Concepts and Metaphors in Sumerian
The Sumerian language is unrelated to any other language past or present. While it can be read, making sense of things requires understanding how Sumerians used metaphors. Some are
How Old is the Hebrew Bible?
Is the Bible as old as Moses or as young as the Hellenistic period? A new book argues that looking closely at Biblical language and context suggests many ‘ages.’
Jesus in Non-Christian Sources
Jesus is a ubiquitous figure but our textual perspectives are obviously skewed. What do non-Christian sources say about Jesus, his life and death?
From Nippur to Ground Zero
All cuneiform tablets take a journey from the Mesopotamian past to the global present. Only a few were in a Customs Service vault at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
The Greek Alphabet: Older Than You May Think?
March 2019 | Vol. 7.3 By Willemijn Waal The Greek alphabet is often considered to be the first ‘true’ alphabet, from which all modern alphabets are derived. So why does it look
Translating the Bible Against the Ancient Near Eastern Background
Translators try to understand the language of ancient texts and the world view of the writers. Doing so requires going beyond the literal text to try and capture the poetic meaning
The Current State of Ugaritic Studies
The coastal Syrian city of Ugarit was only discovered in 1929. Since then it has been the most important source for tablets that reveal the history and culture of the late second m