and paraphrases. Klein brings together the Pentateuchal Targum fragments that were collected about the turn of the century from a repository in the old Ben Ezra synagogue in Cairo.^b Jewish law prohibits the destruction of anything bearing the name of God. 008Accordingly, Jewish communities do not discard or destroy worn-out sacred writings; genizah is the name for depositories of such worn-out writings. The most famous of these depositories is the collection from the Ben Ezra synagogue, universally referred to by scholars as the Cairo Genizah. The Cairo Genizah contained more than 150,000 pieces of manuscript. The documents cover a millennium beginning in about 900 A.D. Many of the documents, however, are copies of much older texts. As Klein remarks, “The Cairo Genizah is the largest and, after Qumran, the most important source of ancient and medieval Jewish documents and texts discovered in modern times.”

The Palestinian Targum fragments from the Cairo Genizah are the earliest extensive attestation of these Aramaic Biblical manuscripts. To find the 38 documents in his collection, Klein scoured the literature for references to published and unpublished manuscripts and examined the major library collections: “In spite of all these efforts,” he admits, “additional fragments will inevitably be discovered in the future.”

In addition to early Biblical texts, these manuscripts preserve ancient elaborations of Biblical stories known as Midrash, and forms of religious laws that were not preserved by mainstream Judaism. These Palestinian Targum fragments also provide the most reliable examples of what is known as Galilean Aramaic.

The second volume of Klein’s two-volume work contains, in addition to notes, commentary and an Aramaic glossary, plates picturing the documents themselves so that other scholars may check Klein’s readings. Looking at the photographs of these faded, torn and tattered fragments, one gains a new appreciation of what is involved in making sense of them. The first volume of Klein’s collection contains his transcriptions and translations. There is much grist here for the scholarly mill.

A number of fragments contain poems and comments on the Biblical text. For example, several different forms of a poem seem to preserve a tradition of a debate or argument among the Hebrew months for the honor of having the Exodus from Egypt 009occur in it. Eventually the month of Nisan is chosen, “for it is first among the months of the year,” and the people are therefore redeemed in it. In one poetic version of the story, it is suggested that the choice be made by lot. In others, the debate gets quite heated before the choice is made.

The month of Iyyar argues in one poem: “Let the extolled nation be delivered in me, for in me … the manna will rain down for them to eat.”

The month of Siwan tops this argument: “It is I who is chosen for the holy People; in me the light will be revealed [a reference to the revealed Torah]; for in me they will set themselves beneath the mountain [Sinai] and will listen to the commandments from amidst the fire.”

Tammuz argues: “In me the twelve men from the leaders of the delivered ones will be sent by Moses to spy out the land.”

Ellul’s argument is that “in me the humble one [Moses; see Exodus 34] will ascend the mountain [Sinai] and bring down the tablets a second time.”

In a further anachronistic look into the future, the month of Shevat argues that it should be chosen because “in me they [the Israelites] will gather before the humble one [Moses] and he will interpret for them the teachings of the Torah, in Trans-Jordan [see Deuteronomy 1:5].”

The month of Iyyar avoids anachronism by arguing that “in me the righteous Noah was saved from the waters of the flood and he entered the ark safely [see Genesis 7:11].”

And so the argument goes on. And so the stories were taught and learned. In some versions of the poem, there are shoutings, interjections, objections. Nisan silences Iyyar with these words: “Since you are likened to the ox, how can you be a redeemer? Know that the [golden] calf … was the son of an ox and you resemble it!” [The golden calf was made in Iyyar.]

To Siwan, Nisan argues that it cannot be chosen because it would be unfair if the Exodus and the Sinai revelation were in the same month.

The month of Av was deemed inappropriate because in it the Temple was [would be] destroyed.

At one point, “Nisan roars and says to the other months: ‘Hearken to me—to all that I shall tell you … Silence your mouths, for I am their father [the first month] and it is I who shall deliver them from bondage.’”

One can almost imagine poems like these being recited in some early synagogue in Palestine or Egypt in Nisan before the Torah reading on Passover, commemorating the Exodus event.

