Talk:Michael Astour

Astour Notable?

 * Doug, is this a preparatory page? I was looking to see if Wiki had an article on this extraordinary scholar, whose work in the 60s so shook up the complacent margins of classical studies, and couldn't find anything. He certainly deserves a page. From memory he conceived part of his great project while in a Soviet labour camp. Let me know if you are considering doing a page on him. Best Nishidani (talk) 19:24, 17 November 2008 (UTC)
 * This started when I found him being used on, I think, our Lost tribes article - BritAm liked him. But I never got around to doing anything more. This link helps also. I agree, he should have an article, especially when you think about all the amateur historians, archaeologists, etc who have articles here! dougweller (talk) 10:40, 18 November 2008 (UTC)
 * @Nishidani Just found this. There are 4 non-English articles on him. It's not a priority for me, no time  Doug Weller  talk 16:46, 13 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks pal. That's a great find, Doug. It shouldn't take me much time to translate the Italian Astour page, when I can find it, since aside from the 28 books pile still staring at me on the kitchen table - I only managed to get through 17 of the original Christmas pile - mostly 'extracurricular' self-indulgence not related to wiki - I'm still lagging way behind in responding to Huldra's request to redo the Guérin French source translation for a Palestine castle page she's working on. (Re)reading numerous holocaust sources has occupied most of my time in the last month or so, and that is so vast, delicate and complex an issue that one finds oneself sheering off in several directions when any aspect is to be touched on. But I've bookmarked this Astour page and will get round to revising it, so you can shift it to mainspace. Finest regards Nishidani (talk) 20:24, 13 April 2023 (UTC)
 * @Nishidani That would be great. No rush obviously, but I don't have time - using what's left to me for things that are high priority. Any chance you might know anyone who would be interested in this article? Thanks. Doug Weller  talk 10:40, 14 April 2023 (UTC)
 * No, Doug. Never even heard of him, as far as this fragile mind can recall. Don't follow this polemical side much, if at all, esp. since there are so many great or interesting scholars, and their work, which command attention. At least they study and think hard about the difficult primary sources on which real historical knowledge is grounded. You might be interested in chucking a shufti at some essays by Nissim Amzallag of Ben-Gurion University, available here. Right up our shared alley. I'll book mark the Warner page though. Nishidani (talk) 10:57, 14 April 2023 (UTC)
 * No problem and no surprise that you haven't heard of him. Page says it has 37 watchers but no where near that many recent editors. Don't worry about it. Fast work on this article! Doug Weller  talk 13:52, 14 April 2023 (UTC)
 * I would have almost finished the article, save for critical reception, had not I been denied an internet connection at home, as explained on my page. In the meantime the barmaids down the road have offered me a table where I can use their pub internet connection and do some more. Problem is, locals blow in and keep offering me drinks, which I repay with conversation, and of course the courtesies are not congenial to quick work. I wonder if you can manage to get the Purvis and Boardman I've listed in the bibliography (and any other reviews by specialists when Hellenosemitica appeared)? I can read the first page of each but prefer completeness rather than fudging. It will be a fairly long bio but I should be finished by Tuesday.Nishidani (talk) 12:25, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Well, Doug. This must be the first wiki article written wholly in a bar. We now have a stub. Don't know what you want to do with it. You could erase the article list if you think that's overegging the pud. I still need to access the several review articles from 1966 to clarify the initial reception and add that Bernal's otherwise (his historical analysis of the racism of classical studies apart, which is solid) junky theory was inspired by it. Astour seemed to attract cranks. Cyrus Gordon went over the deep end, even arriving at the idea that Ugaritic influences were detectable in China! Astour was courteous to Bernal but dismissed the theory and politely declined to review it. He also left a 1,000 page manuscript on Syrian Toponomastics but stopped it because the Ebla evidence was still unpublished and Ebla toponyms coming to light would have substantially affected the way we view the topography there. Etc. I'd better stop. People here have been stuffing me with pizza, beer and potato chips, perhaps thinking that I mnust be in bad straits working in a pub on Sunday on a dinky borrowed laptop with a pile of reference books on the seat nearby. BestNishidani (talk) 17:25, 16 April 2023 (UTC)