13 April 2016 “The Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenism”

NB multiday event: 13-14 April 2016

We are delighted to invite you to join the fifth international meeting of the Groningen – Leuven network of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The meeting will take place 13-14 April 2016 in Groningen, the Netherlands.

The theme of our meeting is “The Dead Sea Scrolls and Hellenism.” While for long scholars have dealt with Judaism and Hellenism as two separate entities, recently the views concerning their relationship have shifted and a growing number of scholars now deal with ancient Judaism within the context of broader ancient Mediterranean culture. Given this scholarly position, it is time to take a fresh look also at the scrolls and the site of Khirbet Qumran and contextualize them in this milieu.

General information

Our two-day-meeting consists of workshop sessions that will accompany the participants to some of the questions the overall theme pertains. We also cordially invite aspiring as well as senior scholars to send in abstracts for papers (30-45 min.). Possible topics include, but are not limited to specific texts of the DSS and their connections with the Hellenistic culture (linguistic, thematic…) or the community of Qumran and its text collections and their connections with Hellenism. Please submit a title and short abstract (ca. 300 words) of your short lecture no later than 15 February 2016 to Hanna Tervanotko, via hanna.tervanotko theo.kuleuven.be . Unfortunately our conference does not allow us to compensate for any costs. We will gladly assist you in preparing your travel to Groningen and finding accommodation.

The meetings of the Groningen – Leuven network of the Dead Sea Scrolls are intended in the first place as informal gatherings. Our main aim is to foster scholarly collaboration, and to discuss recent developments in the field in a collegial atmosphere. Experienced and junior scholars , as well as graduate students working on the scrolls or related literature are all invited to join.

Registration

For any questions concerning the programme or registration, please contact Hanna Tervanotko. Please note that all registrations should take place before 6 April . Should you require assistance concerning the travel arrangements, please contact our local organizer Bärry Hartog.

Programme

Wednesday 13.4.2016

• 8:30h   Coffee and Tea
• 9:00     Elmer Sterken, Rector Magnificus, University of Groningen: opening of the meeting
• 9:15h   John Collins (Yale University): Workshop I: “The Impact of Hellenism in Judah”
• 10:45h Coffee Break
• 11:00h Workshop I continues
• 11:30h Short papers by Dirk Smilde Research Seminar students
• 12:20h Jürgen Zangenberg (University of Leiden): Announcement on the forthcoming publication Humbert, Chambon, and Mlynarczyk Qumran IIIA of Roland de Vaux’s excavations of Khirbet Qumran
• 12:30h Lunch Break
• 13:30h Vasile Babota (Pontifical Gregorian University & Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas): “The Hasmonean High Priesthood, the Opposition(s) Groups, and the Composition of Some Dead Sea Scrolls”
• 14:15h Albert I. Baumgarten (Bar-Ilan University): “Challenging the Authorities: Looking for Trouble”
• 15:30h Coffee Break
• 16:15h Justin David Strong (University of Notre Dame): “Jubilees and Hellenistic Physiognomy”
• 17:00h Dennis Mizzi (University of Malta): “Conceptualizing a ‘Library’ at Qumran: A Material Perspective on the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Light of Papyrological Evidence from the Graeco-Roman Mediterranean”
• 18:30h Dinner

Thursday 14.4.2016

• 9:00h   Coffee and Tea
• 9:15h   Benjamin Wright (Lehigh University): Workshop II: “Were the Qumran Sectarians Hellenistic Jews?”
• 10:45h Coffee Break
• 11:00h Workshop II continues
• 11:30h  Meike Christian (Georg-August Universität, Göttingen): “Lowliness and Election in 4QInstruction and the Hodayot”
• 12:15h  Francis Borchardt (Lutheran Theological Seminary Hong Kong/ Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence: Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions): “4QMMT and the Heroic Figure in Hellenistic Judaism”
• 13:00h Lunch Break
• 14:00h Atar Livneh (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev): “Brief Accounts of Israelite History in the Qumran Scrolls: Biblical Patterns and Hellenistic Influence”
• 14:45h Coffee Break
• 15:00h Shira J. Golani (KU Leuven): “The Use of Lists in the Dead Sea Scrolls within their Hellenistic Post-Biblical Setting”
• 15:45h  Patrick Pouchelle (Centre Sevres, Paris): “Are there grecisms in Qumran Hebrew and how could we detect them?”
• 16:30h  Pieter B. Hartog (KU Leuven): “The Greek Bible in the Dead Sea Scrolls and The Early History of the Septuagint”
• 17:15h  Hanna Tervanotko (University of Helsinki & KU Leuven) and Mladen Popović (Qumran Institute, University of Groningen): Closing Remarks
• 18:00h Dinner