The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Index Database

Results for
Please note: the results are produced through a computerized process which may frequently lead to errors, both in incorrect tagging and in other issues. Please use with caution.
Due to load times, full text fetching is currently attempted for validated results only.
Full texts for Hebrew Bible and rabbinic texts is kindly supplied by Sefaria; for Greek and Latin texts, by Perseus Scaife, for the Quran, by Tanzil.net

For a list of book indices included, see here.

graph

All subjects (including unvalidated):

subject	book bibliographic info
abstinence	Pevarello (2013), The Sentences of Sextus and the Origins of Christian Ascetiscism. 7, 10, 12, 16, 23, 24, 30, 42, 51, 61, 74, 78, 80, 95, 96, 204, 207, 209 Pinheiro et al. (2015), Philosophy and the Ancient Novel, 58 Schaaf (2019), Animal Kingdom of Heaven: Anthropozoological Aspects in the Late Antique World. 9 Schibli (2002), Hierocles of Alexandria, 313, 314, 315, 316 Tabbernee (2007), Fake Prophecy and Polluted Sacraments: Ecclesiastical and Imperial Reactions to Montanism, 159 Wilson (2012), The Sentences of Sextus, 64, 124, 143, 145, 146, 408
abstinence, before battle, celibacy	Huebner and Laes (2019), Aulus Gellius and Roman Reading Culture: Text, Presence and Imperial Knowledge in the 'Noctes Atticae', 183, 200, 214
abstinence, celibacy, sexuality	Rothschold, Blanton and Calhoun (2014), The History of Religions School Today : Essays on the New Testament and Related Ancient Mediterranean Texts 290
abstinence, dreams, calling for sexual	Dignas Parker and Stroumsa (2013), Priests and Prophets Among Pagans, Jews and Christians, 145
abstinence, from eating animals	Schultz and Wilberding (2022), Women and the Female in Neoplatonism, 148, 151, 152, 161, 162, 165
abstinence, from eating, pork	Bloch (2022), Ancient Jewish Diaspora: Essays on Hellenism, 96
abstinence, from pork	Witter et al. (2021), Torah, Temple, Land: Constructions of Judaism in Antiquity, 22, 24, 25, 106, 185
abstinence, from sexual intercourse	Schultz and Wilberding (2022), Women and the Female in Neoplatonism, 140
abstinence, from wine, jesus, vow of	McGowan (1999), Ascetic Eucharists: Food and Drink in Early Christian Ritual Meals, 157, 206, 234, 241, 242, 248
abstinence, from, bathing	Dignas Parker and Stroumsa (2013), Priests and Prophets Among Pagans, Jews and Christians, 59
abstinence, from, fish, trampling of priestly	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 291
abstinence, from, marriage	Malherbe et al. (2014), Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J, 283
abstinence, from, sexual relations	Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 24, 29, 34, 35, 36, 47, 79, 150, 152, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220
abstinence, from, sexual themes	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 291
abstinence, from, wine	Dignas Parker and Stroumsa (2013), Priests and Prophets Among Pagans, Jews and Christians, 158
abstinence, hard rules of	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 273
abstinence, hard rules of from unhallowed and unlawful foods	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 281
abstinence, hard rules of ten days of	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 28, 290, 335, 355
abstinence, in marriage	Beatrice (2013), The Transmission of Sin: Augustine and the Pre-Augustinian Sources, 199, 234
abstinence, in rites, attis	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 291, 355
abstinence, medicine, ancient	Hubbard (2014), A Companion to Greek and Roman Sexualities, 260, 261
abstinence, of alcohol	Nijs (2023), The Epicurean Sage in the Ethics of Philodemus. 189, 190, 193
abstinence, pythagoreanism, revived under ptolemies, and	Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 291
abstinence, pythagoreans	Cueva et al. (2018a), Re-Wiring the Ancient Novel. Volume 1: Greek Novels, 181
abstinence, sexual	KÃ¶nig (2012), Saints and Symposiasts: The Literature of Food and the Symposium in Greco-Roman and Early Christian Culture, 32 Poorthuis and Schwartz (2014), Saints and role models in Judaism and Christianity, 259, 260, 275 Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 110, 241, 242, 244, 245, 246, 247 Tabbernee (2007), Fake Prophecy and Polluted Sacraments: Ecclesiastical and Imperial Reactions to Montanism, 59, 101, 113, 114, 123, 151, 348, 423
abstinence, sexuality, sexual	McGowan (1999), Ascetic Eucharists: Food and Drink in Early Christian Ritual Meals, 97, 160, 161, 183, 186, 187, 188, 193, 194, 216, 233
abstinence, tragedy	Hubbard (2014), A Companion to Greek and Roman Sexualities, 166, 170, 171, 172, 173
abstinence, vow of	Faraone (1999), Ancient Greek Love Magic, 54, 55

