Bibliography
| Title: The making of a Jew; "God-fearer" or convert in the story of Izates Secondary Title: USQR Volume: 44 Pages: 299-313 Type: Journal Article Year: 1991 Abstract: "It is often suggested that Izates, whose conversion story is narrated in Josephus Antiquities 20:34-48, qualifies as a "god-fearer" because he had not been circumcised and is described with the phrase sebein to Theion. But these arguments do not succeed in allowing us to classify Izates as some type of righteous Gentile. Rather, Izates' understanding of himself and the teaching of Ananias (the merchant who converted him) shoud be regarded as examples of a belief among Jews in the 1st century A.D. which held that circumcision was not necessary for establishing Jewish identity. What chances between his indocrination by Ananias and his circumcision by Eleazar (a "strict" Jew) is Izates' unterstanding of what constitutes correct Jewish practice". Keywords: Cultural and Religious History of Ancient Judaism |