Familial Dimensions of Group Identity

Another article that might make up some interesting reading for the weekend, is this one written by Philip Harland:'Familial Dimensions of Group Identity (II):
“Mothers” and “Fathers” in Associations and
Synagogues of the Greek World,'Originally published in Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Period 38 (2007) 57-79. Reproduced here by permission His own Abstract runs like this:

"Fictive parental language (e.g. "mother of the synagogue" , "father of the association") has drawn limited attention within two scholarly circles, namely, those who study diaspora synagogues, on the one hand, and ancient historians, on the other. This article brings these two scholarly interests together and argues, based on inscriptional evidence, that parental metaphors were more widespread and significant in cities and associations of the Greek East than often acknowledged. Such terminology was an important way of expressing honour, hierarchy, and/or belonging within the association or community, and it could also pertain to functional leadership roles (rather than mere honorifics) in certain cases. The Jewish practice of calling figures "mother" or "father" of the synagogue can be better understood within this cultural framework and in relation to associations specifically."