The legend of St. Ismeria marks a shift in belief, as sanctity was previously more often earned by blood martyrdom rather than piety. [iStockphoto]
Posted on 05/19/2011 6:07:52 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The great-grandmother of Jesus was a woman named Ismeria, according to Florentine medieval manuscripts analyzed by a historian.
The legend of St. Ismeria, presented in the current Journal of Medieval History, sheds light on both the Biblical Virgin Mary's family and also on religious and cultural values of 14th-century Florence.
"I don't think any other woman is mentioned" as Mary's grandmother in the Bible, Catherine Lawless, author of the paper, told Discovery News. "Mary's patrilineal lineage is the only one given."
"Mary herself is mentioned very little in the Bible," added Lawless, a lecturer in history at the University of Limerick. "The huge Marian cult that has evolved over centuries has very few scriptural sources."
Lawless studied the St. Ismeria story, which she said has been "ignored by scholars," in two manuscripts: the 14th century "MS Panciatichiano 40" of Florence's National Central Library and the 15th century "MS 1052" of the Riccardiana Library, also in Florence.
"According to the legend, Ismeria is the daughter of Nabon of the people of Judea, and of the tribe of King David," wrote Lawless. She married "Santo Liseo," who is described as "a patriarch of the people of God." The legend continues that the couple had a daughter named Anne who married Joachim. After 12 years, Liseo died. Relatives then left Ismeria penniless.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...
The legend of St. Ismeria marks a shift in belief, as sanctity was previously more often earned by blood martyrdom rather than piety. [iStockphoto]
|
· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe · |
|||
Antiquity Journal & archive Archaeologica Archaeology Archaeology Channel BAR Bronze Age Forum Discover Dogpile Eurekalert LiveScience Mirabilis.ca Nat Geographic PhysOrg Science Daily Science News Texas AM Yahoo Excerpt, or Link only? |
|
||
|
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword · |
|||
“St. Ismeria” (”Grand-mother” of Jesus?). I thought “Saints” were deemed to have been born AD, not BC.
Great Granny Jesus just doesn’t sound right...
Saint Joseph: According to catholic.org, Joseph was a saint, and similarly for, "Mary . . . The Mother, of God, Mother of Jesus, wife of St. Joseph, and the greatest of all Christian saints". Most were AD, but there are a few exceptions who were contemporaries. Still, as you say, I have doubts on this woman's sainthood (or even her identity).
Nancy Pelosi?
Not so much. I am Eastern Orthodox. You better believe that St. Simeon the Righteous, the God-Receiver (who received Jesus at His Presentation at the Temple in Jerusalem)...
As is Moses the Law-Giver...
As are the Psalmist, King, and Propet David...
And Solomon...
I cuold go on, but you get the picture.
Saint Ismeria is a new one on me; I had never heard of her before.
Nice read, and interesting scholarship regarding a Florentine LEGEND; but the headline is another typical bait & switch. Wouldn’t surprise me if Catherine Lawless was apalled at how this article about her work was titled.
The headline, “Jesus’ Great-Grandmother Identified” is an emphatic statement of Biblical historical discovery.
The subtitle, “Medieval legends suggest that Ismeria, a descendent of the tribe of King David, was the grandmother of the Virgin Mary,” is a ‘maybe’ based upon a Medieval legend that most likely has no more basis in historical fact than the legends of the Questing Beast, or Spencer’s Blatant Beast.
;’)
And the name of Noah’s wife has been found....Mrs. Noah!
I’m glad you picked that up. It amazes me how folks chase after legends with no connection to a primary source. The 14th Century? I could say Aunt Jemima was a great great grandmother of Jesus, with just as much authority as this case. There is no way to test it.
And I have on good authority she made some killer pancakes in her time.
HAH! Now we know you don’t know nothin’ ... Jemima made the syrup, her sister Jemina made the cakes! *mumble mumble mumble*
Okay, who are the other 3?
Correct, but I was feeling generous, and took it to mean “the tribe David belonged to”, the Tribe of Judah.
Correct. Tribe of Judah, House of David.
According to the imminent resource, Red Buttons, her name was Stephanie. He said so in one of his ‘never got a dinner’ presentations. [If you need to laugh until your stomach aches, youtube search for Red Buttons/Never Got A Dinner celebrity roasts. IIRC, Stephanie came up when the roast was of George Burns, or maybe it was Frank Sinatra.]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
