medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Apparently the practice goes back at least as far as the 2nd millennium
bce, when Egyptians left us such things as the "coffin texts" and copies
of the "book of the dead" written on papyrus and placed in the burial
chamber, or inside the coffin with the mummy (so the Wikipedia article
on "Book of the Dead"). In a much later Greek context we have the
Derveni papyrus (4th bce -- check google references). Among Christian
materials similarly deposited are the recently published "Gospel of
Judas" from the 4th ce (much recent literature -- for a popular account,
see Herbert Krosney, The Lost Gospel [National Geographic 2006]), or the
"Gospel of Peter" and associated items from an 8th ce monastic grave.
I'm sure that there are many, many, more (not counting modern
practices), but I don't have at hand any single bibliographic reference
(which doesn't mean there isn't such).
Bob
Cormack, Margaret Jean wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Dear Bob,
> Is there literature on the burial of books with a deceased
> person?
> The only examples I know of are Irish c. 800. If this is being
> done earlier and elsewhere, I'd love some bibliography!
> Meg
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
> culture [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert
> Kraft
> Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 10:36 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [M-R] Resurrection Bodies/Cross
>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> culture
>
> A rather complex question that might need more focus. Without doing any
> specific "homework" on it, the following topics occur to me:
> Early Christian use of the IXQUS (fish, ichthus) symbol for
> identification;
> Early Christian use of the sign of the cross ("seal"), probably on the
> forehead;
> Written amulets, perhaps following on Jewish use of phylacteries or
> tefillin;
> Gems and the like (incidentally, I'd be pleased to know where Clement --
>
> not to my knowledge "bishop" of Alexandria -- mentioned such things);
> Graffiti and wall images of crosses and other characteristic items;
> Independent portable items such as icons, pendants, etc.
>
> I'm sure that many (but not all) of these are attested by the 3nd
> century, and a few even earlier. Whether the burial of "sacred" books
> with a deceased person also counts (e.g. "Gospel of Judas," "Gospel of
> Peter" -- and many others) is discussable. Some byzantine coins from the
>
> 10th century onward (perhaps earlier) also bore images of Jesus. And
> isn't the "Veronica" shroud-type image mentioned already in the 4th
> century? Plenty to keep one busy here!
>
> Bob Kraft, UPenn
>
> Dr Jim Bugslag wrote:
>
>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>>
> culture
>
>> Meg,
>> Although I have no historical data to base this on, my feeling is that
>>
>
>
>> they did indeed. It's more a question of human nature, really. Why
>> give up something that works for something else, if you don't see any
>> fundamental problem with using both? This is the sort of question
>> that, I'm sure, maddened theologians, and reassured the masses of
>> Christians through most of the "middle ages".
>> Cheers,
>> Jim
>>
>> Cormack, Margaret Jean wrote:
>>
>>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>>> culture
>>>
>>> Your rephrasing is much better! Though it brings up another
>>> question, namely whether early Christians who used crosses as amulets
>>>
>
>
>>> also had other kinds of amulets. . . Meg
>>>
>>> ________________________________
>>>
>>> From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
>>>
>
>
>>> culture on behalf of Dr Jim Bugslag
>>> Sent: Sun 10.1.2010 20:57
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: [M-R] Resurrection Bodies/Cross
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>>> culture
>>>
>>> I suspect that this question should be rephrased: do we know when
>>> Christians began to assimilate the practice of using amulets? In the
>>> late 2nd century, Clement, the Bishop of Alexandria, recommends
>>>
> devices
>
>>> that Christians should carve on their rings, including doves, ships
>>>
> and
>
>>> anchors - that's pretty amuletic. Crosses scratched in cemeteries
>>>
> also
>
>>> begin to appear in the 2nd century, I believe. On a later phase of
>>>
> this
>
>>> usage, see Henry Maguire, The Icons of their Bodies: Saints and their
>>> Images in Byzantium (1996).
>>> Cheers,
>>> Jim
>>>
>>> Marjorie Greene wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>>>> culture
>>>> "Do we know when amulets (crosses or otherwise) are first used?"
>>>>
>>>> An interesting question and one I cannot answer. It would be
>>>> interesting to find the earliest example of a cleric wearing a
>>>> pectoral cross. I suspect, but have no evidence, that they started
>>>>
> the
>
>>>> practice, which then trickled down to the laity.
>>>> I hope you get an authoritative response.
>>>> MG
>>>>
>>>> Marjorie Greene
>>>> http://medrelart.shutterfly.com/
>>>>
>>>> --- On *Mon, 1/11/10, Cormack, Margaret Jean /<[log in to unmask]>/*
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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