Tag Archives: CSTT

CSTT at Six: What Have We Achieved – What Have We Learned?

By Martti Nissinen.

It is difficult to believe that the six years of CSTT as a Centre of Excellence funded by the Academy of Finland have passed. For six years, we have had the pleasure of being part of a vibrant company of biblical scholars, assyriologists, and archaeologists. CSTT has been a diverse, supportive, and open-minded community in which postdoctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, and senior scholars have got together and learned from each other. Altogether fifty people representing ten nationalities have been members of this community, and twelve colleagues from seven countries have visited us for shorter periods.

What have we achieved during these six years? And even more importantly: what have we learned?

First, I would like to mention the fulfillment of our educational potential: fourteen young researchers have completed their doctoral studies during these years. Two dissertations are currently being examined, and half-a-dozen are still underway.

The scholarly contribution of CSTT is impossible to summarize in a sentence or two. It covers a tremendous amount of new knowledge and perspectives on textual transmission and cultural developments from Sumerian times to Late Antiquity, from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, from cuneiform tablets to medieval biblical manuscripts. The statistics tell that the members of our four teams have since 2014 published ca. 60 scholarly books and ca. 500 research-based articles, ca. 350 of which are peer-reviewed – the numbers are round because many books and articles are still in print of forthcoming. Our members have (co-)organized fifty conferences and workshops that have brought hundreds of researchers not only to Helsinki but even to places like Tbilisi, Hongkong, and Beirut.

What we have been able to do is deeply gratifying. Listing achievements, however, is looking backwards while the future is even more about what we have learned.

We think better together. This is doubtless the best heritage of CSTT we can take with us wherever we continue our work.  We wanted to create a community in which different methodologies and theoretical approaches come together as an ongoing forum for exchange and learning – a non-hierarchical, inclusive space where we can safely move outside our comfort zones without the fear of becoming discredited. We have learned that methodological cross-fertilization is not easy and six years is not enough to change scholarly paradigms. But we also learned that if our encounters do not always lead to agreement, they may help to articulate the disagreement in an atmosphere of respect and friendship. If CSTT has succeeded in moving our fields of study towards a change of paradigm in academic working culture, it has not only been about changes in sacred texts and traditions but also about changing scholarship.

Welcome to Helsinki! A List of CSTT Contributions to the EABS/ISBL Meeting

In only two weeks, hundreds of biblical scholars will gather in Helsinki to attend the combined meetings of the European Association of Biblical Studies (EABS) and the International meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), which takes place from 31 July to 3 August.

As the meetings are held in our hometown, we hope to showcase to you all the diverse and wide range of research the CSTT is currently engaged in. To make your conference experience easier, we have brought together all contributions by our research centre to this year’s EABS/ISBL meeting.

The contributions are grouped under four headings corresponding to the different research teams in our centre. The list includes contributions from our full and associate members. You can find the abstracts of the papers and more information on the sessions by using the excellent online program book.

We warmly welcome you all to lovely Helsinki!


TEAM 1. Society and Religion in the Ancient Near East

July 30 – 16:00–17:30
CSTT-director Martti Nissinen: Presiding in panel discussion “What I Would Like to See Happening in Biblical Studies,” in Opening Session

Aug 1 – 14:00 – 17:00
Martti Nissinen: Presiding, in themed-session “Timo Veijola’s Contribution to Biblical Studies,” in Editorial Techniques in the Hebrew Bible in light of Empirical Evidence (EABS)

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Martti Nissinen: “Why Prophets Are (Not) Shamans,” in themed-session “Shamanism in the Bible and Cognate Literature” in Anthropology and the Bible (EABS)

July 31 – 9:00–11:00
Izaak J. de Hulster: “Hermeneutical Reflections on a Recently Excavated Cylinder Seal Fragment from Abel-beth-maacah,” in Iconography and Biblical Studies (EABS)

July 31 – 14:00–17:00
Izaak J. de Hulster: Presiding, in Iconography and Biblical Studies (EABS)

Aug 2 – 9:00–11:00
Izaak J. de Hulster: “Predecessors of Hilma Granqvist: Women Exploring the Land(s) of the Bible before 1920,” in themed-session “Holy Land Explorers: In Recognition of Hilma Granqvist” inHistory of Biblical Scholarship in the Late Modern Period

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Jason Silverman: “Imperium as Context for Defining “Elite”: Persians and Yahwistic Socio-economic Structure,” in themed-session “Elite Cultures and Achaemenid Koine” inJudaeans in the Persian Empire (EABS)

Aug 2 – 9:00–11:00
Kirsi Valkama: “Aapeli Saarisalo and Biblical Archaeology” in themed-session “Holy Land Explorers: In Recognition of Hilma Granqvist” inHistory of Biblical Scholarship in the Late Modern Period

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Kirsi Valkama and Rick Bonnie: Presiding, in Archaeology and the Biblical World

Aug 1 – 14:00–17:30
Joanna Töyräänvuori: “The Ambiguity and Liminality of the Mediterranean Sea in Ancient Semitic Mythology,” in Ugarit and the Bible: Life and Death (EABS)

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Gina Konstantopoulos: Presiding, in Dispelling Demons: Interpretations of Evil and Exorcism in Ancient Near Eastern, Jewish and Biblical Contexts (EABS)

July 31 – 14:00–17:30
ShanaZaia: “‘My Brothers Were Plotting Evil’: Family Violence in the Ancient Near East,” in Families and Children in the Ancient World

July 31 – 14:00–17:30
Sebastian Fink: “Visual Poetry in Sumerian Lamentations: A Diachronic View,” inDiachronic Poetology of the Hebrew Bible and Related Ancient Near Eastern and Ancient Jewish Literature (EABS)

Aug 1 – 14:00–17:30
Sebastian Fink: “Entering and Leaving This World: Birth and Death in Mesopotamia,” inUgarit and the Bible: Life and Death (EABS)

Aug 3 – 9:00–10:30
Andres Nõmmik: “A Consideration of the City-States of the Late Bronze Age Southern Levant,” in Ancient Near East

Aug 1 – 14:00–17:30
Patrik Jansson: “Prophesying and Twisting: Exploring the Metaphorical Description of Prophesying Women in the Greek Text of Ezekiel 13:17–23,”in Metaphor in the Bible (EABS)

Aug 1 – 14:00–17:30
Lauri Laine: “What God Should Not Be, but Still Somehow Is? Cognitive Perspectives on ‘Theological Incorrectness’,” inWhat a God is Not – the Early History of Negative Theology (EABS)

Aug 2 – 14:00–15:30
Helen Dixon(Wofford College): “Sign, Performance, Possession, Home: What Are Non-royal Phoenician Mortuary Stelae Doing?” in themed-session “Texts in Space” in Ancient Near East


TEAM 2. Text and Authority

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Team 2 leader Anneli Aejmelaeus: “Re-linking 1 Sam 3 and 4,” inSeptuagint of Historical Books (EABS)

Aug 1 – 9:00–11:00
Tuukka Kauhanen: Presiding, in themed-session “Septuagint Syntax” in Septuagint Studies

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Tuukka Kauhanen: “Editing the Septuagint of 2 Samuel,”in Septuagint of Historical Books (EABS)

July 31 – 16:00–17:30
Katja Kujanpää: “Job or Isaiah? What Does Paul Quote in Rom 11:35?” in themed-session “Textual History”, in Septuagint Studies

Aug 2 – 16:00–17:30
Jessi Orpana: Presiding, in themed-session “History, Kingship and the Economy” in Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Paavo Huotari: “Characteristics of the Lucianic Reviser in 2 Samuel,” in Septuagint of Historical Books (EABS)

July 31 – 16:00–17:30
Miika Tucker:“Continuity and Change: A Historical Perspective on the Assessment of Septuagint Jeremiah as a Textual Witness,”in themed-session “Textual History” in Septuagint Studies


TEAM 3. Literary Criticism in the Light of Documented Evidence

Aug 1 – 9:00–11:00
Team 3 leader Juha Pakkala: Presiding, in themed-session “Evoking Coherence in Redactional Processes of Fortschreibung and in Re-writing Biblical Texts” in Developing Exegetical Methods (EABS)

Aug 1 – 9:00–11:00
Mika Pajunen: “The Functions of Extensive Psalms and Prayers in Narrative Contexts,”in themed-session “Evoking Coherence in Redactional Processes of Fortschreibung and in Re-writing Biblical Texts” inDeveloping Exegetical Methods (EABS)

