This presentation will discuss the Hellenistic Jewish text of the Sibylline Oracles which combines Greek oracular form and myth with themes from the Hebrew prophets to create a unique oracular voice that weaves together foundational narratives from both cultures. Examining this blend of traditions helps us frame questions on the elusive nature of identity constructions and what primary sources reveal about boundary formations and the complex spectrum between cultural acceptance, rejection, and adaptation.
Ashley Bacchi received her Ph.D. at the Graduate Theological Union in 2015 with a dissertation on Uncovering Jewish Creativity: Gender & Intertextuality in Book III of the Sibylline Oracles. She has cultivated an interdisciplinary approach to contextualizing Second Temple Judaism, which includes Art History, Archaeology, Cultural History, Classics, literary theory and feminist theory. She has published in Zutot: Perspectives on Jewish Culture and the Journal of the Bible and Its Reception and has presented at conferences in the US and Europe.
Organizer
- The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life