Από την παλαιογραφία στην υπολογιστική ανάλυση: προς μια νέα μεθοδολογία χρονολόγησης των χειρογράφων της Νεκράς Θάλασσας / From Paleography to Computational Analysis: Toward a New Methodology for Dating the Dead Sea Scrolls

 Σε πρόσφατο άρθρο τους στην ιστοσελίδα Bible Interpretation ("Redating the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Daniel"), οι Ian Young, Gareth Wearne και Evan Caddy (Australian Catholic University) αξιοποιούν νέα δεδομένα ραδιοχρονολόγησης και ανάλυσης γραφής με τεχνητή νοημοσύνη (Popović κ.ά., PLoS One 2025) για να επανεξετάσουν τη χρονολόγηση χειρογράφων της Νεκράς Θάλασσας, εστιάζοντας στο 4Q114 (4QDanc), που περιλαμβάνει τμήματα των κεφαλαίων 10–11 του Δανιήλ. Το εύρος 230–160 π.Χ. που προτείνει η νέα ανάλυση είναι συμβατό με τη χρονολόγηση του βιβλίου στην εποχή του Αντιόχου Δ΄ Επιφανούς, και οι συγγραφείς αντιμετωπίζουν τα δεδομένα με μεθοδολογική προσοχή, αποφεύγοντας τις υπεραπλουστεύσεις ορισμένων «συντηρητικών» αναγνώσεων. Ιδιαίτερα εύστοχο είναι το δεύτερο μέρος του άρθρου, που ιχνηλατεί την ερμηνευτική ιστορία των αποκαλυπτικών οραμάτων του Δανιήλ — από τον Ιππόλυτο Ρώμης και τον Εφραίμ τον Σύρο έως τη σύγχρονη αμερικανική ευαγγελική πολιτική — δείχνοντας πώς η αποκαλυπτική εικονογραφία επανερμηνεύεται διαρκώς για να απαντήσει σε νέες κρίσεις. Ωστόσο, αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι η ανατολική ερμηνευτική παράδοση εκπροσωπείται ελάχιστα: απουσιάζουν οι βυζαντινοί σχολιαστές, ενώ η συριακή παράδοση περιορίζεται σε δύο μόνο ονόματα. Πώς διαμορφώθηκε η πρόσληψη του Δανιήλ στον ελληνόφωνο χριστιανικό κόσμο μετά τον Ιππόλυτο; Και σε ποιο βαθμό οι νέες μέθοδοι χρονολόγησης μπορούν να αναδιαμορφώσουν τη συζήτηση για τη σχέση υλικών τεκμηρίων και ερμηνευτικής παράδοσης; Ένα άρθρο που αξίζει τον χρόνο κάθε αναγνώστη που ενδιαφέρεται για τη Νεκρά Θάλασσα, τον Δανιήλ και τη ζωντανή δυναμική των βιβλικών κειμένων.

Η συμβολή του κειμένου είναι διπλή. Πρώτον, βοηθά να αποσαφηνιστεί τι μπορεί (και τι δεν μπορεί) να υποστηρίξει η ραδιοχρονολόγηση με C14: χρονολογεί πρωτίστως το υλικό φορέα (π.χ. περγαμηνή), σε διαστήματα πιθανότητας και δεν προτείνει μία «ακριβή» χρονολογία. Δεύτερον, καθιστά πιο ορατό το πώς η παλαιογραφική εφαρμογή της ΑΙ, εκπαιδευμένης σε περιορισμένο σύνολο δειγμάτων χρονολογημένων με C14, επιχειρεί να χρονολογήσει περισσότερα χειρόγραφα. Αυτή είναι μια πολλά υποσχόμενη εξέλιξη, η οποία όμως βρίσκεται ακόμη σε φάση ελέγχου και συζήτησης.

