Apocrypha for Beginners includes over 50 different apocrypha, but there are, of course, myriad more. This is part of a series of “B-sides”: posts about apocrypha that weren’t included in the book. Letter of Aristeas Facts Also known as: Letter of Pseudo-Aristeas, Letter to Philocrates Author: Unknown, a Hellenistic Jew living in diaspora in Alexandria; attributed … Continue reading AFB B-Sides: Letter of Aristeas
https://youtu.be/CNs77xyE2kw As the marketing description promises, Apocrypha for Beginners features "More than 50 apocrypha―Delve into a variety of apocrypha from different eras and cultures, like the Book of Enoch, the Gospel of Judas, and more." In the introduction, I say that the book includes "some of the most important for the histories of Judaism and … Continue reading What’s Featured in Apocrypha for Beginners?
[This is another entry in a series of posts as gear up for the publication of my new book, Apocrypha for Beginners, an introduction to biblical apocrypha for general audiences. Check out all of the posts in this series here.] I haven't written any of my books in sequential order. I don't think I've ever … Continue reading Apocrypha for Beginners in Process
When I learned about the publication of The Jewish Annotated Apocrypha, I was thrilled. Edited by Jonathan Klawans and Lawrence M. Wills, this is an excellent volume and worth owning for any scholar of early Judaism and early Christianity. So I decided to write up some thoughts about it. The editors emphasize a few ways … Continue reading Review of The Jewish Annotated Apocrypha
Harrowing of Hell in the Tiberius Psalter (London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius C.vi; c.1050), folio 14r. This piece of dramatic liturgy retelling the Harrowing of Hell (in Latin) survives in the ninth-century Book of Cerne (Cambridge, University Library, Ll.1.10; 820x840, Mercia), on folios 98v–99v. This verse text is based on the Latin Pseudo-Augustine Sermo 160, … Continue reading The Book of Cerne Harrowing of Hell: A Translation
[This is the third in a series of posts as I write and gear up for the publication of a new introduction to biblical apocrypha for general audiences. EDIT: Apocrypha for Beginners is on sale now! Check out all of the posts in this series here.] One of the most significant aspects of studying biblical … Continue reading Ethiopian Biblical Canons and Apocrypha
[This is the second in a series of posts as I write and gear up for the publication of a new introduction to biblical apocrypha for general audiences. EDIT: Apocrypha for Beginners is on sale now! Check out all of the posts in this series here.] One of the most basic questions we encounter in … Continue reading What Are Biblical Apocrypha?
I'm very pleased to announce that I've been asked to write a new book that presents an introduction to biblical apocrypha for general audiences. Over the next several months, I'll be writing the book and gearing up for its publication. EDIT: Apocrypha for Beginners is on sale now! Check out all of the posts in … Continue reading Comparing Biblical Canons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/6899587060/ Brooklyn Museum, Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY But as my mind walks through those placesI’m wonderin’What’s come of them….Neil Diamond, “Brooklyn Roads” This is a story about trying to hunt down a medieval manuscript supposedly in the Brooklyn Museum. It all started when I agreed to contribute an introduction and translation of the Latin Life of … Continue reading Brooklyn Roads: A Manuscript Provenance Story
Just yesterday, The Atlantic published an article by Shannon Chamberlain about fan fiction and sexuality. The article is a smart piece, linking fan fiction practices in the eighteenth century with current pop culture trends. A previous iteration of the article was titled "The Surprising 18th-Century Origins of Fan Fiction," which betrays some of the author's … Continue reading A Response to Shannon Chamberlain on Fan Fiction