Aug 2 – 9:00–11:00
Ville Mäkipelto: Presiding, in themed-session “Translation Technique and Revisions” in Septuagint of Historical Books (EABS)

Aug 2 – 9:00–11:00
Ville Mäkipelto: Presiding, in themed-session “Joshua 8 – Literary Development in Light of Text, Literary, and Redaction Critical Perspectives” in Editorial Techniques in the Hebrew Bible in light of Empirical Evidence (EABS)

Aug 2 – 9:00 – 11:30
Timo Tekoniemi: Presiding, in themed-session “Editorial Techniques in the Hebrew Bible” in Editorial Techniques in the Hebrew Bible in Light of Empirical Evidence (EABS)

Aug 2 – 14:00 – 17:30
Timo Tekoniemi: Presiding, in themed-session “Textual Criticism” in Septuagint of Historical Books (EABS)

Aug 1 – 14:00–17:00
Reinhard Müller(Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster): “Timo Veijola’s Commentary on Deuteronomy,” in themed-session: “Timo Veijola’s Contribution to Biblical Studies” in Editorial Techniques in the Hebrew Bible in light of Empirical Evidence (EABS)

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:00
Reinhard Müller (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster):“Eckart Otto’s Models of ‘Urdeuteronomium’ and Deuteronomistic Deuteronomy,” in themed-session: “Eckart Otto’s Commentary on Deuteronomy” in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Law

July 31 – 14:00–17:30
Urmas Nõmmik: “Changes in Form and Genre: Five Research Questions,” inDiachronic Poetology of the Hebrew Bible and Related Ancient Near Eastern and Ancient Jewish Literature (EABS)

Aug 1 – 9:00–11:00
Anssi Voitila(University of Eastern Finland): “Usage-Based Translation Syntax of the Septuagint,”in themed-session “Septuagint Syntax” in Septuagint Studies

Aug 3 – 9:00–10:30
Anssi Voitila (University of Eastern Finland): Presiding, in themed-session “Interpretation” in Septuagint Studies


TEAM 4. Society and Religion in Late Second Temple Judaism

July 30 – 16:00–17:30
Team 4 leader Jutta Jokiranta: Member in panel discussion “What I Would Like to See Happening in Biblical Studies,” in Opening Session

July 31 – 14:00–17:30
Matthew Goff (Florida State University) and Jutta Jokiranta:“Survey Results on Ethics and Policies Regarding Unprovenanced Materials” in themed-session “Ethics and Policies Regarding Unprovenanced Materials” inQumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Aug 1 – 9:00–11:00
Jutta Jokiranta: Presiding, in themed-session “Ritual and Qumran” in Ritual in the Biblical World

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Raimo Hakola:“The Ancient Synagogue at Horvat Kur, Galilee: Excavations 2010-2018,” in Archaeology and the Biblical World

July 30 – 16:00–17:30
Rick Bonnie: Member in panel discussion “What I Would Like to See Happening in Biblical Studies,” in Opening Session

July 31 – 14:00–17:30
Rick Bonnie: ”Researching Cultural Objects and Manuscripts in a Small Country: The Finnish Experience of Raising Awareness of Provenance, Legality, and Responsible Stewardship,” in themed-session “Ethics and Policies Regarding Unprovenanced Materials” in Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Aug 1 – 9:00–10:30
Elisa Uusimäki: Presiding, in themed-session “Gendered Virtue?” in Virtue In Biblical Literature (EABS)

Aug 1 – 16:00–17:30
Charlotte Hempel (University of Birmingham) and Elisa Uusimäki: Presiding, Early Career Development Workshop

Aug 2 – 9:00–11:00
Elisa Uusimäki: “Is There ‘Virtue’ in Semitic texts? An Analysis of the Testament of Qahat,” in themed-session “Is there Virtue in Semitic texts?” in Virtue In Biblical Literature (EABS)

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Elisa Uusimäki: Presiding, in themed-session “Portraying Virtue” inVirtue In Biblical Literature (EABS)

Aug 3 – 9:00–11:00
Elisa Uusimäki: Presiding, in themed-session “Open Session” in Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Aug 1 – 14:00–17:30
Katri Antin:“Intellectual Illumination as a Visionary Experience,” in themed-session “Visions and aspects of Spatial Theory – Focus OT” in Vision and Envisionment in the Bible and its World (EABS)

