Advances in Ancient, Biblical, and Near Eastern Research

1 Kings 13: A Criterion to Determine the Authenticity of An Oracle

2025-07-02T09:29:35+02:00

The pericope of 1 Kgs 13 deserves to be re-examined through the prism of true/false prophecy, despite the objections of some scholars. The question is not so much why the prophet lied - thereby formulating a false prophecy - but rather how to explain the man of God's failure to recognize his confrère’s false prophecy. Why didn't the man of God, if truly assisted by God, discern that it was a lie? It may well be that the pericope of 1 Kgs 13 offers some answers to this question, providing a new kind of criterion for detecting a lie and, therefore, false prophecy.

The Divine Feminine in the Song of Songs

2025-06-12T16:20:40+02:00

The elusive identity of the beloved in the Song of Songs has long intrigued interpreters. While the allegorical interpretation of the beloved as the people of Israel in the Judaic tradition or the bride of Christ in the Christian tradition is widely recognized, recent scholarship has increasingly explored her role as a representative of diverse female archetypes. Yet, an intriguing avenue remains only partially explored: the possibility of perceiving her as an embodiment of an ancient Near Eastern deity. This article investigates the presence of mythological elements within the character and actions of the beloved. Employing comparative hyleme analysis, it endeavours to illuminate the parallels between the beloved’s qualities and deeds and those of Inanna/Ishtar as chronicled in ancient Near Eastern literature.

Nehemiah's Table, Persian-Style Feasting, and Local Elites in the Achaemenid Empire

2025-12-05T09:05:00+01:00

Nehemiah 5:17–18 mentioning the governor’s table has been interpreted as an instance of Persian-style feasting in the province of Yehud influenced by the sumptuous feasts organized by the Great Kings. This article discusses the two other occurrences of Persian dining, in Lydia and Egypt, comparing them with the biblical narrative and archaeological sources from the province of Yehud. It also applies Michael Dietler’s theory of commensal politics to assess how the local elites in the Achaemenid Empire could have used Persian-style dining as a tool for social distinction. It concludes that Persian-style dining was a social phenomenon that could have functioned to bind the vast territories and diverse populations of the empire through a kind of patron–client relationship.

What's Phoenician about "The Phoenician Scheme"?

2026-07-08T05:59:16+02:00

This study examines how Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme (2025) invokes Phoenician-ness. While the term references a first millennium BCE coastal Levantine cultural group, this is not the setting for the film Instead, Anderson evokes "Phoenicia" in three ways: as heritage, as a fictional 20th century place, and as aesthetic. First, the film’s dedication to Anderson’s father-in-law highlights modern “Phoenician” identity as a component of Lebanese heritage, tied to narratives of mobility, entrepreneurship, and resilience. Second, the fictional setting of “Greater Independent Phoenicia” reimagines mid-20th-century Middle Eastern geopolitics, echoing Mandate-era Palestine through artificial borders, infrastructure schemes, and conflict between Western opportunists and regional stakeholders. This constructed geography underscores the persistence of imperial power dynamics beneath the language of investment and development. Third, the film’s visual style produces a “Neo-Phoenician” aesthetic, blending Egyptomania, Orientalism, and eclectic references reminiscent of how ancient Phoenician art has historically been interpreted (as hybrid and derivative). Situated within reception history, Anderson’s use of “Phoenicia” reflects both intentional and unconscious engagements with ancient and modern identities. Ultimately, the film uses “Phoenicia” as a flexible and fictional cultural framework to explore colonialism, memory, and familial relationships rather than as any direct representation of the ancient world.