Jewish Martyrs in the Pagan and Christian WorldsThis book presents a linear history of Jewish martyrdom, from the Hellenistic period to the high Middle Ages. Following the chronology of sources, the study challenges the general consensus that martyrdom was an original Hellenistic Jewish idea. Instead, Jews like Philo and Josephus internalized the idealized Roman concept of voluntary death and presented it as an old Jewish practice. The centrality of self-sacrifice in Christianity further stimulated the development of rabbinic martyrology and the talmudic guidelines for passive martyrdom. However, when forced to choosed between death and conversion in medieval Christendom, Ashkenazic Jews went beyond these guidelines, sacrificing themselves and loved ones. Through death not only did they attempt to prove their religiosity, but also to disprove the religious legitimacy of their Christian persecutors. While martyrs and martyrologies intended to show how Judaisim differed from Christianity, they, in fact, reveal a common mindset. |
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... Chazan , “ 1007-1012 : Initial Crisis , " 107 , n . 18 . 51. Grossman , The Early Sages , 111 . 52. Sefer Gezerot , 16 ; Chazan , " 1007-1012 : Initial Crisis , " 102 . 53. Sefer Gezerot , 17 ; Habermann , Selihot u - Pizmonim le ...
... Chazan , “ 1007-1012 : Initial Crisis , " 107 , n . 18 . 51. Grossman , The Early Sages , 111 . 52. Sefer Gezerot , 16 ; Chazan , " 1007-1012 : Initial Crisis , " 102 . 53. Sefer Gezerot , 17 ; Habermann , Selihot u - Pizmonim le ...
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Contents
Preface | 1 |
Between God and Caesar | 35 |
It Is Written in the Law | 66 |
Who Are These Martyrs? | 73 |
52 | 79 |
Jews JewishChristians GentileChristians and Gentiles | 90 |
And You Shall Live by Them | 97 |
Conclusion | 103 |
Zarfat | 141 |
Traditional Manifestations | 161 |
Manifestations of a Milieu | 185 |
Singing in the Fire | 211 |
Fire from Heaven | 244 |
Shifting Paradigms | 272 |
Bibliography | 371 |
409 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham Ahimaatz Akiva anonymous anti-Jewish aqedah Ashkenazic attacks Avodah Zarah Baer baptism Bar-Kochva behavior biblical blood Byzantine Byzantium century Chapter Chazan Chronicle convert crusaders Daniel decrees divine early Eidelberg Eleazar Eliezer Emperor Ephraim European Jewry France French God's halakhic Harugei Hasidim Hasmonean Hebrew Hellenistic heretics heroes History holy idem Isaac Israel Jacob Jacob Tam Jerusalem Jewish Antiquities Jewish martyrdom Jews Jews and Christians Josephus Josephus's Judah Judah ben Baba Judaism killed king lives London Macc Maccabean Martyrs Maccabees Mainz Marcus martyrological massacres Medieval Meir Middle Ages Midrash mother motif narratives persecution Philo Poems polemical priests qiddush ha-Shem rabbis Raoul Glaber religious resurrection role Roman Sabbath sacrifice sanctified Sefer Gezerot Sefer Hasidim Sefer Yosippon self-killing seven sons slaughtered Solomon soul story Studies Suicide symbols Talmudic Temple Ten Martyrs Torah Tosafists tradition twelfth-century Urbach verse vols voluntary death women York