Για περαιτέρω μελέτη

• Popović κ.ά., “Dating ancient manuscripts using radiocarbon and AI-based writing style analysis” (PLOS ONE, 2025)
• Brent Nongbri, "New Radiocarbon Analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls" 
•  Nathan Steinmeyer, "Can AI Date the Dead Sea Scrolls?" (BAS)

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[ENG]

In a recent article on the Bible Interpretation website ("Redating the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Book of Daniel"), Ian Young, Gareth Wearne, and Evan Caddy (Australian Catholic University) draw on new radiocarbon dating data and AI-assisted handwriting analysis (Popović et al., PLoS One 2025) to reassess the dating of Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts, focusing on 4Q114 (4QDanc), which preserves portions of Daniel chapters 10–11. The range of 230–160 BCE suggested by the new analysis is compatible with dating the book to the era of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the authors treat the data with methodological caution, avoiding the oversimplifications of certain "conservative" readings. Particularly effective is the second part of the article, which traces the interpretive history of Daniel's apocalyptic visions — from Hippolytus of Rome and Ephrem the Syrian to contemporary American evangelical politics — showing how apocalyptic imagery is continually reinterpreted to address new crises. It is worth noting, however, that the eastern interpretive tradition is minimally represented: Byzantine commentators are absent, while the Syriac tradition is limited to just two names. How did the reception of Daniel develop in the Greek-speaking Christian world after Hippolytus? And to what extent can new dating methods reshape the discussion on the relationship between material evidence and interpretive tradition? An article well worth the time of any reader interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Daniel, and the living dynamic of biblical texts.

The contribution of this article is twofold. First, it helps clarify what radiocarbon (C14) dating can (and cannot) support: it primarily dates the material carrier (e.g., parchment) within probability intervals and does not propose a single "precise" date. Second, it makes more visible how a paleographic application of AI, trained on a limited set of C14-dated samples, attempts to date additional manuscripts. This is a very promising development, which is nevertheless still in a phase of scrutiny and discussion.

For further reading

• Popović κ.ά., “Dating ancient manuscripts using radiocarbon and AI-based writing style analysis” (PLOS ONE, 2025)
• Brent Nongbri, "New Radiocarbon Analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls" 
•  Nathan Steinmeyer, "Can AI Date the Dead Sea Scrolls?" (BAS)

Το τρέχον τεύχος του JSNT / The current issue of the JSNT

 Journal for the Study of the New Testament 45/4 (2023)

• Jonathan M. Sanchez, "Making an Example: The Rhetorical Usefulness of Timothy in 1 Timothy," 351-370 (abstract)
• Justin Meggitt, "Putting the Apocalyptic Jesus to the Sword: Why Were Jesus’s Disciples Armed?" 371-404 (open access)
• Kai Akagi, "The Quotation of Jer. 31.15 in Mt. 2.18 within Christological Patterning of Matthew’s Nativity According to the Joseph Story," 405-428 (abstract)
• Annalisa Phillips Wilson, "‘One Thing’: Stoic Discourse and Paul’s Reevaluation of His Jewish Credentials in Phil. 3.1–21," 429-450 (open access)
• Sanghwan Lee, "Understanding the Abyssal Forces in the Fifth Trumpet Judgment (Rev. 9.1–12) in Light of the Demonology of Jubilees," 451-474 (abstract)

    

    

    

  

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του HTR / In the current issue of HTR

 Harvard Theological Review 116/2 (2023)

• Mark G. Brett, " 'The Canaanites were then in the Land' and Other Shechemite Ironies," 173-189 (abstract)
• Alexander Kulik, "Gilayon and “Apocalypse”: Reconsidering an Early Jewish Concept and Genre," 190-227 (open access)

    

Το τρέχον τεύχος του Interpretation / The current issue of Interpretation

 Interpretation 76/4 (2022)

• Beverly Roberts Gaventa, "Places of Power in Paul’s Letter to the Romans," 293-302 (abstract)
• Scott C. Ryan, "'The Deliverer Will Come': Investigating Paul’s Adaptation of Divine Conflict Traditions in Romans," 303-313 (abstract)
• L. Ann Jervis, "Christ Doesn’t Fit: Paul Replaces His Two Age Inheritance with Christ," 314-327 (abstract)
• Meira Z. Kensky, "Paul and the Apocalypse of the Gospel," 328-338 (abstract)
• Stephen L. Young, "So Radically Jewish that He’s an Evangelical Christian: N.T. Wright’s Judeophobic and Privileged Paul," 339-351 (abstract) 

