Author | Lightnews

mikaeltron.bsky.social @mikaeltron.bsky.social · 18h

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Shaily Patel @vox-magica.bsky.social · 5d

if you’re curious about what i’m up to, OUP has unlocked the introduction until 11/24. you can read that here:

Introduction: “Magic” and Early Petrine Literary Traditions

Abstract. This introductory chapter aims to problematize the popular axiom that one person’s magic is another person’s miracle. This understanding of magic

academic.oup.com

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Dr. Chance Bonar @chancebonar.bsky.social · 17d

God, Slavery, and Early Christianity is out in the real world with @universitypress.cambridge.org!

I have some extra, so retweet this by the end of Oct. 19 if you’re interested in receiving a copy!

Book info here: www.cambridge.org/core/books/g...

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Arthur Urbano @arturoviaggia.bsky.social · 21d

In the Boston area? Check out Jessica's talk. She is one of the leading experts on Jews and archaeology in Rome. Her new book "A Jewish Archaeology: The Christian Discovery of Jewish Catacombs in Rome" (Brill, 2025) is out now!

International Catacomb Society @catacombsociety.bsky.social · 21d

We have partnered with Lehrhaus in Somerville, MA to bring you an exciting class taught by Dr. Jessica Dello Russo on 10/30 at 6pm: "Whispers from the #Catacombs: Discovering Jewish Culture Under Ancient #Rome"

Registration required: t.co/4tlXs5o1mH

photo of Dr. Dello Russo in an underground excavation.
"Whispers from the Catacombs...etc."
Thursday, October 20, 6pm
In this class, we’ll examine a range of catacomb artifacts that reveal Jewish identity—from inscriptions and symbols to intricate artwork.

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Matt Thiessen @mattthiessen.bsky.social · 23d

Have had some thoughts on divine visibility percolating on a back burner for years. Hoping Luke Irwin's new book, *Jesus and the Visibility of God*, can sharpen my thinking and help me get some of it down on paper.

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Dr. Chance Bonar @chancebonar.bsky.social · 28d

Today, like every day, is a good day to re-read Christina Sharpe’s “Lose Your Kin”

thenewinquiry.com/lose-your-kin/

Lose Your Kin

White people must refuse reconciliation to ongoing brutality; they must rend the fabric of the kinship narrative

thenewinquiry.com

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Matt Thiessen @mattthiessen.bsky.social · Sep 12

If you haven't read @janemayer.bsky.social's *Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right*, you probably should. I'm late to it (it came out in 2016) but it seems ever more timely.

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Paul Cohen @paulecohen.bsky.social · Sep 2

"The astonishment that the things we are experiencing in the 20th century are 'still' possible is by no means philosophical. It is not the beginning of knowledge, unless it would be the knowledge that the conception of history on which it rests is untenable."

-- Walter Benjamin

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Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · Aug 27

It's tragically appropriate that we're hearing "We don't need the humanities; everything is STEM" at precisely the time when the greatest advancements in STEM fields are raising the sorts of questions that fundamentally require the humanities to even begin to answer.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Aug 26

Can AIs suffer? Big tech and users grapple with one of most unsettling questions of our times

As first AI-led rights advocacy group is founded, industry is divided on whether models are, or can be, sentient

www.theguardian.com

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And-BOO 👻 Jacobs (he/him) @drewjakeprof.bsky.social · Aug 26

volume 8! at what point are we really talking about the second or third urban churches?

SBL Press @sblpress.bsky.social · Aug 26

The First Urban Churches 8: Galatia and Lycaonia edited by James R. Harrison and L. L. Welborn is available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook from SBL Press. Get your copy! cart.sbl-site.org/books/064223P

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EthiopicManuscriptArt @artethiopic.bsky.social · Jul 22

One thing I love about Ethiopian-Eritrean art is the unexpected details that sometimes appear. In this baptism scene, for example, half the space is filled by trees with the caption "How branches overshadowed (the River) Jordan" 🌿

Ethiopia, AD 1400/1401 #JesusChrist #baptism #africanart

Ethiopian depiction of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. On both their sides, angels are standing, pointing at the scene. Above them are green branches.

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Dr. Chance Bonar @chancebonar.bsky.social · Aug 10

ICYMI: @mythsbaby.bsky.social and I had a great convo earlier this year about the complex history of ancient Palestine (with a very very quick run-through of about 2000 years)

open.spotify.com/episode/1v7Q...

Conversations: To Palestine, With Love... Ancient & Biblical History of the Levant w/ Dr Chance Bonar

Let's Talk About Myths, Baby! | Greek Mythology & the Ancient Mediterranean · Episode

open.spotify.com

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Annette Yoshiko Reed @annetteyreed.bsky.social · Aug 7

FREE TO READ = @simchagross.bsky.social “From Togas to Turbans”
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...

