UNEARTHING THE PAST SINCE 1900
  • BECOME A MEMBER
  • RENEW
  • GIVE NOW
  • SEARCH
  • ONLINE PORTAL
  • American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)
  • ABOUT
    • WELCOME FROM ASOR OFFICERS
    • FACTS & FIGURES
    • MISSION, BYLAWS, & STRATEGIC PLAN
    • HISTORY OF ASOR
    • COMMITTEES
    • POLICIES
    • FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS
    • ARCHIVES
    • AFFILIATED PROJECTS
    • AFFILIATED RESEARCH CENTERS
    • ASOR’s Honors and Awards
    • CONTACT US
  • CULTURAL
    HERITAGE
    • ABOUT CULTURAL HERITAGE INITIATIVES
    • UPDATES
    • TUTORIALS
    • Who We Are
  • ANNUAL
    MEETING
    • REGISTRATION
    • HOTEL RESERVATIONS
    • ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULES
    • SPONSOR & EXHIBIT
    • ASOR Online Library
    • HONORS & AWARDS
    • ANNUAL MEETING SCHOLARSHIPS
    • PAST & FUTURE ANNUAL MEETINGS
  • MEMBERSHIP
    & RESOURCES
    • INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIPS
    • INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
    • NEWS@ASOR
    • PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH
    • ONLINE RESOURCES
    • PHOTO COLLECTION
    • EARLY CAREER MEMBER RESOURCES
  • FELLOWSHIPS
    & GRANTS
    • SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FIELDWORK PARTICIPATION
    • GRANTS FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECTS
    • RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS FOR MEMBERS
    • MEMBERSHIP & ANNUAL MEETING SCHOLARSHIPS
    • ASOR-AFFILIATED RESEARCH CENTERS FELLOWSHIPS
    • OTHER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • BOOK SERIES & MONOGRAPHS
    • BULLETIN OF ASOR
    • JOURNAL OF CUNEIFORM STUDIES
    • MAARAV
    • NEAR EASTERN ARCHAEOLOGY
    • THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY
    • LEVANTINE CERAMICS PROJECT
  • FRIENDS
    OF ASOR
    • Webinars
    • TOURS
    • THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY
    • ASOR ONLINE LIBRARY
  • Donate
    • FY25 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
    • LIFETIME HONOR ROLL OF DONORS
    • ASOR LEGACY CIRCLE
    • WAYS TO DONATE
Megan Nutzman webinar banner

 SHARE

 
 
 
 
 

NEWS@ASOR E-NEWSLETTER

ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY E-NEWSLETTER

PAST ASOR NEWS, MONTH BY MONTH

ASOR LEGACY CIRCLE MEMBERS

LIFETIME HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

FY25 HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

ASOR ANNUAL MEETING

FRIENDS OF ASOR WEBINARS

Amulets and their Critics: Jews, Christians, and Samaritans in Late Antique Palestine

Friends of ASOR present the next webinar of the 2024-2025 season on March 19, 2025, at 7:00 pm EDT, presented by Dr. Megan Nutzman. This webinar will be free and open to the public. Registration through Zoom (with a valid email address) is required. This webinar will be recorded and all registrants will be sent a recording link in the days following the webinar.

Medical treatments in the ancient Mediterranean world were rudimentary and often unsuccessful, and so individuals routinely looked for divine aid to cure their afflictions. This lecture considers one of the most common forms of ritual healing employed in Roman and late antique Palestine: amulets. A variety of amulets will be considered in this talk. For example, some amulets contained longer texts written on thin metal sheets or pieces of papyrus, which were then rolled and placed in a case that could be attached to a person’s body. Other amulets took the form of rings, bracelets, pendants, and gemstones, which typically had shorter texts, often accompanied by vivid illustrations.

With circumstances of close cultural contacts—such as prevailed in Palestine—the setting was ripe for Jews, Samaritans, and Christians to borrow forms of ritual healing that were perceived to be efficacious and to alter them to fit their own religious framework. This is particularly true for amulets, which employed similar techniques including the quotation of biblical passages and the use of magical symbols and names. As a result of these overlapping amulet traditions, it can be difficult in some cases even to be certain about the religious community to which the person who created the amulet or the person who wore the amulet belonged. The cultural and religious interactions revealed by amulets demonstrate the porousness of the boundaries that separated these communities, and made them the subject of polemical discourse among elite authors trying to police collective borders.

Megan Nutzman is Associate Professor of History at Old Dominion University. She received her PhD in Classics from the University of Chicago and holds an M.T.S. and a Th.M. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Her research focuses on the history and material culture of Greek and Roman cults, Jews, and Christians in the eastern Mediterranean, and especially on interactions among them. Her 2022 book, Contested Cures: Identity and Ritual Healing in Roman and Late Antique Palestine, received the Frank Moore Cross book award in 2023. It examines the various methods that people used to seek divine healing and the rhetoric of elite authors who used the acceptance or avoidance of certain healing rituals as markers of group identity. Some of her other publications have considered Jewish epitaphs from Rome, hot springs as sites of ritual healing, the relationship between amulets and tefillin, and the portrayal of Mary in the Protevangelium of James. She has received funding for her research from the Albright Institute for Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, from the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan, from the American Council of Learned Societies, and from the National Endowment for the Humanities. At ODU, she teaches courses on ancient Greece and Rome and on early Christianity.