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του Scrinium / In the current issue of Scrinium

 Scrinium 77/1 (2022)

• Anna Cherkashina and Alexey Lyavdansky, "Syriac Love Charms. Part I. The Recipe-Type," 68–91  
• Hector Ricardo Francisco, "The Old Testament in the First Discourse on Martyrs," 110–133 
• András Kraft, "Natural Disasters in Medieval Greek Apocalypses," 158–171 
• Liudmila Navtanovich, "“I Counted Sun’s Faces” in the Short Recension of 2 Enoch," 372–381 

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του HTR / In the current issue of HTR

Harvard Theological Review 115/1 (2022)

• Brent Nongbri, "How the “Jerusalem Scrolls” Became the Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran Cave 1: Archaeology, the Antiquities Market, and the Spaces In Between," 1-22 (abstract)
• Paula Fredriksen, "Philo, Herod, Paul, and the Many Gods of Ancient Jewish “Monotheism”," 23-45 (abstract)
• Ishay Rosen-Zvi, "Between Wisdom and Apocalypse: Reading Tosefta Soṭah Chapters 10–15," 46-68
• Travis W. Proctor, "Hospitality, not Honors: Portraits and Patronage in the Acts of John," 69-89
• Eliezer Hadad, "From “God of the World” to “God of the Heavens”: From the Mishneh Torah to The Guide of the Perplexed," 90-109 (abstract) 

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του Scrinium / In the current issue of Scrinium

 Scrinium 17/1 (2021)

• Anna Cherkashina - Alexey Lyavdansky, "Syriac Love Charms. Part I. The Recipe-Type," 68–91 
• Hector Ricardo Francisco, "The Old Testament in the First Discourse on Martyrs," 110–133 
• András Kraft, "Natural Disasters in Medieval Greek Apocalypses," 158–171 
• Liudmila Navtanovich, "'I Counted Sun’s Faces' in the Short Recension of 2 Enoch," 372–381 

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του Theologische Beiträge / In the current issue of Theologische Beiträge

 Theologische Beiträge 21/4 (2021)

N. T. Wright (Übersetzt von Daniel N. Herrmann), "Die Bibel und christliche Mission," 239–249
The article argues that the Christian Bible hinges on Jesus. It looks forwards from his complex achievement to the ultimate establishment of his universal lordship, and to the tasks for which, in anticipation of that end, he commissions his followers and equips them by his Spirit. It looks back to the biblical narratives of creation and covenant, of Adam and Abraham, of Moses, David and the prophets, seeing there the deep roots both of Jesus‘ own work, present and future, and of the church‘s tasks in the interim. The Bible thus constitutes the God-given narrative within which the church discerns its vocation and orders its life. The first Christians did not suppose that their fresh readings of Israel‘s scriptures were identical to those on offer among their Jewishcontemporaries, though there are similarities and analogies. But they claimed that once they saw the events concerning Jesus as the goal towards which the scriptures had been tending they saw not only a deep coherence in the Bible itself but a fresh vision of how those same scriptures, with their tantalising glimpses of a glorious ultimate future, were to be fulfilled. The events concerning Jesus form a coherent whole, despite modern tendencies to break them up, whether into scattered fragments of early Christian reflection or into the two large (and to modern eyes somewhat contradictory) themes of ‘kingdom‘ and ‘cross‘. For clarity‘s sake the article separates the different strands of kingdom, cross, resurrection, ascension, second coming and the gift of the Spirit, concluding with an all-embracing reflection on the underlying theology of Temple and Creation.

