All SBL Press and Brown Judaic Studies volumes are on sale for 30% off through 5 June. Use code SP2026 at checkout buff.ly/241RcbK

FREE NEW BOOK My colleague, Dafna Langgut from Tel Aviv University, has just published a new monograph with Cambridge University Press in the same series I had recently published my 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘠𝘢𝘩𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘮. Her volume is entitled: 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵, 1300–300 𝘉𝘊𝘌. 1/2

“He used to say that it is strange that we sift out the chaff from the wheat and those useless for war, but we do not forbid scoundrels in politics.” ἄτοπον ἔφη τοῦ μὲν σίτου τὰς αἴρας ἐκλέγειν καὶ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τοὺς ἀχρείους, ἐν δὲ πολιτείᾳ τοὺς πονηροὺς μὴ παραιτεῖσθαι. #Antisthenes

Tonight!

Tomorrow!

After years of reading and studying the Dead Sea Scrolls in school, I finally had the opportunity to see a few in person. A very cool experience. Pictured: Fragments of the Psalms, me and my daughter.

I will be giving the Harshbarger Lecture at Penn State on Feb. 25, on a topic that is increasingly terrible. Link below, also streaming. Register here: events.la.psu.edu/event/harshb...

Another great Christmas addition to my collection. I’m excited to give these a read/look over during the break.

ב[רי] אל תל[ו]ט יומא עד תחזה[ לי]לה “My son, do not c[u]rse the day until you see night.” With the sun currently setting prior to 5pm, I guess one can curse the day early! —TAD C1.1 Ahiqar from the Judean Elephantine Community Late 5th c. BCE Image credit: Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung

Mid to northern latitude people, northern lights are out right now!

Free to download for two weeks only! Starting today, you can download my new book: Between Yahwism and Judaism: Judean Cult and Culture during the Early Hellenistic Period (332–175 BCE) Download it now, and read it later. Please share and spread the word! www.cambridge.org/core/element...

𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗮𝗵𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗺: Judean Cult and Culture during the Early Hellenistic Period (332–175 BCE) Expected online publication date: October 9th. cambridge.org/core/element...

A fun quote from an Aramaic Letter between siblings 6/5th c. BCE: “(7)But what is this, that you have not sent a letter (1)to me?! [For] me, a serpent bit me and I was dying. Yet, you did not send [word to inquire] (2)if I was living or dead! I have sent this letter about your welfare!” — TAD2.5

Marking my calendar for this. I also highly recommend The Origins of Judaism.

This is an incredibly well written book with an interesting and compelling analysis of the evidence for the rise of widespread Torah observance. I highly recommend it.

The Pout-Pout Fish is my 10 month old’s go to bedtime series but perhaps the Iliad will be her current daytime listen? She’ll probably enjoy it more than when I read her excerpts from the Oxford Handbook on the DSS. #classicsbluesky #ancientbluesky

One year ago today, I was lucky enough to witness a total solar eclipse. It’s easy to see why these events held such fascination to the ancients.

This Friday, I will be participating in a conference in Palermo entitled: “What Jewishness of Jesus after J.P. Meier?” The entire conference will be broadcast online (over Zoom). Registration is FREE and OPEN to all! See link to register below. 1/2

—𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 & 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱— I will be delivering the plenary lecture at this year’s “Spring Bible & Archaeology Fest 2025” seminar, hosted by the Biblical Archaeology Society on April 5–6 (online). Link in the following post. @bib-arch.bsky.social

It’s a shame the anti-intellectual movement has gained so much ground in America. They’re sacrificing our children’s future for profit and power.

“Spreadsheets of empire”. A look at state archives from ancient Girsu during the era of the Akkadian empire founded by Sargon c.2300 BCE. They show the inner workings of empire (red tape), and moments in the lives of people, like those who swept floors in temples www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

He did not bend his neck

What a mockery these weak men have made of the USA.

The scenes in the Oval Office today will shame the US for decades. They’ll never be forgotten. A world leader, fighting for his country against the 21st century’s Nazis, came to the US and was attacked & abused by a gangster regime siding with the fascist invaders. A historic disgrace.

I have been admitted into an M.A. program in Ancient Mediterranean Studies. I cannot wait to continue my studies.

I am happy to announce that I will be offering a ten-lecture course for everyone interested in biblical Hebrew, starting on Tuesday 4 March @2000 ET/1700 PT. For all of my Patrons and Channel Members, I am offering an exclusive 20% discount. Sign up here: www.patreon.com/c/kippdavis

“Hate is fear’s kin.” συγγενὲς γὰρ φόβῳ μῖσος #Philostratus

Quail-sized feathered dinosaur may be the earliest known bird www.newscientist.com/article/2468...

“Do not bend your neck for that which cuts necks.” A Sumerian proverb, as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

i wrote this book because i wanted to share something i genuinely love. if you enjoy my posts on here, i think you’d like the book which you can pre-order here 💛 lnk.to/BetweenTwoRi...

Writing a brief educational summary on one of the Dead Sea Scrolls while my daughter DJs next to me on her FP kick piano gym is certainly a combination. #ancientbluesky

Going through old files, I found this in my undergrad folder. A DSS fragment agreeing with the LXX (and Josephus) against the MT about the height of Goliath (4 cubits vs 6 cubits).

Looking forward to reading the books I got for Christmas.

Seeing some nice meteors despite the glare of the moon. #meteorshower #astronomy

And a press release from Reading with comments from me, Karen Ruebens and @helenfewlass.bsky.social: www.reading.ac.uk/news/2024/Re...

And unrelated to the near ancient world comes a fossil fern I found.

I imagine the letter to the King of Ugarit was met with little enthusiasm. There’s nothing like asking for help and being diplomatically told to deal with it yourself. Note: I could not find an image of RSL 1 so an example letter was attached. #ancientbluesky #classicsbluesky

I swear every other sentence says “but this is heavily debated” in books written about the Bronze Age Collapse.

Just arrived, and excited to read this over the Holiday.

Does anyone have any good book recommendations on the topics of ANE, Classics, or anything dealing with Biblical Studies (preferably 3rd c. and earlier)? Trying to make a Christmas list to make it easier on my wife, and a list of future books to purchase. Thank you! #ancientbluesky #classicsbluesky

6/6! I can report that incantations are ineffective against the 4am willpower of my 6 month old.

(5/6) incantation to quiet a child. One left! #classicsbluesky #ancientbluesky

My six month old daughter was able to experience her first snow this morning, and she didn’t hate it! So I’ll take that as a win.

(4/6) Incantation to Quiet a Child. And still my 6 moth old repels all incantation and song! At least the winter stars are crisp and beautiful. [Sources in previous post] #classicsbluesky #ancientbluesky

The 2nd/3rd (of 6) incantation to quiet a child. Akkadian cuneiform on a clay tablet dating to around 600 BCE. Yet again my 6 month old stands strong and still wakes at 4am. — Trans. By Bosworth. #classicsbluesky #ancientbluesky

My 6 mo daughter is skeptical of these! An incantation with a ritual to quiet a (crying) baby, approx 600 BCE. This tablet contains 6 such incantations. This is the second one, as the first is too fragmentary. — Trans. By Bosworth. #classicsbluesky #ancientbluesky

Winston 🤝 Osmotic learning (or sitting on my documents at least). #ancientbluesky #dogs

May as well dive right in. Did you know that dogs in ancient Mesopotamia also refused to drop the ball? According to a Sumerian proverb, “The dog understands ‘Take it!’ It does not understand ‘Put it down!’” Source: cdli.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/artifacts/34...

I carved the same incantation into a pumpkin for Halloween (though with more lines from the tablet), which ended up being way more work than I anticipated, but at least it looked decent.

And my cat, Odysseus of course.