Thinking about this midrash I learned with @sararonis.bsky.social The Roman Empire is like a pig - just as a pig covers itself in mud but shows off its hooves as if to say "look how kosher and clean I am!" Rome is prideful and violent and thieving but loves to show off its courts of justice. 1/2

One of my fav NYE fun facts: We celebrate the new year on Jan 1 in large part because the Roman senate needed to hastily appoint Q. Fulvius Nobilior as consul before the start of the year (then, the Ides of March), so that he could go fight the revolting Celtiberi in Hispania

Joining the club of people finishing their conference papers on the plane, and boy do I not like this.

Going to be at AJS? Come hear my truly wild paper, as part of the panel "Getting Together, Splitting Up: Representations and Realities of Marriage and Divorce in Premodern Jewish Communities." Mon, December 15, 3:15 to 4:45pm.

This is excellent!

one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.

Good morning! AI is being force-fed to you by a handful of billionaires who will lose a bunch of money if they fail to convince you that you need it. You do not need it 🫶

For all my concerns about the Babylonian incantation bowls, you cannot deny that this demon's shoulder pads are absolute🔥

‘From combustion engines to tobacco, universities have been used in the past to whitewash now-controversial products. For a long time, the tobacco industry pointed to research it subsidized at universities to claim its products were healthy.’ - Olivia Guest. Curious about folks' thoughts on this.

Doing some reading of publications of Babylonian Incantation Bowls this morning, and reminded all over again about how unhealthy the infrastructure of this field is, from its very foundation on unprovenanced materials, to the requirement to receive the patronage of wealthy collectors (1/2)

Get this book!

Particularly interesting to me that the "West" here is represented by Israel, with Bibi kneeling, and the message doubled in Hebrew on the right.

"masterful" and "an indispensable resource"--Max Strassfield's glowing review of @sararonis.bsky.social's DEMONS IN THE DETAILS at Reading Religion readingreligion.org/978052038617...

Just posting this Jewish Women's Archive article about the deportation of Emma Goldman and over 200 other accused anarchists in 1918 for... reasons jwa.org/thisweek/dec...

Jews who are involved in synagogues in Texas: my schedule opened up for Shavuot. PM me if your synagogue wants to bring me in as a scholar-in-residence.

Squeeeeeeee.

Sarah Bond and Stephanie Wong offering brilliant context for the "Roman" salute.

Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.

Hello academic friends! I'm looking for either articles, podcasts, or short YouTube videos on the "manosphere" and the different models of masculinity that it promotes. Appropriate for undergraduates. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Call for Applications: 2025 Contingent Faculty & Independent Scholars Research Grants Deadline: February 3, 2025 The AJS will award $1,000 research grants to assist scholars who do not have any guaranteed institutional funding. Learn more and apply now: #ajs #jewishstudies

Lots to unpack here, but I’ll just say: The U.S., which has won innumerable military victories, messed with Canada once. In response, they marched on our country and burned the White House to the ground. Not really a flannel-wearing bear I’d want to poke, tbh.

My work laptop just died, and campus tech support is closed for two weeks. I assume all this happened intentionally to make sure I wasn't distracted from the 12 days of Christmas? Looks like Christmas break is going to be an actual break...

A fascinating update on religious freedom and laws prohibiting abortion in Indiana -

Hey folks in the Texas Hill Country who are involved in some way in Jewish Studies, the San Antonio in-person Gathering associated with this year's Association for Jewish Studies conference is this Sunday. RSVP now to get more details. community.poweredbyonetable.org/landing/ajs

Applications are due December 31st for the 2024-2025 Contingent Faculty Grants! The grants provide professional development and financial assistance funds to contingent faculty who study or teach about the ancient Mediterranean and its reception. classicalstudies.org/awards-and-f...

Well, I gave my kind of wild, very experimental talk at #sblaar24 and no one threw etrogim (citrons) at me, so I'm going to count it as a success.

Two accepted paper panels hosted by the History and Literature of Early Rabbinic Judaism program unit. #sblaar24

Coming to San Diego this weekend? Check out this #aar panel of three brilliant junior scholars working on relationships between the living and the dead in Jewish communities across time and place.

Still looking to fill your #sblaar dance card? Check out this panel that's part of the History and Literature of Early Rabbinic Judaism Unit. I hear the third paper is going to be wild.

Bluesky academics, let's get to know each other! Quote this & tell me: 1) a project you are working on & 2) an odd idea/theory you aren't working on but keep thinking about. 1) a monograph on fetal personhood in the Babylonian Talmud. 2) A queer reading of the Babylonian incantation bowls.

Alright, starting to think forward to AAR. If you're going to be there and would like to meet up, please PM me. Always happy to meet online friends/colleagues IRL.

right, so i want to profile ECRs in early christianity/late antiquity you should follow, in no particular order. follow @chancebonar.bsky.social. his work on slavery in the ancient world is really, really sharp and does some much-needed mythbusting. check out this teachable public-facing piece:

To all conference attendees everywhere, please never decline a mic. The loudness of a voice is not the only thing that makes it intelligible and so some of us cannot hear you regardless of how well you project. This is my 11th year of tweeting this plea at various conference #POD24

here's a partial #AARSBL24 starter pack. if you're going to be part of the conversation at or around AARSBL, like this post and i'll add you! repost to signal boost! i'm hoping combos of starter packs, feeds, and hashtags will help folks connect, whether they can come or not.

Always relevant reminders.

Congratulations to all the winners and those shortlisted for the AAR 2024 book awards.What an amazing collection of scholarly thinking and creativity! 🥳 @laura-yares.bsky.social @drewjakeprof.bsky.social

Greetings new followers! I like to think of this profile as an opportunity to think about late antique religion, but sometimes it's just - DOG!

Demons & a Lambulet - Bonus clip! In which Geo and I talk demons, and I show off a lambulet a young Daf Reactionary made for me! Check out Dr. Sara Ronis and her FANTASTIC book, “Demons in the Details.” #Talmud #DafYomi #Demonology #Lilith youtu.be/lVQ6UbNEI1E

This Writing It! discussion with Laura Arnold Leibman was fantastic. Listen for Laura's usual mix of humor, honesty, and generosity, and wonderful tips on writing practice, responding to reviewers, and the importance of rest.

Just read Noam Sienna's beautiful review of my book in the Journal of Jewish Identities. May we all be blessed to have generous readers of our work, who get what we are trying to do and want more of it. 💖

If you aren't already signed up for Pasts Imperfect, you're missing out. Today's newsletter was rich with methodological insight, relevant news, and a sentence from Stephanie Wong that made me CACKLE: "If we are going to fight climate change, at least we can do it with the cows on our side."

I know that there are many worse things happening in the world right now, but as a scholar of ancient Judaism, gotta say that I didn't love that the answer to the LA Times Crossword Puzzle's clue "sanctimonious sort" today was...Pharisee.

My heart is breaking for all my friends and loved ones currently sheltering in safe rooms, worrying about their communities, and mourning the loss of human life. I don't have any special insight or hot takes, just holding space for sadness, empathy, and prayer.

Tenure-track position in early Christianity in my department--please apply and spread the word: cfopitt.taleo.net/careersectio...

Today, you can order four free COVID tests. Go here: www.covid.gov/tests Pass it on.

Some exciting news to kick off 5784~

Twice the number of books about demons, twice the fun!

"For the Rabbis, the human being is more like one of the cars in Pixar’s Cars which can't be hijacked because of the unity" is an insight that should be in every intro to Judaism from now on

🎶Proofing time 🎶 (sung to the tune of Semisonic's Closing Time, obviously).