The Riddles of the Sasanian-Athenian Elders

A Talmudic Narrative in Its Cultural-Historical Context

Bibliographic Data

ID19215440
AuthorsAvigail Manekin-Bamberger (0000-0002-3286-1847, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume106
Issue1
Pages40-60
Publication date2026-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Religion (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-4189 • E-ISSN: 1549-6538
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1086/737904
OpenAlexW7140370102
LanguageEN
References cited16

A Talmudic narrative describes a competition that took place between R. Yehoshua b. Ḥananiah and the “elders of atuna,” often translated as the elders of Athens. The competition consisted of a series of riddles and tests, which led to R. Yehoshua outwitting the elders and ultimately defeating them. Scholars have attempted to understand the context and purpose of this debate, frequently ascribing historical, philosophical, and religious significance to the seemingly simple riddles. This article proposes an alternative identification for the elders that would align with the cultural and religious context as it is depicted in contemporary sources from the Sasanian East. It brings together formulas and motifs from Jewish magical texts, particularly the Aramaic incantation bowls, alongside Christian hagiography and Coptic amulets

Context (archaeology) · Narrative · Narrative history · Byzantine Studies and History · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies

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