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:2026/babylon-mirror-of-the-hel@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260526T201928 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 public ation of Babylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Period.< /p>

In May 2025, Bert van der Spek, Irving Finkel, Reinhard Pirngr uber, and Kathryn Stevens published a critical edition with translati ons and commentary of all the so-called Babylonian Chronicles and historical sections of the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries< /em>, including the Babylon and Uruk king lists and the Antiochus Cyl inder:

Ba bylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Period (Atlanta: SB L Press 2025).

This work is set to become a key resour ce for historians of the Hellenistic period – Assyriologists as wel l as Classicists and Archaeologists.

We cordially invite you to join us on Friday 5 June for a symposium on the new publication with six experts. They will discuss the subject of Babylon as a mirro r of political, social and religious developments in the Near East du ring the Hellenistic period, taking into account local changes i n 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   A rrival and coffee

10:15-10:30   Words of welcome and introduction by Shana Zaia, tenured Assistant Profes sor of Ancient History at VU Amsterdam

10:30-12:00    Michael Jursa, Professor of Assyriology at Universit y of Vienna: Continuity and Change since the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Julietta Steinhauer, Associate Professor in Helleni stic History at University College, London: Offerings in the Greek Fa shion in a Multicultural Society (Greece, Near East and Egypt)

12:00-13:00   Lunch Break

13:00-14:30   Céline Debourse, Assistant Professor of Ancient Near E astern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University: Religious D evelopments in the Hellenistic period
Cindy Meijer, PhD graduate, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Prophecy and Power: P redictive Texts and Politics in the Hellenistic Near East and Egypt&n bsp;

14:30-15:00   Tea break

15:00-16:30    Lucinda Dirven, Professor of Antique Religions , Radboud University, Nijmegen: Religion Going Public: Diaries and Ch ronicles as Source on the Development of Traditional Mesopotamian Rel igion in the Hellenistic and Parthian Periods
Kathryn Ste vens, Associate Professor of Ancient History at the Universi ty of Oxford and Fellow of Corpus Christi College: Babylon as Mirror of the Hellenistic Near East 

16:30-17:15   Roun d table moderated by Bert van der Spek. We will invi te a number of Dutch colleagues working on the Hellenistic period fro m various perspectives

17:15-18:15   Drinks

Re gister

In view of the catering arrangements and the number 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 possible thanks to the generosity of:

DESCRIPTION: In May 2025, Bert van der Spek, Irving Finkel, Reinhard P irngruber, and Kathryn Stevens published a critical edition with tran slations and commentary of all the so-called Babylonian Chronicle s and historical sections of the Babylonian Astronomical Dia ries, including the Babylon and Uruk king lists and the Antiochu s Cylinder: Bab ylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Period (Atlanta: SBL Press 2025). This work is set to become a key resource for historians of the Hellenistic period – Assyriologists as well as Cl assicists and Archaeologists. We cordially invite you to join us on F riday 5 June for a symposium on the new publication with six experts. They will discuss the subject of Babylon as a mirror of politica l, social and religious developments in the Near East during the Hell enistic period, taking into account local changes in Babylonia i tself since the Neo-Babylonian Empire. SBL offers symposium participa nts the opportunity to buy the book at a 30% discount. Use discount c ode Symposium26 when ordering online between 10 May and 10 June 2026.

Programme

09:45-10:15   Arrival and coffee 10:15- 10:30   Words of welcome and introduction by Shana Zaia, tenured Assistant Professor of Ancient History at VU A msterdam 10:30-12:00   Michael Jursa, Prof essor of Assyriology at University of Vienna: Continuity and Change s ince the Neo-Babylonian Empire
Julietta Steinhauer, Associate Professor in Hellenistic History at University College, London: Offerings in the Greek Fashion in a Multicultural Society (Gr eece, Near East and Egypt) 12:00-13:00   Lunch Break 13:00- 14:30   Céline Debourse, Assistant Profes sor of Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard Un iversity: Religious Developments in the Hellenistic period
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 break 15:00-16: 30   Lucinda Dirven, Professor of Antique Religions, Radboud University, Nijmegen: Religion Going Public: Diari es and Chronicles as Source on the Development of Traditional Mesopot amian Religion in the Hellenistic and Parthian Periods
Ka thryn Stevens, Associate Professor of Ancient History at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Corpus Christi College: Babylon a s Mirror of the Hellenistic Near East  16:30-17:15   R ound table moderated by Bert van der Spek. We will i nvite a number of Dutch colleagues working on the Hellenistic period from various perspectives 17:15-18:15   Drinks

Register

In view of the catering arrangements and the number of availabl e seats, please register here before 20 May. Organizer s: Shiyanthi Thavapalan, Shana Zaia, Bert van der Spek, and Bas ter H aar Romeny. This symposium has been made possible thanks to the gener osity of: Symposium on the public ation of Babylonian Chronographic Texts from the Hellenistic Period. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR