El desarrollo de la Sociedad de la Información

Th esaurus cultus et rituum antiquorum (Th esCRA). Edited by V assilis

L ambrinoudakis and J ean C h . B alty. 5 vols + 1 vol. Indexes. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2004–2006. ISBN: 0-89236-788-1, 0-89236-789-X, 0-89236-790-3, 0-89236-791-1, 0-89236-792-X, 0-89236-793-8.

Vol. 1: Processions, sacrifi ces, libations, fumigations, dedications. xix , 612

p., with 139 plates.

Vol. 2: Purifi cation, initiation, heroization, apotheosis, banquet, dance, music, cult images. xxi , 646 p., with 117 plates.

Vol. 3: Divination, prayer, veneration, hikesia, asylia, oath, malediction, profanation, magic, rituals; (addendum to vol. II) consecration. xviii ,

346 p., with 72 plates.

Vol. 4: Cult places. Representations of cult places. xix , 485 p. with 60

plates.

Vol. 5: Personnel of cult, cult instruments. xix , 502 p., with 67 plates.

Vol. [6] Abbreviations. Index of museums. xvi , 169 pages.

Th is series represents a signifi cant achievement in the study of ancient religions. It presents the literary, epigraphic, archaeological, and icono- graphic evidence for Greek and Roman Religion both in texts and images in a systematic manner. Th is handbook will serve for a long time as a fi rm foundation from which to enter into detailed discussions on special issues.

Th is handbook is the second stage of three sets of fundamental hand- books for the study of Greek, Roman and Etruscan Religion. Th e fi rst step was the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC),

which has since proved indispensable. In eight twin volumes, one with the text and another with plates, published in 1981–1996, and one volume with indexes (vol. ix , 1999) both literary and iconographic evi- dence for every god, goddess, hero and heroine, and every personifi cation

in Greek, Roman and Etruscan mythology is presented. Th e basic resource was established by Lily Kahil together with other scholars with the fi nancial support of many academies and consists of iconographic archives, built on new and excellent photographs taken by museums from all over the world (as collected in the Corpus Vasorum series) as

well as a bibliographic database. Th e systematic grid for presentation of the evidence in the LIMC is rather formal, recording details such as material and gesture, and in some cases rather abundant. Little atten- tion is paid to religious meaning, to historical and local diff erentiation, or to epochs. However this formal rather than interpretive approach allows the comprehensive collection of the material to be used for a variety of goals.

Th e second stage is the set of books here under review. A third step has been anounced (IV, xi ): “It is hoped and intended, to complete a third level dealing with those apects of Classcial religious behaviour which con- cern the conduct of everyday life, including marriage and death.”

On-line access to the archives is in preparation; for the moment one can fi nd (a few) updates to the bibliography of the LIMC at www.

rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~m99/- 6k.

Regarding the limitation of the collection to ‘classical’ issues: “the evidence from the Bronze Age is only admitted where it seems relevant to the explanation of later practice. Religion in the Roman world is considered down to but not including Christian practices. Etruscan religion is included for its kinship to the Classical, but there is generally less attention paid to religion at the periphery of the Classical world, unless it is fi rmly based on homeland practice.” (IV, XII). Christianity, however, is not a religion which followed upon the Classical epoch, but rather one which co-existed for a long time simultaneously with ‘pagan’ religion, as did Judaism. Both Christianity and Judaism are ancient religions along with the ‘classical’ ones.

To illustrate how one can work with this tool, I take as an example the question of cult images. Th ere are two articles: Th e fi rst instance (Vol. II, 417–507) does not — with the exception of the off ering of food to the gods — diff erentiate between Greek and Roman, between the historical epochs. In this part of the handbook the evidence is pre- sented on the physical treatment of cult images: Bathing, clothing, feeding, crowning and venerating the ‘living’ image, as well as the prac-

tice of carrying them to another place temporarily in a procession, to the theatre, etc. Th e Christian tradition regarding cult images, which “came from heaven” or “are not made by hand” (acheiropoietoi), is

included as well as the destruction of cult images. Th at destruction of images and cult places was not just a matter of a new practice arising from Christianity as a monotheistic religion is demonstrated in an arti- cle by S.H. Rutledge, “Th e Roman Destruction of Sacred Sites,” Histo- ria 56 (2007), 179–195.

