Author Archives: Karyn

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program…

I try to keep the subject matter of this blog free from too many personal posts or cute family photos. So, please forgive this intrusion into the typical line-up of content. I want to give some brief information about the events of this past week that may affect my blogging over the next few months.

Just a few days after returning home from SBL, my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer (T3). These things often come as a surprise, but we knew that because of family history, this was always a risk for Mark. Fortunately, we live just down the road (literally) from Duke and they have one of the best cancer centers in the US. Mark will be undergoing daily radiation for 5 1/2 weeks, along with chemotherapy to target the tumor and make it more sensitive to the radiation. After a break from the radiation, he will undergo surgery to remove the section of his colon with the cancer. So far there is no indication that the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. We are very grateful that we will be able to travel, as planned, for Christmas to see friends and family and that the radiation treatment won’t have to begin until January 4.

I’m not going to journal about this on my blog. I won’t be giving updates or “processing” here. If you are so inclined, you can check out the Facebook group that Mark is keeping updated with details (and some pretty hilarious gallows humor).

This post was just the easiest way to let my readers know that the next few months will probably hold some uncertainty for my work, research and writing. But I won’t be completely offline and I’m still working on projects. Life goes on, and both Mark and I know that we want to keep moving forward with projects, life, and family even as we have some unwelcomed doctors’ appointments on the calendar for the next few months. We do appreciate the care and encouragement that friends have shared with us.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled blog.

No Distractions

In doing some searches in Accordance, I happened to notice that there are no distractions in the Hebrew bible.

No Hebrew word is translated by ESV, NIV, NRSV, NET (or many others) as “distract,” “distracted,” or “distractions.” The KJV does translate ‏אָפוּנָה found in Psalm 88:15 as “distracted,” but this word is found only here in the HB and does not have consensus for translation. In the NT there is only one verse that is translated with the word “distracted” (Luke 10:40).

I, on the other hand, am quite distracted lately.

Adon Olam

The tapestry created by weaving music and poetry together can be stunning. Let me give you an example. You can listen to Fortuna’s mesmerizing rendition of Adon Olam, a beautiful hymn in the Jewish Liturgy, here. This song is on the album Cantigas. If you do a Google search, you can find other sites to listen to the song for free before you decide if you want to purchase/download the music.

Here (reproduced from Wikipedia) are the lyrics in Hebrew, Transliteration, and English.

Adon Olam lyrics

Fortuna’s interpretation of the hymn is not a new release (actually, it was released in 1994) but I first heard of the song today via Twitter (@gideony).

Biblical Hebrew Textbook Comparisons

At the 2009 ETS (Evangelical Theological Society) meeting in New Orleans just prior to the SBL meeting, there was a session about how to choose a Biblical Hebrew textbook. I wasn’t at the session, but some friends did obtain a copy of the handout for me. As a result, I also contacted Dr. Hélène Dallaire and asked about the textbook reviews she had done previously (she presented some of her own material at SBL 2006 and the 2009 ETS handout included a completed chart that she had started with Jason DeRouchie). She graciously sent me some digital copies and gave me permission to post them here.

I think these are helpful for instructors trying to make informed choices about textbooks to use for classes. There is no one “best” textbook. Rather, a teacher must consider their students, the type of class, the goals for the class, and their own teaching style and skills in selecting a textbook. The summaries are also helpful for students who are looking for supplemental reading and reference. I have tried to track down a digital copy of the ETS handout, but have not been successful yet, so I am posting a (relatively poor) scanned copy. If someone knows who has the original, I would be grateful if you brought that to my attention.

There are some additional textbooks due out which I hope to review. Most notably the Hendrickson textbook, A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew by Jo Ann Hackett and Fred Putnam‘s upcoming grammar to be published by Sheffield Phoenix.

Foamed Saccharides with Protein Inclusions

Time for a Christmas tradition and science mashup. Try this “experiment” in your kitchen with your kids.

