>> We could split out the common dependencies (Xerces, icu4j, junit, >> slf4j,log4j) into some module as a root dependency: e.g. jena-dependencies. > > -1
I agree with Thorsten that <dependencies>, as opposed to <dependencyManagement>, generally leads to grief in a parent. Have you looked into scope=pom for a dependency as a means of factoring out dependencies that isn't the one-and-only parent? I've never used it myself.
