De joodse Ander en christelijke identiteit in de midden-Byzantijnse hagiografie

In my dissertation I examine a corpus of hagiographical works from the middle Byzantine period, with the aim of creating a clear study of the representation of Jews and Judaism in this corpus, in particular in works from the ninth to the eleventh century, which coincides with the rule of the emperors of the Macedonian dynasty. The works included in my corpus are the Life of Andrew the Fool (BHG 115), Life of Niphon (BHG 1371z), Life of Basil the Younger (BHG 263-264d), Life of Theodore of Edessa (BHG 1744), Life of Antony the Younger (BHG 142), the Dossier of Saint Gregentios of Taphar (BHG 705-706i), Life of Constantine the former Jew (BHG 370), Life of Neilos of Rossano (BHG 1370) and the Life of Saint Nikon Metanoeite (BHG 1366-1367). The selection criteria for inclusion in my research corpus are first thematical relevance, and then dating. The time range from which I have selected works, the ninth to eleventh centuries, corresponds with a period of heightened interest by the imperial regime and literate class in questions about the place of Jews within the Christian Roman empire. It is impossible to impose a rigid dating criterion on the works that are included, as many can only be dated approximately. My main method will be a critical close reading of my research corpus, with attention for the similarities and dissimilarities between included works, and informed by comparisons with other relevant primary and secondary literature, and the historical context in which they were produced. My first research question is therefore: "How are Jews and Judaism portrayed in middle Byzantine hagiography?" Within my hagiographical corpus I have divided these works into three groups (apocalyptical works, embedded dialogues and narrative works), on the basis of shared thematical and formal elements. This division inspires several subquestions specific to the subcorpora. In the chapter on apocalyptical visions in saints' Lives I will study the place of Jews in Byzantine visions of the End Times, both at the Last Judgement and the events leading up to it. Eschatological visions reflect on the context in which they are produced, and the position attributed to the Jews in imaginings of the End Times provides an insight into the role they occupied in contemporary ideology. In visions of the end of the world, contemporary divides are pushed to the extreme through the division between those who are saved and those who are condemned, or those who worship the Antichrist or are oppressed by him, to name just two examples. The central question in this chapter is: "What role do Jews play in apocalyptical visions in Byzantine saints' Lives, and what are the implications for imperial and Christian ideology and identity during the middle Byzantine period?" In the following chapter I study embedded Jewish-Christian dialogues as a continuation of the adversus Iudaeos dialogue form within the hagiographical genre. The binary opposition of Christian and non-Christian (in my corpus meaning Jewish) interlocutors creates the opportunity for authors to reinforce the division between the two, and to characterize both participants in the disputation in contrast to the other. The attribution of certain characteristics and lines of argumentation to each interlocutor creates a picture in which the (always triumphant) Christian interlocutor becomes a spokesperson for hegemonic Christian ideology, starkly contrasted with his opponent, who stands in for the Jewish Other. In this chapter, I therefore study the characterization of both interlocutors, Christian and Jewish, as well as the rhetorics of their dialogues and the arguments used. They inform us about Christian perceptions of Jews and the presentation of the latter as the Other in direct opposition to the Christian Self. In the third chapter I study a collection of narrative saints' Lives. This third group is less strictly defined, because unlike the apocalyptical visions and the dialogues, they do not represent the continuation of a literary tradition outside of the hagiographical genre. Therefore I study the texts separately from each other, comparing only when relevant. These Lives are quite different from each other. In these Lives, I mostly examine the way Jewish-Christian interactions are presented. In the final section of the dissertation, I study four themes. The first is the question of individuality, realism and stereotypes in the hagiographical corpus. The second is a study on baptism and conversion, how they are depicted in my corpus, and how this relates to other sources on practices and the legal framework surrounding this subject. The third explores Jewish corporeality and its Othering through association with sin and disease, both on the individual and on the societal level. Finally, I study the Chosen People (or Elect Nation) identity, that Byzantine Christian authors appropriated for themselves in various ways, which inevitably leads them into attempts to disown Jews and Judaism from this status. The overarching conclusion of my research is that the rhetorical construct of the Jews is an important component in the formation of Christian identity as represented in the hagiographical corpus. To prove that a certain idea or concept is Christian, is to prove that it is not Jewish. With some notable exceptions, Jews are dehumanized and reduced to charicatures that only serve to confirm the virtue of the Christian protagonists. This makes Jews constitutive Others in Christian identity.