Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean » Christian origins and literature

Podcast 5.15: Jesus as a Messianic King?

Phil Harland — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Here I discuss first-century Judean concepts relating to an anointed one, or messiah, particularly a kingly messiah, and discuss contemporary figures who were viewed as kings. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.14: Jesus as a Messianic King? (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.15JesusAsAnointedKingOrMessiah.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Conference: Ancient Gospel or Modern Forgery? The Secret Gospel of Mark in Debate

Phil Harland — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:56:32 +0000

Tony Burke and I (Phil Harland) have been busy arranging a special colloquium on the Secret Gospel of Mark, to be held at York University in Toronto on Friday, April 29, 2011. We would like to invite scholars and students who are interested to attend. The public is also invited to the evening session.

For further information and registration go to: http://www.tonyburke.ca/yorkchristianpocrypha/

“Ancient Gospel or Modern Forgery? The Secret Gospel of Mark in Debate”

April 29, 2011, York University (Vanier College)

Scholarly Discussion (9 am-5 pm) and Public Debate (7-9 pm)

Featuring: Scott Brown, University of Toronto; Tony Burke, York University; Bruce Chilton, Bard College; Craig Evans, Acadia Divinity College; Phil Harland, York University; Charles Hedrick, Missouri State U.; Peter Jeffery, U. of Notre Dame; Marvin Meyer, Chapman University; Allan Pantuck, U. of California; Pierluigi Piovanelli, U. of Ottawa; Hershel Shanks, Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review

Tony Burke and I (Phil Harland) have been busy arranging a special colloquium on the Secret Gospel of Mark at York University (to be held Friday, April 29, 2011). We would like to invite scholars and students who are interested to attend. The public is also invited to the evening session.

Attached please find a poster which we would encourage you to print and post at your institution. Inquiries may be directed to pharland@yorku.ca

You can get further information at: http://www.tonyburke.ca/yorkchristianpocrypha/

Here is the information for the conference:

“Ancient Gospel or Modern Forgery? The Secret Gospel of Mark in Debate”

April 29, 2011, York University (Vanier College)

Scholarly Discussion (9 am-5 pm) and Public Debate (7-9 pm)

Featuring: Tony Burke and I (Phil Harland) have been busy arranging a special colloquium on the Secret Gospel of Mark at York University (to be held Friday, April 29, 2011). We would like to invite scholars and students who are interested to attend. The public is also invited to the evening session.

Attached please find a poster which we would encourage you to print and post at your institution. Inquiries may be directed to pharland@yorku.ca

You can get further information at: http://www.tonyburke.ca/yorkchristianpocrypha/

Here is the information for the conference:

“Ancient Gospel or Modern Forgery? The Secret Gospel of Mark in Debate”

April 29, 2011, York University (Vanier College)

Scholarly Discussion (9 am-5 pm) and Public Debate (7-9 pm)

Featuring: Scott Brown, University of Toronto; Tony Burke, York University; Bruce Chilton, Bard College; Craig Evans, Acadia Divinity College; Phil Harland, York University; Charles Hedrick, Missouri State U.; Peter Jeffery, U. of Notre Dame; Marvin Meyer, Chapman University; Allan Pantuck, U. of California; Pierluigi Piovanelli, U. of Ottawa; Hershel Shanks, Editor of Biblical Archaeology ReviewScott Brown, University of Toronto; Tony Burke, York University; Bruce Chilton, Bard College; Craig Evans, Acadia Divinity College; Phil Harland, York University; Charles Hedrick, Missouri State U.; Peter Jeffery, U. of Notre Dame; Marvin Meyer, Chapman University; Allan Pantuck, U. of California; Pierluigi Piovanelli, U. of Ottawa; Hershel Shanks, Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review

Podcast 5.14: Jesus as Prophet

Phil Harland — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:58:56 +0000

Here I discuss first-century Judean concepts of the prophet and place Jesus within the context of other contemporary figures who were viewed as prophets. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.14: Jesus as Prophet (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.14JesusAsProphet.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.13: Jesus as Healer and Exorcist

Phil Harland — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:59:05 +0000

Here I investigate the historical Jesus within the context of contemporaries who were viewed as healers and exorcists in Galilee and Judea. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.13: Jesus as Healer and Exorcist (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.13JesusAsHealerAndExorcist.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.12: Jesus as Teacher, part 2: Present or Future Kingdom?

Phil Harland — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:12:56 +0000

This is the second of two episodes that consider the historical Jesus in the role of teacher. Here I discuss evidence regarding Jesus’ conception of the “kingdom of God” and the scholarly debates regarding Jesus’ present or (imminent) future focus. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.12: Jesus as Teacher, part 2: Present or Future Kingdom? (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.12JesusAsTeacherPart2-PresentOrFutureKingdom.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.11: Jesus as Teacher, part 1 – Method and Content

Phil Harland — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:09:58 +0000

This and the following episode consider the historical Jesus in the role of teacher. Here I discuss the form or method of his instruction, and begin to introduce the centrality of the “Kingdom of God” to his teachings. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.11: Jesus as Teacher, part 1: Method and Content (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.11JesusAsTeacherPart1-FormAndContent.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.10: Jesus and his Mentor, John the Baptizer

Phil Harland — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:18:04 +0000

Here I consider evidence from Josephus and the Gospels regarding John the Baptist and his importance for studying the historical Jesus. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.10: Jesus and his Mentor, John the Baptizer (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.10JesusAndHisMentorJohnTheBaptizer.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.9: Jesus in the Context of Educated Groups and Leaders

Phil Harland — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:01:50 +0000

In order to provide a context for Jesus in the role of a teacher, here I discuss contemporary educated Judean groups and leaders, including Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and the Dead Sea sect. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.9: Jesus in the Context of Educated Groups and Leaders (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.9JesusAmongEducatedGroupsAndLeaders.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.8: Jesus, the Galilean and Judean

Phil Harland — Sat, 15 May 2010 11:36:10 +0000

Here I discuss Jesus as a Galilean and a Judean. I do so by looking at cultural life associated with the Jerusalem temple in the first century and the relations between cultures in Judea and Galilee. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.8: Jesus, the Galilean and Judean (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.8JesusTheGalileanAndJudean.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.7: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 2 – To the Time of Jesus

Phil Harland — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 23:15:47 +0000

Here I continue to place Jesus and Galilee within the broader context of Israelite history. This episode works through the Hellenistic and Roman periods, including the time of Jesus, and finishes with a discussion of social and economic life in first century Galilee and Judea. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.7: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 2 – To the Time of Jesus (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.7JesusGalileeAndIsraeliteHistoryPart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

BAR’s second handwriting expert goes the other way

Phil Harland — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:37:07 +0000

Timo S. Paananen’s blog now points us to the results for BAR‘s second handwriting expert. Apparently the expert failed to meet several deadlines and has not yet submitted a written report. Instead, through phone conversations he has communicated that he believes the Secret Gospel of Mark was forged by Morton Smith. One wonders whether we will ever have a sufficiently definitive answer regarding the Secret Gospel of Mark. This lack of clarity is very disappointing. I will need to wait and read the full written report from that handwriting expert (if he does indeed submit it). However, the reasoning of the expert as spelled out by Shanks in relation to phone conversations seems less than compelling as a definitive answer.