Th e second article (Vol. IV.52–65) treats cult images in the context of “sacred places,” but more historically. A fi rst section gives a defi ni- tion, a few examples (not exhaustive) of terminology and some consid- erations on the evidence. Th e article deals with cult images and the performed rituals which are explicitly directed to the image/god, con- centrating on the few images known to have had a cultic use, apart from the thousands of copies of (originally cult) images, which now served as aesthetic decoration in public baths of dining rooms etc. A good bibliographical selection of monographs and articles is given for each section. A discussion follows on the archaeological epochs ori- ented to systematic issues and avoiding any evolutionary scheme (such as: fi rst crude timber and planks without artifi cial treatment, at the end the classical masterpieces). First each section gives a comprehensive description of the problem, then a few examples in the form of a cata- logue, some of which are shown on the plates in the latter part of the book, some in drawings or a plan, but often with reference to the LIMC. So in the archaic period the evidence consists of stone pillars, heads, and then whole fi gures. Th e promised section on the Roman imperial period is missing. Th ere are a lot of special studies on this period, but regrettably one searches in vain for the comprehensive arti- cle in this handbook.

For information on rituals concerning images, however, one has to look in other volumes: (1) consecration of statues, see III 338 sq. link to Th esCRA II, 67 and the chapter on cult images mentioned above, (2) incense burning I 255–268, (3) libations I 237–253, (4) tables for meals off ered to the gods (trapeza V, 357–360, cp. 231–40; lectisternia

V, 405–412). A treatment of the topic of feasts is announced for the “third level” (III 305). Th e index is not very helpful in integrating these scattered parts. Th ere is only an index of the museums. In the promised

coming volumes a further index on topics and the textual evidence would be of great value.

In some cases there are excellent treatments of the Roman imperial period, including epigraphic evidence (e.g. priesthood V 116–146), but in many cases this period is touched upon only in passing, whereas the well- known archaic and classical passages or Roman examples up to the end of the fi rst century AD are treated in full. Judaism after the destruction of the second temple is also included in a few rare cases (III 100 sq.).

Despite the weaknesses just mentioned, this is a valuable contribu- tion to the study of ancient religions. Like other handbooks, however, it also reveals the work which remains to be done. At its best, and often excellently, this handbook presents the current state of the art. Yet a great deal of work remains to be done on Roman religion, especially in late antiquity, including a treatment of Christianity and Judaism as ancient religions. In short: an excellent tool. And the “third level” is eagerly awaited.

Christoph Auff arth

FB 9/Religionswissenschaft (SpT) Bremen

Indo-Judaic Studies in the Twenty-First Century: A View from the Mar- gins. Edited by N athan K atz , R anabir C hakravarti , B raj M. S inha

and S halva W eil. Palgrave, 2007. ISBN 13: 978-1-4039-7629-1. Th is edited volume, which includes fourteen essays by scholars of Indic and/or Judaic studies from across the humanities and social sciences, is the latest in a series of striking eff orts to bring Indic (particularly Hindu) and Jewish history, culture, politics, sociology, anthropology, religion and the arts into conversation with one another. Th e lead editor, Nathan Katz, established the Society for Indo-Judaic Studies and the Journal of Indo-Judaic Studies over a decade ago to encourage ongoing scholarship

in the comparative study of these two traditions. In 1994, Hananya Goodman’s edited volume Between Jerusalem and Benares: Comparative Studies in Judaism and Hinduism appeared as one of the fi rst serious

attempts to bring these two communities into scholarly relationship. Since that publication, multiple independent conferences have been held, and on-going groups have been established within professional organizations, such as the Comparative Studies in Hinduisms and Juda- isms Group within the American Academy of Religion.

Such comparative study is not without its critics. Many scholars are somewhat confounded by work comparing two traditions that are seemingly unconnected by history or geography. Th e present vol- ume, as the most recent expression of Indo-Judaic scholarship, success- fully argues three points: 1) that there has, in fact, been historical contact between these two communities that deserves research atten- tion; 2) that even where there has been limited historical contact, there has been shared experience, largely as marginalized communities, that brings fresh perspective to dominant, hegemonic narratives; and 3) that comparative study of Indic and Jewish traditions has substantial contri- butions to make to the framing of fundamental categories and ques- tions in the humanities and social sciences.

Th e volume is organized into four parts. Part I (Chakravarti, Wein- stein, and Marks) focus on historical contact between Indo-Judaic com- munities, demonstrating that there was more contact between these communities (despite geographical distance) than one might initially image. Part II (Holdrege, Sinha, Katz) focuses on comparative work in religious studies. More importantly, this section articulates most clearly

the theoretical contributions that Indo-Judaic studies has to make. Part III (Johnson, Weil, Roland, and Parfi tt) focuses on studies of Jew- ish communities in India. Th is section in particular raises questions about normative standards of identity and the value of highlighting marginalized experience to challenge dominant identity paradigms. Finally, Part IV (Egorova, Kumaraswamy, Kumar, and Chatterjee) explores contemporary Indo-Judaic interactions in politics.

