Jephthah and Titus Manlius : two descriptions of the unspeakable as a sign of a (forgotten?) existential threat

Maver, Aleš (author), Vindiš, Mateja (author)

The focus of this paper is on two relatively well­known and high­profile texts (Judges11:30–40, and Livy, Ab Urbe Condita 8.6.15–8.8.1), which belong to different cultural circles and also to different time periods. They are linked by the problematic decision of a father to sacrifice a child, ostensibly for the benefit of the wider community. Although there are several features that (at times sharply) separate the two texts under discussion, it is nevertheless possible to find enough points of reference to draw parallels. The two narratives, that of the Hebrew judge Jephtah and his daughter, and that of the Roman politician Titus Manlius and his son, are set in a broader context in which two otherwise quite different communities are trying to reconstruct the period of their establishment, or rather their pioneering times. It can therefore be said that, despite similar starting points, the verdicts of the writers of the discussed texts are quite different. While the editor of the Book of Judges takes the death of Jephthah’s daughter primarily as a necessary step to avert a grave danger, even if he is somewhat uncomfortable, Livy, while mentioning “Manlius’ severity” as one of the models for the future, incorporates many elements of criticism of the consul’s actions. Perhaps this was also because Livy’s time and situation were nevertheless more remote from the existential hardships of early­Republic Rome than those of the final editor of the reports in the Book of Judges, who remembered very well the inglorious collapse of the monarchy under the Davidic dynasty.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Deuteronomistic historiography, ancient Roman republic, Book of Judges, human sacrifice, ancient Roman history
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 29.12.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 25-46
• Numbering: Letn. 7, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180589
• UDC: 821.124+821.14
• ISSN on article: 2670-6210
• DOI: 10.4312/clotho.7.2.25-46
• COBISS.SI-ID: 271282691
• Publication date in RUL: 11.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Clotho
• Publisher: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani, University of Ljubljana Press
• ISSN: 2670-6210
• COBISS.SI-ID: 300877824

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Jefte in Tit Manlij : dvoje opisov neizrekljivega kot znamenja (pozabljene?) eksistenčne grožnje

Abstract

Prispevek se osredotoča na dve razmeroma znani in odmevni be­sedili, ki pripadata različnima kulturnima krogoma in različnima časovnima obdobjema. Povezuje ju tema sporne odločitve očeta, da žrtvuje otroka, domnevno v dobro širše skupnosti. Čeprav obstajajo značilnosti, ki tukaj obravnavani besedili (mestoma ostro) ločujejo, je hkrati mogoče najti dovolj vstopnih točk za smiselno primerjavo. Obe pripovedi, o hebrejskem sodniku Jefteju in njegovi hčeri ter o rimskem politiku Manliju in njegovem sinu, sta postavljeni v širši kontekst, v katerem dve sicer različni skupnosti skušata rekonstruirati obdobje svoje vzpostavitve, bolje rečeno, svoje pionirsko obdobje. Kljub podobnim izhodiščem sta presoji piscev obravnavanih besedil različni. Medtem ko redaktor Knjige sodnikov smrt Jeftejeve hčere jemlje predvsem kot nujen korak za preprečitev hude nevarnosti, četudi mu je nekoliko nelagodno, Livij vključi številne elemente s kritiko konzulovega ravnanja, čeprav »Manlijevo strogost« omenja tudi kot enega od vzorcev za prihodnost. Morda tudi zato, ker sta bila Livijev čas in položaj vendarle bolj oddaljena z ozirom na eksistenčne stiske zgodnjega republikanskega Rima kot čas in položaj zadnjega urednika poročil v Knjigi sodnikov z ozirom na neslavni propad monarhije pod Davidovo dinastijo.

• Keywords: devteronomistično zgodovinopisje, rimska republika, Knjige sodnikov, žrtvovanje ljudi, rimska zgodovina, sveto pismo

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P6-0138
• Name: Preteklost severovzhodne Slovenije med slovenskimi zgodovinskimi deželami in v interakciji z evropskim sosedstvom

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J7-60128
• Name: AID HCH – Presežek pri razvoju humanistike in kulturne dediščine z umetno inteligenco