List of validated texts:

10 validated results for "abstinence"

1. Philo of Alexandria, On The Contemplative Life, 68 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Abstinence • sexual relations abstinence from

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 47; Pevarello (2013), The Sentences of Sextus and the Origins of Christian Ascetiscism. 78

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68 And the women also share in this feast, the greater part of whom, though old, are virgins in respect of their purity (not indeed through necessity, as some of the priestesses among the Greeks are, who have been compelled to preserve their chastity more than they would have done of their own accord), but out of an admiration for and love of wisdom, with which they are desirous to pass their lives, on account of which they are indifferent to the pleasures of the body, desiring not a mortal but an immortal offspring, which the soul that is attached to God is alone able to produce by itself and from itself, the Father having sown in it rays of light appreciable only by the intellect, by means of which it will be able to perceive the doctrines of wisdom. IX. '' None

2. New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 7.5 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Abstinence • sexual relations abstinence from • sexuality, abstinence

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 152; Esler (2000), The Early Christian World, 415; Pevarello (2013), The Sentences of Sextus and the Origins of Christian Ascetiscism. 24, 74, 80, 95, 96, 209

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7.5 μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους, εἰ μήτι ἂν ἐκ συμφώνου πρὸς καιρὸν ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἦτε, ἵνα μὴ πειράζῃ ὑμᾶς ὁ Σατανᾶς διὰ τὴν ἀκρασίαν ὑμῶν.' ' None

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7.5 Don't deprive one another, unless it is by consent for aseason, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may betogether again, that Satan doesn't tempt you because of your lack ofself-control." " None

3. New Testament, 1 Timothy, 4.3 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • marriage, abstinence from • sexual relations abstinence from

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 79; Malherbe et al. (2014), Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J, 283

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4.3 κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάλημψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.'' None

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4.3 forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. '' None

4. New Testament, Acts, 15.29 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Abstinence • Jesus, vow of abstinence from wine

Found in books: McGowan (1999), Ascetic Eucharists: Food and Drink in Early Christian Ritual Meals, 234; Pevarello (2013), The Sentences of Sextus and the Origins of Christian Ascetiscism. 10

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15.29 ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εὖ πράξετε. Ἔρρωσθε.'' None

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15.29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell."'' None

5. New Testament, Titus, 1.12-1.13, 2.12 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • abstinence • marriage, abstinence from • sexual relations abstinence from

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 79, 171; Malherbe et al. (2014), Light from the Gentiles: Hellenistic Philosophy and Early Christianity: Collected Essays of Abraham J, 283; Wilson (2012), The Sentences of Sextus, 408

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1.12 εἶπέν τις ἐξ αὐτῶν, ἴδιος αὐτῶν προφήτης, Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεῦσται, κακὰ θηρία, γαστέρες ἀργαί· ^1.13 ἡ μαρτυρία αὕτη ἐστὶν ἀληθής. διʼ ἣν αἰτίαν ἔλεγχε αὐτοὺς ἀποτόμως, ^2.12 ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι,'' None

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1.12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons." ^1.13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ^2.12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; '' None

6. Plutarch, On Isis And Osiris, 4, 6 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Abstinence, hard rules of, ten days of • Attis, abstinence in rites • Days, ten, of abstention • Fish, trampling of, priestly abstinence from • Foods, unhallowed and unlawful, abstention from, desire of curbed for ten days • Pythagoreanism, revived under Ptolemies, and abstinence • Sexual themes, abstinence from • Ten days, of abstention • sexual relations abstinence from

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 36; Griffiths (1975), The Isis-Book (Metamorphoses, Book XI), 290, 291

