“The Jewish Burden”: Hebrews in the Gymnasium.
Mimus or Diatribe?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63872/OWXB3315Abstract
This paper examines the social integration of Jewish communities in the Hellenistic period through the lens of the gymnasium as an institution. As a core site of Greek identity formation, the gymnasium posed a cultural challenge to Jewish traditions, particularly concerning physical training, religious observance, and communal belonging. The analysis highlights the perception of Judaism as a “burden” within this context, emphasizing the tension between Hellenistic assimilation and Jewish distinctiveness. The gymnasium emerges as a contested cultural space where broader dynamics of multiculturalism, exclusion, and negotiation in the Hellenistic world become visible.
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