Project MUSE - From Togas to Turbans: Jewish Male Head Coverings between the Roman and Sasanian Worlds

muse.jhu.edu

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Joseph Howley @illdottore.bsky.social · Jul 17

Rümeysa Öztürk describes the library in the prison where she was held for 45 days for co-authoring an op-ed

After many requests, I finally accessed what turned out to be the saddest and smallest library I have ever seen. I was surprised to find that the books were not categorized by author or Dewey number but size. I tried to find a book before my allotted time ended and picked a cooking book; the second time I got a novel. I began flipping through the pages in search of solace, as books have always been my safe haven. To my surprise, I discovered handwritten notes scattered throughout the book, dated and written by various detainees over time. These messages were filled with reminders of hope, strength, and the assurance that this, too, shall pass. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read their heartfelt expressions. It’s incredible how human beings can find ways to uplift each other, transcending time, space, and borders if they want to and if they choose to. I continued to turn the pages, holding on to the hope of finding brighter moments in this terrifying situation—all thanks to the kindness of people I had never met.

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And-BOO 👻 Jacobs (he/him) @drewjakeprof.bsky.social · Jul 16

still working on the OA glitch, thank you for your patience!

meanwhile, happy to send a PDF to folks who can't wait to ready it--send me an email or drop me a message.

And-BOO 👻 Jacobs (he/him) @drewjakeprof.bsky.social · Jul 16

it's here! it's here! @vox-magica.bsky.social's amazing new Element in Religion in Late Antiquity is live and ⚡free⚡ to download for the next two weeks! get it!

www.cambridge.org/core/element...

Magic and Heresy in Ancient Christian Literature

Cambridge Core - Religion: General Interest - Magic and Heresy in Ancient Christian Literature

www.cambridge.org

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Kelsie Rodenbiker @kelsbot.bsky.social · Jul 16

My book is out online! It won’t feel real until the print book comes out in September, but I’m excited to see it out in the world at last.

Scriptural Figures and the Fringes of the New Testament Canon

Abstract. In the Catholic Epistles, canonicity and exemplarity are intertwined. Chapter 1 defines the concept of exemplarity as the use of a model-figure a

academic.oup.com

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Mondoweiss @mondoweiss.net · Jul 12

READ: Palestinians screamed for months: Israel is turning U.S.-run “aid” sites into killing fields.

No one listened—until Israeli soldiers admitted they were ordered to shoot civilians. mondoweiss.net/2025/07/pale...

Palestinian testimonies of deliberate Israeli killings at U.S.-run ‘aid’ sites were ignored until the perpetrators admitted to it

Palestinians have delivered testimony after testimony about the Israeli-backed and U.S.-run “death traps” masquerading as aid sites. But no one listened until Haaretz published direct testimony from…

mondoweiss.net

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Lydia Bremer-McCollum @lcbmphd.bsky.social · Jul 6

It's not too late to sign up for this summer Coptic course!
www.religiondepartment.com/coptic

Begins July 8th. Available Asynch. or Synch.

Lectures live Tuesdays at 10:00am Atlanta/EDT
(3:00pm London/BST, 4:00pm Amsterdam/Zurich/CEST, 5:00pm Cairo/EEST, and 12:00am July 9th Australia/AEST).

Learning Coptic Through the Gospel of Thomas

www.religiondepartment.com

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Dr. Chance Bonar @chancebonar.bsky.social · Jun 17

TIL that Zora Neale Hurston wrote a biographical novel of Herod that was incomplete at the time of her death, but was just published this year

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James Downie @jamescdownie.bsky.social · Jun 17

"The bill directs what is likely the largest single sale of national public lands in modern history to help cut taxes for the richest people in the country....all without hearings, debate or public input." wilderness.org/articles/med...

250+ million acres of public lands eligible for sale in SENR budget reconciliation package

The bill mandates disposal of over 2 million acres of BLM and National Forest lands; public lands eligible for sale in the bill encompass over 250 million acres, including local recreation areas, wild...

wilderness.org

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EthiopicManuscriptArt @artethiopic.bsky.social · Jun 13

Fun fact: The Ge'ez word ሐመር፡ (ḥamar), "ship" is possibly related to Arabic حمار (ḥimār), Hebrew חמור (ḥămôr), and Syriac ܚܡܪܐ (ḥmārā), which all mean "donkey". Are ships the "donkeys of the ocean"? 🌊

‎Ethiopia, 18th c. (?) ⁦‪#ship‬⁩ ⁦‪#donkey #ocean‬⁩ ⁦‪#etymology‬⁩ ⁦‪#geez‬⁩ ⁦‪#africanart‬⁩

Ethiopian depiction of people on a brownish boat on the middle of a blue ocean with white foam details.

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elia ayoub @ayoub.bsky.social · Jun 10

There's a large convoy of North African activists making their way by land to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

They've now reached Libya

www.instagram.com/p/DKtr9pwM7uw

Numbers I've seen are anywhere from 1500 to 7000 people. I'll incl the correct nmbr once I have it.

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · Jun 9

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/645827...

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E. B. Moon (they/them) 🏴 🌱 🚀 🏳️‍⚧️ @ebmoon.bsky.social · Jun 9

A civil rights movement is when you're very civil and so then they let you have rights.

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