The present work considers the novel of Joseph and Aseneth (J & A) as an allegorical text which was transmitted in various cultural environments, potentially from the poly-cultural background of Hellenistic Judaism to the time of the novel's extant manuscripts in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. While positing that J & A was conceived as a versatile text around the time of the rise of the ancient Greek novel, the thesis highlights the sophisticated literary features of this religious text. In fact, the imagery of J & A is loaded with further significance, touching upon mystical themes which can be compared with pagan testimonies of arcane lore and mysteries. Moreover, typical scenes in J & A are devised by means of complex rhetorical strategies, which contributed to the addition of further senses to the story. Indeed, the allegorical discourse which can be detected in J & A conferred to the novel a plain narrative surface, while leaving a deeper significance for its readers and interpreters to decode. In this respect, J & A is brought closer to Classical texts such as the ancient novels and Homeric literature, because its narrative allowed subsequent interpretations and even adaptations of the story in different cultural and religious contexts. While points of contact between J & A and pagan, Jewish and Christian allegorical texts may be only suggestive, the present analysis hopes to envisions a few proposals for the early purpose and aftermath of J & A from its hypothetical original milieu in Hellenistic Judaism to the end of Antiquity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:560174 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Mussio, Eva |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/49065/ |
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