I just finished Christopher A. Rollston’s Writing and Literacy in the World of Ancient Israel (Atlanta, Ga.: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010), and I highly recommend it. I’m not going to review it since I wouldn’t have much expertise to bring to it, but I found the book incredibly informative, very well written, and engaging despite the potential for very dry technical jargon. I think it’s also a great supplement to other books on literacy in ancient Israel, like those by Carr, van der Toorn, and Schniedewind. If you’re interested in delving into Northwest Semitic epigraphy, or just want to have the basics covered, this is the first book you should read.
December 28, 2010
Daniel O. McClellan 
December 28th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
If you have a few minutes some time, Dr. Rollston would very much appreciate an Amazon review!
December 28th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
And one more because I forgot to subscribe to the thread.
December 28th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I’d be happy to write up a brief review, if it would help out Dr. Rollston.
Incidentally, I’m trying to track down a copy of his article, “The Rise of Monotheism in Ancient Israel,” but TWU has rather modest access to the databases, and the Stone Campbell Journal doesn’t seem to be one there. You don’t happen to know where a copy might be facilitated, do you?
December 28th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Yeah, it’s available for download on his blog: rollstonepigraphy.com
December 28th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Direct link
December 28th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Excellent. Much obliged.
December 28th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
I’m interested in the subject of literacy in the ancient world, Can you give more data on those references (Carr, van der Toorn, and Schniedewind). I haven’t run across them yet. Thanks. Craig
December 28th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Sure thing Craig:
David M. Carr, Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Origins of Scripture and Literature (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
Karel van der Toorn, Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2007).
William M. Schniedewind, How the Bible Became a Book: The Textualization of Ancient Israel (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).
Duane Smith provides a brief review of the first two here:
http://www.telecomtally.com/blog/2008/12/scribal_culture_of_the_heart_1.html
But see also Jon Van Seters’ concerns, which I briefly discuss here:
https://danielomcclellan.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/van-seters-on-schniedewind-carr-and-van-der-toorn/
December 28th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Hmmm. Sounds fascinating!
January 9th, 2011 at 12:34 am
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