How in Ancient Times They Sacrificed People: Human Immolation in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin with Special Emphasis on Ancient Israel and the Near East

Material remains and textual sources from throughout the Mediterranean World (Greece, North Africa, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Levant) are examined in order to reconstruct ancient perspectives on the practice of human sacrifice. Chapter one begins the dissertation by presenting a theoretical consideration of what constitutes human immolation, concluding that “human sacrifice is not only the destruction of an individual in an act directed towards a divinity or immaterial entity, but it is more specifically a slaying done with the direct intent of affecting the suprahuman realm.” Based upon this conceptual foundation, the work then moves through the Greek sphere of influence and Phoenician/Punic realm in chapter two to Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and Syro-Palestine in chapter three to the ancient Israelite traditions in chapter four. It shows that humans, both adults and children, literally or literarily served as sacrificial victims primarily in the areas of warfare, funerary rites, criminal executions, construction projects, purification rituals, and votive expressions.Ph.D.Near Eastern StudiesUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/60473/4/tatlock_dissertation.pd

HUMAN SACRIFICE AND PROPAGANDA IN POPULAR MEDIA: MORE THAN MORBID CURIOSITY

Representations of human sacrifice, whether based upon real or fictitious events, powerfully demonstrate societal norms and fascinations related to the acceptability of slaying humans for religious or national interests, particularly given the divisive and bloody nature of the topic. Readers of eye-witness accounts, newspaper reports, and historical narratives, and viewers of cinematic productions, war posters, and political cartoons come face to face with the beliefs and agendas of the creators of popular media. Such sources represent the slaying of victims in sacred rituals, as individuals attempt to demarcate societal boundaries along the etic/emic spectrum, be they commentaries on their own cultures or on contemporary foreigners. Those who write about or portray human sacrifice have, in several instances, done so with propagandistic aims related to ethnocentrism, imperialism, and a perceived religious superiority that transfer the topic beyond the realm of mere morbid curiosity to justify forms of dominance like territorial conquest, militarism, and slavery. Moving from the ancient world to contemporary cinema, this study demonstrates both the antiquity of such propagandistic goals and their relevancy to recent portrayals of human sacrifice in film. While Apocalypto (2007) and The Wicker Man (1973) align closely with the historical examples presented, especially in relation to the issue of a perceived Christian ascendancy, The Purge (2013) largely diverges from them. The Purge counters a dominant American ideal that sacrifice for the state is valuable and accentuates the need to protect ethnic minorities from oppression. Keywords: human sacrifice, ethnocentrism, imperialism, religious superiority, propaganda, sati, India, West Africa, Rome, Meso-America, United States, Apocalypto, The Wicker Man, and The Purg

Writing and Rewriting the Bible: The Dead Sea Scrolls 70 Years Later

The initial discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls just over 70 years ago is undoubtedly one of the most important finds of the 20th century. The scrolls are both the earliest manuscripts of texts found in the Hebrew Bible and some of the most informative examples of Jewish sectarian literature. The varied documents embody a long tradition of scribal activity stretching back hundreds of years into the days of the Israelite monarchy. In addition to exploring scribal techniques in ancient Israel, Dan Pioske and Jason Tatlock will address some of the unique material contained within the Dead Sea Scrolls, such as early references to Suffering Messianism and the Binding of Isaac or Akedah.https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/moveable-feast/1004/thumbnail.jp

Evaluating the long-term impact of an antimicrobial stewardship programme in a central London mixed medical and surgical intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial overuse causes increased antimicrobial resistance in ICUs; antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) aim to optimize usage. Following an MDR Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAb) outbreak in 2008, an ASP was implemented at a London ICU, and then continued as a long-term programme. This study aimed to determine long-term changes in antimicrobial prescribing 9 years on. METHODS: Data were collected from ICU patients in 2008 immediately before ASP implementation, and thereafter for 6 month cohort periods in 2010–2011, 2012 and 2017. Antimicrobial usage in DDD per 1000 occupied bed days (OBD) were compared. Multivariate linear regression models for antimicrobial days were fitted, adjusting for APACHE II score and patient days. Antimicrobial resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (as an indicator organism) was compared across cohort periods. FINDINGS: Across 400 patients over 9 years, antimicrobial use changed significantly (P < 0.011) and remained lower in all post-ASP cohorts compared with pre-ASP [(2008; 1827 DDD/1000 OBD), (2010; 1264 DDD/1000 OBD), (2012; 1270 DDD/1000 OBD) and (2017; 1566 DDD/1000 OBD)]. There was reduction in usage of all antimicrobial classes except β-lactams (where there was no significant increase nor decrease, P = 0.178) and aminoglycosides (where there was a significant increase in usage, P < 0.0001). The latter was temporally associated with restrictions on specific carbapenems. There was an increase in carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa in 2012 only (P = 0.028) but not subsequently. CONCLUSIONS: Following ASP implementation after an outbreak of MRAb, reduced antimicrobial prescribing was maintained 9 years on. We identify several factors influencing successful long-term maintenance of ASPs in ICUs