E. J. David Kramer, "Mission in der Endzeit. N. T. Wrights Eschatologie und missionarische Ekklesiologie," 250–266
By interpreting the end times as commencing in the New Testament period, N. T. Wright locates the church’s mission within an eschatological framework. This article traces the contours of both the past and future dimensions of Wright’s eschatology and recognizes its linchpin in Jesus’ crucifixion and new-creation-inaugurating resurrection. A portrayal of Wright’s eschatologically conditioned missionary ecclesiology follows, focusing on his understanding of the gospel as the proclamation of Jesus’ lordship, his vision for the church’s mission, and his political theology. Finally, the author suggests that Wright’s work is conducive to a missionally focused biblical theology which challenges the church to live in anticipation of the new creation.

Florian Förg, "„Versiegle nicht die Worte der Weissagung“. (Apc 21,10): Apokalyptische Texte verstehen und predigen.," 267–279
Apocalyptic texts expect the visible kingdom of God to come and thus divide time into two eons. Besides, they distinguish between an earthly and a transcendent reality. Being pseudonymous in authorship, they share a global, sometimes cosmic horizon and expect a ruler who is coming down from God’s heavenly realm. – The exegete should put effort in studying how the text reuses earlier scriptures, motifs, and symbols, and try to understand the historical context as much as possible. – The main focus in preaching apocalyptic texts should be to convey hope to the listeners.

Reiner Braun, "Warum der Bibliolog viel Raum verdient, wenn es um die Vermittlung von Bibeltexten geht. ," 280–290
Among the didactic methods of biblestudy, the bibliodrama (German: "Bibliolog") is of special importance because it is oriented towards biblical and Jewish forms and stands for a unity of form and content. This is shown in particular by the parallelism membrorum. The bibliodrama is particularly close to the "core business" of the church and may become a unique selling point, opening up future perspectives for the church.  

Η εξέλιξη της ιδέας της sheʾol / The development of the concept of sheʾol

 Στην ιστοσελίδα TheTorah.com η Μeghan Henning (University of Dayton) παρουσιάζει την εξέλιξη της ιδέας της sheʾol από τον τόπο λήθης όπου καταλήγουν οι νεκροί σε τόπο μεταθανάτιας τιμωρίας:

No Heaven or Hell, Only Sheʾol

Το τρέχον τεύχος του NTS / The current issue of NTS

 New Testament Studies 67/4 (2021)

• Christian Blumenthal, "Die Raumfrage als Schnittstelle von Theologie, Politik und Sozialgeschichte: Kulturwissenschaftliche Raumwende und neutestamentliche Exegese," 475-495 (abstract)
• Pieter B. Hartog, "Noah and Moses in Acts 15: Group Models and the Novelty of the Way," 496-513 (abstract)
• Guido Baltes, "Διακρίνειν als Leseaufgabe: Petrus und Kornelius zwischen ungeschriebenem Gesetz und unzuverlässiger Erzählung," 514-540 (abstract)
• Philip Michael Forness, "The Anonymous Source for Marcion's Gospel in British Library, Add. 17215: An Identification and Analysis," 541-559 (abstract)
• Peter J. Gurry, "The Text of Eph 5.22 and the Start of the Ephesian Household Code," 560-582 (abstract)
• Joseph Longarino, "Apocalyptic and the Passions: Overcoming a False Dichotomy in Pauline Studies," 582-597 (abstract)
• Christopher S. Atkins, "The Justice of the Cosmos: Philosophical Cosmology and Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Wisdom of Solomon," 598-612 (abstract)
• Josiah D. Hall, "‘With’ Not ‘for’: An Alternative Reading of Paul's Use of Psalm 68.10b OG in Romans 15.3," 613-630 (abstract)

    

    

      

Το τρέχον τεύχος του JSNT / The current issue of JSNT

 Journal for the Study of the New Testament 44/1 (2021)

Special Issue: Crisis as Catalyst: Early Christian Texts and the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Peter Ben-Smit, "Crisis as a Catalyst: Early Christian Texts and the COVID-19 Pandemic," 3-7
• Joan E. Taylor, "Jesus as News: Crises of Health and Overpopulation in Galilee," 8-30
• Karin B. Neutel - Peter-Ben Smit, "Paul, Imprisonment and Crisis: Crisis and its Negotiation as a Lens for Reading Philippians," 31-55
• Alexander E. Stewart, Fear Appeals, Crisis and the Apocalypse of John: Analyzing an Apocalyptic Coping Strategy with the Extended Parallel Process Model," 56-74 (abstract)
• Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, "The Book of Revelation: Plagues as Part of the Eschatological Human Condition," 75-92 
• James Crossley, "The Apocalypse and Political Discourse in an Age of COVID," 93-111
• Helen C. John, "Christianization, the New Testament and COVID-19 in Owambo, Namibia," 112-133

