A Note on Hegesippus’ Account of the Death of James in the Light of Ancient Fulling Practices
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Scholars have long attributed to Hegesippus the view that James the Just was beaten to death by a fuller with the implement presumed to be associated with his trade, a fuller’s bat. Although this interpretation has a long history, attention to the evidence of ancient fulling practices and the terminology associated with it shows that this interpretation rests on an anachronistic understanding of fulling. The present argument examines the fragment from Hegesippus in the light of ancient fulling practices and its early translation into Latin and Syriac, concluding that the wooden implement in question is more likely associated with the process of drying or pressing fulled garments than beating cloth.
DOI: 10.1093/jts/flag022
Author: Benjamin A Edsall
Institution: Australian Catholic University
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,605
OpenAlex ID: W7168024629