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Authors: Jonathan Kirsch

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rigorists in

in Roman empire

sects and schisms of

study of sacred writings of

see also
Israelites; Jews

Judaizers

Judea, Roman conquest and occupation of

Julian “the Apostate,”

appearance of

as Augustus

as Caesar

on Constantine

and Constantius

coronation of, by soldiers

domestic life of

epigraph from

and Eusebia

and George of Cappadocia

and Gregory of Nazianzus

historians’ evaluation of

on ideal pagan ruler

interment of

magical beliefs of

nickname of

paganism of

persecution of Christians by

Persian campaign of

and relics of St. Fides

and restoration of temple of Jerusalem

as soldier

survival of writings of

totalitarianism of

visions of

wounding and death of

Julius Constantius

Juno

Jupiter
see also
Zeus

Juvenal

Ka’bah

Kirk, K. E.

Klauck, Hans-Josef

Kopreus

Kraemer, Ross Shepard

Kuntillat ’Ajrud

labarum

Lactantius

“Last Oracle, The” (Swinburne), epigraph from

Latourette, Kenneth Scott

Leeuv, Gerardus van der, epigraph from

Letter to the Athenians
(Julian)

Leviticus, Book of

Libanius on Christian monks

Licinianus

Licinius and Constantine

Lietzmann, Hans

Life of Constantine
(Eusebius)

Lord of Hosts

Louis , King of France

Lucian of Antioch

Maccabees

Maccabees, Book of

Macellum

MacMullen, Ramsay

on destruction of Cicero’s writings

on relics of St. Fides

Madonna and child, image of

magical practices

in ancient Israel

Constantine and

of Neoplatonists

Magna Mater, see
Great Mother of the Gods

Magnentius

magus

Mani

Mansion of the Sun-Disk

Marcion

Marcus, Bishop

Marcus Aurelius

Mardonius

Mark, Gospel of

marriage practices, pagan

Mars

Martin, Edward J.

Martin of Braga

martyrdom:

in Book of Maccabees

of Christians, in ancient Rome

of Jews, after Roman conquest

of Jews, at Masada

relics of

Masada

Mattathias

Matthew, Gospel of

Maxentius

Maximian

Maximinus Daia

Maximus of Ephesus

Maximus of Turin, epigraph from

Mecca

Megiddo

human sacrifice at

Meletians

Mensurius

Mercury

Messiah

mezuzah

Michal

Midianites

Milan, Edict of

Milcom

Miles, Jack

Miletus

Milvian Bridge, Battle of

Minerva

Minervina

minyan

Mispogon
(Julian)

Mithra

Mohammed

Moloch

monks, Christian

monotheism

of Abraham

of Akhenaton

animal sacrifices in

of Christianity

classical paganism as enemy of

under Constantine’s sons

core value of

and Council of Nicaea

Diocletian’s war on

emergence of

ethical

excesses of, in Bible

following conquest of Jerusalem

following destruction of Temple

in Hebrew Bible

Jewish, development of

and martyrdom

pagan

monotheism (
continued
)

and religious terrorism

rigorism of

triumph of

Moses:

and burning bush

and bronze snake

and conquest of Canaan

divination by

epigraph from

and extermination of the Midianites

Freud on

and God’s punishment of Israelites

and golden calf

and golden rule

and graven images

and magical practices

and monotheism

Moses and Monotheism
(Freud) epigraph from

Myers, J. L.

mystery religions

Nazism

Neander, Augustus

Nefertiti

Neoplatonism

Nero

Neusner, Jacob

New Age

Nicaea, Council of

Constantine’s address to bishops of, epigraph from

Nicene Creed

Nigeria

Numbers, Book of

epigraph from

Odin

Olympians

On the Error of Profane Religions
(Firmicus Maternus), epigraph from

On the Gods and the Universe
(manual of pagan theology)

oracles

Oribasius

Oriental religions,
see
mystery religions

Origen

orthodox, defined
n

Osiris

pagan “church,” Julian’s idea for

paganism

in ancient Greece

in ancient Rome

ceremonies and rituals of

Christian monks’ war against

Christians’ conflict with

common ceremonies of

Constantine and

and Constantinople’s founding

counterrevolution of

cruelties of

definition of

dream interpretation in

under Edict of Milan

gods, goddesses, and priestesses in

human sacrifice in

idolatry of

Islam and

Israelites’ war on

Josiah’s war on

Judaism and

Julian and

magic practices of

persecution of

persistence of

philosophers’ attitude toward

prudery and morality in

rigorism of

sexual practices in

sorcery and fortune-telling in

statuary in rituals of

survival of traditions of

Theodosius’s war on

tolerance of

values of, in New Age

variety of beliefs and practices of

pagan temples

paideia

Palaestina

Palestinian terrorists

Palladas

Pan

Parsons, Edward Alexander

Paul

epigraph from

and inscription to the unknown god

on the Trinity

Paul: The Mind of the Apostle
(Wilson)

