medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Prtof Mundy's point is illustrated in a series of studies by Prof. Alfredo
Rabello of Hebrew University. He shows that the anti-circumcision decree
of Hadrian preceded the Bar Kochba Revolt of 132-135 and was part of the
Hadrianic campaign for the instilling of hellenistic values in the Empire.
The ruling against ciorcumcision was included under the
anti-mutilation/anti castration clauses.
As for spirituality/physicality, alot of discussion exists on this issue.
There is bibliography in Mark Cohen's 'Cross and Crescent, and I believe
Jeremy cohen addresses it in his new Living Letters of the Law.
Jeffrey Woolf
On Sun, 23 Dec 2001 [log in to unmask] wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Dear Elena Lemeneva, Marjorie Greene and Luciana Cuppo Csaki: Am I
> wrong or did I not learn that circumcision of males was considered by
> the Greeks and Romans as mutilation? And that it was one of the
> various cuttings of the human body anciently characteristic of
> Middle Eastern and African regions, practices that included those
> performed on women's bodies?
>
> As I looked at the texts provided by Luciana, also, I was
> struck by a memory of Abelard's comments (put in the mouth of his
> Jewish spokesman)in the famous Dialogue about the "materialism" of
> Jewish belief and its spiritualization by Christians.Obviously a
> big polemical theme.
>
> Lastly, has not the physical health benefit of such cuttings
> been questioned in modern times?And was there ever a theme of
> that kind in medieval or ancient medical polemic?
>
> Yours, John Mundy
>
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