In addition to the introduction, two chapters in particular are help- ful for sketching the landscape of Indo-Judaic studies in terms of what it has to off er to scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Hold- rege’s chapter traces the history of the fi eld and articulates the reasons for and benefi ts of this specifi c comparative enterprise. Holdrege, along with Katz, is one of the leading spokespersons for this fi eld. She notes that her own comparative work has served “as a means to dismantle the tyranny of prevailing paradigms and to construct a range of alternative epistemologies” (78) within religious studies. Th e comparative work of Indo-Judaic traditions raises questions about the “universality” of cate- gories that have permeated the humanities and social sciences. Within religious studies, Holdrege notes, “we use categories as instruments of inclusion and exclusion by means of which we classify religious phe- nomena according to whether they share or do not share certain prop- erties” (78). By examining indigenous categories from Hindu and Jewish traditions, we are forced to unseat dominant epistemologies that determine how we structure our view of specifi c religious communities and religious experience in general.

Katz’s chapter focuses on Hindu-Jewish dialogue, and he lists several signifi cant conclusions emerging out his years of research in this fi eld. He notes, for example, that “dialogue” is neither evangelization nor debate, although these phenomena often pose as dialogue. Dialogue also does not occur when a member of one community speaks on behalf of another community, either in a public forum or in print. Katz notes Raimundo Pannikar’s unmasking of “Hindu-Christian dialogue” as “Christian dialogue with Hinduism” (116) in which the conversation partners are on unequal footing. In perhaps his most disturbing anec- dote, Katz recalls touring the Vatican Museum with a Th ai Buddhist monk. First the monk and then Katz came across relics that had been stolen from each man’s historic cultural community. For Katz, that

moment of standing with his Buddhist friend, powerless before a stolen artifact, illustrates the shared experience of two communities that have, more frequently than not, been ascribed marginal status.

Th e volume coheres largely because of the introduction and Hold- rege’s and Katz’s chapters. Th e rest of the essays in this volume are much more focused, less explicitly articulate about the contributions that Indo-Judaic studies can make and more focused on describing ongoing research. Certain themes, however, appear repeatedly throughout these essays, and these themes tie the volume together. For example, many authors note the signifi cance of “language,” not only in its importance as a research tool but as a medium of identity for both of these tradi- tions. Even a brief moment’s refl ection raises other issues related to language: sacred language; self-consciously constructed language (Mod- ern Hebrew); disappearing language traditions (Malayalam), etc. Simi- larly, issues centering on identity, diaspora, missionization/colonization, modernity, gender, mysticism, food practices, and pluralism are com- mon themes in the chapters, themes that deserve further exploration in Indo-Judaic research.

Th e volume’s size limits the number of authors whose work appears. Fortunately for the fi eld, there are numerous scholars involved in Indo- Judaic work who are not represented in the volume, but whose work appears in prominent academic journals and national conferences. A subsequent volume would benefi t from including the work of these junior scholars. Th e current volume will be tremendously valuable for readers interested in Indo and/or Judaic studies and comparative stud- ies more broadly. It is also highly recommended for scholars interested in how “research on the margins” contributes to the re-framing of fun- damental categories in the humanities and social sciences.

Kathryn McClymond

Les voix d’Apollon. L’arc, la lyre et les oracles. By P hilippe M onbrun ,

Presses universitaires de Rennes, Collection Histoire, 2007. ISBN 10- 2753504156 ; €23.00.

Ce livre est issu d’une thèse dirigée par Pierre Brulé et soutenue à Ren- nes en 2003. Il prend place dans un riche ensemble d’études sur les panthéons et les dieux du polythéisme grec, qui doit son impulsion première aux travaux de J.-P. Vernant et qu’illustre, côté apollinien, le splendide ouvrage de Marcel Detienne, Apollon le couteau à la main,

Paris 1998. Tout en touchant des domaines très proches, le livre de Ph. Monbrun propose une problématique et un cheminement très diff é- rents, et l’on ne peut que se réjouir de la démultiplication d’approches qui contribuent à brosser une image riche et complexe des confi gura- tions apolloniennes. L’analyse des affi nités entre les modes d’action de

l’Apollon archer et ceux de l’Apollon musicien constitue l’objet central du livre. Les savoirs d’Apollon – notamment dans le domaine de la mantique –, son style de pensée et d’action, se révèlent solidaires de ses techniques d’archer. Dans une démarche que nous qualifi erions volon- tiers “d’expérimentale”, les instruments du dieu, l’arc et la lyre au pre- mier chef, apparaissent comme les “réactifs” qui, appliqués à Apollon, “font apparaître tout un réseau d’associations et de correspondances qui font résonner et raisonner Apollon sur un certain mode” (293).

