Authorial Fictions and Attributions in the Ancient Mediterranean IV

This colloquium brings together scholars working on early Judaism, early Christianity, and Classics to discuss authorship and attribution beyond the typical boundaries of our fields. Monthly events from September through December feature panel discussions of prominent work in this area, alongside new research presentations. Come join us to hear interdisciplinary dialogue on authorial fictions and attributions in the ancient Mediterranean, featuring top scholars in ancient history, as well as rising stars among early career researchers!

We hope you will join us for this finale event to our series!

Programme

Sophus Helle, ‘Narratives of Authorship: Studying Authorial Attributions in Ancient Iraq’

Robyn Faith Walsh, ‘The Epistle to the Laodiceans and the Art of Tradition’

Chance McMahon, ‘Philological Power and Narratives of Authorization: Mosaic Discourse and Imperial Power in Ezra, the Letter of Aristeas, and Rabbinic Narratives’

Marieke Dhont, ‘Greek-Speaking Judaism in the Late Second Temple Period’

With responses from David Brakke

Participants

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Sophus Helle is a writer, translator, and cultural historian focusing on premodern literature, especially the Babylonian epics of ancient Iraq. He has recently published a new translation of the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh, and has just submitted a translation of the complete poems of Enheduana, the first known author. His latest project is to study some of the theoretical questions thrown up by the recent emergence of the field of world philology.

Robyn Faith Walsh‘s primary area of study is early Christianity and the New Testament. She also works in theory and method and archaeology. She is currently working on a book manuscript on the gospels and economics in the imperial period.

Chance McMahon‘s research focuses on how ancient Israelite, Jewish, and Christian literature adapt or represent imperial political ideology both to deconstruct such ideologies while presenting an alternative social order that often mirrors imperial political ideology.

Marieke Dhont‘s main areas of interest are Hellenistic Judaism, the Hebrew Bible in the Hellenistic period, and Jewish-Greek literature. She engages sociolinguistics and contemporary theories of culture, literature, and translation. Her first monograph, entitled Style and Context of Old Greek Job, appeared with Brill in 2018. 

David Brakke studies the history and literature of ancient Christianity from its origins through the fifth century. He has special interests in early monasticism, “Gnosticism,” and the functions of scripture in early Christian communities. His recent projects include a commentary on the Gospel of Judas for the Anchor Yale Bible and a new translation of the Festal Letters of Athanasius of Alexandria.