ANE Today, 17 Apr 2025
The Amorites: Rethinking Approaches to Corporate Identity in Antiquity, Archaeology in Medieval Armenia, our Object of the Week, plus the usual round-up of news, books, and other media.
The Amorites: Rethinking Approaches to Corporate Identity in Antiquity
By Aaron A. Burke
The past twenty-five years have witnessed an extensive reappraisal of the means by which groups and individuals are identified among ancient textual and archaeological sources. Much has been done to throw off the shackles of twentieth century deployments of ethnic constructs, even while interest in such regimes persists in modern political discourse as mechanisms for social advancement. Yet, tensions persist in how to approach corporate, collective, or group identity in antiquity and how we can avoid what can be called the ethnicity trap.
Friends of ASOR Webinar: Kate Franklin on April 30
Make sure to register for the next FOA Webinar: "A Window on the Silk Road: Archaeology in Medieval Armenia," presented by Dr. Kate Franklin on Wednesday, April 30th at 2:00pm ET. To imagine the medieval Silk Road is to conjure up images of exotic commerce: camel caravans crossing wind-swept dunes, bustling city bazaars, silks and spices spilling from saddlebags. If these images loom large in modern imaginations of the Silk Road, how did people actually living in the Middle Ages think about long distance trade and travel? Drawing on textual, architectural and archaeological evidence, this talk explores the social lives of people living not in the city centers of medieval commerce, but in the places in-between, along the road.
Read more about Dr. Franklin's talk and register here.
In the News:
Archaeologists find huge tomb of unknown pharaoh in Egypt (NY Times)
First ancient genomes from the Green Sahara deciphered (phys.org)
Punic necropolis discovered during gas construction works (Heritage Daily)
A rise in exotic goods: When Jerusalem was an Assyrian vassal (Jerusalem Post)
Object of the Week:
New Books to Explore:
The Amarna Letters: The Syro-Levantine Correspondence, by Jacob Lauinger and Tyler R. Yoder
Ancient Slavery and its New Testament Contexts, ed. by Christy Cobb and Katherine A. Shaner
Ethics in Archaeological Practice, ed. by Sarah Kielt Costello and Sarah Lepinski
New Testament Textual Criticism for the 21st Century: A Practical Guide, by Charles L. Quarles
Kings of Cities and Rulers of the Steppes: Representations of Kingship in Pre-Islamic Central Asia, by Michael Shenkar
Latest Podcasts:
Amy and Chris – Epic of Gilgamesh, Part 7 (OnScript: BiblicalWorld)
John the Baptist (The Ancients)
Latest YouTube:
Al Ula & Hegra, Saudi Arabia: Where Ancient History Meets Stunning Landscapes (Amazing Places 4K)
Making and Using Copper Alloys in Ancient Egypt (Lecture @ Museo Egizio)
New Investigations of the 1st Century Skeletal Remains at Masada
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In Case You Missed It:
The Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire
By Trevor Bryce
Hattusili began life as a sickly child and spare prince, but survived and persevered to capture the throne, becoming Great King of the Hittite Empire. Read more here.
Sponsored: BASONOVA Lecture A New Weapons System at Old Ur
Sunday, April 27, 2025, 2pm luncheon/3pm lecture: Fred Winter, CAI
Friends of ASOR is pleased to share information on BASONOVA lectures. This presentation examines the practice of warfare in the Sumerian era, and how the development of new battlefield technology resulted in advancements in military strategy and tactics. The lecture draws upon set of finds from Sir Leonard Woolley's excavations during the 1920s-1930s at the third millennium BCE site of Biblical Ur. A reexamination of these artifacts from the excavations in Ur's Royal Cemetery has led to the identification of a "new" set of projectile weapons, and illustrates how even established and venerable archaeological collections can lead to new interpretations of past behaviors.
This event will be held at Jerusalem Mediterranean Restaurant: 3400 Washington Drive, Falls Church, VA 22041. Free parking in the rear. To reserve your spot, please use a credit card via our PayPal portal. Questions? Email info@basonova.org
Friends of ASOR Chicago Tour
Registration is now open for the first Friends of ASOR tour in Chicago! Join us on September 18 and 19 for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience. We will be kicking off our two-day jaunt on September 18 with the grand opening of a special exhibit on Megiddo at the iconic Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, followed by a walking tour of monuments and landscapes passing through Grant Park, the Museum Campus, and the Gold Star Families Memorial. On Friday, September 19, we will visit the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian galleries at the impressive Art Institute of Chicago to explore significant new developments and to learn about material little seen by the public. After lunch, we’ll continue our tour to the renowned Field Museum of Natural History, home to the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton of its kind, among remarkable collections and exhibitions. Registration and details can be found here.
ASOR Book Award Nominations Due April 28th
Do you know of a great book on the ancient Near East and Eastern Mediterranean published in the last two years? Nominate it for a Book Award today! The ASOR Honors & Awards Committee is proud to give three awards annually: the Frank Moore Cross Award, the Nancy Lapp Popular Book Award, and the G. Ernest Wright Award. Nominations are due by April 28. For more information on each award and to access the nomination form, click here.
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Published with the assistance of The Lanier Theological Library and Stevan Dana