Finally! I have a winner! My 41,000th visitor is none other than Dr. Jim K. Aitken, Teaching Fellow in Hebrew and Aramaic at University of Cambridge. He is a specialist in Second Temple Judaism, Septuagint, and Greek and Hebrew Lexicography. His doctorate was on Ben Sira and he has been involved in the “Greek Bible in the Graeco-Roman World� project and the Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database Project. Talk about an über-lexicographer! His personal web page is filled a lot of interesting stuff on lexicography, Septuagint, and more. I strongly encourage you to peruse his site!

I believe I met Jim at the Toronoto SBL meeting when I was with a common friend and fellow Septuaginalist Tim McLay.

In terms of a prize, Jim has requested a copy of the revised edition of Moisés Silva‘s Biblical Words and their Meanings (Revised & Expanded edition; Zondervan, 1995), and I am more than happy to fulfill that request! (I’m just glad that other Jim didn’t win — West would have wanted some esoteric — and expensive — book on some dead Swiss guy called Zwingli!)

Congratulations Jim! (So, when are you going to start your blog?)

Now perhaps we will have a winner… the 41,000 visitor to my blog is from Cambridge, England. The individual visited Codex at 9:51:25 am (my time), 4:51:25 pm (Cambridge time). If you think you are that person, please email me at codex [at] biblical-studies [dot] ca and provide me some information about your ISP, computer, and browser.

If I don’t hear anything in 24 hours, then the winner will be 41,001, etc., until I have a winner.

Then I can get back to some regular biblical studies blogging! (Actually the reason I haven’t blogged much in the last few days is that my wife is on the other side of the world and I am single parenting — as well as the typical end-of-semester grading push)

OK, I have officially given up on visitor number 40, 444! So, visitor number 41,000 will win. It should happen today (Wednesday 12 April 2006) sometime, so if you are reading this, who knows, you may be the winner!

Congratulations!

Today (Sunday 9 April 2006) at 6:17 pm Edmonton time, my 40,444th visitor visited Codex Blogspot. The reader was from Glendale, Arizona. If you think it was you, then email me at codex [at] biblical-studies [dot] com and let me know your IPS and your computer and monitor and we’ll discuss your book prize!

One year ago today at 3:38 pm I published my first blog post. I’m not sure why I started a blog. One of my former students and friend Ken Ristau had mentioned his blog and I had looked at it on occasion, but it was more of an impulsive move that led me to create Codex Blogspot a year ago today.

In the year I have made some 335 posts (not quite once a day) on subjects ranging from Dead Sea Scrolls to ancient toilets, Jesus junk to inscriptions, Hebrew language to Hebrew tattoos. Since 7 July 1005 (when I added a site meter), I have had more than 40,000 visitors; my average for the last six months is around 200 visitors per day.

I have to say that I have very much enjoyed the blogging experience. I have enjoyed the camaraderie between bloggers and the relationships I have developed with others.

In honour of my blogiversary, I think I will put together a “Best of Codex” post to highlight what I think some of my best posts have been. So stay tuned.

I look forward to see what the next year will bring.

Thank you for taking the time to visit!