Cover

Sarah Iles Johnston: Foreword

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Part I: Narrative

LOVEDAY ALEXANDER: The Virgin and the Goddess. Women and Religion in the Greek Romance

A. Callirhoe as Reader and Heroine

B. Callirhoe Patrona: Women in the Landscape of the Gods

C. Callirhoe Orans: Women as Religious Practitioners

D. Callirhoe Epiphanes: Women as Sites of Divine Presence

E. Women in the Sacred Landscape of Early Christian Narrative

Works Cited

PATRICIA D. AHEARNE-KROLL: The Portrayal of Aseneth in Joseph and Aseneth. Women’s Religious Experience in Antiquity and the Limitations of Ancient Narratives

A. Rhetorical Design of the Protagonists in Greek Novels

B. Aseneth in Joseph and Aseneth

C. Aseneth and Women’s Religious Experience in Antiquity

Works Cited

MARY ROSE D’ANGELO: Roman Imperial Family Values and the Gospel of Mark. The Divorce Sayings (Mark 10:2–12)

A. Rethinking the Roman Context

I. Rethinking the Laws

II. Philo: Reading the Law of Moses in Roman Terms

B. Mark on Household Management: Excelling the Laws of Moses and of Caesar (Mark 10:2–12 within 10:2–31)

I. The Public Debate: Mark 10:2–9

II. The Private Teaching: Mark 10:10–12

III. Mark 10:2–12 in the Context of Mark 10:2–31: Rethinking Household Management

C. Conclusions

Appendix: Roman Imperial Family Values and the Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Christian Origins (Based Largely on Susan Treggiari’s Roman Marriage)

1. Augustus’s Social Legislation

2. Some Effects of the Laws

Works Cited

JAMES A. KELHOFFER: A Tale of Two Markan Characterizations. The Exemplary Woman Who Anointed Jesus’ Body for Burial (14:3–9) and the Silent Trio Who Fled the Empty Tomb (16:1–8)

A. Introduction

B. An Unnamed Woman Anoints Jesus for Burial (14:3–9)

C. The Women at the Empty Tomb as Continuation of the Persona and Failures of the Twelve (15:40–16:8)

D. Conclusion: Discipleship and Gender in Mark

Works Cited

TURID KARLSEN SEIM: Motherhood and the Making of Fathers in Antiquity. Contextualizing Genetics in the Gospel of John

A. Ancient Genetics: Observations and Paternal Claims

B. Post-natal Rituals: Viability and Paternal Potestas

C. Generation in the Gospel of John

D. Concluding Observations

Works Cited

CLARE K. ROTHSCHILD: Embryology, Plant Biology, and Divine Generation in the Fourth Gospel

A. Introduction

B. History of Research

C. Three Prolegomena

I. Presumed Priority of Scientific Treatises

II. The Role of “Female” in Epigenesis

III. Epigenesis as Embryological Development

D. Critical Analysis

E. Parthenogenesis among Nag Hammadi Texts

F. Conclusion

Works Cited

JAN WILLEM VAN HENTEN: Blaming the Women. Women at Herod’s Court in Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities 15.23–231

A. The Portraits of Mariamme and Aristoboulus (Ant. 15.23–31)

B. The Order to Execute Mariamme (Ant. 15.57–87)

C. Salome Scheming for Mariamme’s Death (Ant. 15.183–186, 202–231)

D. Conclusion

Works Cited

ROBERT DORAN: To Bear or Not To Bear. The Argument for Abstinence in the Greek Gospel of the Egyptians

A. The Order of the Sayings

B. The Rhetoric of the Dialogue

Saying 1

Saying 2

Saying 3

Saying 4

C. Conclusion

Appendix

Works Cited

CANDIDA R. MOSS: Blood Ties. Martyrdom, Motherhood, and Family in the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas

A. Introduction

B. Families Rejected

C. Absentee Fathers

D. Families Reconstituted

E. Conclusion

Works Cited

JEREMY F. HULTIN: A New Web for Arachne and a New Veil for the Temple. Women and Weaving from Athena to the Virgin Mary

Works Cited

Part II: Ritual

FRITZ GRAF: Victimology. Or, How to Blame Someone for an Untimely Death

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

Works Cited

RADCLIFFE G. EDMONDS III: Blaming the Witch. Some Reflections upon Unexpected Death

Works Cited

STEPHEN J. DAVIS: Forget Me Not. Memory and the Female Subject in Ancient Binding Spells

A. A Case of Unrequited Desire: Hermeias and Tigerous

B. The Malleability of Memory: From Modernity to Antiquity

C. Ancient Spells Designed to Enhance One’s Own Memory (Mnmonikai)

D. Ancient Binding Spells (Agōgai) Designed to Manipulate the Memory of Another

E. An Incorporating Practice: Memory, the Body, and the Female Subject in Ancient Binding Spells

Works Cited

MATT JACKSON-MCCABE: Women and Eros in Greek Magic and the Acts of Paul and Thecla

A. Gender and the Body in Greek Love Magic

B. Agōgē Spells, Thecla, and the Interpretation of Christ Devotion as Magic

Works Cited

CARIN M. C. GREEN: Holding the Line. Women, Ritual, and the Protection of Rome

Works Cited

Part III: Logos

PAUL A. HOLLOWAY: Gender and Grief. Seneca’s Ad Marciam and Ad Helviam matrem

A. On the Nature of Ancient Consolation

B. Seneca’s Ad Marciam and Ad Helviam matrem

II. The Ad Helviam matrem

C. Conclusion

Works Cited

CHRISTOPHER N. MOUNT: Religious Experience, the Religion of Paul, and Women in Pauline Churches

A. The Religion of Paul

B. Apostles, Prophets, and Shamans

C. The Apologetics of Religious Experience

D. Spirit Possession and Women in Pauline Churches

Works Cited

OUTI LEHTIPUU: The Example of Thecla and the Example(s) of Paul. Disputing Women’s Roles in Early Christianity

A. Paul and Women – An Ambiguous Legacy

B. The Pastoral Epistles: Silencing Women with Male Authority

C. The Acts of Paul and Thecla: Empowering Women to Act

D. Acts of Paul and Thecla and the Social Reality of Early Christian Women

E. Asceticism and Autonomy?

F. Celibacy vs. Married Life

G. Women as Leaders

H. Conclusion: Contending for the Legacy of Paul and Thecla

Works Cited

ANNETTE BOURLAND HUIZENGA: Sōphrosynē for Women in Pythagorean Texts

A. Introduction

B. Sōphrosynē in the Texts Ascribed to Pythagorean Women

I. A Treatise by Phintys, On the Sōphrosynē of a Woman

II. The Letter Melissa to Kleareta

C. Sōphrosynē for Men and Women

D. Additional Evidence and Implications

E. Conclusion

Works Cited

JUDITH L. KOVACS: Becoming the Perfect Man. Clement of Alexandria on the Philosophical Life of Women

A. Introduction: Clement on Women

B. Stromateis, Book 4 as Context of the Four Chapters on Women

C. Stromateis 4, Chapter 8 and the Interpretation of Galatians 3:28

D. The Meaning of ΦιλοσοΦέω: Cultivating the Philosophical Life

E. Clement and the Language of Gender in the Greco-Roman World

F. Stoic Household Theory and Clement’s Citations from Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5

G. Becoming “Equal to the Angels” (Luke 20:34–36) and the “Perfect Man” (Eph 4:13)

H. Stromateis 4, Chapters 19–21: Virtuous Women and the Meaning of μαρτυρία

I. Conclusion: Saint Paul, the Language of Gender, and the Philosophical Life of Women

Works Cited

SUSAN E. MYERS: The Spirit as Mother in Early Syriac-Speaking Christianity

A. Feminine Language for Spirit: A Survey of Sources

I. Biblical Texts

II. Mother Language for Spirit

B. Earliest Sources

C. Development of the Images in the Acts of Thomas

D. Syrian Authors from the Classical Period

E. Conclusion

Works Cited

List of Contributors

Index of Ancient Texts

1. Ancient Greek and Latin Literature

2. Biblical Literature

3. Ancient Jewish Literature

4. Other Early Christian Literature

6. Inscriptions and Papyri

Index of Modern Authors

Index of Subjects