Abstract

Abstract:

The potential for violence in the image of a sword passing through Mary’s self has rarely been explored in the history of interpretation. In this article, I argue for the recognition of the implications of violence in Luke 2:35, based on the references to swords in biblical and classical literature, the presence and participation of women in war in antiquity, and the victimization of women in defeat—a message pertinent to Luke’s four warnings of the destruction of Jerusalem. Mary’s sword offers the first intimation of the violence faced by mothers and children in Luke 13:34–35; 19:41–44; 21:20–24; and 23:28–31.

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