Author Archives: Brent Nongbri

Qumran Cave 1 Questions, Part 4: Sukenik’s Isaiah Scroll

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

Before diving in to this post, a quick note: The conference that was the proximate cause for me trying to organize my thoughts on the topic of the Dead Sea Scrolls said to come from Cave 1 took place a … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Dead Sea Scrolls | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

A Question About the “Initial Text” of New Testament Documents

Posted on June 6, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

This past semester, for the first time in a long while, I taught a few sessions on New Testament textual criticism. I tried to refresh myself on some of the changes in the field in the last couple decades. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Textual criticism | 12 Comments

Forgeries, Inks, and Writing Surfaces

Posted on May 29, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

When I was writing God’s Library, I was constantly confronted with how little I knew about several domains of knowledge that are important for the study of ancient manuscripts. One of these areas is the more technical chemical make-up of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dead Sea Scrolls, Fakes and Forgeries, Green Collection, Ink | 13 Comments

The Antiquities Trade in Michigan

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

In an earlier post working through some of the details in Ariel Sabar’s piece in The Atlantic, I noted that it was news to me that Professor Dirk Obbink had incorporated his antiquities trading company (“Oxford Ancient”) in Michigan in … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Dirk Obbink | 6 Comments

The Atlantic Article and Green Collection Cartonnage

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

I continue to unpack various parts of Ariel Sabar’s informative article in The Atlantic. One of the things that originally piqued the curiosity of many of us about the Green Collection was their seemingly endless supply of “cartonnage,” a term … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Dirk Obbink, Green Collection, Green Collection 1 Samuel, Green Collection Sappho, Mummy cartonnage, P.Sapph. Obbink, Scott Carroll | 3 Comments

Some Additional Thoughts on Sabar’s Atlantic Article

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

There really is quite a bit to digest in Ariel Sabar’s long piece on Professor Dirk Obbink in The Atlantic. Here are a couple additional interesting selections: “Though it wasn’t publicly known, Obbink served as more than just an academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Dirk Obbink, Green Collection, Green Collection Aristotle, Green Collection Mysteries Papyrus, Michigan Papyri | 7 Comments

New Article on Dirk Obbink in The Atlantic

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

Ariel Sabar has published a fascinating account of the saga of Professor Dirk Obbink and the Green Collection in The Atlantic. I encourage everyone to check out the whole story here. For me, the most interesting new details have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Dirk Obbink, Green Collection, Green Collection Romans, Green Collection Sappho, Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Scott Carroll | 15 Comments

The Cotton Genesis

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

I was reminded this week about one of the wonderful early Christian manuscripts that really didn’t get the treatment it deserved in my book God’s Library–the so-called Cotton Genesis. This small parchment codex was part of a collection amassed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Codices, Codicology, Cotton Genesis | 2 Comments

Qumran Cave 1 Questions, Part 3: Is Cave 1 Really Cave 1?

Posted on April 25, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

This is the third in a series of questions relating to the source of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls to appear on the market in 1947. The first post dealt with the Genesis Apocryphon, and the second with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Archaeological context, Dead Sea Scrolls, Find Stories | Tagged , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Qumran Cave 1 Questions, Part 2: The Thanksgiving Scrolls

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Brent Nongbri

I continue to pose a set of questions about the materials said to have been found in Qumran Cave 1. In the first post, I discussed the ambiguous status of the Genesis Apocryphon roll. This post will turn to 1QHa, … Continue reading →

Posted in Antiquities Market, Dead Sea Scrolls | Tagged , , | 6 Comments