Articles

• Mark Goodacre, "How Empty Was the Tomb?"  134-148 (abstract)
• Kyung Min Kim, " Paul’s Defense: Masculinity and Authority in 2 Corinthians 10–13," 149-169 (abstract)
• Margaryta Teslina, "‘Apostles’ in 2 Peter 3.2: Literal Predecessors in Faith or Literary Records of their Witness?" 170-193 (abstract)

Ο τρέχον τόμος του Apocrypha / The current issue of Apocrypha

 Apocrypha 31/2020

• Francesca Prometea Barone, Anne-Catherine Baudoin, "Apocryphes et pseudépigraphes: Études en Hommage à Sever Voicu," 11-18 (front page)
• Christian Boudignon, "Comment un livre biblique change-t-il d’auteur ? Lectures du Premier Esdras par Thalassios et Maxime le Confesseur," 19-32 (front page)
• Anna Lampadaridi, "À la recherche de l’auteur perdu dans la Vie de Pancrace de Taormine (BHG 1410)," 33-60 (front page)
• Caroline Macé, "La lettre de Denys l’Aréopagite à Timothée sur la mort des apôtres Pierre et Paul: L’apport de la version géorgienne," 61-104 (front page)
• Jost Gippert, "The Wisdom of Sirach in Georgian: A Compilation and Its Sources," 105-128 (front page)
• Emiliano Fiori, "Les deux versions syriaques de l’Apocalypse de Paul et leur place dans la transmission de cet apocryphe dans l’Orient chrétien," 129-154 (front page)
• Paolo La Spisa, "La recensione araba antica dell’Apocalisse di Paolo secondo il codice Sinaitico Arabo 461 (IX sec.), " 155-188 (front page)
• Rémi Gounelle, "La Clavis Litterarum Hibernensium de Donnchadh Ó Corráin: Présentation et étude critique," 189-206 (front page)

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του BThZ / In the current issue of BThZ

 Berliner Theologische Zeitschrift 38/1 (2021)

• Nils P. Heeßel, "Die altorientalische Divination als antikes Wissenschaftssystem," 48-66 (abstract)
• Aaron Schart, "Gegenwartsorientierung aus Zukunftsgewissheit," 67-88 (abstract)
• Zukunftshoffnung und Gegenwartsdeutung
• Michael Tilly, "Prophetie und Apokalyptik im antiken Judentum und im Neuen Testament," 89-114 (abstract)
• Marco Frenschkowski, "Ambivalente Prognostiken: Zeichen am Himmel als Überwindung von Mehrdeutigkeit im antiken Christentum," 115-137 (abstract)

Open Access: Σκεπτικισμός στον αρχαίο Ιουδαϊσμό / Open Access: Scepticism in ancient Judaism

Από τις εκδόσεις de Gruyter κυκλοφόρησε ένας νέος συλλογικός τόμος με μελέτες σχετικά με τις εκφράσεις σκεπτικισμού στον αρχαίο Ιουδαϊσμό. Ο εκδοτικός οίκος παρέχει ελεύθερη πρόσβαση στο νέο αυτό βιβλίο:

Reuven Kiperwasser - Geoffrey Herman (επιμ.), Expressions of Sceptical Topoi in (Late) Antique Judaism. Funded by: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Studies and Texts in Scepticism 12. Berlin: de Gruyter 2021

ISBN: 9783110671483 

Το τρέχον τεύχος του JSHJ / The current issue of JSHJ

 Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 19/2 (2021)