Foamed Saccharides with Protein Inclusions


Discussion
In this experiment you will produce a solid mixture composed mainly of various monosaccharides, disaccharides and polypeptide compounds. Since a great deal of heating is necessary to bring about the desired chemical and physical processes, care must be taken to avoid extensive thermal degradation (pyrolysis) of the product. Also cleanliness is necessary, since the product will be subjected to analysis by mastication. During the analysis you are to make observations regarding the production of the neural transmitter acetyl choline in the synaptic junctions.

Supplies

  • saucepan with a capacity of one or two liters
  • 62 grams of a saturated monosaccharide solution containing D-glucopyranose and D-fructofuranose (about 1/4 cup)
  • 75 grams of the disaccharide a-D-glucopyranosyl-b-D-fructofuranoside (about 1/2 cup)
  • 20 mL of hydroxic acid

    • 20 grams of partially hydrogenated vegetable fat esters (about 1.5 tablespoons)

  • thermal insulating material
  • 50 to 60 grams of arachin, conarchin, oleic-linoleic glyceride protein pellets (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
  • 4 grams of sodium bicarbonate (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 5 mL of either 4-hydroxy 3-methoxy benzaldehyde or 4-hydroxy 3-ethoxy benzaldehyde (about 1 teaspoon)
  • thermometer (capable of reaching a temperature of at least 150 degrees Celsius)
  • 1000 square centimeters of aluminum foil
  • a large insulated manual stirring device

Procedure

  1. Mass out 62 grams of the saturated monosaccharide solution and place it into the saucepan along with 20 mL of hydroxic acid.
  2. Into a clean 250 mL beaker, mass out 75 grams of a-D-glucopyranosyl-b-D-fructofuranoside (sucrose) and transfer it to the monosaccharide solution in the saucepan.
  3. Heat the mixture slowly, stir constantly, and bring to a boil. Use as cool a flame as will maintain boiling. You must avoid thermal degradation of the saccharides.
  4. Mass out 10 grams of partially hydrogenated vegetable fat esters and add to the saccharide mixture in the saucepan. Continue to heat and stir using some kind of thermal insulating material to prevent overheating your epidermis.
  5. Mass out 50 grams of protein pellets and add to the saccharide mixture in the saucepan when the temperature of the mixture reaches 138 degrees Celsius (280 ¡F). Continue to stir and heat the mixture.
  6. Mass out 4 grams of sodium bicarbonate and obtain 2 mL of 4-hydroxy 3-methoxy benzaldehyde or its substitute. Lightly lubricate a square piece of aluminum foil which measures about 30 centimeters on a side with partially hydrogenated vegetable fat esters. Note: You are only getting these substances ready to add they are not to be added until step 8!
  7. When the temperature of the solution reaches 154 ¡C remove the saucepan from the heat and place near the piece of aluminum foil. Also, remove the thermometer at this time and check to make sure that the mercury bulb is still attached to the base of the thermometer. If the bulb is not attached THROW THE PRODUCT AWAY.
  8. While one partner holds the sauce pan and is prepared to stir the mixture the other partner adds first the 4-hydroxy, 3-methoxy benzaldehyde and then adds the sodium bicarbonate. STIR VIGOROUSLY. When the mixture foams pour it on the aluminum foil and spread to a depth of O.5 cm.
  9. When cool break up the product and subject it to analysis by mastication.

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This particular version of this common December experiment was found here.

Should Schools or Students Choose Bible Software?

At the recent New Orleans SBL meeting, one of the “hot” sessions was the Software Bible “Shootout” in which five different software options demonstrated their method for solving a series of challenges. Read Rick Mansfield’s summary here. More discussion here (with lots of further links).The software vendors represented were: Logos, SESB, BibleWorks, Accordance and Olive Tree.

You can look at each of the resources in depth at your leisure. My question today is not which one handles what challenge better, but rather, who should determine which software you use?
Continue reading →

Hobbins on Ancient Hebrew (what it is and isn’t)

John Hobbins has two posts this week which I think could be included as reading assignments in an introductory Biblical Hebrew course (or a Hebrew Bible Introduction). These posts help clarify just what we should mean when we use the term “ancient Hebrew.” As usual, he includes helpful bibliography.