In Search of Wes Anderson’s “Phoenicia”
Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme invokes the ancient Mediterranean world without depicting it, raising an interesting question: what exactly does “Phoenicia” mean in the
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, A View from the East
What is The Odyssey? Is it an accurate historical depiction of a hero returning to his island home? Or a tale of existential crisis about a brave man drawn into a foolish and des
Imagining the Ark of the Covenant, From Exodus to Indiana Jones
For two thousand years, there has been a rich interpretive history of the Ark of the Covenant. In my new book Readers of the Lost Ark: Imagining the Ark of the Covenant from Ancien
Nebuchadnezzar Explained: Warrior King, Rebuilder of Cities, and Musical Muse
Neo-Babylonian kings are unusual sources of musical inspiration, but Nebuchadnezzar is an exception. What have composers from Verdi to Kanye seen in him?
Myth and Marvel: Medieval Muslim Writings on Ancient Egypt
Medieval Muslim scholars could not read ancient Egyptian writing. They therefore understood the past through the lenses of literary genres, myths, and the Quran.
From Sinner to Model Ancestor: King David in Post-Biblical Jewish and Christian Literature and Art
King David was a sinner, but post-Biblical Jews and Christians transformed him into a hero. These changes tell us as much about competition between the two as they do about evolvin