Loren Spielman, Associate Professor, author of the new release
by S. Van Amburgh, Judaic Studies
October 7, 2020
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Loren Spielman, Associate Professor of Classical and Rabbinic Judaism, Portland State University, is the author of "Jews and Entertainment in the Ancient World," published September 2020 by Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany.
Countering the traditional belief that Jews in antiquity were predominantly disinterested in the popular entertainments of the Greek and Roman world, Loren R. Spielman maps the varieties of Jewish engagement with theater, athletics, horse racing, gladiatorial, and beast shows in antiquity. The author argues that Jews from Hellenistic Alexandria to late antique Sepphoris enjoyed and exploited, or alternatively resisted and scorned, popular forms of public entertainment as they adapted to the political, social, and religious realities of imperial rule. Including references to ancient Jewish actors, athletes, promoters, and plays alongside analysis of rabbinic and other early Jewish critique of sport and spectacle, Loren R. Spielman describes the different ways that attitudes towards entertainment might have played a role in shaping ancient Jewish identity. [Description from the publisher's site.]
Jews and Entertainment in the Ancient World
ISBN 978-3-16-155000-3 / eISBN 978-3-16-157703-1 DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-157703-1 ISSN 0721-8753 / eISSN 2568-9525 (Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2020 Mohr Siebeck Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com
Now available for purchase at:
https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/jews-and-entertainment-in-the-ancient-world-9783161550003?no_cache=1
Coming soon to the Millar Library at Portland State University
Stay tuned for announcement of his book launch event (date TBD) hosted by his colleagues at The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies.