University of Chicago - Event CalendarEvent Calendar RSS FeedCopyright 2022, University of Chicagonsit-webserv@listhost.uchicago.edunsit-webserv@listhost.uchicago.eduhttps://feeds.uchicago.edu/what-is-rss.shtml720Sep 21, 2023: Back to School in BabyloniaA Special Exhibition at the ISAC Museum September 21, 2023 – March 24, 2024 In 1740 BCE in Babylonia, students went back to school after a holiday. They gathered from across the neighborhood in a modest house in Nippur, a Mesopotamian city in present-day southern Iraq. Young pupils learned to read and write the complex cuneiform script, while more advanced students studied topics like mathematics, religion, and law. The goal of their education was to gain the knowledge, skills, and character traits necessary to become successful scribes. These skilled professionals worked for the king, temples, and local authorities and were responsible for writing most of the documents that survive from Babylonia. In 1951–1952, the Joint Expedition to Nippur of ISAC and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology discovered the remains of this school. Within its mudbrick walls they excavated texts fundamental to our understanding of Babylonian education and culture, as well as objects that reflect school life. We invite you to enter the Edubba’a, a scribal school, in Nippur: explore the school house and its objects, read the school materials, sit down on a school bench, and listen to the disputes of Babylonian students as you follow them on their journey to become scribes, complete with their struggles and successes This special exhibition is curated by Susanne Paulus, with Marta Díaz Herrera, Jane Gordon, Danielle Levy, Madeline Ouimet, Colton G. Siegmund, and Ryan D. Winters and with support from Pallas Eible Hargro, C Mikhail, Carter Rote, and Sarah M. Ware. It reunites objects excavated at Nippur now held in the ISAC Tablet Collection, the ISAC Museum, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Tablets in the Iraq Museum, Baghdad, will be represented by plaster casts.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/221737-back-to-school-in-babylonia221737Sep 21, 2023Mar 24, 2024Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures MuseumIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.Mar 19, 2024: Foremost Amongst the Ghosts: The Role of Gilgamesh in Rituals and IncantationsGina Konstantopoulo, UCLA The Epic of Gilgamesh lays claims an extensive textual transmission, both chronologically and geographically. Copies are found in a wide range of locations and contexts, and the text even moves outside of the cuneiform sphere to influence sources in the eastern Mediterranean. As the Epic of Gilgamesh is a narrative concerned with journeys, particularly those of its eponymous protagonist, it is unsurprising that that same figure journeys outside the bounds of the text itself. This talk considers references to Gilgamesh that are found outside the sphere of Sumerian and Akkadian literary texts directly connected with the character. Gilgamesh is famously referenced in the Sumerian King List, and is also invoked in the royal hymns of rulers such as Ur-Namma and Shulgi. Beyond this, however, Gilgamesh is also invoked in several first millennium incantations that tackle the problem of antagonistic witches or troublesome ghosts by consigning them to the Netherworld. Unlike the earlier Sumerian texts, which highlight the position of Gilgamesh as a king of the living, Gilgamesh’s presence in these texts is rooted in his role as a judge of the dead. The innate versatility and adaptability of Gilgamesh as a character facilitates his use as he moves across textual categories, with different qualities of the figure coming to the forefront as required by the text—and situation—in question.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/230587-foremost-amongst-the-ghosts-the-role-of-gilgamesh230587Mar 19, 2024 5:00 pm ISAC, Breasted HallIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.Mar 23, 2024: Tuppi Appreciation Class: Draw your own Tuppi!Draw, appreciate and admire Tuppi, our favorite cuneiform plushie! This is a one-hour class dedicated to drawing (and of course admiring) Tuppi, our beloved cuneiform plushie. Learn about Tuppi and how to draw them! Bask in the love we all have for Tuppi, and meet the artist who designed them! Suitable for all ages. Instructor: Danielle Levy, University of Chicago undergraduate and creator of Tuppi If you do not yet have your own Tuppi and wish to order them online click here. You can also buy Tuppi in person in the Museum Shop. Tuppi can meet potential purchasers during regular Museum Shop, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 10am-4pm Click here to register. https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/231607-tuppi-appreciation-class-draw-your-own-tuppi231607Mar 23, 2024 1:00 pm 2:00 pmIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.Apr 3, 2024: ISAC Lecture: Jeffrey Stackert, University of ChicagoISAC welcomes the University of Chicago’s Jeffery Stackert, Professor of Hebrew Bible, for a lecture titled: Judah in the Shadow of the Assyrian Empire. A biblical scholar who situates the Hebrew Bible in the context of the larger ancient Near East, Stackert’s research focuses on the composition of the Pentateuch, ancient Near Eastern prophecy, cultic text, and ancient Near Eastern Law. His first book, Rewriting the Torah: Literary Revision in Deuteronomy and the Holiness Legislation was the recipient of the 2010 John Templeton Award for Theological Promise.