28 research outputs found
From the Judaean Desert to the Great Sea : Qumran in a Mediterranean context
The time when Qumran was studied in splendid isolation is long gone, but much work
remains to be done when it comes to situating the site in its wider context. In this paper,
Qumran is contextualized, on the one hand, within the larger ecological history of the
Mediterranean and, on the other, within the Mediterranean world of classical antiq-
uity. Questions regarding the functions of the Qumran settlement are addressed from
the perspective of âmarginal zonesâ in the Mediterranean, which provides an ideal
backdrop through which to illumine aspects of daily life at Qumran. Furthermore, it
is shown how comparative case studies from the Graeco-Roman Mediterranean help us to nuance the discussion concerning âHellenizationâ or âRomanizationâ with regard to Qumran. Finally, a new understanding of L4, which is here interpreted primarily as a dining room, is proposed on the basis of archaeological parallels from the Graeco-Roman world. A pan-Mediterranean perspective, therefore, allows us to generate new insights on old questions and novel interpretations.peer-reviewe
Revisiting Qumran Cave 1Q and its archaeological assemblage
Qumran Cave 1Q was the first site of Dead Sea scroll discoveries. Found and partly emptied by local Bedouin, the cave was excavated officially in 1949 and published in the series Discoveries in the Judaean Desert (Volume 1) in 1955. Contents of the cave are found in collections worldwide, and in different institutions in Jerusalem and Amman. While the scrolls are the most highly prized artefacts from this cave, in archaeological terms they are part of an assemblage that needs to be understood holistically in order to make conclusions about its character and dating. This study presents all of the known items retrieved from the cave, including those that are currently lost, in order to consider what we might know about the cave prior to its emptying and the changes to its form. It constitutes preliminary work done as part of the Leverhulme funded International Network for the Study of Dispersed Qumran Caves Artefacts and Archival Sources [IN-2015-067].peer-reviewe
Qumran, unchecked parallelomania, and pseudonymity in academic publication : review article of Kenneth Silver, Alexandria and Qumran : back to the beginning (Archaeopress, Oxford, 2017)
This monograph has a promising premise â which is to situate Qumran and the Dead
Sea Scrolls within the socio-political and cultural milieu of the Graeco-Roman world â but
a deeply flawed execution. Its many problems can be summed up into four main points:
1) methodological and interpretative shortcomings; 2) unchecked parallelomania; 3) factual
errors; and 4) the use of pseudonymity in academic publication. In the following pages, I will
explore each of these issues in some detail. But first, I start with a brief overview of Kenneth
Silverâs main arguments and hypothesis.peer-reviewe
The Huqoq Excavation Project : 2014-2017 interim report
Excavations at Huqoq in Israelâs eastern Lower Galilee are bringing to light a Late Roman synagogue, a medieval public building, and the remains of ancient and modern (pre-1948) villages. In this interim report, we describe the major discoveries of the 2014â2017 seasons, including the extraordinary figural mosaics decorating the synagogue floor. Our discoveries provide evidence of a Galilean Jewish community that flourished through the 5th and 6th centuries c.e.âa picture contrasting with recent claims of a decline in Jewish settlement under Byzantine Christian rule. The possibility that the medieval public building might also be a synagogue has important implications for understanding Galilean Jewish settlement in the Middle Ages, about which almost nothing is known. The excavations also shed light on the last phase of the settlementâs long history: the development of the modern village of Yakuk in the 19th through 20th centuries.peer-reviewe
Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London
Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study
Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world.
Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231.
Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05â2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001).
Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication
Review of Khirbet QumrĂąn et AĂŻn Feshkha : Fouilles du P. Roland de Vaux: IIIA : lâarchĂ©ologie de QumrĂąn, by Jean-Baptiste Humbert, Alain Chambon, and Jolanta MĆynarczyk
A much-awaited volume, this is the third in a series of reports whose remit is
the publication of Roland de Vauxâs excavations at Qumran and âEin Feshkha.
The present work is the first of two projected volumes on the siteâs stratigraphy, and it focuses on loci or structures surrounding the main and western buildings.
These include the triangular annexe to the east of the main building (e.g., L44,
L45, L59, L60, L61, L64, L65, L80, L84); a series of stepped pools, installations,
and open spaces to the southeast (e.g., L68, L69, L70, L71, L75); the long hall
and adjacent room with the large pottery stockpile (i.e., L77 and L86/87/89), and
the esplanade to the south (i.e., L90, L93, L94, and L98); the large cistern and
stepped pools to the southwest (i.e., L83, L85, L91), and adjacent loci (e.g., L81,
L83, L85, L88, L95, L96, L97); and the various open spaces and water features
to the northwest (e.g., L130, L131, L132, L135, L138). The stratigraphic analysis
is preceded by a few random chapters discussing the general interpretation of the
site, the cemetery, the animal bone deposits, the long walls that characterize the
landscape between Qumran and âEin Feshkha, the effect of earthquakes on the site,
and the significance of the various ash layers, among others. This comprises the
bulk of the book, and it is authored by Jean- Baptiste Humbert, with the technical
assistance of Alain Chambon.peer-reviewe
Review of For the freedom of Zion, by Guy Maclean Rogers
IN 66 CE, fighting between the Jewish
populace and their Roman overlords
broke out in Judea. It eventually led to
all-out war, culminating in the destruction
of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Three years
later, the last rebel stronghold at
Masada was captured. These events
proved to be game changing for the
ensuing history of Judaism and Christianity
as well as the Roman Empire.peer-reviewe
Qumran at seventy : reflections on seventy years of scholarship on the archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea scrolls
Qumran is probably one of the most renowned and disputed sites in the ancient Near East. In large part this is because of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in caves in its immediate vicinity. The year 2017 marks the seventieth anniversary of the discovery of these scrolls, which changed the scholarly landscape of ancient Judaism and biblical studies and also put Qumran on the archaeological map. In celebration of this important milestone, this paper traces seventy years of scholarship on the archaeology of Qumran, with a view to highlighting key methodological issues surrounding the many heated debates about its nature and function as well as its relationship to the scrolls.peer-reviewe