I got this written but didn’t get it posted. Here’s the post from the day before.
Anya’s practicum was mostly in the library today. She was shelving books, checking the order of the systematic theology books (to make sure they are systematized! What do you think, Elenn, a reasonable pun!?!). She said that the best part was gluing covers on in a binding machine. Anya loves the art of handmade book binding! She’s made several smaller books for her art class, under her beloved art teacher, Miss Colleen (who she dearly misses). When she learned that my dissertation will be published (God willing I finish it), she immediately asked if it would be a stitched binding. I told her no, to her great disappointment. If/when it get reworked into a book, there is a good chance it will be stitched, but depending upon the publisher. Today. I showed her examples of other PhD dissertations from MHS. She was not impressed aesthetically.
I spent the morning with 1 Samuel 2 in Hebrew, Hannah’s song of praise in the first 10 verses. Poetry is harder to work with, but I’m also trying to understand a few of the harder aspects of vowel changes. However, the cool thing about this passage is to compare it with themes in Mary’s song, called the Magnificat, in Luke 1:46-55!
After lunch with Anya, the Maasai Research Group met. Knut had us working with an ostracon (pottery inscription) from 701 BC from Lachish.
I remember being to Lachish in 1992, totally unprepared. I didn’t have any idea about this history. Now, I hope to see the relief carvings that the Assyrian King, Sennacherib, commissioned in commemorating its destruction. They are in the British Museum. (We’re planning a trip for the end of June.)
What Knut brought out was that this photo of the pottery has the author’s writing (probably in the British Museum!), which is not possible for biblical scholars. We don’t have the original copies from David, or Hannah, or even later guys like Ezra.
We continued to work on shaping the research projects for Zephania and Hoyce by helping them talk through the research question and their project outlines. I get to learn better how to articulate my research by hearing these projects discussed in detail.
I did set a meeting with Knut for Monday. I want to have some discussion about my project. I’m amazed at how much I better understand my project with each passing stage–both what it is and what it is not. It is different from what I imagined it to be 2.5 years ago, but it is more engaging for me than I would have ever guessed because it is different than a traditional PhD dissertation in Old Testament. It is multi-disciplinary, and it is more of a transformative dialogue than traditional biblical scholarship.
Finally, the days are getting much longer, and the dusk lasts a long time up north. I recently checked the sunrise-sunset calendar, and on June 21, as I recall, there will be 18 hours 24 minutes of sunlight. But if you count civil twilight and dusk too, there is less than 1.5 hours of night! Good thing we have opaque blinds!
With blessings,
Beth