• About
  • Contents
  • Tag Cloud

Temple Study

Sustaining and Defending the LDS Temple

near east

Videos of SANE Symposium Lectures on “Temples and Ritual in Antiquity”

November 11, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 14 Comments

Last Friday I was able to attend the symposium entitled “Temples and Ritual in Antiquity,” sponsored by The Students of the Ancient Near East (SANE) and the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University.  It was an excellent symposium about the temple, with a wide range of topics related to the temple presented by students and scholars.  I was also fortunate to help organize videotaping the symposium so that it will be preserved and available online for many others to see and study.  In addition to the great things that were shared, I was also able to meet several of the people I have become acquainted with online, such as David Larsen, “Particle Man,” Kathy Larsen, Donna Nielsen, and several others.  It was a great experience.  I hope SANE will continue to sponsor such symposiums in the future.

I am grateful for the SANE organizers for allowing us to videotape the symposium and make it available online, particularly Dan McLellan for his support.  I’d also like to thank Steve Smoot and Tyler Livingston for their help with the video cameras, digitizing and uploading.

Below are all the videos that we were able to record at the symposium (that have been uploaded to date).  You can see short bios of each presenter here or here.  David Larsen also took some great notes in the Ancient Israel sessions.  Note:  I will update this post with links to more of the videos as soon as they become available.  Enjoy! [Read more…]

Posted in: Artifacts, Practices, Scholarship Tagged: apostasy, architecture, asian, BYU, early christian, egyptian, imagery, incense, lecture, liturgy, matthew brown, near east, online, prayer circle, priesthood, rituals, SANE, scholar, symposium, tabernacle, video

New Webpage for BYU SANE Symposium on Temples on November 7th

October 8, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 1 Comment
Flyer

Flyer

The BYU Religious Studies Center has posted a new webpage with information about the Students of the Ancient Near East Symposium entitled “Temples and Ritual In Antiquity” that will be taking place at BYU on November 7th.  They have the date, time, location, maps, schedule, phone number, flyer, and other information available.  See it here:

http://www.rsc.byu.edu/comingSoonAntiqua.php

I’m really looking forward to this conference.  I am working with the organizers of the symposium to hopefully videotape all the presentations and make them available online later.  I might even be able to live broadcast one of the rooms to the internet, so those that are unable to attend can still participate.  Stay tuned…

Posted in: Scholarship, Tidbits Tagged: antiquity, BYU, conference, map, near east, online, SANE, symposium, video

“Temples and Ritual in Antiquity” SANE Symposium at BYU

August 18, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 7 Comments

David Larsen posted a great notice over at Heavenly Ascents of the upcoming “Temples and Ritual in Antiquity” Symposium that will be held at BYU on November 7th, 2008.  It is being presented by the Students of the Ancient Near East (SANE), and will have both students and top scholars presenting papers on the temple in antiquity.  In fact, David will be presenting there too, as well as Andrew Miller.  I will certainly be going to this symposium!  It will be like Christmas morning, a smorgasbord of insight in temple studies.

I will see if I can liveblog the event here on TempleStudy.com.  The FAIR Conference liveblog (Day 1 & Day 2) seemed to work out well and was beneficial to many people.  Unfortunately, they have three speakers going at once, so we’ll only be able to attend 1/3 of all the exceptional presentations that will be presented.  It’s a shame they had to consolidate since all of the presentations are no doubt going to be excellent.  It appears that a selection will be “printed in a publication from the Religious Studies Center, and several others will be printed in Studia Antiqua” (link).  (I’m still trying to find a way to go to Margaret Barker’s Temple Study Symposium in Oxford the next day, November 8th, and Bill Hamblin’s Temple Study SBL group in Boston a couple weeks later).

[Update 8/19/08: Dan McClellan has posted a nice schedule of the presentations, as well as short bios of the presenters, on his blog here.]

See the poll below (viewable only from the website):

Which presentations interest you most? (Pick one from each time slot, 8 total)

