It would be interesting to have more people post on this blog as it might offer a variety of views and perhaps even some discussion.
Hence, if there are any Philonists out there who would like to be a co-blogger on this Philo-Blog, please get in touch with me (torreys at gmail.com).
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Back again, but....
Well, I'm back again, but my duties as a dean and other issues keeps me busy.
My next posting, however, will be on a dissertation questioning the authorship of De Aeternitate Mundi, written by a Norwegian scholar. It is, alas, written in Norwegian, but I would like to translate its Introduction so its hypotheses will be accessible to readers of this blog.
So stay tuned.... :)
My next posting, however, will be on a dissertation questioning the authorship of De Aeternitate Mundi, written by a Norwegian scholar. It is, alas, written in Norwegian, but I would like to translate its Introduction so its hypotheses will be accessible to readers of this blog.
So stay tuned.... :)
Friday, September 10, 2004
Off and away again...
Well, I still have some days of vacation left, so I'll be off for the next 10 days, relaxing and working at my cabin. Hope to be back Monday Sept 20.
Maybe Kåre Fuglseth will post something here will I am away?
Maybe Kåre Fuglseth will post something here will I am away?
Thursday, September 09, 2004
The Schoyen Collection
The famous Schøyen Collection has come into public media in recent days in Norway. The collection is a faboulous one, one of the largest in the world, comprising from a wide area of time and space. It now has its own webpage, that brings magnificent pictures of much of the material: The Schoyen Collection. Part of its selfpresentation runs thus: “The Schøyen Collection comprises most types of manuscripts from the whole world spanning over 5000 years. It is the largest private manuscript collection formed in the 20th century.
The whole collection, MSS 1-5268, comprises 13,497 manuscript items, including 2,174 volumes. 6,850 manuscript items are from the ancient period, 3300 BC - 500 AD; 3,864 are from the medieval period, 500 - 1500; and 2,783 are post-medieval. “
The collection contains also several items that are related to the Bible, see its Bible Page.
The main reason, however, why the Collection recently has been focused in the mass media, is the fact that it contain some valuable buddhistic texts from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it is questioned how these happpened to get into the collection.
Last Tuesday, the National Broadcasting Company (NRK), had a TV program, called Brennpunkt, where these issues where drawn into the light and questioned, and a professor of the University of Oslo who is involved, turned out to many to have a somewhat disputable role in the handling of this material. The owner himself, Martin Schøyen, refuses to be interviewed on national TV. Those understanding Norwegian can read further here: Schøyen-samlingen.
Both the authorites of Egypt and Pakistan have asked to have items they claim to belong to their national heritage returned.
The most recent news today is that the University of Oslo stops further research on the items from Afganistan:"Stopper skriftforskning .
Rektor Arild Underdal ved Universitetet i Oslo (UiO) stanser forskningen på den såkalte Schøyen-samlingen. Ifølge NRK Brennpunkt kan deler av skriftsamlingen være stjålet fra Nasjonalmuseet i Kabul i Afghanistan..
– Jeg vil foreløpig legge forskningen på Schøyen-samlingen på is til det er avklart om den skal sendes tilbake eller kjøpes av norske myndigheter, sier professor Jens Braarvig etter et møte med universitetsrektoren onsdag. "
It is hard to know what to think about all this. If it can be proven, or made probable, that the items have been acquired in illegal ways, they should most certainly be returned.
Seen in a wider perspective, these issues are problems that are not only relevant concerning the Schoyen Collection, but have a wider scholarly interest. If you have comments, use the comment field below.
Update:
I found an English presentation of this story, published by the University of Oslo: http://folk.uio.no/atleom/manuscripts.htm and obviously written by one of those more sceptical of the buddhist parts of the collection. But the pages are very informative. You may judge for yourself :)
Further links:
Manuscripts in the Schoyen Collection (by the professor involved)
Culture without Context (highly critical)
The whole collection, MSS 1-5268, comprises 13,497 manuscript items, including 2,174 volumes. 6,850 manuscript items are from the ancient period, 3300 BC - 500 AD; 3,864 are from the medieval period, 500 - 1500; and 2,783 are post-medieval. “
The collection contains also several items that are related to the Bible, see its Bible Page.
The main reason, however, why the Collection recently has been focused in the mass media, is the fact that it contain some valuable buddhistic texts from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it is questioned how these happpened to get into the collection.
Last Tuesday, the National Broadcasting Company (NRK), had a TV program, called Brennpunkt, where these issues where drawn into the light and questioned, and a professor of the University of Oslo who is involved, turned out to many to have a somewhat disputable role in the handling of this material. The owner himself, Martin Schøyen, refuses to be interviewed on national TV. Those understanding Norwegian can read further here: Schøyen-samlingen.
Both the authorites of Egypt and Pakistan have asked to have items they claim to belong to their national heritage returned.
The most recent news today is that the University of Oslo stops further research on the items from Afganistan:
Rektor Arild Underdal ved Universitetet i Oslo (UiO) stanser forskningen på den såkalte Schøyen-samlingen. Ifølge NRK Brennpunkt kan deler av skriftsamlingen være stjålet fra Nasjonalmuseet i Kabul i Afghanistan..