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4 It is true that most people are unaware of this very ordinary and minor matter: the reason why the priests remove their hair and wear linen garments. Cf. Herodotus, ii. 37 and 81. Some persons do not care at all to have any knowledge about such things, while others say that the priests, because they revere the sheep, In Saïs and Thebaïs according to Strabo, xvii.
40 (p. 812). abstain from using its wool, as well as its flesh; and that they shave their heads as a sign of mourning, and that they wear their linen garments because of the colour which the flax displays when in bloom, and which is like to the heavenly azure which enfolds the universe. But for all this there is only one true reason, which is to be found in the words of Plato Phaedo,
67 b; Cf. Moralia, 108 d. ; for the Impure to touch the Pure is contrary to divine ordice. No surplus left over from food and no excrementitious matter is pure and clean; and it is from forms of surplus that wool, fur, hair, and nails originate and grow. Cf. Apuleius, Apology, chap. 2
6. So it would be ridiculous that these persons in their holy living should remove their own hair by shaving and making their bodies smooth all over, Cf. Herodotus, ii. 37. and then should put on and wear the hair of domestic animals. We should believe that when Hesiod Works and Days, 7
42-7
43. The meaning of these somewhat cryptic lines is, of course, that one should not pare one’s nails at table; Cf. also Moralia, ed. Bernardakis, vol. vii. p. 90. said, Cut not the sere from the green when you honour the gods with full feasting, Paring with glittering steel the member that hath the five branches, he was teaching that men should be clean of such things when they keep high festival, and they should not amid the actual ceremonies engage in clearing away and removing any sort of surplus matter. But the flax springs from the earth which is immortal; it yields edible seeds, and supplies a plain and cleanly clothing, which does not oppress by the weight required for warmth. It is suitable for every season and, as they say, is least apt to breed lice; but this topic is treated elsewhere. Plutarch touches briefly on this subject in Moralia,
6
42 c.⁶ As for wine, those who serve the god in Heliopolis bring none at all into the shrine, since they feel that it is not seemly to drink in the day-time while their Loi’d and King is looking upon them. Cf. Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, 97 and 98, who says that the Pythagoreans would have nothing to do with wine in the day-time. See also the critical note on the opposite page. The others use wine, but in great moderation. They have many periods of holy living when wine is prohibited, and in these they spend their time exclusively in studying, learning, and teaching religious matters. Their kings also were wont to drink a limited quantity Cf. Diodorus, i. 70. 11. prescribed by the sacred writings, as Hecataeus Diels, Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, ii. p. 153, Hecataeus no. B 11. has recorded; and the kings are priests. The beginning of their drinking dates from the reign of Psammetichus; before that they did not drink wine nor use it in libation as something dear to the gods, thinking it to be the blood of those who had once battled against the gods, and from whom, when they had fallen and had become commingled with the earth, they believed vines to have sprung. This is the reason why drunkenness drives men out of their senses and crazes them, inasmuch as they are then filled with the blood of their forbears. These tales Eudoxus says in the second book of his World Travels are thus related by the priests. ' None

7. None, None, nan (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Pork, abstinence from eating • abstinence from pork

Found in books: Bloch (2022), Ancient Jewish Diaspora: Essays on Hellenism, 96; Witter et al. (2021), Torah, Temple, Land: Constructions of Judaism in Antiquity, 24

8. Anon., Acts of Thomas, 15 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • sexual relations abstinence from • sexuality, abstinence

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 161, 162; Esler (2000), The Early Christian World, 414, 415

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15 And while the bride was saying yet more than this, the bridegroom answered and said: I give thee thanks, O Lord, that hast been proclaimed by the stranger, and found in us; who hast removed me far from corruption and sown life in me; who hast rid me of this disease that is hard to be healed and cured and abideth for ever, and hast implanted sober health in me; who hast shown me thyself and revealed unto me all my state wherein I am; who hast redeemed me from falling and led me to that which is better, and set me free from temporal things and made me worthy of those that are immortal and everlasting; that hast made thyself lowly even down to me and my littleness, that thou mayest present me unto thy greatness and unite me unto thyself; who hast not withheld thine own bowels from me that was ready to perish, but hast shown me how to seek myself and know who I was, and who and in what manner I now am, that I may again become that which I was: whom I knew not, but thyself didst seek me out: of whom I was not aware, but thyself hast taken me to thee: whom I have perceived, and now am not able to be unmindful of him: whose love burneth within me, and I cannot speak it as is fit, but that which I am able to say of it is little and scanty, and not fitly proportioned unto his glory: yet he blameth me not that presume to say unto him even that which I know not: for it is because of his love that I say even this much.'' None

9. None, None, nan (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • sexual relations abstinence from • sexuality, sexual abstinence

Found in books: Blidstein (2017), Purity Community and Ritual in Early Christian Literature, 158; McGowan (1999), Ascetic Eucharists: Food and Drink in Early Christian Ritual Meals, 186

10. None, None, nan (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
Tagged with subjects: • Abstinence • sexual abstinence

Found in books: Pevarello (2013), The Sentences of Sextus and the Origins of Christian Ascetiscism. 61; Tabbernee (2007), Fake Prophecy and Polluted Sacraments: Ecclesiastical and Imperial Reactions to Montanism, 59

Please note: the results are produced through a computerized process which may frequently lead to errors, both in incorrect tagging and in other issues. Please use with caution.
Due to load times, full text fetching is currently attempted for validated results only.
Full texts for Hebrew Bible and rabbinic texts is kindly supplied by Sefaria; for Greek and Latin texts, by Perseus Scaife, for the Quran, by Tanzil.net

For a list of book indices included, see here.

Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database