• James Crossley, "The End of Apocalypticism: from Burton Mack’s Jesus to North American Liberalism," 171–190 (abstract)
• Arthur E. Walzer, "Audience in Historical Jesus Research: The Cases of Wright and Crossan," 191–216 (abstract)
• Michael T. Zeddies, "Communal Incarnation: The Corporate, Collective Jesus of Paul’s Letters," 217–259 (abstract)

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του ExpT / In the current issue of ExpT

 The Expository Times 132/6 (2021)

David H. Wenkel, "The Gospel of Matthew and Apocalyptic Discourse," 259-176 (abstract)

Το τρέχον τεύχος του Revue de Qumran / The current issue of Revue de Qumran

Revue de Qumran 32/2 (2020)

• Markus Bockmuehl, "Introduction: Dead Sea Scrolls Research in Oxford," 165 - 169
• Martin Goodman, "Oxford and the Dead Sea Scrolls," 171 - 175
• George J. Brooke, "Dead Sea Scrolls Scholarship in Oxford:  Past, Present and Future," 177 - 193 (abstract)
• Eibert Tigghelaar, "A Further Look at the Cave 1 Hodayot Scroll: The Material Evidence," 195 - 211 (abstract)
• Yael Fisch, "'Midrash-Pesher':  A Shared Technique of Interpretation in Qumran, Paul, and the Tannaim," 213 - 233 (abstract)
• Daniel Schumann, "The Eschatologization of the Exodus Narrative in 1 Enoch 1-5," 235 - 250 (abstract)
• John Screnock, "A Reading of Psalm 104:1-13 According to the Text Contained in 4QPsalmsd," 251 - 265 (abstract)

Notes

• Eibert Tighelaar, "4Q263 (4QSi): Hand, Text, Another Fragment," 267 - 271
• Eibert Tigchelaar, "Fragments of 4QIsae (4Q59) and 4QIsaf (4Q60)," 273 - 278
• Émile Puech, "Psaume et prière pour le roi Jonathan (4Q448) revisités," 279 - 291
• Eibert Tigchelaar, "Not 4Q101a (4QJobd), but 4Q82 (4QXIIg) Hosea 2:5-7," 293 - 294

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του BThZ / In the current issue of BThZ

 Berliner Theologische Zeitschrift 37/1 (2020)

• Alexandra Grund-Wittenberg, "»Du aber, JHWH – bis in fernste Zeit thronst du, und dein Gedächtnis währt von Generation zu Generation« (Ps 102,13)," 20-41 (abstract)
• Markus Saur, "Vom Maß der Zeit," 42-58 (abstract)
• Jörg Frey, "Leben und Glauben im Horizont des Endes," 59-82 (abstract)
• Christoph Markschies, "Christliche Identitäten und die Synchronisierung der Zeit in der Antike," 83-118 (abstract)

To τρέχον τεύχος του Henoch / The current issue of Henoch

 Henoch 41/2 (2019)

Angels, Watchers, Giants Reimagined in Early Judaism, Christianity and Islam

• Kelley Coblentz Bautch - Jonathan Kaplan, "Introduction," 181-187
• Kyle Roark, "First Enoch 8 and the Origins of Civilization," 188-203
• Carson M. Bay, "Demons in Flavius Josephus," 204-225
• Bradley N. Rice, "From the Watchers to the Sethites to the Magi. Reinterpretations of Genesis in the Syriac Revelation of the Magi," 226-242
• Joshua Falconer, Familiar Spirits in the Qurʾān. Retracing the Origins of  the Jinn," 243-264

Articles 

• Christopher T. Holmes, "A Tradition for the Throne’s Establishment on Earth.: A Note on the Tradition-Historical Relationship of Four Throne Theophanies," 265-276
• Romina Vergari, "The Shadow Metaphors in Ancient Hebrew Literature and Their Semitic and Greek Backgrounds," 277-302

Στο τρέχον τεύχος του Religions / In the current issue of Religions

 Religions 11/9 (2020)

Andrew Tobolowsky, "The Hebrew Bible as Mythic “Vocabulary”: Towards a New Comparative Mythology"

Robyn Whitaker, "Victim to Victor: The Appeal of Apocalyptic Hope"