The
fifth century BCE can be characterized as a century during which the
globalization of the ancient world continued to expand. The rise of the
Achaemenid Empire caused individuals to settle in new areas within the
empire and establish new communities. One of such communities is the
Judean community on Elephantine Island. In this dissertation, I will
study the effects of the settlement of the Judean community into the
culturally diverse social context on Elephantine Island on the
development of their cultural identity. I will do so, by approaching the
question from the perspective of the legal tradition attested in the
Aramaic papyri which have been discovered on Elephantine Island during
the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Based on the contents of Judean
matrimonial property arrangements, I will demonstrate that Judeans not
only adapted themselves to the legal practices of their contractual
partners, but also continued to use elements of a distinct Judean legal
tradition in the context of matrimonial law. Not only will this
contribute to a more profound understanding of Judean cultural identity
during the fifth century BCE, but it will also demonstrate that
(matrimonial) law was an integral part of Judean cultural identity on
Elephantine Island, in addition to religion.
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