Ancient Israel and settler colonialism

This essay looks at ancient Israel as a settler colonial society. After an introductory paragraph that describes the significance of the study of ancient Israel for the study of settler colonialism, it summarises various approaches to the study of the history of ancient Israel. It then presents evidence for seeing the Israelite documents and early history in settler colonial terms. Finally, it looks at some aspects of decolonisation of the biblical narrative based on acknowledging at least the very possibility of a settler colonial nature of early Israel

Central sanctuary and the centralization of worship in ancient Israel from the settlement to the building of Solomon's Temple : A historical and theological study of the biblical evidence in it's archaeological and ancient near eastern context.

This thesis examines the history and theology of the centralization of worship. Part I examines the theology of the central sanctuary and local sanctuaries, especially from the standpoint of divine presence. Part II carries out an exegesis of the centralizing altar laws of the Pentateuch, together with an examination of their narrative and conceptual relationship to the noncentralizing altar laws of the Pentateuch. Part III examines the history of the centralization of worship from the settlement to the building of Solomon's temple. The study is contextualized by an examination of relevant archaeological and ancient Near Eastern material. Emphasis is placed on the dating of the various biblical materials under investigation, and their overall rhetorical concerns. It is argued that as well as being present in heaven, Yahweh is present on earth continuously at the ark at the central sanctuary and intermittently at local altars. Priestly material argues for the importance of the central sanctuary, but also allows local altars. Deuteronomy envisages centralization under conditions of peace and complete settlement, but otherwise allows local altars. During the earliest days of the settlement, there was no centralization requirement. In the last days of Joshua, Shiloh became the place where Yahweh's name dwelt and centralization was implemented. During the Judges period, centralization was not possible because of the disturbed situation. With the loss of the ark to the Philistines at Aphek, Shiloh was rejected as the chosen place, and there was no place in which Yahweh's na me dwelt until the building of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. The history and theology of the centralization of worship are thus compatible with each other within the period discussed, whatever the date and provenance of the relevant biblical material. However, the history of the central sanctuary and the literary form and rhetorical concerns of the book of Joshua suggest that it and the sources it uses, such as Deuteronomy, may have been written before the disaster of Aphek and the rejection of Shiloh

Biogenic processes in crystalline bedrock fractures indicated by carbon isotope signatures of secondary calcite

Peer reviewe

Aivotoiminnan häiriöiden yhteydessä yleisesti koetut psykososiaaliset vaikeudet : PARADISE24-kyselyn tutkimusperusta

Ihmisen kokonaistilanne on tärkeä ottaa hoidossa ja kuntoutuksessa huomioon. Psychosocial Factors Relevant to Brain Disorders in Europa (PARADISE) -hanke toteutettiin kymmenen instituutin yhteistyössä professori Ciezan johdolla 2010–2013. Tavoitteena oli kehittää tutkimukseen perustuva menetelmä, jonka avulla voidaan kartoittaa psykososiaalisia vaikeuksia eri aivotoiminnan häiriöiden hoidossa, kuntoutuksessa ja tutkimisessa. Hankkeessa oli lähtökohtana oletus psykososiaalisten vaikeuksien horisontaalisesta epidemiologiasta. Hankkeessa tutkittiin yhdeksää aivotoiminnan häiriötä: dementiaa, depressiota, epilepsiaa, migreeniä, MS-tautia, Parkinsonin tautia, skitsofreniaa, aivoverenkiertohäiriötä ja päihderiippuvuutta. Kunkin häiriön osalta toteutettiin systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus ja fokusryhmähaastattelu. Esiin nousseet psykososiaaliset vaikeudet luokiteltiin ja linkitettiin kansainväliseen toimintakykyluokitukseen (ICF). Eri häiriöille yhteisten 64 psykososiaalisen vaikeuden yleisyyttä ja intensiteettiä tutkittiin yksilöhaastatteluissa (n = 722). Tulosten pohjalta muodostettiin yleisiä psykososiaalisia vaikeuksia mahdollisimman laajasti kattava PARADISE24-kysely. Oletus eri häiriöiden yhteisistä psykososiaalisista ongelmista osoittautui todeksi. Kyselyyn valikoitui neljätoista kysymystä ICF:n osa-alueelta b Ruumiin/kehon toiminnot ja kymmenen kysymystä osa-alueelta d Suoritukset ja osallistuminen. Psykososiaalisten vaikeuksien intensiteetissä esiintyi kuitenkin häiriöiden välillä eroja siten, että psykiatristen tai päihdehäiriöiden takia haastatellut käyttivät laaja-alaisesti viisiportaista vastausvaihtoehtojen asteikkoa, mutta neurologisten häiriöiden yhteydessä kaksi- tai kolmeportainen asteikko vaikutti riittävältä. PARADISE24-kysely sisältää olennaiset kysymykset, mutta jatkotutkimusta tarvitaan erityisesti kyselyn toimivuudesta seurantakäytössä. Raportissa esitetään PARADISE24-kyselyn valmistamisen tutkimusperusta horisontaalisten tulosten sekä erikseen päihdehäiriöiden näkökulmasta.36,00 euro