Aug 3 – 9:00–11:00
Katri Antin:“Implicit Exegesis as a Mean of Transmitting Divine Knowledge in the Thanksgiving Psalms,”in themed-session “Open Session” in Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Aug 1 – 16:00–17:30
Hanna Tervanotko: Member in panel discussion “Teaching Gender and the Bible,” in Status of Women in the Profession

Aug 2 – 14:00–17:30
Hanna Tervanotko: “Reading 1 Samuel 28 and Odyssey 11 through the Lens of Shamanism,” in themed-session “Shamanism in the Bible and Cognate Literature” inAnthropology and the Bible (EABS)

Aug 1 – 14:00–15:30
Sami Yli-Karjanmaa: “Philo’s Reincarnational Anthropology: A Comparison with Clement,” in themed-session “Philo of Alexandria” in Judaica

Aug 3 – 9:00–11:15
Hanna Vanonen: “Apocalyptic Vision or Ritual Instructions? The Qumran War Texts as Apocalyptic Literature,” in themed-session “Apocalyptic Literature: Second Temple Judaism” in Apocalyptic Literature

CSTT Annual Meeting 2018 on “Authority and Change” at Lammi

The CSTT 2018 Annual Meeting took place 8.-11. February at the Lammi Biological Station. The special theme Authority and Change was approached from different angles by the keynote speakers Joanna Töyräänvuori, Shana Zaia, Christoph Levin, and George Brooke. We also heard two interesting panels dealing with the definition of authority and the usage of edited texts in reconstructing history.

Most of the hands-on work took place in smaller workshops, bringing the CSTT teams together in different combinations. This way of working produced exciting new ideas and opportunities for collaboration between scholars dealing with different kinds of source materials.

The following pictures hopefully illuminate some of the exciting and fruitful moments in the snowy Lammi.

CSTT group photo with the beautiful Finnish winter milieu (photo by Lauri Laine).

The presentation by Tuukka Kauhanen, dealing with different levels of history that can be gleaned through edited texts (photo by Lauri Laine).
Participants at the CSTT Annual Meeting 2018 (photo by Lauri Laine).
One of the smaller workshops: teams 2 and 3 discussing text-critical cases (photo by Ville Mäkipelto).
The happy panel “What is Authority” with Jutta Jokiranta, Anneli Aejmelaeus, Martti Nissinen, Francis Borchardt, and Jason Silverman (photo by Ville Mäkipelto).
The concluding panel with the CSTT scientific advisory board members Kristin De Troyer and George Brooke, as well as Christoph Levin and our leader Martti Nissinen (photo by Lauri Laine).
Last moments (photo by Lauri Laine).

CSTT and Gender #2: A Gender Theory Critique of the Historical-Critical Method

By Francis Borchardt

What in the world does gender have to do with the historical critical method? Because I write in  as the representative of the CSTT’s Team 3 in this forum, I’m expected to somehow connect a discussion of gender with “Literary Criticism in Light of Documented Evidence”. This is not exactly an easy task. Gender is usually thought of as a contextual discussion, and even by gender scholars is conceived as a category that has only entered scholarly and popular consciousness in modern and post modern times. Meanwhile Literar–Kritik, or more broadly, the historical critical method, which encompasses much of what the CSTT’s Team 3 does, makes claims to exist outside of a given context. It is concerned only with revealing the history of the text and behind the text. Or, at least that is how it presents itself. And that is precisely the topic of my discussion. Surprise! I’ve taken an opportunity to turn this into a discussion about methodology. Continue reading CSTT and Gender #2: A Gender Theory Critique of the Historical-Critical Method

CSTT and Gender #1: An Introduction

by Saana Svärd and Hanna Tervanotko

We first got the idea to do something on gender at the 2016 CSTT annual meeting in Saariselkä, where, during the joint sessions, there was some discussion on gender both as an analytical category for research and as a factor in the scholarly community in general. CSTT is a large community and the research topics we operate with resonate only to a certain extent with those of our colleagues. Some of the most fruitful and engaging discussions within the entire group have been those that somehow address philosophy of research and involve everyone. Continue reading CSTT and Gender #1: An Introduction

Tiedeykkönen valottaa Raamatun muutoshistoriaa

Vanhan testamentin eksegetiikan professorit Martti Nissinen (huippuyksikön johtaja) ja Anneli Aejmelaeus (tiimin 2 johtaja) vierailivat Ylen Tiedeykkönen ohjelmassa kertomassa huippuyksikön tutkimuksesta ja Raamatun synty- ja muutoshistoriasta. 45 minuuttia kestävässä ohjelmassa lähdetään liikkeelle huippuyksikön esittelystä ja päädytään Raamatun värikkään muutoshistorian eri vaiheiden kuvailuun.

