(Matthew Novenson) This Friday is the last Biblical Studies Research Seminar meeting for this teaching term (but there are a number of CSCO events still to come over the Spring and Summer months). Our speaker for this week is Dr. Peter Altmann, Assistent Altes Testament at the University of Zurich. Altmann is the author of Festive Meals in Ancient Israel (De Gruyter, 2011), and his current research concerns the relation between the ancient Israelite economy and the theologies of the biblical writers. His paper title for Friday is “The Effects of Economic Changes on Theology in Biblical Texts.” The seminar meets on Friday at 11:15 in the Martin Hall, New College. As ever, visitors are very welcome.

(Helen Bond) Just a small plug for a TV progra.mme tomorrow (Good Friday). Melvyn Bragg, well-known in the UK for ‘thinking persons’ programming, is presenting an hour-long show in search of ‘the real’ Mary Magdalene. Prof Joan Taylor from King’s London has been keeping him on the straight and narrow as historical consulatant, and I think it promises to be a cut above some of the (pretty dire) documentaries that have been made about Mary lately.  Melvyn takes his search to Israel, and meets a number of scholars along the way (including Tom Wright, Joan Taylor, Kate Cooper and myself).

You can catch a glimpse of it here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p016qd9z

and the programme itself airs at 12 noon on BBC1 (and will be available afterwards on iPlayer).

For what it’s worth, my own view of Mary M is that she was probably a wealthy widow (hence her relative independence and the lack of any mention of a husband). I also suspect that she and other female disciples played an important role in getting the message to women, though that’s not something our gospels are particularly interested in telling us. The very fact that her name was remembered at all presumably suggests a greater role in the early Jesus movement than is obvious from the texts . . .

(Matthew Novenson) Breaking news for early-career scholars: The University of Edinburgh is welcoming applications for Chancellor’s Fellows in the fields of Biblical Studies (Hebrew Bible); World Christianity; and Theology, Ethics, and Media. The Chancellor’s Fellowship is a generous three-year research fellowship with a provision for continuing on to a full academic staff post. Applications must be submitted by 18 April. Follow the link above for further particulars. Of course, we at CSCO have an interest in finding an excellent colleague in Biblical Studies, so please pass on the word to suitable candidates.

(Larry Hurtado):  Professor Markus Bockmuehl, who has written two important books on the Apostle Peter and will be one of the featured speakers in our conference on Peter to be held here 4-6 July 2013, has set up a helpful online resource on Simon Peter available here.  There are tabs to click on that yield bibliographical pointers, and chronologically-arranged sources on Peter.