'Like dew from heaven:' : honeycomb, religious identity, and transformation in Joseph and Aseneth

• Main Author: Warren, Meredith.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2006
• Subjects: Food > Religious aspects.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=99397

This thesis examines the construction of identity in the pseudepigraphic novel Joseph and Aseneth by means of discussions of conversion, food ritual, and genre. Each of these is invaluable for interpreting the meaning and significance of the honeycomb scene in which Aseneth is transformed. The interaction of a ritual of eating, angelic visits, and the medium of genre for expressing transformation presents a window through which to view identity in the ancient world. This project explores how the shared symbolic knowledge of the ancient world informs the literary presentation of Aseneth's transformation that describes the development of her religious identity. I argue that the honeycomb scene speaks most strongly about Joseph and Aseneth's notions of religious identity. Through the ritual eating of the honeycomb, Joseph and Aseneth constructs a hybrid identity for Aseneth, integrating biblical motifs with those found in pagan narratives.