Apocryphal and Esoteric Sources in the Development of Christianity and Judaism: The Eastern Mediterranean, the Near East, and Beyond: 21 (Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity)

Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev

ISBN 10: 9004445935 / ISBN 13: 9789004445932

Published by BRILL, 2021

About this Item

632 pages. 9.25x6.25x1.50 inches. In Stock. This item is printed on demand.

Seller Inventory # __9004445935

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Apocryphal and Esoteric Sources in the Development of Christianity and Judaism: The Eastern Mediterranean, the Near East, and Beyond: 21 (Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity)
• Publisher: BRILL
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9004445935
• ISBN 13: 9789004445932
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 1.25 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

Apocryphal traditions, often shared by Jews and Christians, have played a significant role in the history of both religions. The 26 essays in this volume examine regional and linguistic developments in Ethiopia, Egypt, Syria, Armenia, the Balkans, and Italy. Dissenting groups, such as the Samaritans, followers of John the Baptist, and mediæval dualists are also discussed. Furthermore, the book looks at interactions of Judaism and Christianity with the religions of Iran.
Seldom verified or authorized, and frequently rejected by Churches, apocryphal texts had their own process of development, undergoing significant transformations. The book shows how apocryphal accounts could become a medium of literary and artistic elaboration and mythological creativity. Local adaptations of Biblical stories indicate that copyists, authors and artists conceived of themselves as living not in a post-Biblical era, but in direct continuity with Biblical personages.

About the Author

Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev, Ph.D. (2002) and Habilitation (2009) at ÉPHÉ – Sorbonne, is a lecturer in Armenian civilisation at the University of Aix-en-Provence. He is interested in the interaction of religions across pre-modern Eurasia and in the cross-cultural development of ecclesiastical institutions in Syria, South Caucasus and Anatolia. In his recent publications, he has focused on the transmission of apocrypha in the South Caucasus and on the phenomenon of cultural blending in apocrypha.