Abstract
The biblical record concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus, is extremely sparse. And yet from antiquity to modern times, Mary of Nazareth has been of great significance in the Christian (and Muslim) tradition. The purpose of this presentation is to consider Mary of Nazareth through ancient Mediterranean eyes so as to account for the status and roles ascribed to her. This investigation seeks to uncover the cultural bases for the development of the vast amount of traditional discourse about Mary in face of the extreme paucity of historical information. Regardless of the extent of our ignorance of the actual figure of Mary of Nazareth, the fact that Jesus had a mother would alone have sufficed to account for the Mediterranean generated attitude toward that relative unknown personage. For it is as ideal Mediterranean maid and mother that Mary is symbolized, and it is that role that she continues to play in Mediterranean Christianity.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
