The run-up to the release of
The Da Vinci Code on film has been pretty spectacular. We've witnessed the trial of plagiarism charges and
National Geographic's release of the Judas gospel. Now,
Dr. Tom Asbridge, Lecturer in Medieval History at Queen Mary, University of London, claims a place in the sun for
archaeologists' finding of the earliest remains of the Knights Templar."They can be dated to the exact day -- August 29, 1179 -- that they were killed by Saladin, the feared Muslim leader who captured the fortress," claims the
Daily Telegraph."Never before has it been possible to trace their remains to such an exact time in history,' Mr Asbridge said."This discovery is the equivalent of the Holy Grail to archaeologists and historians. It is unparalleled." But those
Other Damned Medievalists are having none of the hype. The equivalent of finding the Holy Grail would be, ah, finding the Holy Grail; Templar remains can't be all that rare a find; and what evidence yields such a specific date? Of course, the ancient historians are amused that anyone finds medieval remains of much interest.
Richard Ouzounian,"He left ‘no maggot lonely'," Toronto Star, 9 April, looks back on the life and work of Samuel Beckett in the centennial of his birth. [Have you noticed that 1906 was a big year for major births?]
Seymour M. Hersh,"The Iran Plans," New Yorker, 8 April, is the article to which Taylor Owen referred and about which you've been hearing so much. See also: Daniel Drezner. When administration policy makers have lost Drezner, they've lost.
Finally, Ann Althouse points out that the New York Times has hired Stanley Fish as a blogger. That's unlikely enough, but they put him behind the TimesSelect wall, so you couldn't link to his blog even if you wanted. Moreover, Fish quotes a specific blogger by name and, ta da, he doesn't even link to him! It's a bit like using brother Gutenberg's printing press as a surface on which the monks copy out another manuscript.
