Chapitre D'ouvrage Année : 2024

"A New Perspective on the Kinship between Jews and Spartans: The Issue of Ancestral Territory"

Résumé

The kinship between Jews and Spartans mentioned in 1 and 2 Maccabees has provoked scholarly curiosity and debate for at least two centuries. While most studies have focused on the question of the Judeo-Spartan correspondence's historicity, in this paper I reflect on the reasons that led some Jews to embrace the idea of such a close connection with Sparta, and suggest that there may be yet another aspect of this issue that deserves scrutiny. I first delve into the implications of the references to kinship with the Spartans in 1 and 2 Maccabees, drawing a distinction between the question of the authenticity of the letters and that of the historical reality of the Judeo-Spartan relationship. I then consider a few reasons that made it possible for Jews, even among conservative Judean circles, to perceive themselves as close to the Spartans, to the point of acknowledging them as kin. Finally, I suggest an additional explanation for the Judean Spartophilia, which has not received attention so far and pertains to the Spartans' and the Jews' respective relationships to their ancestral territory.

Domaines

Histoire Religions
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
Berthelot_2024_A New Perspective.pdf (387.37 Ko) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
Licence

Dates et versions

hal-04844438 , version 1 (17-12-2024)

Licence

Identifiants

Citer

Katell Berthelot. "A New Perspective on the Kinship between Jews and Spartans: The Issue of Ancestral Territory". Robert Brody; Noah Hacham; Jan Willem van Henten; Meron Piotrkowski. A Vision of the Days: Studies in Early Jewish History and Historiography, BRILL, pp.359-375, 2024, 978-90-04-68554-3. ⟨10.1163/9789004685567_021⟩. ⟨hal-04844438⟩
8 Consultations
18 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More