This survey is designed by the Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting (ISBL) program unit “Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls” (Matthew Goff, Jutta Jokiranta, Shani Tzoref) in cooperation with members of the “Working with Cultural Objects and Manuscripts” research group at the University of Helsinki (Rick Bonnie, Suzie Thomas). The survey is addressed to scholars and students working with or interested in Qumran texts and objects. It aims to collect data about views and knowledge related to global antiquities trade, and clarify scholars’ role in this trade and ethical questions involved with it.

The survey is voluntary and anonymous and the information will not be used to connect answers to any individual person.

The results will be presented at the SBL International Meeting in Helsinki 31 July 2018 and, possibly, used for the publication of a research article.

The survey will take about 5 to 10 minutes and it has four sections. The questions with * need to be answered in order to proceed. We appreciate your participation.

See here for details.

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Open Call for Papers

Conveners: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of Vienna, New York University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, The Israel Museum

Venues: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and The Israel Museum

To mark seventy years since the initial discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, an international symposium will be held in Jerusalem, April 29–May 3, 2018. The overarching symposium theme will be “The Wilderness”—as a real place; as the location of biblical episodes, most notably during the formative years of Israel’s wandering from Egypt to the Promised Land; as a motif; and as a concept (sometimes idealized, sometimes demonized).

The wilderness figures prominently in biblical texts and in the literature of the Second Temple, rabbinic, early Christian, and early Islamic periods. It was also a place of habitation by various groups during these periods, which have left us archaeological sites, artefacts, documents and the more than 1500 Dead Sea Scrolls. Conference papers may address any aspect of the wilderness as it relates to Qumran; other Judean Desert sites; the Dead Sea Scrolls; and the associated late antique literatures, cultures and religions—particularly, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Papers may focus on such topics as the reception of biblical figures (e.g., Moses, Aaron, Phineas, Miriam, Balaam), events (e.g., the giving of the law, the sin of the golden calf, the building of the tabernacle, covenant ceremonies), and themes (e.g., revelation, law, covenant, rebellion against God, sanctuary, water, and manna) connected with Israel’s time in the wilderness; relevant textual and philological analyses; the use of the relevant biblical passages in shaping later texts; the influence of the desert climate, flora, and fauna on the ancient texts and their state of preservation.

The conference will feature invited lectures; open sessions; and two public lectures. Paperswill be accepted for the open sessions in accordance with the relevance of the topic to the overall program. Please send a proposal of no more than 250 words to the Orion Center: orioncenter(at)mail.huji.ac.il.

Deadline for receipt of proposals is September 20, 2017; responses will be mailed by October 31.

Symposium organizers:

• Esther Chazon, Director, The Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Associated Literature, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem;
• Armin Lange, Professor of Second Temple Judaism and Director of the Institute for Jewish
  Studies, University of Vienna;
• Lawrence H. Schiffman, Judge Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies,
  Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University;
• Pnina Shor, Curator and Head of Dead Sea Scrolls Projects, The Israel Antiquities Authority;
• Adolfo D. Roitman, Lizbeth and George Krupp Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Head of The Shrine of the Book, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

For more details see the attached scan.