{"product_id":"the-most-precious-possession-9781433126147","title":"The Most Precious Possession","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFinding a precious object  a gem, a ring or a coin  inside the belly of a fish is a favorite motif in western literatures that can be traced back to the Greek historian Herodotus. In Herodotus' account of the rise and fall of the tyrant Polycrates of Samos, the hero cast his beloved ring, his most precious possession, into the sea in order to appease or fend off the gods' envy of his unstoppable successes, but was ultimately disappointed to discover that same ring inside a serving of fish that was placed before him to eat, thereby signaling the beginning of his tragic downfall. \u003ci\u003eThe Most Precious Possession: The Ring of Polycrates in Ancient Religious Narratives\u003c\/i\u003e examines variations on this motif as they appear in ancient religious texts, including the Gospel of Matthew, Jewish Midrash and Talmud, and Augustine's \u003ci\u003eCity of God\u003c\/i\u003e. It explores how the theme functions in relation to the authors' respective religious outlooks and literary objectives and what we can learn from these","brand":"Peter Lang Publishing Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51039571640663,"sku":"9781433126147","price":60.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781433126147.jpg?v=1750944131","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-most-precious-possession-9781433126147","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}