Isotopic signatures of precent-day calcite and pyrite in low-temperature crystalline bedrock, Olkiluoto, SW Finland

Geochemical characteristics of precipitated fracture filling calcite and pyrite can provide much useful information about the deep bedrock environment at the time of their deposition. However, it has been difficult to identify fracture coatings precipitated from the present-day groundwater system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the coexisting calcite and pyrite, and the groundwater present at the time of precipitation. Here we investigated fine-grained mineral precipitate deposited over a four-year period on the surface of groundwater monitoring equipment inserted into a drillhole at 530 m below sea level, at Olkiluoto, which is the planned site for a final repository of spent nuclear fuel. The experimental setting is also artificial in the sense that the drillholes have possibly affected groundwater circulation and a foreign object has been inserted into the drillhole. Combining the elemental and isotope geochemical composition of the precipitated calcite and pyrite with previously published compositional data on groundwater and evidence for microbial communities on this site, offered a possibility to get new insight of the precipitation and isotope fractionation processes taking place in deep crystalline bedrock. The concentration of the redox sensitive manganese in the precipitate gives supporting evidence for the influx of groundwater from overlying groundwater units. The delta C-13 (n = 13) and delta O-18 (n = 15) values of calcite vary from-13.2 to-9.7 parts per thousand and from-9.1 to-7.4 parts per thousand respectively. Comparison to the respective values in the local groundwater indicated that the precipitated calcite is in near isotopic equilibrium with its environment with respect to carbon and oxygen. The potential ultimate source of the carbon in the DIC and in the precipitate is likely in old fracture calcite coatings. The 834S values of pyrite (n = 9) show relatively small variation from-5.7 to 8.3 parts per thousand. This differs greatly from the huge span of 834S values from-50 to 80%o in fracture pyrites reported for the latest calcite fillings at Olkiluoto. The restricted range of 834S values is interpreted to result from open system conditions during precipitation, with new dissolved sulfate entering from the large brackish SO4-type groundwater unit above. The isotopic fractionation of sulfur between dissolved sulfate and sulfide is estimated to be 25 & PLUSMN; 10%o, which is in agreement with the results reported in laboratory experiments for bacterial sulfate reduction.Peer reviewe

P/H and D in Joshua 22,9-34

This paper examines Joshua 22,9-34, a passage where the Transjordanians are potentially violating the law on centralization of worship. It builds on the author’s previous work that relates to the passage (cf. Central; Reading). Joshua 22,9-34 has generally been recognised to attest priestly features, and Noth’s classic assertion was that Joshua 22,9-34 is an isolated priestly addition in the book of Joshua. However, one may argue that the passage also exhibits Deuteronomic features and ties back to the rest of the Deuteronomic book of Joshua, in addition to having links with the book of Numbers, including Numbers 32 as a prime case. The paper will then suggest that, from the perspective of legal interpretation, Joshua 22,9-34 can be plausibly read as a priestly passage that has been carefully integrated in the Deuteronomic book of Joshua. More specifically, the paper will suggest that the passage in the context of the book of Joshua and Genesis-Joshua as a whole can be very plausibly seen as interpreting Pentateuchal legal materials based on the idea that centralization of worship in Deuteronomy (esp. Deut 12) is a continuation in the land of the concept of centralization in the wilderness in priestly material (Lev 17)