Kenyon Report Published

Excavations in Jerusalem 1961, 1967, Volume I

A. D. Tushingham

(Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, 1985), 528 pp., plus 39 unbound maps and plans, $145

The recently published final report of Kathleen Kenyon’s Jerusalem excavations (covering the excavations on Mt. Zion, the Armenian Garden and at the mysterious 2,500-foot wall north of the Old City) will be a prized possession of lovers of Jerusalem, of archaeology buffs and of those who appreciate the art of fine bookmaking.

Dame Kathleen died in 1978 without having completed final reports either on her classic excavations at Jericho in the 1950s or on her excavations in Jerusalem between 1961 and 1967. In a report in BAR,^c we 010noted the heavy burden and responsibility that her death laid on her colleagues. Volume I of Excavations in Jerusalem reveals how conscientiously and thoroughly that responsibility is being met by her surviving colleagues.

Volume I is written principally by A. D. Tushingham, until his recent retirement chief archaeologist of the Royal Ontario Museum, which published the volume. The 528-page volume is housed in a handsome deep-red slipcase embossed in gold with the title, the author’s name and the emblem of the Royal Ontario Museum. Inside the slipcase is not only the book, but also 39 separate folded sheets of maps, plans and sections. The book itself contains 81 figures and 185 plates—altogether meticulously produced and elegantly written.

Tushingham does not retreat from Kenyon’s position that the area of the Armenian Garden was uninhabited during the First Temple period. The lively and vociferous debate as to whether Jerusalem was little more than village-size or had expanded to the size of a major city in the First Temple period is likely to continue. The extensive evidence presented here cannot be overlooked.

But there is much more. R. B. Y. Scott, the world’s leading authority on Hebrew weights, discusses the weights—100 of them—found in the Kenyon excavations. PYM weights, shekel weights, the mysterious NSP weights, and weights with hieratic Egyptian signs are all discussed here. The archaeologists found stone weights, bronze weights, iron weights and even one of lead. As Scott notes, “The discovery of so large a group of scale-weights in a closely dated archaeological context is of prime importance for comparative study of pre-Exilic Israelite metrological units and standards.” Scott’s discussion is likely to be the definitive one during the near term at least.

The mysterious 2,500 feet of wall north of the Old city is discussed by Emmett W. Hamrick, who was the area supervisor of Kenyon’s three trenches at this wall. Much of the article “The Jerusalem Wall That Shouldn’t Be There,” in this issue, is based on Hamrick’s discussion.

In addition, André Lemaire presents two paleo-Hebrew inscriptions found in the excavations, Caroline Grigson assesses the animal remains, John W. Hayes analyzes the Hellenistic and Byzantine fine wares, and a team of experts treats the many Jewish, Greek and other coins—all in all a treasure.

Unfortunately only 800 copies of this exciting volume have been printed. And they are likely to be grabbed up quickly. BAR is pleased to be able to offer its readers, while the supply lasts, copies of this monumental work through BAS Discount Books.

Walkers’ Resource

Off the Beaten Track in Israel: A Guide to Beautiful Places

Ori Devir

(New York: Adama Books, 1985) 199 pp. $14.95; 100 color and 66 black-and-white illustrations, 92 maps

For a number of years I explored, wrote about and photographed historic and beautiful off-the-beaten-track places in Israel. Accordingly, I enthusiastically approached this attractive hardbound book, which introduces 88 of Israel’s less-known scenic attractions.

The book is divided into seven chapters by regions of the country: Mount Hermon and the Golan; Upper Galilee, the Hula Valley and the Galilee Coast; Lower Galilee and the Akko, Kinnerot, Yizre’el and Beth-Shean valleys; Carmel, Sharon and Samaria; Judean Desert and Judean Hills; Negev; Hills of Eilat. Each of the 88 sites is allotted two facing pages. The entire right-hand page is covered by a full-color photo. The left-hand page is crowded with a 150,000 scale map, directions to reach the site, a small black-and-white or color photo, and approximately 400–600 words of background text, key facts, quotes from literary sources and, 011frequently, lively anecdotes.

The book’s chief resource is the author’s wealth of knowledge. A prominent guide in Israel, Ori Devir was among the founders of the Israel Government School of Tourism.