Paulina

Pax Deorum

Pax Romana

Peace of the Church

peace of the gods, pagan notion of

Pegasius

penance

Pennick, Nigel

Pergamum

Perpetua and Felicitas, martyrdom of

Persephone

Persia

Jovian’s treaty with

Julian’s campaign against

pharaohs

Philip of Macedon

philosophy:

in ancient Rome

Neoplatonism

Philostorgios

Phinehas

Phoenicia, pagan-Christian controversy in

Picts

Plato

Pliny

Plotinus

Plutarch

polytheism

of ancient Egypt

in ancient Rome

in Bible

of Constantine

under Constantine’s sons

goddesses and priestesses in

of Israelites

of Julian

political expression of

and Roman Tetrarchy

sun used as symbol by

survival of

Pontifex Maximus

Porphyry

Praetextatus

Priapus

priestesses, pagan

priestly celibacy, in pagan cults

Priscillian

Priscus

propaganda, accounts of Christian martyrdom as

prostitutes in Jerusalem

Psalms

Pythia

Pythonesses

rabbi

Rachel

relics:

Julian’s disdain for

of St. Fides

of True Cross

religious art

religious belief and practices, origin of

religious persecution, rigorism and

religious terrorism

and Roman occupation of Judea

roots of

Renan, Ernest

Rendall, Gerald Henry

Revelation, Book of

Rhea

see also
Cybele; Great Mother of the Gods

Ricciotti, Giuseppe

rigorism

of Christians

defined

of Islam

in Julian’s reign

of Maccabees

in New Age

in Roman occupation of Judea

of totalitarianism

Roman Catholic Church

Roman roads

Rome, ancient

alliance of church and state in

burning of

Christianity made state religion of

Christian persecutions of dissenters in

Christian restoration in

Christians in

conquest and occupation of Judea by

Constantine and Licinius at war in

decline of empire

decline of paganism in

destruction of pagan writings in

and Edict of Milan

faiths in

human and animal sacrifice in

Judaism in

justice of

mystery religions in

pagan counterrevolution in

paganism in

persecution of paganism in

philosophers of

republican government in

tolerance of Jews in

totalitarianism of

women gladiators in

Rubenstein, Richard E.

Sabbath observance

sacrifice:

of Israelites

see also
animal sacrifice; human sacrifice

Salutius

Samuel

Samuel, Books of

epigraph from

Saturn

Saturnalia

Saul

divination by

schisms,
see
heresies and schisms

semi-Arianism

Seneca the Younger

September, terrorist attacks of

Septuagint

Serapis

Severus

sexual practices:

among early Christian heretics

in paganism

Shapur

Sibylline books

Sicarii

Silberman, Neil Asher

sin

of faithless Jerusalem

Smith, John Holland:

on Christian zealots

on Constantine

on Constantius Chlorus

on Hosius of órdoba

on pagan converts to Christianity

on paganism

on Tiberius

Sol Invictus

birthday of

see also
Apollo; Helios, King

Solomon

Solomon’s Temple,
see
Temple of Jerusalem

Sopater

Sophocles

sorcery

Sozomen

Speiser, Ephraim

statuary and images, pagan

Stone, Merlin

Suetonius

suicide bombings

sun, as symbol of supreme divinity

Sunday

Swinburne, Algernon Charles, epigraph from

Sylvester , Pope

Symmachus

syncretism

mystery religions and

of Neoplatonists

Syria

Tacitus

epigraph from

Taliban

Talmud

taurobolium, ritual of

Tell el-Amarna

Temple of Jerusalem

Julian’s plan for restoration of

temple prostitutes

teraphim

terrorism, religious,
see
religious terrorism

Tertullian

Tetrarchy, Roman

Thalia
(Arius)

Thebes

Theodora

Theodoret

Theodosius

Theophilus

Thessaly, witches of

theurgy

Tiberius

tolerance:

under Edict of Milan

of paganism

of polytheism

toleration, Jovian’s edict of

toleration, Julian’s edict of

Torah

torture, in ancient Rome

totalitarianism:

of Constantine the Great

of Theodosius

of twentieth century

traditor

Trevor-Roper, Hugh

Trinity

True Cross, relic of the

Tut-ankh-amon (Tut-ankh-aton)

Tyche

unknown god, inscription to, Athens

Urim and Thummim

Venus

Vestal Virgins

vicar

Victory, goddess of

Vidal, Gore

Vienne

virginity

Warburton, William

Weitzman, Steven

Westermarck, Edward

Western Wall, Jerusalem

When God Was a Woman
(Stone)

When Jesus Became God
(Rubenstein)

Wilson, A. N.

Wise Men (Magi)

witches

women:

in early Christianity

Hypatia

as pagan goddesses and priestesses

as seducers

and witchcraft

Yahweh

in paganism

Yavneth

Yohanan ben Zakkai

zealotry

Zealots (Jewish partisans)

Zeus
see also
Jupiter

Zimri

Zosimus

For more of Jonathan Kirsch’s dramatic and eye-opening accounts of religion, faith, and tradition, look for the

The Woman Who Laughed at God: The Untold History of the Jewish People

“A grand story, grandly told.”
—Chicago Tribune

“An entertaining tour of Jewish history.”

—The Washington Post

Who is a Jew? In this colorful, eye-opening work, bestselling author and lecturer Jonathan Kirsch reveals that Judaism has
never
been a religion of strict and narrow orthodoxy. For every accepted tradition in Jewish faith there are countertraditions rooted in biblical antiquity: the Maccabee freedom fighters who closed the Bible and picked up swords; dervishlike ecstatics who claimed to enjoy direct communication with God even after they had been excommunicated by a distrustful rabbinate; and courageous men and women who were the forgotten heroes of the Holocaust. With drama and narrative verve, Kirsch explores these and many other “Judaisms” that make up the rich tapestry of Jewish identity.

ISBN 0-14-219611-8

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