Digital Commons Network^™

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

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Book Review: Ancient Egyptian Clothing: Studies In Late Period Private Representations, Jonathan Vassar

Studia Antiqua

In this book, Aleksandra Hallmann focuses on Late Egyptian clothing during the Late Period as represented in depictions of persons without royal iconography. This first volume contains descriptions of the clothing along with her analyses and conclusions. The second volume contains images of objects and drawings to clarify and provide reference for the clothing discussed in the first volume. The book is divided into five main chapters with a sixth consisting of tables giving the different objects analyzed in her study. In this study, Hallmann focuses on revealing the various ways Egyptian clothing appeared during the Late Period, creating a …

Book Review: Urbanism In The Iron Age Levant And Beyond, Emily Jewkes

Studia Antiqua

Urbanism in the Iron Age Levant and Beyond, edited by Aren Maeir, Shira Albaz, and Angelika Berlejung, contributes to the study of the history and creation of settlements in the Levant and other locations, such as Europe and Mesopotamia, during the Iron Age. The chapters in this book are a collection of presentations given at a 2022 conference at Bar-Ilan University on urbanism during the Iron Age that employed archaeological and textual methods to analyze urbanism through a variety of theoretical lenses. The book is divided into three parts that address the topic of Iron Age urbanism in the …

Book Review: Ancient Synagogues In Palestine: A Re-Evaluation Nearly A Century After Sukenik’S Schweich Lectures, Andrew Holdaway

Studia Antiqua

Synagogue studies in the holy land have been ongoing for a little over a century, beginning with early 20th-century surveys by German scholars Heinrich Kohl and Carl Watzinger. During that time, theories about their dating and chronology of construction have become cemented in scholarly discourse, shaping how archaeologists and historians interpret Jewish life in antiquity. Jodi Magness’s Ancient Synagogues in Palestine challenges the traditional chronology of the construction of synagogues in Palestine. Beginning with Eleazer Sukenik—a pioneering Israeli archeologist operating in the early twentieth century—archaeologists chronologically dated synagogues in Palestine based on architectural types.

Confidence In The Pompeian Fullo, Tori Nielsen

Studia Antiqua

Many scholars have discussed a curious graffito parodying the Aeneid found outside of a Pompeian fullonica, but few have taken into account its visual and written context. I synthesize previous scholarship and consider additional neighboring graffiti and visual elements in order to more thoroughly reconstruct the ideas conveyed about fullers in this space. The outer wall celebrates fullers in cultural, social, and fulling matters, thus bolstering their community’s confidence in them.

Pheonix Imagery In Early Christian Art, Annie Spach

Studia Antiqua

In Early Christianity, often Christians used popular symbols that would point back to greater truths taught in their new faith. This paper discusses how early Christians followed his council through the use of the imperial representation of the phoenix rather than the common representation, highlighting their belief in resurrection, the majesty of Christ and their hope for eternal life given to all believers, while also speaking to a greater tradition outside of Christianity. The continued use of the phoenix as a symbol of resurrection, renewal, immortality and eternal life in the paradise of God is discussed, as well as the …

Perspectives On Cognitive Psychology In Ktu 1.40: Moral Implications And Prescribed Emotional Responses To Foster Unity, Richard Jarvis Iii

Studia Antiqua

This paper examines the Ugaritic ritual text KTU 1.40 through the framework of cognitive psychology to explore its moral implications and prescribed emotional responses. While earlier scholarship has debated whether this ritual carried moral weight, my analysis demonstrates that it prescribes the removal or amelioration of five moral emotions—disgust, fear, anger, empathy, and a sense of justice—to promote unity within the community of Ugarit. Building on Thomas Kazen’s approach and Gregorio del Olmo Lete’s translation, this study argues that the repeated structure and inclusive nature of KTU 1.40 reflect an intentional effort to bridge emotional divides among the many groups …

Gardens Of Rebirth: Fertility And The Afterlife In The Garden Painting From The Tomb Of Nebamun, Aleeta Day

Studia Antiqua

One of the most important aspects of Egyptian art is the emphasis on the eternal and the afterlife. Aspects of real gardens in ancient Egypt as well as artistic depictions of them reflect these values through the cosmological symbolism of life-giving water and plants frequently cultivated in these gardens. These garden depictions were seen as a way to carry their current lifestyle into the afterlife with them. This paper will discuss the garden painting from the 18th Dynasty tomb of Nebamun located in the Theban necropolis. It will briefly discuss methods of Egyptian painting and the medium by which the …

Egypt, Israel, And The Levant: The Merneptah Stele's Role In Shaping Historical Narratives, Quincy Adams

Studia Antiqua

This paper investigates the Merneptah Stele, an exceptional artifact from the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah during Egypt’s New Kingdom, to reassess the stele’s role in understanding early Israelite identity. The Merneptah Stele is among the earliest known references to “Israel,” and consequently has sparked discussion among scholars regarding this early group’s socio-political and cultural status during the late Bronze Age. By examining the stele in conjunction with the inscriptions of the Cour de la Cachette in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, this study situates the Merneptah Stele within the broader historical and cultural framework of the New Kingdom to …

Front Matter

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

“Behold, I Went To Hunt Beasts In The Forest”: An Addendum On Enos, Esau, And The Symbolic Geography Of Seir, Matthew L. Bowen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Enos’s use of the onomastic wordplay in the Jacob and Esau cycle enables him to meaningfully allude to the symbolic geography of those stories and incorporate it into his New World setting (e.g., allusions to the river Jabbok and Peniel/Penuel, the site of Jacob’s “wrestle” with the divine “man”). A third instance of this type of allusion occurs with Enos’s recollection that he “went to hunt beasts in the forest[s]” (Enos 1:3), which appears to subtly allude to Mount Seir, the forested hill country in the land of Edom inhabited by Esau and his descendants.

The Wonder Is Scripture, Jared Halverson

BYU Studies

It’s an honor to be associated in any way with this institute, as it’s my second-favorite thing named after Elder Neal A. Maxwell. The first is my eldest son, whose middle name was an obvious choice, largely because my wife loves Elder Maxwell even more than she loves me, which might be a problem were it not for the fact that I agree with her. I once spent so much time in this library creating a compilation of Elder Maxwell’s talks that by the time I was finished, my wife had called the police to report a missing person. When …

The Ever-Present Nature Of Christ In The Title Of Jehovah, Dan Belnap

Faculty Publications

In January 2000 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bore testimony to the world of the reality, humanity, and divinity of Jesus Christ in a document titled “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.” Among its many truths was the following: “He [Christ] was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament.”1 Though this was not the first time Church leadership had declared Christ to be Jehovah, the pronouncement does reemphasize this teaching. It also emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the Old Testament. In fact, the …

Nurturing Religious Education Using Artificial Intelligence, Matt Gardner

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This essay focuses on helping teachers, parents, and students understand and become familiar with artificial intelligence (AI)—specifically, its capabilities and how it will affect our homes and classrooms. In doing so, teachers, parents, students, and children will learn to use certain gospel-approved principles to most successfully use and operate these new technologies to bless the lives of God’s children.

Full Issue

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

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An House For The Lord: Solomon's Temple And Temple Worship In Ancient Israel, Dan Belnap

Faculty Publications

It would not be exaggeration to say that at the center of Old Testament history and theology is covenantal worship and the temple. From the Garden of Eden to the altars constructed by Abraham and the patriarchs, and the portable tabernacle of Moses, the concept of sacred space plays a fundamental role throughout biblical history and in the life of ancient Israel. But during the period of the monarchy, it became possible to construct a permanent house for the Lord. Thus, the construction and dedication of the temple are the primary subject within Solomon’s narrative arc. This chapter explores the …

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Outside The Dichotomy: Redefining Judith As A Prophet, Heidyn Von Bose

Studia Antiqua

The character of Judith has often been reduced to a dichotomy: is she a pro-feminist or an anti-feminist character? This traditional debate limits Judith and tries to squeeze her into ill-fitting literary boxes. The fol- lowing paper offers a more nuanced interpretation for the character and role of Judith within her story, particularly that Judith is a prophet. It first dem- onstrates that she meets the criteria of a prophet by synthesizing the works of Martti Nissinen, Esther Hamori, and Lester L. Grabbe. It then examines how her “irritations”—morally or culturally questionable actions—do not disqualify her from this role. The …

Joshua As A Hymn Of Glory: An Analysis And Comparison Of Ancient Near Eastern Texts, Richard D. Jarvis Iii

Studia Antiqua

A knowledgeable reader of the Hebrew Bible understands that there are two conflicting conquest narratives contained in the books of Joshua and Judges. This paper seeks to reframe Joshua 5–11 in a genre other than the traditional interpretation of a conquest narrative. These chapters of Joshua, as compared with Merneptah’s Victory Stele and the annals of Adad-Nārārī II, fit thematically into an entirely different genre from ancient Near Eastern literature: hymns of glory. Using four char- acteristics inspired by the work of Susan Hollis—propagandistic royal ideology, divine empowerment or call, utter destruction of enemies, and will of the deity accomplished—to …

"All Power Over Ouranos And Gaia": The Maiestas Domini Supra Caelum Motif In Matthew 28:18 And The Junius Bassus Sarcophagus, Calan Christensen

Studia Antiqua

The maiestas domini supra caelum motif, as depicted in the central vignette of the upper register of the Junius Bassus sarcophagus, is widely understood as epitomizing a Christian ideal or an eschatological adventus as opposed to a representation of any “historical” biblical narra- tive. Nevertheless, this paper addresses the compelling iconographical al- lusion between the Bassus enthronement scene over Caelus and the final chapter of Matthew, specifically highlighting Jesus’s declaration of divine power “ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς.”

Through an examination of the relevant contemporaneous theological and ritual literature produced during the period of Matthew’s authorship and the crafting of …

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Towards Orthodox Polity: Episcopal Apology In Eusebius Of Caesarea’S Ecclesiastical History, Chris Cox

Studia Antiqua

During the last twenty years Eusebius of Caesarea’s Ecclesiastical History has received some examination by scholars as a work of apology. In this paper, I propose that one element of Eusebius’ apologetics is a defense of the episcopal polity which existed during his lifetime. This is evident through the priority which the episcopacy is given throughout Ecclesiastical History’s narrative, and the authority that Eusebius presumes the episcopate holds from its origin. Additionally, it is possible that groups which Eusebius considered heretical and who rejected the authority of orthodox bishops may have motivated his episcopal emphasis.

A Pauline Dress Code Or A Roman Analogy: Reinterpreting Paul’S Discourse In 1 Corinthians 11:1–16, Nicole Francis

Studia Antiqua

Historically, the debate surrounding 1 Corinthians 11 has focused on whether or not Paul is referring to women veiling their heads in church or simply wearing their hair up. This debate roots itself in a nearly universally accepted assumption that Paul is requesting a sort of dress-code standard for praying and prophesying in church. While this has been the dominant reading in scholarship for centuries, there are numerous compelling weaknesses in this interpretation. This paper will explore those weaknesses and provide an alternative reading: When confronted with group conflict, Paul attempts to reason his way through the hierarchical structure he …

Retracing The Historical Via Dolorosa: A Logistical Exercise In First-Century Jerusalem, Calan Christensen

Studia Antiqua

Since the identification of Herod’s palace on the Western Hill of Jerusalem as the Praetorium (πραιτώριον) of the Gospels, the notion of Jesus being tried at the Antonia Fortress, and the associated Via Dolorosa, has been relegated to mere tradition. This presented a prime juncture to responsibly reinform a tantamount Christian pilgrimage tradition through the lens of archaeology. Unfortunately, this opportunity has seemingly been neglected by the greater academic community. Any scholar that ventures to mention a plausible route from the Praetorium to Golgotha hastily assumes a route through the Upper City and neglects to cite any compelling evidence. This …

The Different Esthers Of The Septuagint And Masoretic Text: How The Inclusion Of God Changes The Character Of Esther, Heidyn Von Bose

Studia Antiqua

The Book of Esther is a unique work that contains significant differences between the Hebrew and Greek versions of the text. One significant difference is the character of Esther herself. In the throne room scene of chapter five (or addition D in the LXX), the LXX Esther is more passive than the Esther of the Hebrew Bible because of the inclusion of God and more specifically the differences in the power structure between God, Esther, and the king. By analyzing the different characters’ movements and the language describing them in chapter 5 or Addition D, the differences of Esther’s character …

Embodiment And Ritual Clothing: Dressing The Israelite High Priest, Ally Huffmire

Studia Antiqua

Exodus 28 and 39 contain a detailed description of the clothing God instructed to be made and worn by Israelite priests. In this essay, sacred clothing will be understood through the lens of ritual studies, characterizing clothing with a sense of liminality that defines and endows the human wearer with identity and power. The social meanings and implications of the high priest’s dress will be reconstructed by engaging in sensory criticism, drawing upon insights from the greater eastern Mediterranean world. Given the ancient world’s unique conception of a permeable body, ritual clothing had the ability to imbue the wearer with …

The Carnivalesque And The Carmel Competition In 1 Kings 18, Paul Bryner

Studia Antiqua

While humor is a difficult feature to identify in the Bible, the concept of the “carnivalesque”—a form of literary humor with sociological implications, coined by Mikhail Bakhtin — is much easier to apply. I argue for the presence of carnivalesque themes in the Elijah narrative of 1 Kings 18 which give a subtle, implicit social commentary on Israelite society.

Front Matter

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

King Benjamin’S Sermon As A Type Of Temple Endowment, Andrew I. Miller

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

To more permanently unify the Mulekites and the Nephites as a reunited kingdom of Israel, King Benjamin gathered his people at the temple, and in his role as a king and priest after the order of Melchizedek, imparted teachings that bear resemblance to the Latter- day Saint temple endowment ceremony first introduced in Nauvoo. Several of these similarities are explored in depth. Since the book of Mosiah is one of the earliest extant texts of Joseph Smith’s prophetic ministry, this finding adds to a growing body of literature that suggests that temple themes are apparent in the unfolding Restoration earlier …

“That They May Once Again Be A Delightsome People”: The Concept Of Again Becoming The Seed Of Joseph (Words Of Mormon 1:8 And Mormon 7:4–5), Matthew L. Bowen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

In Words of Mormon 1:8, Mormon declares, “And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.” The expression “that they may once again” plausibly reflects the Hebrew idiom wayyôsipû or wayyôsipû ʿôd. Mormon’s apparent double-use of the wayyôsipû (ʿôd) idiom in Words of Mormon 1:8 (or some Nephite scribal equivalent), like 2 Nephi 5:2–3, recalls language in the Joseph story (Genesis 37:5, 8). The original Lamanite covenant, as an extension of the Abrahamic covenant, involved …