Ancient World Seminar: Ortal-Paz Saar (Utrecht), "Identity in Life and Death: Jewish Funerary Inscriptions from Italy"

Abstract

In the Italian peninsula a Jewish uninterrupted presence is attested from the first century CE to the present day. Much of what is known about Jewish life in the earlier period comes from funerary inscriptions. Most of these derive from the catacombs that permeate the fascinating world of subterranean Rome. Other, later inscriptions, derive from open-air cemeteries in southern Italy dated to the early medieval period. This lecture will explore the topic of Jewish diasporic identity, viewed through the prism of epitaphs, which reveal much about the lives of those commemorated.

About the speaker

Ortal-Paz Saar researches religious studies and Jewish cultural history. She is particularly interested in portraying the interaction between different religious traditions. Previously focusing on ancient and medieval magic and rituals, she is currently researching Jewish diasporic identity in Italy, from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages. Additionally, Ortal-Paz is developing a digital humanities international project titled PEACE: Portal of Epigraphy, Archaeology, Conservation and Education on Jewish Funerary Culture.