Martti Nissinen kertoo ohjelmassa, miksi ”Pyhät tekstit ja traditiot muutoksessa” -huippuyksikkö on luonteeltaan niin kansainvälinen. Lisäksi Nissinen avaa huippuyksikön tavotteita vuodelle 2019 ja kuvailee Vanhan testamentin tekstihistorian keskeisiä vaiheita. Nissisen keskeinen viesti on, että historiassa ei ole ollut yhtään sellaista hetkeä, jolloin Raamatun teksti olisi ollut valmis tai kaikille sama. Ensimmäisistä kirjakääröistä moderneihin käännöksiin asti juutalaisten ja kristittyjen pyhä kirjakokoelma on ollut kokoajan muutoksen alaisena.

Anneli Aejmelaeus puolestaan avaa kaanonin eli ohjeellisen kirjakokoelman synnyn monimuotoisia vaiheita. Kansien väliin koottu nykykristittyjen Raamattua muistuttava kokoelma on ollut ensimmäistä kertaa olemassa vasta 300-luvulla, kun Rooman valtakunnan tuki on mahdollistanut kalliin projektin toteuttamisen. Vanhan testamentin ensimmäisen kreikankielisen käännöksen eli Septuagintan ja Qumranin tekstilöytöjen tutkimus osoittaa, että ajanlaskun taitteessa monet tekstit ovat olleet vielä kehitystyön alla. Aejmelaeus korostaa, että nykyraamattujen kääntämisessä käytetyn tarkkaan yhtenäistetyn ja vakinaistetun heprealaisen tekstin takana on ollut tekstien moninaisuus. Yhtenäisyys on myöhäisempää kehitystä.

Haastattelujen lomassa ohjelmassa kerrataan yleistajuisesti ja napakasti Raamatun tekstihistorian keskeisimpiä vaiheita. Ylen laadukkaasti toimitetun ohjelman voit kuunnella täältä: http://areena.yle.fi/1-3961990

CSTT contributions at SBL and ASOR Annual Meetings 2015, Atlanta

It is once again time for scholars of religion to start planning their personal schedules for ”the largest gathering of scholars interested in the study of religion in the world”. This year, the combined annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religions takes place November 21–24 in Atlanta (Georgia, USA). Continue reading CSTT contributions at SBL and ASOR Annual Meetings 2015, Atlanta

Huippuyksiköt laajasti esillä Kotimaa-lehdessä

“Suomen Akatemian monivuotisesta rahoituksesta nauttivat teologisen tiedekunnan huippuyksiköt kertovat suomalaisen teologian hyvästä tasosta. Julkisesti rahoitetun monitieteellisen tutkimuksen oletetaan lähtökohtaisesti hyödyttävän paitsi tiedeyhteisöä, myös laajempaa suomalaista yhteiskuntaa.” Näin avaavat toimittajat Siria Kohonen ja Jussi Rytkönen laajan huippuyksikköjä käsittelevän artikkelinsa Kotimaa-lehdessä 5.11.2015. “Huipputeologia sukeltaa pyhään ja ajankohtaiseen” -nimisessä artikkelissa haastateltavina olivat professori Martti Nissinen, TT Mika S. Pajunen ja tohtorikoulutettava Sanna Saari.

Koko artikkeli on luettavissa alla olevasta pdf-tiedostosta:

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New Feature: Interviews with CSTT members

Starting this week there will be a new section on our website, which is called ‘interviews’. Every two to three weeks, we will post a short interview in Finnish (they perhaps will be also translated into English later) with one of our researchers within the CSTT. As our centre’s principal objectives are broad and interdisciplinary in character, the individual projects of our research members cover a great variety of themes, methods and sources. Through this section we would like to provide you with a look ‘behind the scenes’ of the CSTT and to meet one of the c. 45 people currently in our centre who on a daily basis contribute to CSTT’s larger research objectives.

The first interview, which will be published tomorrow, is with Elisa Uusimäki, one of the postdoctoral researchers in our centre.