BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Babylon, Mirror of the Hellenistic Near East METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260605T094500 DTEND:20260605T181500 DTSTAMP:20260605T094500 UID:babylon-mirror-of-the-hellenis@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260827T072458 LOCATION:Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, main building, Agora 3 SUMMARY:Babylon, Mirror of the Hellenistic Near East X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Symposium on the pub lication of Babylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Perio d.

In May 2025, Bert van der Spek, Irving Finkel, Reinhard Pirngruber, and Kathryn Stevens published a critical edition with tr anslations and commentary of all the so-called Babylonian Chronic les and historical sections of the Babylonian Astronomical D iaries, including the Babylon and Uruk king lists and the Antioc hus Cylinder:

Babylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Period (Atla nta: SBL Press 2025).

This work is set to become a key resource for historians of the Hellenistic period – Assyriologists as well as Classicists and Archaeologists.

We cordially invite you to join us on Friday 5 June for a symposium on the new publicati on with six experts. They will discuss the subject of Babylon as a mirror of political, social and religious developments in the Near East during the Hellenistic period, taking into account local ch anges in Babylonia itself since the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

SBL offers symposium participants the opportunity to buy the book at a 30 % discount. Use discount code Symposium26 when ordering online betwee n 10 May and 10 June 2026.

Programme

09:45-10:15 Arrival and coffee

10:15-10:30 Words of welco me and introduction by Shana Zaia, tenured Assistant Professor of Ancient History at VU Amsterdam

10:30-12:00 ; Michael Jursa, Professor of Assyriology at Un iversity of Vienna: Continuity and Change since the Neo-Babylonian Em pire
Julietta Steinhauer, Associate Professor in Hellenistic History at University College, London: Offerings in the G reek Fashion in a Multicultural Society (Greece, Near East and Egypt)

12:00-13:00 Lunch Break

13:00-14:30 &n bsp;Céline Debourse, Assistant Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University: Reli gious Developments in the Hellenistic period
Cindy Meijer< /strong>, PhD graduate, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Prophecy and Po wer: Predictive Texts and Politics in the Hellenistic Near East and E gypt

14:30-15:00 Tea break

15:00-16:30 Lucinda Dirven, Professor of Antique Rel igions, Radboud University, Nijmegen: Religion Going Public: Diaries and Chronicles as Source on the Development of Traditional Mesopotami an Religion in the Hellenistic and Parthian Periods
Kathry n Stevens, Associate Professor of Ancient History at the Uni versity of Oxford and Fellow of Corpus Christi College: Babylon as Mi rror of the Hellenistic Near East

16:30-17:15 ;Round table moderated by Bert van der Spek. We will invite a number of Dutch colleagues working on the Hellenistic perio d from various perspectives

17:15-18:15 Drinks

< h3>Register
In view of the catering arrangements and the numbe r of available seats, please register here before 20 May.
Organizers: Shiyanthi Thavapalan, Shana Zaia, Bert van der Spek, and Bas ter Haar Romeny.
This symposium has been made pos sible thanks to the generosity of:

The Netherlands Insti tute for the Near East (NINO)

The LUCE Fund of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
< /ul> DESCRIPTION: Symposium on the publication of Babylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Period. In May 2025, Bert van der Spek, Ir ving Finkel, Reinhard Pirngruber, and Kathryn Stevens published a cri tical edition with translations and commentary of all the so-called < em>Babylonian Chronicles and historical sections of the Baby lonian Astronomical Diaries, including the Babylon and Uruk king lists and the Antiochus Cylinder:Babylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenisti c Period (Atlanta: SBL Press 2025).This work is set to becom e a key resource for historians of the Hellenistic period – Assyrio logists as well as Classicists and Archaeologists.We cordially invite you to join us on Friday 5 June for a symposium on the new publicati on with six experts. They will discuss the subject of Babylon as a mirror of political, social and religious developments in the Near East during the Hellenistic period, taking into account local ch anges in Babylonia itself since the Neo-Babylonian Empire.SBL offers symposium participants the opportunity to buy the book at a 30% disco unt. Use discount code Symposium26 when ordering online between 10 Ma y and 10 June 2026.
Programme
09:45-10:15   Arrival and coffee10:15-10:30   Words of welcome and introduction b y Shana Zaia, tenured Assistant Professor of Ancient History at VU Amsterdam10:30-12:00   Michael Jursa , Professor of Assyriology at University of Vienna: Continui ty and Change since the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Julietta Ste inhauer, Associate Professor in Hellenistic History at Unive rsity College, London: Offerings in the Greek Fashion in a Multicultu ral Society (Greece, Near East and Egypt)12:00-13:00   Lunc h Break13:00-14:30   Céline Debourse, Ass istant Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University: Religious Developments in the Hellenistic peri od
Cindy Meijer, PhD graduate, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Prophecy and Power: Predictive Texts and Politics in the Hellenistic Near East and Egypt 14:30-15:00   Tea brea k15:00-16:30   Lucinda Dirven, Professor o f Antique Religions, Radboud University, Nijmegen: Religion Going Pub lic: Diaries and Chronicles as Source on the Development of Tradition al Mesopotamian Religion in the Hellenistic and Parthian Periods
< strong>Kathryn Stevens, Associate Professor of Ancient Histo ry at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Corpus Christi College: Babylon as Mirror of the Hellenistic Near East 16:30-17:15 ; Round table moderated by Bert van der Spek. W e will invite a number of Dutch colleagues working on the Hellenistic period from various perspectives17:15-18:15   Drinks
Re gister
In view of the catering arrangements and the number of ava ilable seats, please ~~register here~~

before 20 May.Organ izers: Shiyanthi Thavapalan, Shana Zaia, Bert van der Spek, and Bas t er Haar Romeny.This symposium has been made possible thanks to the ge nerosity of:

The Netherlands Institute for the Near East (NI NO)

The LUCE Fund of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Hum anities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR