What’s Featured in Apocrypha for Beginners?

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?

Apocrypha for Beginners in Process

[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

The Book of Cerne Harrowing of Hell: A Translation

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

Brooklyn Roads: A Manuscript Provenance Story

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

A Response to Shannon Chamberlain on Fan Fiction

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