SPONSOR A WEBINAR!

Several levels of support from $50-$1,000 are available. Proceeds go towards membership scholarships and towards increasing ASOR’s virtual resources. Each sponsorship is tax-deductible and includes benefits! Sponsor a webinar here. 

WHY SPONSOR ONLY ONE?

Season Sponsorships are also available from the ASOR Online Store here!

Click here for more information on the benefits of becoming a season sponsor or sponsoring a single webinar.

BROWSE THE NEWS ARCHIVE

  • Friends of ASOR Tours: Archaeological Tour of Cyprus 2026
  • Shepard Urgent Action Grant Report: The Al Haniyah Emergency Documentation Project
  • 2025 Call for Vice President
  • Virtual Archaeology Initiative: 2025 Dig Diaries

Latest Posts from @ASORResearch

asor_research

Initiating and supporting research of the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.


In a world of many gods, why did biblical Israel i
In a world of many gods, why did biblical Israel insist on worshiping only one? Israel's distinctive monolatry—a unique, covenantal bond with YHWH akin to marriage—shaped their identity. Michael B. Hundley explores this in the final article in a 4-part series in ANE Today. Click the link (https://anetoday.org/monolatry-to-monotheism/) in our bio. #anetoday


While conducting fieldwork this summer, ASOR invit
While conducting fieldwork this summer, ASOR invites you to make Dig Diaries! ⛏️ Dig Diaries can be short videos/reels 🎥 discussing research questions for your project, explaining an element of an excavation/survey, etc. We welcome creativity! Read more here: https://buff.ly/h1ZSfPZ (click the link in our bio). Submissions can be emailed to info@asor.org.


Friends of ASOR invites you to venture to the sea
Friends of ASOR invites you to venture to the sea in 2026 and join an unforgettable journey through Cyprus, where archaeology meets breathtaking Mediterranean beauty. Next summer, join 15+ ASOR archaeologists and immerse yourself in behind-the-scenes tours with scholars, archaeologists, excavators, and museum curators including visits to:

🏺 Idalion with Dr. Pamela Gaber
⛏️ Kalavasos excavation updates with Dr. Kevin Fisher
🍽️ Dinner conversations with Dr. William Dever
📚 Private tour and dinner at CAARI with Dr. Lindy Crewe 

Plus curated visits to Kourion, Nea-Paphos, and more. For more details: https://www.asor.org/foa/tours


Check out the 2025 issue of the Journal of Cuneifo
Check out the 2025 issue of the Journal of Cuneiform Studies. JCS 77 includes great articles from James Burgin, Stephen Moore, Niek Veldhuis, Jon Beltz, Céline Debourse, and more. Click the link (https://www.asor.org/news/2025/07/jcs77-toc/) in our bio to see the Table of Contents!


Tomorrow, August 1, is the deadline to submit post
Tomorrow, August 1, is the deadline to submit poster proposals for the Poster Session as part of the 2025 Annual Meeting. Submit your proposal via ASOR’s online portal before it's too late! Click the link (https://buff.ly/99Bkbqj) in our bio for instructions.


We are pleased to share that the Getty Research In
We are pleased to share that the Getty Research Institute has announced a call for applications from predoctoral, postdoctoral, and other scholars for its residential 2026–2027 grant cycle under the theme of "Provenance." The deadline is 1 October 2025. (Please note that these grants and fellowships are resident at the Getty in Los Angeles, California, and are not affiliated with ASOR.) Click the link (https://www.getty.edu/projects/getty-scholars-program/) in our bio!


Aayush Umesh, a 2025 Eric and Carol Meyers Fieldwo
Aayush Umesh, a 2025 Eric and Carol Meyers Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient, excavated at Tall Hisban, Jordan, in May. While excavating an Ayyubid-era kitchen, Aayush immersed himself in analyzing agricultural practices from the time. Read his fieldwork report by clicking the link (https://www.asor.org/news/2025/07/fieldwork-report-umesh) in our bio. 
#Archaeology #Jordan #TallHisban


The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: C
The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: Ceramic water filter with bird motif, Fatimid period (969-1171 CE). Kelsey Museum 1971.1.13. Image source: https://buff.ly/t8oE9Uo #Egypt #Fatimid


Multiple characters in the bible can be classified
Multiple characters in the bible can be classified as gods. What characteristics make them gods, and what is the relationship between them? Read the third article in a 4-part series by Michael Hundley in the newest Ancient Near East Today by clicking the link in our bio.

📸  gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque municipal de Rouen.


