The Case for Judith’s Imitation of “Nobody” (among Others)
In this article, I argue that Judith can be read as imitating book 9 of Homer’s Odyssey, the story of Odysseus and Polyphemus the Cyclops, in a way that compliments its use of other literary models (e.g., Genesis 34; Judges 4–5; 1 Kingdoms 17; and Homer, Iliad 14). Such an imitation can be read as r...
| Auteur principal: | |
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| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | En cours de chargement...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publié: |
Brill
2023
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| Dans: |
Journal for the study of Judaism
Année: 2023, Volume: 54, Numéro: 3, Pages: 316-349 |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
literary models
B Odyssey 9 B Homeric reception B blinding of Polyphemus B Book of Judith B killing of Holofernes B Odysseus |
| Accès en ligne: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Résumé: | In this article, I argue that Judith can be read as imitating book 9 of Homer’s Odyssey, the story of Odysseus and Polyphemus the Cyclops, in a way that compliments its use of other literary models (e.g., Genesis 34; Judges 4–5; 1 Kingdoms 17; and Homer, Iliad 14). Such an imitation can be read as reinforcing the narrative’s explicit themes, especially that of violent opposition to foreign invaders, and as contributing to its characterizations of Judith (who compares favorably to Odysseus) and Holofernes (who is stigmatized by association with Polyphemus). In the process, I situate Judith among other imitations of Odyssey 9 in antiquity and observe how especially Jewish writings in the Hellenistic and Roman eras appear to use it as a resource for opposing foreign subjugation, including to Greek empires. Accordingly, Judith further attests to the participation of Jews in the contestation over the Greek canonical past. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0631 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Journal for the study of Judaism
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700631-bja10067 |