Episode 81: Persian-Style Historiography in Ezra-Nehemiah with Sam Blankenship

In this conversation, Sam Blankenship discusses her research on Persian-style historiography in the context of Ezra-Nehemiah. She explores the contributions of Arnaldo Momigliano to historiography, the definition of history, and the role of charts in historical documentation. The discussion delves into how Persian administration influenced Jewish historiography and the dual nature of historical narratives in Ezra-Nehemiah, highlighting the complexities of audience and purpose in historical writing. Resources mentioned or recommended in this conversation include, Arnaldo Momigliano, Persian Fire, Bruce Lincoln, Aspects of History and Epic in Ancient Iran, From Cyrus to Alexander, The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period, An Empire Far and Wide, Archival Historiography in Jewish Antiquity, War and Peace, and Martyr.

 

Follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, iHeartRadio, Player FM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, Boomplay. Please reach out with guest suggestions and/or feedback at itmeanswhatitmeans@gmail.com. If you would like to support the podcast financially, you can hear episodes a week early for $5 a month on Patreon. You can also get updates and promotional clips if you follow us on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Bluesky, Spoutible, Twitter, Threads, Wordpress, and Tumblr.