Some reflections on religion and nationalism

The metamorphosis undergone by Jewish women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was the result of modernization, secularization, and education. Similarly, the offspring of the new Jewish woman, the “new Hebrew woman” was the embodiment of various schools of thought, in particular the liberal and the socialist, which were prevalent at that time. The new Hebrew woman offered a feminist interpretation of the malaise of the Jewish people in general, and of Jewish women in particular, challenging the roles designated to her by her male peers and offering her own alternative interpretation. She chose Eretz Yisrael and Zionism, to “auto-emancipate” herself rather than waiting passively for her emancipation by others. In this sense, the new Hebrew woman collaborated with and reflected the hegemonic Zionist ideals and priorities. This article aims to analyze the discourse of the new Hebrew woman, as manifested in Palestine-Eretz Yisrael in the first half of the twentieth century in order to shed light on the link between gender and nationalism in the Zionist context. In particular, it considers how men and women envisioned the new Hebrew woman; how class, political affiliation, and gender shaped their interpretation; and how the new Hebrew woman differed from her counterpart, the new Jewish woman.     

The Role of Azerbaijani Turkish in Safavid Iran

Turkic languages and dialects played a much more important role in Safavid Iran than is generally thought, while Azerbaijani Turkish in particular was widely spoken and written in Safavid Iran. It was not only the language of the court and the army, but it was also used in poetry, even by renowned poets who usually wrote in Persian. The Safavid shahs, many of whom wrote poetry in Turkish themselves, promoted its literary use. Also, Turkish was used in the court's official correspondence, for both internal and external affairs.     

Some observations on puff-balls from British archaeological sites

The occurrence of the puff-ball Bovista nigrescens in four British archaeological sites, approximately 2000 years old, is investigated, and the related Calvatia utriformis is reported for the first time in archaeological excavations from one of these sites. The circumstances of their discovery at two of these sites (Skara Brae and Vindolanda) strongly suggest that they did not arrive there fortuitously. The puff-balls are considered to have been used as haemostatic agents and/or as tinder. A detailed morphological comparison of early specimens with present-day material is made.     

Some observations concerning antique and modern metre

1. Lettres lisibles: Efforts dans l'antiquité classique pour que les textes incisés sur pierre et affichés à usage public puissent être facilement lus. 2. Πoλιτικη et les Contes des Mille et Une Nuits: Πoλιτικη aus sens de prostituée apparaît encore dans les Contes des Mille et Une Nuits. 3. Kερκυσερα ou l'ambiguïté d'Achille: Par sa formation, le nom ou sobriquet Kερκυσερα d'Achille dissimule et en même temps révèle l'état ambigu d'Achille dans le gynécée du palais de Lykomède à Skyros. 4. Une expression poétique dans une novelle de Théodose H: L'expression poétique lux sola brevitatis et son corollaire nox longa. 5. Zenon rougissant: L'interpellation Foινικiδιoν de Zenon par son maître Kratès fait allusion à la rougeur d'embarras de Zenon plutôt qu'à son origine.