Women's Religions in the Greco-Roman World: A SourcebookRoss Shepard Kraemer Oxford University Press, 2004 - 487 pages This is a substantially expanded and completely revised edition of a book originally published in 1988 as Maenads, Martyrs, Matrons, Monastics. The book is a collection of translations of primary texts relevant to women's religion in Western antiquity, from the fourth century BCE to the fifth century CE. The selections are taken from the plethora of ancient religions, including Judaism and Christianity, and are translated from the six major languages of the Greco-Roman world: Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, and Coptic. The texts are grouped thematically in six sections: Observances, Rituals, and Festivals; Researching Real Women: Documents to, from and by Women; Religious Office; New Religious Affiliation and Conversion; Holy, Pious, and Exemplary Women; and The Feminine Divine. Women's Religions in the Greco-Roman World provides a unique and invaluable resource for scholars of classical antiquity, early Christianity and Judaism, and women's religion more generally. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 3 |
A Bacchic Courtesan the Reporter from Hell the Daughters of Rabbis a Roman Christian Matron | 29 |
Philos Therapeutrides Reconsidered | 57 |
4 Thecla of Iconium Reconsidered | 117 |
Gender and the Conversion of the Jews in the Fifth Century | 153 |
Women Office Holders in Ancient Synagogues and Gentile Adopters of Judean Practices | 179 |
7 Rethinking Gender History and Womens Religions in the GrecoRoman Mediterranean | 243 |
Works Cited | 275 |
305 | |
311 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Acts Acts of Paul Acts of Thomas actual ancient antiquity appears argued argument associated authority Bacchanalia baptize Bourdieu Bradbury Brooten century C.E. choirs cited claims constructions construed Cont Contemplative conversion Cooper critique cultural discussion divine earlier early Christian elite Engberg-Pedersen epigraphical ethnicity ethnos evidence Exod Exodus 15 explicitly Feast of Fifty female feminine function gender Gentile Greek Hebrew historical Horbury husband hymns inscriptions instance interests Jewish Jewish women Jews JIWE Josephus Josephus’s Judaism Judean practices Justin Kraemer late antique least literary male masculine Matthews Minorca Miriam Moses narrative NRSV numerous particularly Paul Paul’s perhaps persons Philo Philo’s description prophet proselyte rabbinic reading religion religious representation rhetorical Roman scholars seems Severus Severus’s sexual sing slaves social Soteria story suggests synagogue Taylor teach term Tertullian’s Thecla Theodorus theory theosebēs Therapeutae Therapeutrides tion Torah Torah study translation Tryphaena Veturia virgins wife woman WRGRW