Martyrdom and Noble Death: Selected Texts from Graeco-Roman, Jewish and Christian AntiquityThis volume explores the fascinating phenomenon of noble death through pagan, Jewish and Christian sources. Today's society is uncomfortable with death, and willingly submitting to a violent and ostentatious death in public is seen as particularly shocking and unusual. Yet classical sources give a different view, with public self-sacrifice often being applauded. The Romans admired a heroic end in the battlefield or the arena, suicide in the tradition of Socrates was something laudable, and Christians and Jews alike faithfully commemorated their heroes who died during religious persecutions. The cross-cultural approach and wide chronological range of this study make it valuable for students and scholars of ancient history, religion and literature. |
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Pagan traditions of noble death | 9 |
Noble death in early Jewish sources | 42 |
3746 70 | 48 |
Maccabees 5 | 72 |
Philo Efery Goo Person is Free Quod omnis probus liber sit 8891 7 6 | 76 |
11010 | 79 |
Josephusjetvish War 7 389406 | 83 |
Prj? o Diognetus 1 1 5 1117 6 710 7 79 | 129 |
Martyrdom and noble death in the rabbinic tradition | 132 |
Yose ben Yoezer and Yaqim ofTserorot | 142 |
Pappus and Lulianus | 144 |
Miriam bat Tanhum and her seven sons | 145 |
R Aqiva | 151 |
R Aqiva | 153 |
R Hanina ben Teradion | 157 |
Christian martyrs from the first to the third century CE | 88 |
Clement 56 | 104 |
Ignatius Letter to the Romans 1 17 3 | 107 |
Ascension of Isaiah 5 | 111 |
Martyrdom of Poly carp 1415 | 114 |
Acts of Justin | 116 |
Martyrdom ofLyon and Vienne Martyrium Lugdunensium Eusebius fw or 5 1 3647 | 120 |
Perpetuas Passion 6 and 10 | 125 |
R Hanina ben Teradion | 159 |
R Shimon and R Yishmael | 166 |
119 The Binding of Isaac | 168 |
The Binding of Isaac | 171 |
177 | |
193 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham accusation Acts Ahiqar Alexandrian Anaxarchus ancient Antiochus Apol Appianus Aqiva arrest Athenian Belkira Berakhot biblical Binding of Isaac Blandina brothers burnt offering century BCE Chapter Christ Christian martyrs commander concerning Daniel daughter Deut devotio divine Eleazar emperor Esarhaddon Euripides Eusebius execution Exod father fire funeral orations God's Greek Hananiah Hanina ben Teradion heaven Hebrew Henten Holy Ignatius Introduction Isaac Isaiah Israel Jerusalem Jesus Jews Josephus Judaean Justin kill king Lamentations Rabbah Letter live Lord Lugd Macc Maccabaean Maccabees Mart martyr texts martyrdom martyrs Masada Meshach and Abednego Midrash mother motif Nebuchadnezzar noble death pagan Pappus passages Perpetua persecution Philo philosophical Polycarp prayer prefect Rusticus prophets prostrate punishment Rabbah rabbinic Razis references Roman Rome sacrifice scholars second century Septuagint Shim'on Sifra Socrates soul story suffering suicide T.B. Avodah Zarah Talmud tion Torah torture tradition translation tyrant Vilna Yishma'el Yose