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/226819-isac-lecture-jeffrey-stackert-university-of226819Apr 3, 2024 7:00 pm ISAC, Breasted HallIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.Apr 20, 2024: Ancient Earth DayCome celebrate Earth Day in an ancient way! Join us for engaging gallery tours about recycling and sustainability in the ancient world, earth-day themed crafts downstairs, the opportunity to take home plants in a recycled container, and gallery activities and puzzles to enjoy! New this year: TED-talk style presentations about the environment, climate, and archaeology! Register for one of these family-friendly presentations here! Each is around 30 minutes long. This event is free, family-friendly, and great for all ages to enjoy and learn! Feel free to drop in at any point to learn and explore.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/230527-ancient-earth-day230527Apr 20, 2024 1:00 pm 4:00 pm1155 E 58th St Chicago IL 60637If you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.May 7, 2024: Introduction to Demotic (8 weeks)  Tuesdays, May 7-June 25 (8 weeks), 7-9pm Central (Chicago) Time on Zoom and recorded Cost: Non-members ($392), Members ($314), Docents/Volunteers/ISAC Travellers ($157), UChicago Lab/Charter, Students, Faculty, and Staff ($98). Not yet a member? Become a member today and save! https://isac.uchicago.edu/Join%20and%20Give/friends-isac or add on a membership when you register for this class Bundle with the other Ancient Egyptian language classes (Late Egyptian and Demotic) and save 15%: Non-members ($1000), Members ($800), Docents/Volunteers/ISACI Travellers ($400), UChicago Lab/Charter, Students, Faculty, and Staff ($250). Instructor: Foy Scalf, PhD, Head of the ISAC Research Archives and Research Associate Register here Explore the mysteries of the Book of Thoth and the secret scriptorium of the priesthood! Demotic refers the language and cursive script used in ancient Egypt from ca. 700 BCE–300 CE. During this dynamic, multicultural period, a wealth of famous Demotic literature developed, including the Book of Thoth, the Epics of Setna Khamwas and Inaros, tales of Imhotep, the Instruction of Ankhsheshonqy, the Demotic Book of Breathing, and many others. Parts of the Demotic tales known as the Dream of Nectanebo and the Myth of the Sun’s eye were translated into Greek and found their way into Medieval literature, making the seemingly esoteric Demotic studies relevant to global history and literature. Over this eight-week course, students will begin their journey in Demotic studies by learning Demotic signs, the mechanics of the script, words, and grammatical constructions coupled with guided readings of Demotic texts, supplemented by manuscripts from the museum collections of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures. Students can expect to learn over 100 signs, 200 words, the most important grammatical constructions fundamental to Demotic, and the strategies for independent study to continue their learning journey after the class. There are no prerequisites for this course. Previous experience studying Egyptian hieroglyphs, hieratic, or Late Egyptian will be helpful, but it is not a requirement. his is a rare opportunity to gain in-depth experience at one of the world-leading centers for Demotic studies, with a phase of the language rarely studied outside of the university classroom. All class sessions will be recorded and available to students to pursue at their own pace. Foy Scalf received his PhD in Egyptology with honors from the University of Chicago with a dissertation examining religious literature from Roman Egypt and identifying its origins in the oral traditions attested in graffiti. He has published widely on ancient Egypt within its North African and Mediterranean context, making contributions to the understanding of its intellectual culture, textual transmission, and history of the book. In 2017, he curated a special exhibit for the ISAC Museum called “Book of the Dead: Becoming God in Ancient Egypt” and assembled a group of internationally-acclaimed scholars as editor of the accompanying catalog. Since 2006, he has regularly taught classes for the ISAC adult education program. He also lectures in the NELC department at UChicago and SOIS department at Dominican University, where he received the 2022 College of Applied Social Sciences Excellence in Teaching award for part-time faculty. At ISAC, Foy is Head of the Research Archives and Integrated Database project, for which he received the Archival Innovator award from the Society of American Archivists in 2016.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/221539-introduction-to-demotic-8-weeks221539May 7, 2024 7:00 pm 9:30 pmonlineIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.May 8, 2024: ISAC Lecture: Korshi Dosoo, Julius Maximilian University of WürzburgJoin us on the second Wednesday of the month as we welcome Korshi Doosoo, leader of the project The Coptic Magical Papyri: Vernacular Religion in Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg. Dosoo will present the lecture: Christian Egypt and its Pagan Past: Perspectives on Pharaonic Civilization from Coptic Magic. Dooso’s research focuses on magical and lived religion in Egypt from the Ptolemaic to the Mamluk periods as revealed by papyrological and epigraphic sources.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/226820-isac-lecture-korshi-dosoo-julius-maximilian226820May 8, 2024 7:00 pm ISAC, Breasted HallIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.Jun 5, 2024: ISAC Lecture: Daniel Schwemer, Julius Maximilian University of WürzburgWe end our 2023-2024 lecture series with a visit by a second scholar from the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Daniel Schwemer, Professor and Chair of Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Research Associate of the School of Oriental and African Studies . Schwemer’s research interest include Akkadian, Hittology, the history of religion in the ancient Near East, ancient Near eastern magic and medicine, and ritual. Schwemer’s published works include the three part Corpus of Mesopotamian Anti-witchcraft Rituals.https://events.uchicago.edu/oi/event/226821-isac-lecture-daniel-schwemer-julius-maximilian226821Jun 5, 2024 7:00 pm ISAC, Breasted HallIf you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.