Ph. Monbrun part donc des savoir-faire, des techniques ; le plan de l’ouvrage en découle. La première partie “Les instruments de l’archer : le dieu archer est le dieu musicien” explore l’intrumentarium, arc et lyre,

“en pays grec”, à l’épreuve tant des pratiques et des usages : “La vérité des gestes : bander l’arc et la phorminx, deux opérations comparables” (42–56), que des systèmes de catégorisation et de représentation : “La vérité des termes : Ulysse tend son arc palintone” (32–41). Une place

importante est faite à l’étude des documents iconographiques et à un comparatisme large dont le maniement éclairé permet à l’auteur de pro- poser des reconstitutions d’une grande vraisemblance que n’autoriserait pas le recours à la seule méthode philologique (voir, par ex., les belles pages consacrées à l’arc d’Ulysse dans l’Odyssée). Signalons aussi les

pages très éclairantes sur les matériaux (cornes, tendons, boyaux, choix des bois, recours probable au palmier dattier pour la fabrication de diff érents types d’arc . . .), qui sont autant de contributions majeures à

l’histoire des diff érents instruments étudiés. Une même “harmonie

palintrope”, “dont l’effi cacité résulte de l’accord entre des forces contrai- res qui s’équilibrent et se complètent”, fonde la “parenté” entre les deux grands types d’arc, la lyre et la cithare (91 et ss.). Restituée au champ concret des techniques, son étude contribue à donner un sens très pré- cis au fragment 51 d’Héraclite sur l’harmonie contraire de l’arc et de la lyre. Elle porte un éclairage nouveau sur les modalités par lesquelles agissent les “puissances de retournement” dans une série de mythes revisités par l’auteur – notamment la défaite du fl ûtiste Marsyas ou la victoire du lyricine Orphée dans l’Hadès –, ou sur les concaténations de

catégories qui sous-tendent la fi gure ambiguë d’un Apollon décochant ses fl èches douces-amères, ou propageant et écartant d’un même mou- vement pestilences et fl éaux. Particulièrement remarquable est la recon- textualisation des sagesses apolliniennes (le rien de trop des maximes

delphiques . . .) dans le champ du maniement de l’arc ou de la cithare, de la mesure et de la “délicatesse” qu’ils exigent (174–176). Cette pre- mière partie s’imposera comme une somme et une référence obligée pour tout historien intéressé par les techniques de l’arc et des instru- ments à cordes – fabrication, maniement, jeu –, et par les systèmes de représentation qu’elles contribuent à structurer. Elle exemplifi e aussi l’importance d’un type de savoir concret que l’historien anthropologue des religions se doit d’acquérir s’il veut décoder le fonctionnement d’un système polythéiste.

La deuxième partie “Les savoir de l’archer : le dieu archer et musicien est le dieu omniscient” explore les modes d’action d’Apollon au prisme des savoir-faire de l’archer. “Au plus haut degré de la science de l’arc, toucher au but devient le résultat d’un état d’esprit et d’une concentra- tion qui ne laissent plus de place à la technê” qui en a permis l’acquisi-

tion (197). Le nous apollinien est concentration qui frappe loin et juste,

regard et projection abolissant les distances spatiales et temporelles. Il “fonctionne comme un arc sans bras ni corde qui se décoche lui-même comme une fl èche qui ne peut qu’aller vers sa cible” (198). La distance, la “spiritualité” attribuées au dieu “qui vise tout dans son esprit” y gagnent en netteté, en défi nition. Le livre de Ph. Monbrun contribue à cet égard à la critique, magistralement administrée par M. Detienne, de l’idée d’un Apollon, “dieu de la supériorité morale”. Il éclaire d’un jour particulièrement vif le paradoxe de la mantique apollinienne, d’un dieu

oblique, Loxias, à “l’esprit droit et direct”, noos euthutatos. “Ses oracles

portent loin et vont au but comme le font ses fl èches, mais leur che- minement est ambigu comme le zigzag des fl èches au début de leur vol” (215). La tension qui propulse la fl èche et celle, analogue, des cordes bien accordées de la lyre orientent l’analyse de l’enthousiasme divina- toire de la pythie, l’instrument “musical” sensible et désaccordable dont le dieu joue comme d’une cithare, avec les mêmes précautions, en la