  • 9:00-9:30 - Andrew Miller–”The Mysteries in Pauline Christianity” (11%, 25 Votes)
  • 10:30-11:00 - Dr. John Gee–”Rituals of the Egyptian Temple: An Orientation” (10%, 23 Votes)
  • 10:00-10:30 - David Larsen–”Two High Priesthoods? Evidence for Changes in the Priesthood from First to Second Temple Judaism” (10%, 23 Votes)
  • 12:45-1:15 - Matthew Brown–”Kingship Initiation Motifs in Ancient Israel” (7%, 17 Votes)
  • 11:15-11:45 - James Carroll–”An Expanded View of the Israelite Scapegoat” (6%, 15 Votes)
  • 12:15-12:45 - Scott Preston Sukhan Nibley–”Ancient Southeast Asian Temples” (6%, 14 Votes)
  • 11:45-12:15 - Dr. David Seely–”Josephus and the Temple” (6%, 14 Votes)
  • 11:45-12:15 - Mark Wright–”The Cultural Context of Nephite Apostasy” (5%, 12 Votes)
  • 9:30-10:00 - Doug Marsh–”The Microcosmic Egyptian Temple” (5%, 12 Votes)
  • 12:45-1:15 - Joseph Petramalo–”The Samaritan Temple and Priesthood” (5%, 11 Votes)
  • 12:15-12:45 - Justin Robinson–”Covenants and Simile Curses” (4%, 10 Votes)
  • 9:30-10:00 - Dr. Dan Belnap–”The Role of Scent in the Rituals of Ancient Israel” (3%, 8 Votes)
  • 10:00-10:30 - Daniel Becerra–”The Chrism in Early Christianity” (3%, 8 Votes)
  • 10:30-11:00 - Dr. Bill Hamblin–TBA (3%, 8 Votes)
  • 10:30-11:00 - Rachel A. Grover–”The Paradise Garden and Messianic Age Imagery in the 5th to 7th Century Church Floor Mosaics of Jordan” (3%, 7 Votes)
  • 11:15-11:45 - Chris Dawe–”The Deification of Romulus” (3%, 6 Votes)
  • 11:45-12:15 - Dr. Bryan Benson–”The Treatment of Temples in Plato’s Republic and Laws“ (2%, 5 Votes)
  • 12:15-12:45 - Dustin Simmons–”Emperor as God: Roman Imperial Cult Worship & Implications for Early Christians” (2%, 5 Votes)
  • 11:15-11:45 - Jacob Moody–”Philistine Ritual Artifacts” (2%, 4 Votes)
  • 10:00-10:30 - Elliott Wise–”An Odor of Sanctity: The Iconography, Magic, and Liturgy of Egyptian Incense” (2%, 4 Votes)
  • 12:45-1:15 - Keith Fairbank–”The Eleusinian Mysteries: Greatest Conquest of Demetrios Poliorketes” (1%, 3 Votes)
  • 9:30-10:00 - Aaron Snyder–”The Prayer Circle in Early Christianity” (0%, 1 Votes)
  • 9:00-9:30 - Donald Parry–”Eve, Eden, and the Temple” (0%, 1 Votes)
  • 9:00-9:30 - Kerry Muhlestein with Alyssa Lewis–”The Role of Violent Rituals in the Egyptian Temple” (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 236

Loading ... Loading ...
Posted in: Artifacts, Church History, Practices, Scholarship, Uncategorized Tagged: antiquity, blogging, BYU, conference, near east, rituals, scholar, symposium

The Egyptian Ankh, “Life! Health! Strength!” – Part 1

June 20, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 8 Comments

Detail of Hathor shrine at Hatshepsut's temple in Luxor, Egypt

Egypt figures a central role in the religion of the ancient Near East, where much of our canon of scripture owes its narrative and existence to this locale.  Even the Book of Mormon tells us it was written in “reformed Egyptian” (Mormon 9:32).  The most interesting aspect, to me, is the adoption into Egypt of traces of the rites and ordinances of the temple of God, and its priesthood.  Unfortunately, the ordinances were apostate forms, the priesthood invalid, and all was done in imitation of the true order:

Pharaoh, being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood. (Abraham 1:26)

But even so, the fragments of the ordinances that are extant in artifacts and texts are very educational.  In Hugh Nibley’s classic work The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment he says:  [Read more…]

Posted in: Artifacts, Texts Tagged: ankh, covenant, critics, egyptian, endowment, garments, hieroglyph, hugh nibley, imitation, immortality, joseph smith, life, near east, priesthood, resurrection, symbols

John Gee (June 19) and Avraham Gileadi (June 26)

June 17, 2008 by Bryce Haymond 2 Comments

There are a couple good firesides/lectures coming up, for those of you who are in the Salt Lake/Provo area.

Dr. John GeeFirst off, there will be a lecture given by John Gee this Thursday, June 19th, at 7:00pm at the Olivewood Bookstore in Provo (3330 N. University Ave., Suite C).  He will be speaking about the message of the Joseph Smith Papyri.  Dr. Gee received his doctorate degree from Yale University in Egyptology.  He is currently William “Bill” Gay Assistant Research Professor of Egyptology at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, where he is a series editor for Studies in the Book of Abraham and a member of the editorial board of the Eastern Christian Texts series. He is also on the board of directors for the Aziz S. Atiya Fund for Coptic Studies at the University of Utah.  I have read his short book A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri, and it was a great learning experience and introduction to the Joseph Smith Papyri.  Anyone who is familiar with Hugh Nibley’s classic Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment knows that this papyri has a lot to do with the temple.  This will certainly be a great lecture.  If permitted, FAIR might videotape it and put it on YouTube.  Seating is based on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to arrive there early.

