Bibliography
| Title: Theosebes gaaar en - The Jewish Tendencies of Poppaea Sabina Pages: 97-111 Type: Generic Year: 1988 Abstract: "Josephus used the non-technical theosebes to describe Poppaea, Ant. XX,195, to account for the behavior of a person whose actions showed that she was supportive of Judaism but whose attachment to the religion was very unspecific ideed. // The expression in Jos Ant 20,195 means neither positive ""Godfearer"" (technical) nor negative ""religious/superstitious"" but purely descriptive ""an eclecticism which combined pagan rituals with some Jewish element"" (nontechnical) as well as in Josephus elsewhere as in inscriptions. // The failure of Josephus to state specifically that Poppaea Sabina was either a proselyte or a Judaizer substantially weakens the case of those who argue that she was. He quite deliberately used the much less specific term theosebes (see Ant. 20:195) to describe her to account for the behavior of a person whose ver actions showed that she was supportive of Judaism but whose attachment to the religion was very unspecific indeed. The nature of Poppaea's attachment to Judaism, is best understood as an eclecticism that combined pagan rituals and Jewish ways or even worship of the Jewish God. - C.R.M. // Poppaea interceded with the emperor Nero on behalf of the Jews at least twice (cf. Josephus, Ant XX 189ff and Josephus, Vita 16. A Matter of disagreement is the degree of attachment to Judaism on Poppaea's part. Ant. XX, 195 claims that she was a theosebes. This doesn't mean that she was superstitious (pace Smallwood) nor that she was a proselyte or a sympathizer. Josephus uses theosebes as a non-technical term, and it was chosen in this instance to account for the behaviour of a person whose very actions showed that she was supportive of Judaism but whose attachment to the religion was very unspecific indeed. Eclectics and syncretists who connected in their rituals and beliefs Jewish and pagan elements are to be found throughout Roman imperial history in various parts of the empire." Keywords: History of Terms, language, style |