Were There Jewish Gladiators? A Re-Evaluation of the Available Archaeological and Textual Evidence
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The participation of Jews in the arena, especially as gladiators, has received relatively little attention. The few articles written on this matter suggest that Jews were both spectators and participants. The present paper relates to all previously suggested indications for the existence of Jewish gladiators and also introduces new ones. Although the possibility that Jewish gladiators were active in the first–fourth centuries CE cannot be ruled out entirely, the evidence remains inconclusive, suggesting that their number was very limited at best. It is also suggested that if Jews had participated in the games, they possibly preferred to fight beasts rather than men.
Source: Atiqot
Author: Haggai Olshanetsky
Institution: University of Basel
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4405335923