More on handwriting and the Secret Gospel of Mark: Probably not forged

Phil Harland — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:39:43 +0000

When it rains it pours. Biblical Archeology Review has hired an expert in Greek handwriting (Venetia Anastasopoulou) to offer her analysis of The Secret Gospel of Mark in relation to Morton Smith’s own handwriting. You can access the BAR article here and you can directly access the very substantial 39-page report here. Her main conclusion (p. 38) is as follows:

“OPINION

The following opinion is based upon an examination of the documents submitted to me for this purpose using the application of appropriate handwriting principles, and my experience and training as a forensic document and handwriting examiner. It is my professional opinion that the writers of the questioned document of “Secret Mark” on the document listed as Q1, Q2 an Q3 and Morton Smith’s handwriting on the documents listed as K1 – K27, are most probably not the same. Therefore it is highly probable that Morton Smith could not have simulated the document of “Secret Mark” .

QUALIFYING STATEMENT:

This opinion is based solely on the documents listed as having been examined. Due to the limitations imposed in examining document photographs, this opinion is highly probable. This opinion is subject to amendment if additional examinations are performed using additional exemplars which may exhibit evidence not observable in the documents upon which this opinion was based.”

As my review of Carlson’s book back in 2005 noted, the handwriting portion of his argument was among his strongest (the others seemed somewhat arbitrary to me). However, I felt there were some key shortcomings regarding Carlson’s handwriting analysis and I did not find his hoax theory convincing. Scott Brown and Pantuck’s recent post spelled out some other potential problems with Carlson’s approach, and now there is a properly trained expert in Greek handwriting who concludes that “it is highly probable that Morton Smith could not have simulated the document of ‘Secret Mark’” (p. 38).

Hopefully Stephen Carlson will offer his response to these developments, actively engaging the issues. Hopefully others who have invested interests in seeing this as a forgery will fully consider the evidence to the contrary.

I may post more once I’ve read through the whole report and through the recent article by Watson.

More on Stephen Carlson’s hand-writing analysis of the Secret Gospel of Mark

Phil Harland — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:23:03 +0000

Further to some of my comments back in 2005 (see my post: The Secret Gospel of Mark and Carlson’s The Gospel Hoax: Smoking gun?), Scott Brown and Allan Pantuck have now written a rather damaging critique of Stephen Carlson’s work on the handwriting analysis of the Secret Gospel of Mark.

Thanks to Tony Burke for pointing me to the post on Timo Paananen’s Salainan evankelista blog and to Allan Pantuck for sending me a copy of the article.

The Lost Tweets of Jesus

Phil Harland — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:23:01 +0000

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/460671/LostTweetsCyzewski.pdf

Podcast 5.6: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 1 – Until the Second Temple

Phil Harland — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:10:14 +0000

This and the following episode place Jesus and Galilee within the broader context of Israelite history. This episode begins with the Assyrian period (700s BCE) and concludes with the Persian period, with the construction of the second temple (ca. 500 BCE). This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.6: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 1 – Until the Second Temple (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.6JesusGalileeAndIsraeliteHistoryPart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.5: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 2 (Sanders)

Phil Harland — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:24:35 +0000

This is the second of two episodes that explore two contrasting scholarly portraits of the historical Jesus, those of John Dominic Crossan (Jesus as egalitarian peasant) and E.P. Sanders (Jesus as apocalyptic prophet). This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.5: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 2 (Sanders) (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.5ScholarlyPortraitsOfJesusPart2sanders.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.4: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 1 (Crossan)

Phil Harland — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:23:03 +0000

This and the following episode explore two contrasting scholarly portraits of the historical Jesus, those of John Dominic Crossan (Jesus as egalitarian peasant) and E.P. Sanders (Jesus as apocalyptic prophet). This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.4: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 1 (Crossan) (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.4ScholarlyPortraitsOfJesusPart1crossan.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.3: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 3

Phil Harland — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:39:39 +0000

This episode is the final of three that introduce key historical sources and problems in reconstructing the life of a peasant from Galilee, the historical Jesus. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.3: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 3 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.3StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart3.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.2: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 2

Phil Harland — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:16:58 +0000

This episode is the second of three that introduce key historical sources and problems in reconstructing the life of a peasant from Galilee, the historical Jesus. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.2: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.2StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 5.1: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 1

Phil Harland — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:19:54 +0000

This episode is the first of three that introduce key historical sources and problems in reconstructing the life of a peasant from Galilee, the historical Jesus. This is part of series 5 (The Historical Jesus in Context) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 5.1: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast5.1StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Historical Jesus and miracles – of course historians have to address miracles

Phil Harland — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:47:31 +0000

Over on the new Duke Newt, Maxim Cardew has an interesting post discussing how and whether the issue of “miracles” can be addressed in historical Jesus studies. I won’t take the time to fully engage the many issues Maxim raises in connection with Hume, Strauss, and others. What I want to state simply and clearly is: of course an historian has to deal with “miracles.” Who cares if this has to do with Jesus or with some other person or persons in another time period.

What I mean by that is that the historian of any period is focussed on understanding that particular period and the worldviews and practices of those living in that period (I would hope). So, for instance, an historian studying relics in medieval England or Europe would have a hard time if she wasn’t permitted to discuss the notion of “miracles” or “healings” as though this was historically off-bounds. In some respects, a person would be at a loss to explain things without the acknowledgment that the historical subjects in the medieval period did indeed believe that “miracles” took place and that there were people and objects with access to miraculous powers. Similarly, if one is studying Lucian of Samosata’s critique of Alexander of Abonuteichos (in the second century), the historian has to face the fact that Alexander was viewed by some as performing “miracles” even though some contemporaries like Lucian (in a Hume like fashion) called it all bunk. It even seems that Lucian is in the minority in rejecting Alexander’s supposed “miracles” (methinks he dost protest too much). So there’s another “miracle-worker” from the perspective of the historian.

It is one thing to say people in a period believed that such and such could perform miracles (that he or she was a “miracle-worker” or “healer” or “god” by reputation among contemporaries) and quite another to say that the miracles did happen and can be confirmed historically (not at all what the historian can do, in my opinion). To turn to the modern period, would an historian of modern Christianity not be allowed to designate Benny Hinn (spelling?) a “miracle-worker” or “healer” or whatever insofar as his followers believe he can perform “miracles” and he is perceived to be a “miracle-worker” (or have access to miraculous powers from God, or whatever) by some of his contemporaries. However, this is not to say that the “miracles” are real and that they really took place (I don’t always compare Jesus to Benny Hinn, so don’t worry).

The historian needs to deal with the fact that some contemporaries of Jesus believed that Jesus was a “miracle-worker” or “healer” (and we need to clearly define what we mean by those terms). To avoid the subject because we (the modern historians) know or think we know that “miracles” don’t exist will lead us towards historical misunderstanding. This is not to say that “miracles” exist for the historian (so Hume and Strauss can give a sigh of relief). Nonetheless “miracle-workers” exist for the historian if historical subjects have the category (or one like it) and apply it to another historical subject we are studying (e.g. Jesus).

To clarify, I do not believe that the statement “Jesus was perceived as a miracle-worker” or “Jesus performed miracles from the viewpoint of some of his contemporaries” is in the least bit theological or problematic for the historian. Historical Jesus researchers, just like historians of the Venerable Bede or Alexander of Abonuteichos, must deal with what they find in their sources and place that in cultural context, developing categories that work best for the period in question.

(We’ll see if this makes any sense in the morning — listening to Van Morrison’s Saint Dominic’s Preview with beer in hand here).

UPDATE: Maxim Cardew now has a second post further delving into the issue and clarifying Maxim’s points. By the way, my post was never meant as a “refutation”; moreso these were my midnight ramblings in connection with the issue of miracles and Jesus;) You may have noticed how much I avoided talking about Hume — he reminds me too much of my logic and argumentation course in second year undergrad (not that I have anything against logic).

Podcast series 5: The Historical Jesus in context

Phil Harland — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:46:32 +0000

All episodes and series in the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast are available on my podcast collection page on archive.org (in various file formats and sizes) and those already released are available under the podcast category on my own website here. This is one of several posts where I gather together each of the individual series in the podcast so that you can access or link to a specific topic.

This series has not yet been released in the official podcast feed and is not yet complete (one more episode to come). Here are the half-hour episodes (in mp3, about 40 MB each) in “The Historical Jesus in context” series in playable and downloadable formats:

Download audio file (Podcast5.1StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart1.mp3)
Podcast 5.1: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 1
Download (right click and choose “Save Link As…”)

Download audio file (Podcast5.2StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart2.mp3)
Podcast 5.2: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 2
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.3StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart3.mp3)
Podcast 5.3: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 3
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.4ScholarlyPortraitsOfJesusPart1crossan.mp3)
Podcast 5.4: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 1 – Crossan
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.5ScholarlyPortraitsOfJesusPart2sanders.mp3)
Podcast 5.5: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 2 – Sanders
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.6JesusGalileeAndIsraeliteHistoryPart1.mp3)
Podcast 5.6: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 1 – To the Second Temple
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.7JesusGalileeAndIsraeliteHistoryPart2.mp3)
Podcast 5.7: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 2 – To the Time of Jesus
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.8JesusTheGalileanAndJudean.mp3)
Podcast 5.8: Jesus, the Galilean and Judean
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.9JesusAmongEducatedGroupsAndLeaders.mp3)
Podcast 5.9: Jesus in the Context of Educated Groups and Leaders
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.10JesusAndHisMentorJohnTheBaptizer.mp3)
Podcast 5.10: Jesus and his Mentor, John the Baptizer
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.11JesusAsTeacherPart1-FormAndContent.mp3)
Podcast 5.11: Jesus as Teacher, part 1 – Method and Content
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.12JesusAsTeacherPart2-PresentOrFutureKingdom.mp3)
Podcast 5.12: Jesus as Teacher, part 2 – Present or Future Kingdom?
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.13JesusAsHealerAndExorcist.mp3)
Podcast 5.13: Jesus as Healer and Exorcist
Download

Download audio file (Podcast5.14JesusAsProphet.mp3)
Podcast 5.14: Jesus as Prophet
Download

One more episode (Jesus as Messiah?) to come.

For reading suggestions on this topic, please see the course outline.

Podcast series 3: Diversity in early Christianity: “Heresies” and struggles

Phil Harland — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:12:12 +0000

All episodes and series in my podcast (including some that are yet to be released) are available on my podcast collection page on archive.org (in various file formats and sizes) and those already released are available under the podcast category on my own website here. This is one of several posts where I gather together each of the individual series in the podcast so that you can access or link to a specific topic.

Here are all half-hour episodes (in mp3, about 40 MB each) in the “Diversity in early Christianity: “Heresies” and struggles” series (covering the early Christian apocrypha, Nag Hammadi documents, and other non-canonical materials) in playable and downloadable formats:

Download audio file (Podcast3.1DiversityAndJohnsOpponentsPart1.mp3)
Podcast 3.1: Introduction to Diversity – A Schism in John’s Community, part 1
Download (right click and choose “Save Link As…”)

Download audio file (Podcast3.2JohnsOpponentsPart2.mp3)
Podcast 3.2: A Schism in John’s Community, part 2
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.3IgnatiusOpponentsPart1.mp3)
Podcast 3.3: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.4IgnatiusOpponentsPart2.mp3)
Podcast 3.4: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius, part 2
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.5Diversity-CaseStudyOfAsiaMinor.mp3)
Podcast 3.5: Diversity in Asia Minor – A Regional Case Study
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.6IntroductionToTheSourcesForDiversity.mp3)
Podcast 3.6: Sources for the Study of Diversity – Gnostic, Apocryphal, Patristic
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.7JudeanFollowersOfJesusPart1-Ebionites.mp3)
Podcast 3.7: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 1 – Ebionites
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.8JudeanFollowersOfJesusPart2-Pseudo-clement.mp3)
Podcast 3.8: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 2 – Pseudo-Clement
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.9MarcionitesAndTheUnknownGod.mp3)
Podcast 3.9: Marcionites and the Unknown God
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.10IntroducingGnosticWorldviews.mp3)
Podcast 3.10 Introducing Gnostic Worldviews
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.11ApocryphonOfJohnPart1.mp3)
Podcast 3.11: Secret Book of John, part 1 – The Spiritual Realm
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.12ApocryphonOfJohnPart2.mp3)
Podcast 3.12: Secret Book of John, part 2 – Salvation from the Material Realm
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.13PlatonismAndTheSophiaOfJesusChrist.mp3)
Podcast 3.13: The Wisdom of Jesus Christ and Middle Platonism
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.14GospelOfPhilipPart1-IdeasOfSalvation.mp3)
Podcast 3.14: The Gospel of Philip, part 1 – Ideas of Salvation
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.15GospelOfPhilipPart2-InitiationRituals.mp3)
Podcast 3.15: The Gospel of Philip, part 2 – Ritual Enactments of Salvation
Download

Download audio file (Podcast3.16GospelOfMary.mp3)
Podcast 3.16: The Gospel of Mary – Secret Knowledge from the Ultimate Disciple
Download

For reading suggestions on this topic, please see the course outline.

Podcast series 2: Early Christian portraits of Jesus

Phil Harland — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:38:06 +0000

Here are all half-hour episodes (in mp3, about 40 MB each) in the “Early Christian portraits of Jesus” series in playable and downloadable formats:

Download audio file (Podcast2.1Introductiontothegospels.mp3)
Podcast 2.1: Introduction to the Gospels as Portraits of Jesus
Download (right click and choose “Save Link As…”)

Download audio file (Podcast2.2MarkPortraitJesuspart1.mp3)
Podcast 2.2: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son (part 1)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.3MarkPortraitJesuspart2.mp3)
Podcast 2.3: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son (part 2)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.4MatthewPortraitJesuspart1.mp3)
Podcast 2.4: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses (part 1)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.5MatthewPortraitJesuspart2.mp3)
Podcast 2.5: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses (part 2)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.6LukePortraitJesuspart1.mp3)
Podcast 2.6: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah (part 1)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.7LukePortraitJesuspart2.mp3)
Podcast 2.7: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah (part 2)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.8JohnPortraitJesuspart1.mp3)
Podcast 2.8: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word (part 1)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.9JohnPortraitJesuspart2.mp3)
Podcast 2.9: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word (part 2)
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.10-HebrewsPortraitOfJesusPart1.mp3)
Podcast 2.10: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Melchizedek, part 1
Download

Download audio file (Podcast2.11-HebrewsPortraitOfJesusPart2.mp3)
Podcast 2.11: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Melchizedek, part 2
Download

For reading suggestions on this topic, please see the course outline.

Tony B. on the legend of Judas Iscariot’s 30 pieces of silver

Phil Harland — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:04:02 +0000

Tony Burke has provided an online translation of the legend of Judas’ 30 pieces of silver. Tony and another scholar in Slovakia have been working on the manuscripts and on creating a critical edition.

Podcast 3.16: The Gospel of Mary – Secret Knowledge from the Ultimate Disciple

Phil Harland — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:44:29 +0000

Here I discuss this dialogue gospel in which Mary Magdalene is presented as Jesus’ favourite disciple and the instructor of true knowledge. I explore notions of salvation in terms of the ascent of the soul, as well as the way in which this writing reflects struggles among different groups of Jesus-followers. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.16: The Gospel of Mary – Secret Knowledge from the Ultimate Disciple (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.16GospelOfMary.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.15: The Gospel of Philip, part 2 – Ritual Enactments of Salvation

Phil Harland — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:47:22 +0000

Here I finish the discussion of the Gospel of Philip by focusing on the way in which notions of salvation were enacted in the practices of the followers of Jesus who used this writing. In particular, rituals such as the “bridal chamber” illustrate the connections between sex (as a metaphor) and salvation in the mindset of this author. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.15: The Gospel of Philip, part 2 – Ritual Enactments of Salvation (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.15GospelOfPhilipPart2-InitiationRituals.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.14: The Gospel of Philip, part 1 – Ideas of Salvation

Phil Harland — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:42:25 +0000

Here I discuss the Gospel of Philip (perhaps best known in connection with the Da Vinci Code). This episode deals with the author’s worldview and ideas about the condition of humanity, preparing the way for a second episode on the practices and rituals that enacted salvation. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.14: The Gospel of Philip, part 1 – Ideas of Salvation (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.14GospelOfPhilipPart1-IdeasOfSalvation.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.13: The Wisdom of Jesus Christ and Middle Platonism

Phil Harland — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:38:12 +0000

Here I use two related Nag Hammadi writings — Eugnostos the Blessed and The Sophia of Jesus Christ — as a window into forms of Christianity that were heavily influenced by Middle Platonic philosophy, particularly in regard to cosmology and the divine Triad. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.13: The Wisdom of Jesus Christ and Middle Platonism (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.13PlatonismAndTheSophiaOfJesusChrist.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.12: Secret Book of John, part 2 – Salvation from the Material Realm

Phil Harland — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:58:55 +0000

Here I continue to explain the worldview of the Apocryphon of John, particularly its notions regarding the material realm, the inferior creator god (demiurge), and salvation from this realm. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.12: Secret Book of John, part 2 – Salvation from the Material Realm (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.12ApocryphonOfJohnPart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.11: Secret Book of John, part 1 – The Spiritual Realm

Phil Harland — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:22:26 +0000

Here I begin to explain the worldview of the Apocryphon of John, one of the Nag Hammadi writings (part 1 of 2). Like other writings in that collection, this author makes a clear distinction between the perfect spiritual realm, also known as the “fullness”, and an inferior material realm created by a jealous god or “ruler” (archon). In this episode I describe the perfect spiritual realm and the process of emanations from the perfect “Invisible Spirit” or “Father”. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.11: Secret Book of John, part 1 – The Spiritual Realm (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.11ApocryphonOfJohnPart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.10: Introducing Gnostic Worldviews

Phil Harland — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:04:58 +0000

Here I set the stage for the study of specific Nag Hammadi and related writings by outlining in broad terms some common denominators in the worldviews traditionally labeled “gnostic”. This includes discussion of the Middle Platonic assumptions of many authors. I also deal with the importance of knowledge (gnosis) in the understanding of how salvation from the material realm, which was created by an inferior god, takes place. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.10: Introducing Gnostic Worldviews (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.10IntroducingGnosticWorldviews.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.9: Marcionites and the Unknown God

Phil Harland — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:40:23 +0000

Here I explore Marcionite forms of Christianity, which contrast significantly to the Judean forms discussed in the previous episode. Followers of Marcion believed that the legalistic God of the Hebrew Bible was to be distinguished from the loving, unknown Father-God who sent Jesus, and that Law was opposed to Gospel. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.9: Marcionites and the Unknown God (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.9MarcionitesAndTheUnknownGod.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.8: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 2 – Pseudo-Clement

Phil Harland — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:58:03 +0000

Here I continue to explore Jewish followers of Jesus by examining key passages in an apocryphal novel attributed to Clement of Rome, also known as the Pseudo-Clementine writings. In particular, an opening letter claiming to be written by Peter to James and the story of Peter’s debates with Simon Magus (a cipher for Paul) provide glimpses into struggles between Jewish followers of Jesus and others, including Pauline forms of Christianity. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.8: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 2 – Pseudo-Clementine Writings (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.8JudeanFollowersOfJesusPart2-Pseudo-clement.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

“The Historical Jesus in Context” podcast episodes and the strike

Phil Harland — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:16:39 +0000

A very long strike has come to an end and my students have a test to be written soon after they return (the second week back, Thursday February 12 at 8:30am, to be precise). A proposed revised syllabus for HUMA 2830 is now posted for discussion.

In an effort to help them in preparing for that and in refreshing their memories, I have been working hard on preparing as many podcast episodes as possible based on the lectures earlier this Fall, and have made only minor progress (it takes some time in editing and introducing each episode). I am not completely happy with the shape of these episodes, but they are at least something. One thing I do really like for sure is the opening music I am using, which is “Paradise Lost” by Namgyal Lhamo of Tibet (used under a creative commons-type license from “Podsafe audio”).

The podcast series will be “The Historical Jesus in Context” and below is a preview of the first 13 six, ten or so episodes, each of them about 30 minutes long (to be officially released in 2010 — I’ll see if I can prepare more and add them to this post soon):

Download audio file (Podcast4.1StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart1.mp3)
Podcast 5.1: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 1

Download audio file (Podcast4.2StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart2.mp3)
Podcast 5.2: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 2

Download audio file (Podcast4.3StudyingTheHistoricalJesus-SourcesAndProblemsPart3.mp3)
Podcast 5.3: Studying the Historical Jesus – Sources and Problems, part 3

Download audio file (Podcast4.4ScholarlyPortraitsOfJesusPart1crossan.mp3)
Podcast 5.4: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 1 – Crossan

Download audio file (Podcast4.5ScholarlyPortraitsOfJesusPart2sanders.mp3)
Podcast 5.5: Scholarly Portraits of the Historical Jesus, part 2 – Sanders

Download audio file (Podcast4.6JesusGalileeAndIsraeliteHistoryPart1.mp3)
Podcast 5.6: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 1 – To the Second Temple

Download audio file (Podcast4.7JesusGalileeAndIsraeliteHistoryPart2.mp3)
Podcast 5.7: Jesus, Galilee, and Israelite History, part 2 – To the Time of Jesus

Download audio file (Podcast4.8JesusTheGalileanAndJudean.mp3)
Podcast 5.8: Jesus, the Galilean and Judean

Download audio file (Podcast4.9JesusAmongEducatedGroupsAndLeaders.mp3)
Podcast 5.9: Jesus in the Context of Educated Groups and Leaders

Download audio file (Podcast4.10JesusAndHisMentorJohnTheBaptizer.mp3)
Podcast 5.10: Jesus and his Mentor, John the Baptizer

Download audio file (Podcast4.11JesusAsTeacherPart1-FormAndContent.mp3)
Podcast 5.11: Jesus as Teacher, part 1 – Method and Content

Download audio file (Podcast4.12JesusAsTeacherPart2-PresentOrFutureKingdom.mp3)
Podcast 5.12: Jesus as Teacher, part 2 – Present or Future Kingdom?

Download audio file (Podcast4.13JesusAsHealerAndExorcist.mp3)
Podcast 5.13: Jesus as Healer and Exorcist

Download audio file (Podcast4.14JesusAsProphet.mp3)
Podcast 5.14: Jesus as Prophet

UPDATE: There is just one more episode to edit in this series (on the role of Messiah). I have changed this to series five (rather than four), since series four will be “Honouring the Gods in the Ancient Mediterranean” (on Greco-Roman religions generally).

New Podcast: From Israelite to Jew, by Michael Satlow (Brown U.)

Phil Harland — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:02:05 +0000

Michael Satlow (an associate professor at Brown University) now has a very well-done podcast on cultural and religious developments in Israel and Judah from the Israelite period on, entitled “From Israelite to Jew”. Besides being very informative, the recordings themselves are very clear and well-edited (sounds like he’s working from a well-prepared script). So far there are four episodes, which you can access on his blog here or on archive.org here (it is also available through iTunes).

Podcast 3.7: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 1 – Ebionites

Phil Harland — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:51:15 +0000

Beginning with James the brother of Jesus and the Jerusalem church, here I trace evidence for Judean followers of Jesus and discuss their gradual marginalization. In particular, I focus attention on Jewish-Christian groups that the patristic sources (e.g. Irenaeus, Epiphanius) label “the Ebionites”, or “poor ones”. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.7: Jewish Followers of Jesus, part 1 – Ebionites (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.7JudeanFollowersOfJesusPart1-Ebionites.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.6: Sources for the Study of Diversity – Gnostic, Apocryphal, Patristic

Phil Harland — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:32:50 +0000

Here I sketch out our main sources for the study of various Christian groups or “heresies” in the second and third centuries, including discussion of the early Christian Apocrypha, the Nag Hammadi writings (associated with “gnosticism”), and the Church Fathers. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.6: Sources for the Study of Diversity – Gnostic, Apocryphal, Patristic (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.6IntroductionToTheSourcesForDiversity.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Podcast 3.5: Diversity in Asia Minor – A Regional Case Study

Phil Harland — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:53:50 +0000

Here I use the region of Asia Minor (Turkey) as a case study that allows me to outline various strands and styles within Christianity in the first and second centuries. I then go on to outline our approach to studying the worldviews and practices of Christian groups and “heresies”. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.5: Diversity in Asia Minor – A Regional Case Study (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options ).
Download audio file (Podcast3.5Diversity-CaseStudyOfAsiaMinor.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Resurrecting EarlyChristianWritings.com and EarlyJewishWritings.com

Phil Harland — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:50:29 +0000

A reader of this blog (whose comment I by accident deleted rather than approved) recently reminded me that we can still access both earlychristianwritings.com and earlyjewishwritings.com using the Way Back Machine on Archive.org. There are various snapshots of the sites to choose from, with the most successful and complete ones for me being:

http://web.archive.org:80/web/20060131092132/http://www.earlychristianwritings.com

http://web.archive.org/web/20070611063719/http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/

This will certainly help since I included some readings from these sites in my course outline for the upcoming Winter term (assuming that the York U. strike gets solved before January!).

Podcast 3.4: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius, part 2

Phil Harland — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:21:03 +0000

Here I discuss Ignatius’ Judaizing opponents, who advocated certain Jewish beliefs and practices. I also deal with Ignatius’ strategies in combating groups he considered heretical. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.4: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.4IgnatiusOpponentsPart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Angel-loving association cancelled – A new reading of an often cited inscription from Asia Minor

Phil Harland — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:19:52 +0000

The availability of the journal Epigraphica Anatolica online is already paying off! There you will find a new article which has some notable repercussions not only for the study of associations in Asia Minor but also for the study of the opponents of Colossians: Hasan Malay, “ΦΙΛΑΝΠΙΛΟΙ in Phrygia and Lydia,” Epigraphica Anatolica 38 (2005) 42–44.

Back in 1980/81, A.R.R. Sheppard published a little inscription (from near Kotiaion) involving Holiness and Justice, two personifications that were commonly honoured in certain areas of Phrygia and Lydia (“Pagan Cults of Angels in Roman Asia Minor,” Talanta 12-13 [1980-81]: 77-101 = SEG 31 1130). The more exciting element in the inscription was the apparent reference to non-Christians or non-Judeans who devoted themselves in some way to “angels”, which was based on Sheppard’s reading: ΦΙΛΑΝΓΕΛΩΝ (“Friends-of-angels”). Sheppard’s translation of the inscription was as follows:

“Aur(elius) … the Association of Friends of the Angels (made) a vow to Holiness and Justice”.

Sheppard suggested that this involved “pagans” who had some contact with the Jewish notion of angels. Sheppard’s reading of the inscription was also discussed in New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity, vol. 6, number 31.

This idea that there were “pagans” devoted to divine messengers or “angels” then became background for some New Testament scholars who were sorting out the “philosophy” combated by the author of Colossians (2:8-23), particularly the reference to the “worship of angels” (2:18). Clinton Arnold’s theory regarding the opponents of Colossians, for instance, drew attention to the importance of angels in Asia Minor not only among diaspora Judeans but also among pagans, such that we could speak of a common folk practice in this region. He suggested that the opponents were practicing the (magical) invocation of angels for protection and that this reflected both the Judean and pagan devotion to angels in Asia Minor specifically (see Clinton Arnold, The Colossian Syncretism: The Interface between Christianity and Folk Belief at Colossae [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996]).

However, Malay’s recent study of this particular inscription has shown that Sheppard likely misread a key letter here (what a difference one letter can make). What Sheppard read as a “gamma”, Malay now says is surely a “pi”, which leaves us with ΦΙΛΑΝΠΙΛΟΙ, “Friends-of-the-vine” or “Vine-lovers”, and no angels at all in this inscription.

Malay publishes another inscription which confirms the existence of associations devoted to the vine, in other words relating to wine production and/or consumption, in the same region (in this case from nearby Katakekaumene, now in the Manisa Museum, dating 161/2 CE):

“To the Good Fortune! In the year 192, on the fourth day of the month Peritios, New Lovers of Vine (φιλάνπιλοι) set this up as a vow to Mother Leto on account of their own salvation.”

The meeting of the association of friend-of-angels is apparently canceled.

Podcast 3.3: Docetic and Judaizing Opponents of Ignatius, part 1

Phil Harland — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:31:57 +0000

There are two main groups of opponents combated by Ignatius of Antioch in his letters to followers of Jesus in Asia Minor: Docetic and Judaizing opponents (part 1 of 2). This episode introduces Ignatius (who wrote in the early second century) and explains the position of his docetic opponents, who thought that Jesus only appeared to be human when in fact he was a divine being. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.3: Docetic and ‘Judaizing’ Opponents of Ignatius, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.3IgnatiusOpponentsPart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Biblical Studies Carnival 35

Phil Harland — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:01:24 +0000

The latest biblical studies carnival XXXV has been posted over at Abnormal Interests, and it is very well-done.

Patristics Carnival 16

Phil Harland — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:32:42 +0000

Phil Snider has posted the latest Patristics Carnival XVI covering September.

Podcast 3.2: A Schism in John’s Community, part 2

Phil Harland — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:46:55 +0000

Here I continue to consider the opponents in John’s epistles (part 2 of 2). These epistles provide evidence of an early Christian schism over how to view Jesus’ humanity. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.2: A Schism in John’s Community, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.2JohnsOpponentsPart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

Tony Burke’s excellent piece on “Heresy Hunting in the New Millenium”

Phil Harland — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:28:36 +0000

You’d think that by hanging around a guy on a regular basis, you might hear it from him that he has a new article out. I only now discovered for myself (via a comment on Bill Arnal’s facebook page) that Tony Burke has an excellent piece on the parallels between the techniques of ancient and modern apologists in attacking perceived heresies: “Heresy Hunting in the New Millenium,” SBL Forum (October 2008). Besides hitting the nail on the head, it’s a great read.

UPDATE: Tony may well counter: You’d think that a guy that pretends to show interest in another’s scholarship would actually look at his blog (Tony has noted the article on his own blog, where there’s also a new post on the childhood of Jesus).

UPDATE (Oct 16): Tony now has a response to Rob Bowman’s critique of Tony’s heresy hunting article.

Ballparking the historical Jesus – The importance of context

Phil Harland — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:53:16 +0000

In my previous posts on the historical Jesus, I have stressed the difficulties modern historians face in reconstructing this first century peasant or in being precise about what exactly the peasant of Galilee did or said. The limits of historical method and the scholarly choices that are involved every step of the way help to explain why solid scholars such as E.P. Sanders and John Dominic Crossan come up with quite different results in their attempts to say something about the historical Jesus. (I hope to return to these guys in another post).

When it comes down to it, one could say that what we know with a relatively high level of probability using historical approaches are two specific things: that there is a very high likelihood that Jesus was executed by crucifixion under Pilate and that Jesus was probably baptized by John the immerser. There are, of course, important corollaries to these two items that allow us to go further. Yet, beyond such historically secure statements, it is difficult to be precise about sayings and actions of Jesus from an historical perspective. Some things may be more securely probable or likely than others, but we are dealing with less secure items the rest of the way in the search for the historical Jesus. What one scholar considers to be a more likely case of an authentic saying or action of Jesus, another will consider probably a product of an early Christian author, and therefore inauthentic. Modern historical methods are limited in what they can tell us about a specific person living two thousand years ago, and our ancient sources have interests other than historical reporting.

As the title to my post puts it, we are in some sense better off admitting that we can only (carefully) ballpark it when it comes to evaluating many aspects of the historical Jesus. What I mean by “ballparking it” here is that we can gain a relatively good picture of some aspects of the social, economic, and cultural contexts in which the peasant Jesus was active, and we can know with some degree of likelihood about some of Jesus’ contemporaries in the context of Galilee and Judea. We can construct a likely picture of the overall ballpark or range of possibilities within which to place the figure of Jesus — a first century Galilean ballpark set within the Roman empire.

View Larger Map
(The Galilean ballpark)

A typical student in a second year course or your average Jane-blog-reader may know very little about ancient history. They may know even less about the Mediterranean world as a whole in that ancient period. They may know even less about what was going on in Israel in the first century, and still less about what it was like in the region of Galilee or in some village like Nazareth. Then there’s the question of whether one’s limited knowledge is focussed on what we moderns distinguish as geography, politics, economics, society, or culture. The thing to teach here, I would suggest, is the ballpark (itself hard to recreate using historical methods) in which to plot out the various possibilities for a peasant like Jesus. If we spend considerable time studying the world in which Jesus lived, through both literary and archeological evidence, and focus our attention on studying other near-contemporaries of Jesus who produced writings or who left behind artefacts, then we can get quite a bit closer to the ballpark in which Jesus played.

Biblical Studies Carnival 34

Phil Harland — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:18:19 +0000

Doug Chaplin has done an excellent job on the most recent Biblical Studies Carnival XXXIV.

Podcast 3.1: Introduction to Diversity – A Schism in John’s Community, part 1

Phil Harland — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:34:07 +0000

Here I delve into the issue of diversity in early Christianity by using the opponents in John’s epistles as a starting point (part 1 of 2). These epistles provide evidence of an early Christian schism over how to view Jesus’ humanity. This is part of series 3 (“Diversity in Early Christianity: ‘Heresies’ and Struggles”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 3.1: Introduction to Diversity – A Schism in John’s Community, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast3.1DiversityAndJohnsOpponentsPart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music.

A second highly probable thing about the historical Jesus: Immersion by John the Baptizer

Phil Harland — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:05:57 +0000

My previous discussion of Tacitus and Josephus concluded with the observation that the execution of Jesus under the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate is one of the most secure things we can know about the peasant from Nazareth with a high degree of probability using modern historical methods. This is because reference to the execution is attested in multiple, independent sources (criterion of multiple, independent attestation), including sources which refer to Jesus only incidentally, as an aside. Historical methods are limited in what they can reveal to us, particularly in the case of ancient history and especially in the case of studying an obscure Galilean villager who lived two thousand years ago (our knowledge of Galilee is quite limited, let alone our knowledge of an individual living there). When historical approaches can reveal something to us, it is only with certain levels of likelihood or probability, not certainty or “truth.” So cases of “high probability” that x or y happened are the best you can get in doing history (in the modern sense).

(Joachim Patenier, The Baptism of Christ [1515; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna])

A second highly probable thing about Jesus accessible through historical methods is his immersion or baptism by John the Baptist. Scholars of early Christianity have developed a set of criteria for establishing the historical “authenticity” of particular activities or sayings attributed to Jesus in our sources, and multiple attestation is an important one. Another is known as the criterion of embarrassment. The principle here is: if a source reports some incident or saying even though the author of that source was hesitant about reporting it and somewhat embarrassed by the incident or saying, that author is not likely to have completely made up that incident or saying. On the other hand, the author in question could have simply omitted it to avoid any difficulty. In other words, when our sources report something in a round about way that reveals some embarrassment, there is a higher likelihood that it actually did happen.

One of the most illustrative cases in which this criterion plays a key role relates to the immersion of Jesus by John the Baptizer. The actual incident of Jesus being baptized in this case is attested in the gospel of Mark and in both Matthew and Luke. However, if one is using the two-source hypothesis, this would entail only one independent source for the incident, since Matthew and Luke are here drawing their material from Mark, the earliest ancient biography of Jesus. The Gospel of John completely omits the baptism itself and the Q-sayings source may or may not have included the actual baptism (Q did have material about John the Baptist and Jesus interacting). The so-called Gospel of the Hebrews and Gospel of the Nazoreans each report the immersion, so they may or may not (depending on their reliance on the synoptic traditions) supply further independent attestation. So the criterion of multiple attestation is not much help here.

This is where evidence of embarrassment comes in handy for the historian. The way that New Testament scholars explain this is that the embarrassment arises from the implications of a superior teacher or mentor in relation to an inferior student or protégé. At the time when the authors of the synoptics were writing (late first century) there were apparently still groups of followers of John the Baptizer (cf. Acts 19:1-7), which might raise the question: why not join a movement devoted to the superior baptizer rather the inferior baptized one. An early follower of Jesus might be concerned to assert that Jesus is superior to John the Baptist, even though Jesus’ baptism by John might imply otherwise.

Each of the gospels deals with this in different ways. The earliest, Mark, presents a saying in which John explicitly identifies his inferiority to Jesus, in terms of not being worthy to even undo Jesus’ sandals, and a dove, interpreted as the Spirit, confirms Jesus special status (Mk 1:7-11). Mathew uses Mark but adds in a further interchange in which John tries to prevent Jesus from being baptized by him, which would imply Jesus’ inferiority, but Jesus gives the green-light in terms of “fulfilling righteousness” (Mt 3:13-15). Luke goes about dealing with the embarrassment in an interesting way. Mark, Luke’s source, has that Jesus was “baptized by John in the Jordan” but Luke takes out John here and changes the phraseology so that there’s an ambiguity about who exactly baptized Jesus: “when Jesus also had been baptized… ” (Lk 3:21-22).

