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Author Archives: Brent Nongbri
The Upcoming Sale of the Crosby-Schøyen Codex (Just How Old is this Book?)
It has been an unusually busy news week for Coptic codices. I posted a few days ago about the Mudil Psalms codex, and then yesterday several news outlets reported that Christie’s will be auctioning off the Crosby-Schøyen codex, a papyrus … Continue reading
Posted in Antiquities Dealers and Collectors, Antiquities Market, Codices, Codicology, Crosby-Schøyen Codex, Maguid Sameda, Radiocarbon analysis, Schøyen Collection
Tagged antiquities, antiquities-trade, auctions, Codicology, coptic, history, manuscripts, papyrology, papyrus, rare-book-trade, rare-books
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The Mudil Psalter
News services in Egypt have announced that the Mudil Psalter is back on display after undergoing conservation treatment. This was a very well preserved Coptic codex that was excavated in 1984. It was found buried together with the body of … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeological context, Book binding, Mudil Psalter
Tagged Codicology, coptic, manuscripts, Mudil codex, Mudil Psalter
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The Hobby Lobby v. Dirk Obbink Ruling
In 2023, the civil case of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. v. Dirk D. Obbink switched venues from New York to Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma court has now found a default judgement in favor of Hobby Lobby, with the result that … Continue reading
Another Question About Those Possible Stands for Holding Open Papyrus Rolls
In a post back in 2021, I highlighted some interesting artifacts discussed in a 2001 article by Susan Wood. It’s a fascinating piece that focuses on two decorated ivory plaques with curious sets of holes found at Pompeii. The image … Continue reading
A Figurine of Venus Found in an Ancient Synagogue
The ancient synagogue in Rome’s port city of Ostia was uncovered by accident in the early 1960s during the construction of a highway between Rome and the newly built international airport in Fiumicino. The discovery of a Roman-era synagogue was … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeological context, Judaism, Ostia, Synagogues
Tagged ancient-judaism, archaeology, diaspora-judaism, history, Ostia, Ostia synagogue, Roman religion, Rome, Second temple Judaism, synagogue
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The Forma Urbis: A New Museum in Rome
A disclaimer: I’m fan of maps in general and of the Severan marble map of Rome in particular (I’ve mentioned it before on the blog). So it may be no surprise that I am very enthusiastic about the new museum … Continue reading
Posted in Inscriptions, Museums
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The Potential Early Papyrus Codex at Graz
Back in June 2023, several news outlets picked up the story of “the Graz mummy book.” A team at the University of Graz led by Theresa Zammit Lupi had identified P.Hib. 113, a papyrus extracted from mummy cartonnage and published … Continue reading
Posted in Book binding, Codices, Codicology, Ink, Mummy cartonnage, P.Hib. 113
Tagged archaeology, Book History, bookbinding, books, cartonnage, egypt, history, mummy, papyrus
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Storing Scrolls
I have papyrus rolls on my mind right now, but I’m also interested in parchment rolls. I’ve been reading an excellent new book by Bruce Holsinger, On Parchment: Animals, Archives, and the Making of Culture from Herodotus to the Digital … Continue reading
Posted in Voluminology
Tagged Book History, papyrus-rolls, parchment, Roman history, scrolls
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Manufacturing a Papyrus Roll
Over the years, I’ve had many occasions to talk about the manufacture of papyrus rolls. I typically describe them as fairly simple artifacts–several individual sheets of papyrus pasted together to form a roll. And a papyrus roll is relatively simple … Continue reading
Posted in Book Trade in Antiquity, Papyrus Making, Voluminology
Tagged ancient-egypt, books, egypt, papyrus, papyrus-rolls
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Radiocarbon Analysis of Museum of the Bible Manuscripts: Bodmer Psalms
Thanks to Mike Holmes for informing me that the most recent issue of Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik contains an article reporting the results of radiocarbon analysis of five papyrus manuscripts and one parchment manuscript that took place about a … Continue reading
Variant Readings 