The University of Chicago Chronicle reports that an Oriental Instutite team working in southwest Turkey has discovered a chisled stone slab that is the first written evidence in the region that people believed the soul was separate from the body. The article quotes David Schloen, Associate Professor in the Oriental Institute and Director of the Neubauer Expedition to Zincirli:
“The stele is in almost pristine condition. It is unique in its combination of pictorial and textual features and thus provides an important addition to our knowledge of ancient language and culture.”
The stele will be presented to an academic audience for the first time on November 22. The following day Dennis Pardee, Professor in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, will present his translation of the stele’s 13-line inscription at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature.
For more information, read the Chronicle article here.