Language:
English
Year of publication:
2009
Titel der Quelle:
Jewish History
Angaben zur Quelle:
23,4 (2009) 319-342
Keywords:
Solomon ben Samson,
;
Sigebert,
;
Martyrdom Judaism
;
Antisemitism History Middle Ages, 500-1500
;
Jews
;
Jews
Abstract:
Examining Christian religiosity in the Cologne region in the Middle Ages and especially the cult of the martyrs of the Thebean legion prevalent at the time, concludes that the Hebrew chronicler Shlomo bar Shimshon wrote his report on the "kiddush ha-Shem" (mass suicide of the Jews) in Xanten in 1096 as a rival to the story of the Thebean martyrs. He might have used the Latin text of "Passio Sanctorum Thebeorum", by Sigebert of Gembloux, as a direct model. Another source of inspiration for Shlomo, as well as a rival narrative, might be the activities of his contemporary Norbert of Xanten, who tried to reform the Church. Shlomo's goal was to show that the Jewish martyrs surpassed the Christian martyrs and deserved greater glory. Jews of the Cologne-Mainz area most probably knew the story underlying the Thebean martyrs cult. Shows how the realm of shared culture between Christians and Jews can be explored by "localizing the sources".
DOI:
10.1007/s10835-009-9091-1
URL:
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