Language:
English
Year of publication:
2005
Titel der Quelle:
Religious Rivalries and the Struggle for Success in Sardis and Smyrna
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2005) 156-174
Keywords:
Melito,
;
Jews
;
Antisemitism History
;
Church history Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600
;
Christianity and antisemitism History To 1500
;
Polemics
;
Sardis (Extinct city) Religion
Abstract:
Melito wished to strengthen his Christian community as a minority both within the Roman Empire and in his city, Sardis. His polemics against Judaism were a part of his siding with the ruling Romans in an effort to counter the tendency of Christians to be influenced by the strong local Jewish community. In "Peri Pascha", Melito harshly criticized the Jews as deicides who had murdered Christ. Contends that he was probably targeting the Jews in Sardis, placing the blame on them and not only on their ancestors. His harsh anti-Jewish rhetoric is supersessionist, stressing that Israel had been replaced by the Church. By playing Romans against Jews, he was also attempting to strengthen the identity of his own community in the face of challenges from other movements within Christianity,.
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