Evidence for Jewish women before the 3rd C in Asia Minor: part 1 (updated)

As a result of a discussion during the recent SBL/AAR, I decided to investigate the assertion I heard: that there is little evidence for Jewish women before the 3^rd Century in Asia Minor.

Antiochus III settled 2,000 Jewish families from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor in Lydia and Phrygia on favorable terms between 212 and 205/4 BCE.

70- 235 CE: evidence includes Sibylline Oracles books 1-2. Evidence also in Maccabees, Josephus, Philo, Cicero and early Christian authors; synagogues at Sardia and Priene plus inscriptions wherein names may be Jewish though Jews are integrated into local cities. Cf. Walter Ameling, Inscriptiones Judicae Orientis II: Kleinasien replaces CIJ.

By the first C CE Philo reports In Flacc. 281-2 that Jewish colonies were settled in “Pamphylia, Cilicia, and most of Asia as far as Bithynia and the remote corners of Pontus.” More than 50 places in Asia Minor and probably more.

Josephus Ant. 14.213-6 (management of own finances); 14.259-61 cf also 14.235; 16.171 preserves a decree from the first C CE that probably concerns a synagogue in Sardis although the present synagogue excavated is from a later period. Differences between the synagogues at Sardis and Priene show that diversity exists between different Jewish communities in Asia Minor. Josephus 16.167-8 demonstrates communities paying temple tax.

Josephus and Acts show Jewish communities adhering to dietary laws (Ant 14.261), Sabbath (Ant. 16.167-8) and Jewish festivals (CIJ 777).

Openness to women: Smyrna 2-3^rd C CE Rufina was an archisynagogus (CIJ 741), Pompete at Mydnos (CIJ 756); and Jael was a prostates in Aphrodisias. A higher number of women leaders and donors exist perhaps because pagan women held significant offices and titles in Asia Minor cities. “God fearers” exist in Jewish synagogues in Asia Minor: non Jews associated with Jewish community: adopted Jewish customs but not yet proselytes. Aphrodisias lists 52 people described as “god-fearers” most have Gentile names. 9 city councilors were amongst Aphrodisias God-fearers. See also God-fearers in Tralles, Sardis and Miletus (Acts 13:16, 26, 50; 14:1).

Jews held civic office in cities from 3^rd C CE in Akmonia, Corycos, Ephesus, Hypaepa, Sardia, and Side. From Apamea, unique series of coins dating from 193-254 CE depict Noah and his wife illustrating that Jewish influence upon civic life in Apamea was clearly significant.

Non Jews eg Julia Severa established a synagogue for the Jewish community in Akmonia in mid-1^st C CE and thus a patron of the community.

1) Women as leaders of the synagogue. Inscriptional evidence from Bernadette Brooten, Women Leaders in the Ancient Synagogue here.

Rufina, II-III C CE Jewish wealthy woman handling business matters from Smyrna 2^nd or 3 C CE, archisunagogos. Inscription indicates Rufina built tomb for her freed slaves and the slaves raised in her house. Patron. Details from Phillip Harland here

Slab of marble (36 x 26 x 2 cm).

Rufina, Judean, head of the synagogue, prepared the burial–niche for her freedmen and slaves.  No one else has the authority to bury anyone else here.  Now if anyone dares to do so, that person will pay 1500 denarii to the most holy treasury and 1000 denarii to the people (ethnos) of the Judeans.  (10) A copy of this inscription was stored in the archive.

Translation by: Harland

Ῥουφεῖνα Ἰουδαία ἀρχιǀσυνάγωγος κατεσκεύαǀσεν τὸ ἐνσόριον τοῖς ἀπεǀλευθέροις καὶ θρέμασιν· ǀǀ μηδενὸς ἄλου ἐξουσίαν ἔǀχοντος θάψαι τινά. εἰ δέ τις τολǀμήσει, δώσει τῷ ἱερωτάτῳ ταǀμείῳ ✳ αφʹ καὶ τῷ ἔθνει τῶν Ἰουǀδαίων ✳ αʹ. ταύτης τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς ǀǀ τὸ ἀντίγραφον ἀπόκειται ǀ εἰς τὸ ἀρχεῖον.

Abraam the perfected monk

Abraam the perfected monk: 7th Century gravestone from the exhibit EGYPT: Faith after the Pharaohs currently at the British Museum.

For a review of the exhibit see this link. Ahdaf Soueif make the point that the aim of the exhibit (organised by Neil MacGregor, the museum's outgoing director) is to show "the development of the idea of faith itself, how each of the three great monotheistic faiths emerged from what came before...how faith was articulated and expressed and how it was used--at the level of the state, of institutional religion and of the people."

Vanessa Thorpe in the Guardian describes this gravestone or stele with Coptic inscription for a monk called Abraam.

“It commemorates someone with a Jewish name and yet it bears Christian symbols inside a classical frame next to the ankh symbol, the ancient Egyptian sign of life,” said O’Connell. “What is more, the engraving on it says he was ‘the perfected monk’ and is written in Coptic Egyptian.”

The curators hope the exhibition will show how Egyptian society was transformed from one in which many gods were worshipped to one in which prayers were offered to a single god.

The impression it is likely to give, of a culture in which powerful religious symbolism was jumbled together, is a strange echo of the way in which fanciful writers in the west once saw Egypt. British Romantic poets and novelists often described it as a frightening and confusing place, made all the more mysterious because ancient Egypt was understood to be the origin of civilised European thought, the inspiration for the Greeks, and yet it was situated on the “dark” African continent.

Sermon on Proper 23B on October 11th 2015

My sermon at Church of the Ascension from October 11th 2015 is here. 

Alexander the Great from the program "In Our Time"

BBC's Radio 4's In Our Time's latest episode is a good overview of Alexander the Great with scholars Paul Cartledge, Clare College, U of Cambridge, Diana Spencer of the U of Birmingham and Rachael Mairs of the U of Reading. 35 minutes in there's a mention of proskynesis (obeisance or worship) which Alexander introduced as a result of his Asian campaign: a practice that alarmed his Macedonian soldiers.

The Magnanimous Alexander

Veronese's painting of 1565–1567 represents the widow and daughters of the conquered Persian emperor Darius (defeated at Issus in 333 BCE), who beg on their knees for mercy from Alexander the Great. From the point of the viewer, we, like they, mistake Alexander’s friend Hephaestion for the Greek conqueror. 

One account is given by Diodorus Siculus, Histories Book 18, 37,5:

So at daybreak, the king took with him the most valued of his Friends, Hephaestion, and came to the women. They both were dressed alike, but Hephaestion was taller and more handsome. Sisyngambris took him for the king and did him obeisance. As the others present made signs to her and pointed to Alexander with their hands she was embarrassed by her mistake, but made a new start and did obeisance to Alexander. 6 He, however, cut in and said, "Never mind, Mother. For actually he too is Alexander."74 By thus addressing the aged woman as "Mother," with this kindliest of terms he gave the promise of coming benefactions to those who had been wretched a moment before. Assuring Sisyngambris that she would be his second mother he immediately ratified in action what he had just promised orally.

Talk-blocking, manstanding resistant strategies

Sheryl Sandberg has some excellent strategies for dealing with talk-blocking, manstanding etc.

• no-interruption policy while people have the floor
• resist interrupters by saying something like "Wait, let her finish!"
• support your female colleagues
• give credit where credit is due
• practice assertive body language and voice
• support institutions with women in power

The Pope's speech to congress

Here's the link to the Pope's address to Congress. It's a courageous prophetic voice.

Good coverage of the Papal visit to the US

It's not easy to find good commentary on the Papal visit to the US but one voice to listen for is that of Jean-Pierre Ruiz, Professor at St John's University here in NYC.

See for example this radio interview.