Jewish, Christian, Moslem and local folklore are woven into the text. Some fascinating etymology is included. For example, the Ismailiya sect of Moslems, possibly the first inhabitants of the area on the Golan Heights immediately around where Nimrod’s Fortress was built in the 13th century by the Crusaders, apparently sent men drugged on hashish to kill enemies. This grim practice gave birth to the word “assassin,” related to “hashish.”

The jacket tells us the book is the first of an intended series. If so, I would suggest that a guidebook style be chosen for subsequent volumes, with smaller format and more text to utilize the author’s encyclopedic knowledge, and with fewer, but still numerous, photographs. Perhaps there should be separate volumes for each region, rather than volumes skimming the entire country, as is the case here.

Notwithstanding its shortcomings, Off the Beaten Track in Israel offers good reading and good appearance at an attractive price. The photos bring the sites to life, and the text is generally absorbing. The book successfully whets the appetite to explore Israel’s less-known fascinating places.

Dig Director’s Pictorial Report

Aphrodisias: City of Venus Aphrodite

Kenan T. Erim

(New York: Facts on File, 1986), 200 pp., $45.00

With 200 color photographs, this pictorial essay by the excavator of Aphrodisias, Kenan T. Erim, presents to us one of the loveliest cities of the ancient world. Writing for the general reader, Erim describes the history of the city, and of its excavation, the layout of the site, and the artistic finds.

On the Archive Wall of the theater in Aphrodisias proudly stands an inscription of Augustus Caesar: “Aphrodisias is the one city from all of Asia I have selected to be my own.” The beloved city was developed in an area of Asia Minor known in ancient times as Caria. It lies near Miletus in the Maeander valley almost directly east of the mouth of the Maeander River.

The site goes back to the Late Neolithic period (c. 5800 B.C.). The cult of Aphrodite probably began in the sixth century B.C., but most of the present remains date to the Roman period. As a Roman city, Aphrodisias survived until the seventh century. By the 13th century it was nearly abandoned. Excavations, which started at the turn of the century, have uncovered—principally since 1961—much of the glory of the ancient city. Inside the 250-acre walled area a number of significant buildings have been excavated. To the north of the agora are an odeon that seated about 1,100, the temple of Aphrodite (from the time of Hadrian) and a basilica that apparently served as a residential palace. To the far north stands a magnificent stadium 859 feet across. It may have held 30,000 spectators. To the south of the agora, on a hillock, a large, well-preserved theater came to light. It probably held 8,000 spectators. Large baths have been found connected to the theater and the agora.

Despite the magnificence of these spacious accommodations, the real treasure of Aphrodisias was its nearly inexhaustible source of very fine marble. From this quarry the artisans of Aphrodisias carved a rich collection of sculpture, much of which has been housed in the Aphrodisias Museum. This volume records in excellent color many examples of this unique display.

We first know the presence of Christianity at Aphrodisias by the attendance of the bishop of Aphrodisias at the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.). One notes some later artistic and architectural attempts, probably by Christians, to eradicate representations of the fertility goddess.

The most important find to date from Aphrodisias is the long inscription, discovered on a pillar that may have belonged to the local synagogue (pp. 130–131). Published for the first time and described in detail in the September/October 1986 issue of BAR (“Jews and God-Fearers in the Holy City of Aphrodite,” BAR 12:05, by Robert F. Tannenbaum), the inscription appears to be a list of donors to some enterprise of the Jewish community. The list includes some 70 Jews with their occupations. An additional 50 persons are described as theosebeis. Are these theosebeis the God-Fearers mentioned in Acts? Does their large number at Aphrodisias give us a clue to the ratio of God-Fearers, or semi-Jews, to Jewish members of the synagogue? Joining Tannenbaum in the God-Fearers debate, in the same issue of BAR, were Louis H. Feldman speaking for the God-Fearers (“The Omnipresence of the God-Fearers,” BAR 12:05) and Robert S. MacLennan and A. Thomas Kraabel, who say the group didn’t really exist (“The God-Fearers: A Literary and Theological Invention,” BAR 12:05). The inscription from Aphrodisias has added important fuel to this fascinating scholarly dispute.

Egyptian and Jewish MSS.

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells, Volume I: Texts