Dr. Avraham GileadiSecondly, the Isaiah Institute (which I haven’t heard of before) is presenting a fireside with Avraham Gileadi on Thursday, June 26th, at 7:00pm at the ScenicView Academy in Provo (Room 245, 5455 North River Run Drive).  He will be speaking on “The Learning of the Jews: Isaiah’s Impact on the Book of Mormon.”  Dr. Gileadi obtained a Ph.D. in ancient Near Eastern studies and Hebrew Bible from BYU under the tutelage of professor R.K. Harrison of Wycliffe College, Toronto, Canada, with Hugh Nibley as chairman. He has translated and published the book of Isaiah into modern English and published it with analyses of many literary patterns in Isaiah’s prophecy discovered during many years of postdoctoral research.  This fireside has been described thus:Map to Scenic View Academy

Book of Mormon prophets don’t just quote Isaiah. Isaiah shapes their entire world view, their concept of God’s covenant people, and their understanding of the latter days. The learning of the Jews is key to interpreting the words of Isaiah and the Book of Mormon. Come and learn the learning of the Jews!

You are asked to RSVP to orders@isaiahinstitute.com to make sure there are enough refreshments.

Posted in: Scholarship, Tidbits Tagged: abraham, avraham gileadi, bible, book of mormon, BYU, egyptian, jews, john gee, lecture, neal a. maxwell, near east, olivewood, scholar
1 2 Next »

About TempleStudy.com

This blog is dedicated to the exemplary LDS (Mormon) scholar Dr. Hugh Nibley, whose landmark temple studies have strengthened the faith of many. Read more on About page. Email me. Click on the widget in the lower-right corner of the window to chat with me.

Support TempleStudy.com

Recent Comments

  • Miguel David Gedo on The Black Robes of a False Priesthood
  • ellen north on Pondering the Temple Experience Through Scripture
  • Corey on Who were the Shepherds in the Christmas Story?
  • Lori allred on Creed Haymond Story of the Word of Wisdom, in His Own Words
  • Aleta G on Homeward Bound: Interpretations of Marta Keen Thompson’s Music

Recent Posts

  • ThyMindOMan.com – Exploring the Mind’s Relationship to God
  • Videos of 2014 Temple on Mount Zion Conference Now Available for Free Viewing
  • Gratitude Precedes Zion
  • Official Church Video on Temple Garments and Robes
  • The Temple on Mount Zion 2014 Conference

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Artifacts
  • Church History
  • Favorites
  • General Authorities
  • Practices
  • Scholarship
  • Temples Today
  • Texts
  • Tidbits
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • April 2017
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008

Blogroll

  • Adventures in Mormonism
  • Believe All Things
  • Free Temple Photos Blog
  • Heavenly Ascents
  • Latter-Day Commentary
  • LDS Temples Photo Blog
  • Leen Ritmeyer – Archeological Design
  • Lehi’s Library
  • Millennial Star
  • Mormanity
  • Mormon Insights
  • Mormon Mysticism
  • Pronaos
  • Sacred Symbolic
  • Strong Reasons
  • Temple Photos Blog
  • The Seer Stone
  • Things Unutterable
  • Visions of the Kingdom

Links

  • Barry Bickmore: Temple in Early Christianity
  • Bruce Porter’s Temple Articles
  • BYU Students of the Ancient Near East (SANE)
  • FAIR Wiki
  • FAIRLDS: Mormon Research
  • FARMS: Mormon Scholarship
  • Jeff Lindsay: Temples and Masonry
  • Jesus Christ
  • LDS Church News
  • LDS Church Temples
  • LDS Temple Fine Art – Robert Boyd
  • LDS Temple Photography – Aaron Barker
  • LDS Toolbar.com
  • LDS Toolbar.net
  • LDS.org
  • LDS.org Temples
  • Mormon Church Temples
  • Mormon Conferences
  • Mormon Monastery
  • Mormon Temple Ceremony
  • Mormon Temple Ceremony
  • Mormon.org
  • Temple Prints Fine Art Photography
  • Temple Studies Group
  • The Temple Institute

Copyright © 2025 Temple Study.

Omega WordPress Theme by ThemeHall