The Panthera Legend and the Conception of Jesus

This book presents the first-ever English-language book on the history of the Panthera legend– the idea that Jesus was conceived not by the Holy Spirit or even Joseph, but by a man named Panthera. This book examines how the legend of Panthera is deeply implicated in both rape culture and anti-Judaism, examining examples from the ancient Levant to medieval Europe, Nazi Germany, and contemporary North America. It explores the history and original sources of the legend, tracing the question of Mary’s consent (or lack thereof) with respect to Panthera’s sexual advances, and arguing this has become inextricable from Jewish-Christian polemics. Although the Panthera legend has been long associated with Jewish polemic against Christianity, this legend is better understood as the product of Christian doubt – such that Christians were placing their own apprehensions in the mouths of ancient Jews. Adding to the literature on the continued importance of Mary’s sexual history within religious traditions, the book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students of early Christianity, Biblical studies, Jewish-Christian relations, and gender studies in antiquity.