Space, Place, and the Race for Power: Rabbis, Demons, and the Construction of Babylonia

The late antique world was filled with demons. These demons were constantly present and always at the ready to attack unsuspecting humans. Like almost everyone else in late antiquity, the rabbis of Sasanian Babylonia were aware of demonic threats and took steps to protect themselves and their commun...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ronis, Sara (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Cambridge Univ. Press [2017]
In: Harvard theological review
Year: 2017, Volume: 110, Issue: 4, Pages: 588-603
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Talmûd bavlî / Rabbi / Demon / Space / Power
IxTheo Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
BH Judaism
NBH Angelology; demonology
TD Late Antiquity
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:The late antique world was filled with demons. These demons were constantly present and always at the ready to attack unsuspecting humans. Like almost everyone else in late antiquity, the rabbis of Sasanian Babylonia were aware of demonic threats and took steps to protect themselves and their communities from harm. But while demons were a danger, they were also an opportunity for creativity, identity formation, and community building for the rabbis. In fact, some Babylonian rabbis “thought with” demons in order to organize their environment and imbue their world with larger spatial meanings.
ISSN:1475-4517
Contains:Enthalten in: Harvard theological review
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0017816017000281