Statement

Ironically, the ideology of martyrdom seems to have been shaped by the values of Christian society. A crusading knight could not count on coming home alive, and his participation was a sacrifice in both material and bodily terms; the pope promised an indulgence that would cleanse sins and bring reward in the afterlife. In that climate of religious sacrifice it may not have seemed so odd that Jews took up a similar ideal, if only to show that Judaism was no less than Christendom.

References

1. p. 197

   supports · main text · ch. 7

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

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2. p. 197

   supports · main text · ch. 7

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

   Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text