Introductory Reflections on Embodiment in Hellenistic Judaism*

Abstract

This article examines different uses of the body to express identity in Judeo-Hellenistic narratives. It analyzes four interplays where the body stands for the human self, either as a factor of recognition, as expression of national and religious identity, as a way to mock one’s religion and ethnicity, and as a representation of the living self. The body therefore appears, well before the Rabbinic period, as a frequent resource to express and construct identity. The research confirms recent studies, which have shown that Diasporic communities tend to inscribe identity on the body, rather than use territorial markers.