A reminder that ASOR invites poster proposals for
A reminder that ASOR invites poster proposals for the Poster Session as part of the 2025 ASOR Annual Meeting. The deadline to submit a poster proposal is August 1 and must be uploaded via ASOR’s online portal. Click the link in our bio to read the Call for Posters.


It is a busy and exciting time of year for many AS
It is a busy and exciting time of year for many ASOR-affiliated projects. Check out the latest edge-of-the-trowel news from the field. Survey, excavation, processing artifacts, visiting sites, talking to the public, hosting outreach events, remote sensing, conservation—these projects' social media accounts offer a slice-of-life look at archaeological projects. @eimawa_unimi @gmap_erbil @kurdqaburstanproject @maproject360 @mozia.unipa @phoenixprojesi @polatli_survey @syedra_antik_kenti @tellatchana @azekah_excavations @telltimaiproject @turkmenkarahoyukprojesi


ASOR is pleased to offer 10 grants of $250 each to
ASOR is pleased to offer 10 grants of $250 each to support student travel to the Annual Meeting this November. Students must be enrolled at an ASOR Institutional Member School to qualify for these grants. Not at an Institutional Member School? ASOR is also looking for Session Assistants who will receive hotel support in exchange for assisting with the hybrid aspects of the meeting. Click the link (https://www.asor.org/fellowships/annual-meeting-scholarships/student-travel-grants/) in our bio to learn more about applying! #asor25


The “Heritage Advocacy in North Africa” projec
The “Heritage Advocacy in North Africa” project ran from August 2021 to September 2023 with the aim of promoting cultural and religious freedom through heritage protection and advocacy in Morocco and Tunisia. This goal was grounded in the belief that involving people of all backgrounds in the active protection of ethnic and religious minority heritage could help strengthen relationships between communities and contribute to building more resilient societies. See our latest blog post (https://www.asor.org/chi/updates/2025/07/asor-north-africa-heritage) for the outcomes of this Cultural Heritage Initiatives project.


Lonnie Reid, a 2024 Fieldwork Scholarship recipien
Lonnie Reid, a 2024 Fieldwork Scholarship recipient, excavated at Qach Rresh in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Using magnetometry, Lonnie surveyed the Neo-Assyrian fields with a unique and precise method. Click the link (https://www.asor.org/news/2025/06/fieldwork-report-reid) in our bio to read about his experience!
#asorfieldwork #asordigs


The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: P
The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: Part of a model chariot, with an impression of the sun god Shamash rising over the mountains. Ceramic, ca. 2000 – 1600 BCE. Metropolitan Museum of Art 48.131. Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/324049


Many people assume there is only one god in the Ol
Many people assume there is only one god in the Old Testament—one who is both omniscient and omnipotent. However, a closer look reveals many other gods who differ from the stereotype. Read the second article in a 4-part series by Michael Hundley in the latest ANE Today by clicking the link (https://anetoday.org/god-hebrew-bible-part1/) in our bio.

📸 ©2021 GrandPalaisRmn (Musée du Louvre) / Stéphane Maréchalle.


ASOR is turning 125—and we want you to be part o
ASOR is turning 125—and we want you to be part of the celebration! Our special anniversary dinner will take place during this year's Annual Meeting in Boston, and we hope you'll join us for this unforgettable evening of community, celebration, and reflection on ASOR's history. 

We'll be kicking off the festive occasion at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza. Enjoy an evening of exceptional dining, entertainment, and ASOR-themed activities, featuring speakers who have been integral to ASOR's mission. Your presence will help make this milestone truly meaningful. Register for the event by clicking the link in our bio.


Summer is in full swing, but it’s not too early
Summer is in full swing, but it’s not too early to think about your fall calendar. The Annual Meeting Program-at-a-Glance, as well as information about business meetings and special events, can be found on the 2025 ASOR Annual Meeting Schedules Page. Make sure to include the plenary address by Timothy P. Harrison and ASOR’s 125th Anniversary Celebration when you plan your ASOR 2025 itinerary. Check it out by clicking the link (https://www.asor.org/am/2025/schedules-2025) in our bio.


We did it (once again)! The 2025 fiscal year has o
We did it (once again)! The 2025 fiscal year has officially come to a close, and ASOR has set a record member participation rate for gifts this year thanks to our generous donors. It is truly gratifying to see our members and friends choosing to invest in ASOR and helping us make our work possible. Thank you again for your support!


ASOR was delighted to participate in the DC Day of
ASOR was delighted to participate in the DC Day of Archaeology Festival by @aitc_dc this past Saturday, June 28 at Tudor Place. The ASOR table included activities like a sandbox to dig up artifacts, puzzles, trivia, plus posters about our organization and free journals to give out! Read more by clicking the link in our bio. #dcdayofarchaeology



Instagram

Stay updated with the latest insights, photos, and news by following us on Instagram!

Follow Us on Instagram

American Society of Overseas Research
The James F. Strange Center
209 Commerce Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

E-mail: info@asor.org

© 2025 ASOR
All rights reserved.
Images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Contact Us
Membership
Give
Friends of ASOR
ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives
Terms of Use
News

Please follow & like us :)
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn