Investments (Gross Unrealized Losses on Investments, By Category and Length of Time) (Details) - Fixed Maturity Securities [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	$ 13,195,027	$ 13,944,810
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(454,013)	(646,288)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	1,368,974	676,956
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(130,705)	(199,057)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	14,564,001	14,621,766
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(584,718)	(845,345)
United States Government Full Faith and Credit [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	7,405	37,730
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(288)	(299)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	0	0
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	0	0
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	7,405	37,730
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(288)	(299)
United States Government Sponsored Agencies [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	995,548	957,053
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(46,913)	(14,409)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	0	0
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	0	0
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	995,548	957,053
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(46,913)	(14,409)
United States Municipalities, States and Territories [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	463,409	261,823
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(22,393)	(8,474)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	0	2,846
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	0	(154)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	463,409	264,669
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(22,393)	(8,628)
Foreign Government Obligations [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	29,158	42,966
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(913)	(1,762)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	20,388	15,463
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(4,167)	(9,173)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	49,546	58,429
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(5,080)	(10,935)
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	2,302,103	2,077,223
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(79,077)	(59,607)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	110,730	49,912
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(9,834)	(14,855)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	2,412,833	2,127,135
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(88,911)	(74,462)
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Manufacturing, Construction and Mining [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	2,556,147	3,517,967
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(74,144)	(246,456)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	702,978	376,229
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(74,382)	(131,003)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	3,259,125	3,894,196
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(148,526)	(377,459)
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Utilities and Related Sectors [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	1,605,742	2,240,652
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(53,055)	(138,940)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	196,085	97,184
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(16,208)	(22,565)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	1,801,827	2,337,836
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(69,263)	(161,505)
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Wholesale/Retail Trade [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	396,310	473,050
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(9,433)	(17,863)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	57,708	38,682
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(5,739)	(8,125)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	454,018	511,732
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(15,172)	(25,988)
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Services, Media and Other [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	857,515	1,037,011
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(35,107)	(39,937)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	132,170	32,050
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(11,794)	(3,073)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	989,685	1,069,061
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(46,901)	(43,010)
Corporate Securities [Member] \| Insurance [Member]
Held-to-maturity Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Held for investment, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	0	65,377
Held for investment, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	0	(11,245)
Held for investment, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	68,766	0
Held for investment, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(8,059)	0
Held for investment, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	68,766	65,377
Held for investment, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(8,059)	(11,245)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	81,762	162,770
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(3,463)	(2,958)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	1,853	6,438
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(91)	(531)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	83,615	169,208
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(3,554)	(3,489)
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	3,148,395	2,679,510
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(116,938)	(105,002)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	895	11,495
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(76)	(279)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	3,149,290	2,691,005
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	(117,014)	(105,281)
Other Asset Backed Securities [Member]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position [Abstract]
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, fair value	751,533	457,055
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, less than 12 months, unrealized losses	(12,289)	(10,581)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, fair value	146,167	46,657
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, 12 months or more, unrealized losses	(8,414)	(9,299)
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, fair value	897,700	503,712
Available for sale, continuous unrealized loss position, total, unrealized losses	$ (20,703)	$ (19,880)

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale that have been in a continuous loss position for twelve months or longer.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27290-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27337-111563

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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale in a continuous loss position.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27337-111563

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This item represents the aggregate fair value of investments in debt and equity securities in an unrealized loss position which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities.

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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale that have been in a continuous loss position for less than twelve months.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt securities classified as held-to-maturity in a continuous loss position.

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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt securities classified as held-to-maturity that have been in a continuous loss position for less than twelve months.

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This item represents the fair value of securities categorized as held-to-maturity securities that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for twelve months or longer.

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