– Jeg vil foreløpig legge forskningen på Schøyen-samlingen på is til det er avklart om den skal sendes tilbake eller kjøpes av norske myndigheter, sier professor Jens Braarvig etter et møte med universitetsrektoren onsdag. "
It is hard to know what to think about all this. If it can be proven, or made probable, that the items have been acquired in illegal ways, they should most certainly be returned.
Seen in a wider perspective, these issues are problems that are not only relevant concerning the Schoyen Collection, but have a wider scholarly interest. If you have comments, use the comment field below.
Update:
I found an English presentation of this story, published by the University of Oslo: http://folk.uio.no/atleom/manuscripts.htm and obviously written by one of those more sceptical of the buddhist parts of the collection. But the pages are very informative. You may judge for yourself :)
Further links:
Manuscripts in the Schoyen Collection (by the professor involved)
Culture without Context (highly critical)
Paul in Polis - new book
For some years I have had a manuscript out in a preliminary version in a series published by my institution Volda University College. Now I am happy to announce that a revised version is published on Tapir akademisk forlag, Trondheim: Torrey Seland, Paulus i Polis. Paulus' sosiale verden som forståelsesbakgrunn for hans liv og forkynnelse (Tapir akademisk forlag; Trondheim, 2004; 288 pp; 395 NOK) The book draws, inter alia, on the works of Philo when depicting the social background of Paul, It also has a brief section presenting Philo, on pp. 204-207. It is published in Norwegian, and has Norwegian bachelors students as its intended readers. The publisher has a webpage that promotes the book thus: Denne boka er en sterkt revidert utgave av et manuskript som ble utgitt i foreløpig form i 1998 ved Høgskulen i Volda.
Bokas målgruppe er primært studenter på bachelor nivå, men den kan leses med utbytte også av andre som er interesserte i Paulus’ liv og forkynnelse. Boka fokuserer primært på Paulus’ liv og virke utenfor Palestina. Det er den gresk-romerske bykultur som står i fokus som det sosiale miljø Paulus virket i; et miljø som påvirket både hans liv og forkynnelse, men som også fikk varige impulser tilbake fra den bevegelse han var en sentral aktør for. Etter et innledende kapittel som presenterer noen aktuelle modeller og perspektiver for å forstå antikkens sosiale verden, presenteres hovedtrekkene i Paulus’ før-kristne liv. Deretter følger et større kapittel om de ulike sosiale strukturer i de gresk-romerske bysamfunn. Tredje og siste kapittel handler om Paulus’ liv og virke som vandrepredikant, nettverksbygger og brevskriver. A special webpage providing additional material for the study of Paul in Polis is under construction here: http://www.torreys.org/paulus
Bokas målgruppe er primært studenter på bachelor nivå, men den kan leses med utbytte også av andre som er interesserte i Paulus’ liv og forkynnelse. Boka fokuserer primært på Paulus’ liv og virke utenfor Palestina. Det er den gresk-romerske bykultur som står i fokus som det sosiale miljø Paulus virket i; et miljø som påvirket både hans liv og forkynnelse, men som også fikk varige impulser tilbake fra den bevegelse han var en sentral aktør for. Etter et innledende kapittel som presenterer noen aktuelle modeller og perspektiver for å forstå antikkens sosiale verden, presenteres hovedtrekkene i Paulus’ før-kristne liv. Deretter følger et større kapittel om de ulike sosiale strukturer i de gresk-romerske bysamfunn. Tredje og siste kapittel handler om Paulus’ liv og virke som vandrepredikant, nettverksbygger og brevskriver.
Lionel Casson's Libraries in the Ancient World
N.S.Gill, on her weblog Ancient History, has a brief review on Lionel Casson's Libraries in the Ancient World(Paperback: 192 pages;
Publisher: Yale Nota Bene; 2002):"Lionel Casson's Libraries in the Ancient World is an easy-to-read overall history of ancient libraries, their organization, the development of books, and book copying that makes modern public libraries sound surprisingly similar to the ancient ones." Those who have read other books of L. Casson (e.g. Travel in the Ancient World, John Hopkins UNiversity Press, 1974/1994), will certainly want to read this one too. Tolle lege!
Update: On the www.amaxon.com you can read sample pages of the book, including its list of contents: go here!
Publisher: Yale Nota Bene; 2002):
Update: On the www.amaxon.com you can read sample pages of the book, including its list of contents: go here!
IBR conference on the Septuagint
The Institute of Biblical Research, which has its annual meeting just before the SBL Annual Meeting in San Antonio, focuses this year on the Septuagint. You can view their program here. Alas, they do not state on which hotel/room the meetings are to be held, but they say that you will find copies of the programs for each of these meetings in the AAR/SBL Program booklet under additional meetings.
Back from Belgium
I'm back from Belgium, but due to some trouble on the side of Blogger, I have not beeen able to post anything until now.
Had a nice trip to Brussels and Brugge. The ancient city hall of Brussel is impressive, with a lot of ornaments and sculptures on the front wall. Over the main entrance is St Michael, on the left and right sides are the cardinal virtues represented. The picture above here is of Prudence. As all Philonists know, Philo has a lot to say about the virtues. Hence I was reminded of him while looking at this impressive entrance.
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