Finally, the Gospel of John (1:29-34) is usually out in left-field in comparison to the synoptic gospels, but the material on John the Baptist and Jesus is one of the very few cross-overs. How does the author of the gospel of John show what scholars call “embarrassment” here? The gospel of John omits the baptism of Jesus altogether but still presents John’s proclamations about the superiority of Jesus (e.g. the “Lamb of God” that takes away the sins of the world) and the descent of the dove indicating Jesus’ special status.

So all of our sources for the relation between John the Baptist and Jesus reveal what could be called an embarrassment at the implications of the baptism itself, one gospel to the point of omitting the immersion altogether. Mark, Matthew, and Luke could have likewise simply omitted this incident to avoid having to explain, but they included it despite their embarrassment. It is highly unlikely that the authors of these sources made up the baptism, and in historical terms it is highly probable that Jesus was actually baptized by John the Baptist. There are important corollaries of this piece of information, particularly relating to the apocalyptic worldview of John the Baptist, but I’ll have to save those for another post.

Non-Christian sources for the study of the historical Jesus: Josephus and Tacitus on the execution of Jesus

Phil Harland — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:12:15 +0000

One of the frustrating things about studying ancient history is the very limited nature of our sources, both in terms of quantity (only bits and pieces have come down to us) and in terms of quality. What I mean by quality is reliable and verifiable historical information (in a modern historian’s terms) regarding the figures and incidents literary sources describe. What the ancients were interested in telling us is seldom what a modern historian wants to know.

This also holds for the study of the historical Jesus, an obscure peasant from Nazareth in Galilee. Archeology is indispensable in providing insights into the cultural context of that peasant, but does little for solving details about what that figure said or did. When it comes down to it, the ancient biographies known as the gospels (e.g. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) remain our principal source of evidence, along with other more recently discovered writings (e.g. The Gospel of Thomas). Yet the authors of ancient biographies, or “lives” (bioi), had very little interest in what a modern historian looks for in studying a figure of the past. The ancient “lives” of Jesus were instead very interested in explaining what they thought the meaning of Jesus was for those who wished to follow him, and in promoting their own particular takes on that figure’s significance.

What would help in this situation would be some non-Christian sources regarding Jesus which could be carefully compared with these ancient, insider “lives” of Jesus in order to assist the historian in reconstructing with some level of probability a picture of the historical Jesus or of certain aspects of his life. Such sources are few and far between, so it’s important to note the ones we have.

There are two main sources which I want to mention, one by a Judean author from a priestly family in Jerusalem (Josephus) who wrote in the last decades of the first century, and another by an upper class Roman imperial official (Tacitus) who wrote in the early second. Neither author cared much about Jesus, but each happens to mention something about Jesus nonetheless.

SOURCE 1: Josephus wrote several works, the most important of which were the Judean War (written in the decade following the destruction of the temple in 70 CE) and Judean Antiquities (written in the 90s CE). Josephus’ works (as well as some scholarly studies) are available online at the Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement (PACE) site. Figures related in some way to Jesus incidentally get mentioned three times in Judean Antiquities, including John the Baptist (Ant. 18.116-119), James (Ant. 20.200-201), and Jesus himself, who gets mentioned in one of the most important and controversial passages in all of Josephus’ writings (Ant. 18.63-64).

This passage is controversial because virtually all scholars agree that the text as it now stands (see below, including the strike-throughs) does not make sense as something Josephus would write: namely, there are no other signs anywhere in Josephus that suggest that he believed Jesus was an anointed one sent by God (“messiah”). Josephus is actually averse to any claims that average peasants or anyone other than a member of the elite was a messiah or king or worthy of some leadership position.

A very few scholars suggest that the whole passage was later inserted into a copy of Josephus which then got re-copied and ended up in copies that have survived into the modern period. Many other scholars would suggest that the passage was originally in Josephus’ book, but that someone (a Christian scribe) tampered with the passage and tweaked it significantly to make it sound like Josephus thought Jesus was absolutely wonderful, as though Josephus were actually a follower of Jesus. John P. Meier has done a good job of assessing the passage and in offering what seems a likely scenario of what was added in and what, therefore, should be struck-out in using the passage to study the historical Jesus :

At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one should call him a man. For he was a doer of startling deeds, a teacher of people who receive truth with pleasure. And he gained a following both among many Jews and among many of Greek origin. He was the Messiah. And when Pilate, because of an accusation made by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, those who had loved him previously did not cease to do so. For he appeared to them on the third day, living again, just as the divine prophets had spoken of these and countless other wondrous things about him. And up until this very day the tribe of Christians, named after him, has not died out. (Ant. 18.63-64; translation by John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus [New York: Doubleday, 1991], vol. 1, p. 60; bold and strike-throughs mine).

This scenario is also supported by an Arabic version of this same passage in Josephus, which does not have the struck-through material and instead has similar material grouped at the end of the passage, suggesting that the Christian-sounding material is not original.

(Peter Paul Rubens, The Raising of the Cross (1620; Louvre)

SOURCE 2: Much more could of course be said about this passage in Josephus, but for now let’s move on to the second important non-Christian source pertaining to Jesus. Tacitus was a member of the imperial elite and senator, active in Rome, whose official positions included Roman governor of the province of Asia at one point (in 112-113 CE). In the early second century, Tacitus wrote a history of the Roman emperors of the first century, known as Annals (written in the early second century). There he deals with Nero’s time as emperor (54-68 CE). Tacitus, by the way, does not like Nero at all, but he’s safe since Nero died several decades earlier, and few of the imperial elite of Tacitus’ time looked back fondly on Nero. Tacitus’ works are available online on the Project Gutenberg site. There’s a short biography here.

Tacitus mentions that a fire engulfed a particular neighbourhood of the city of Rome, a neighbourhood that was slotted for heavy rebuilding by Nero. So, rumours began to spread that Nero himself had his men set the fire to clear the area and speed up the renovations. Nero’s response? Find someone to blame and quickly. He chose followers of Jesus since, he heard through some source, they were sometimes disliked and viewed as anti-social. Here is the passage from Annals 15.38 and 44:

(15.38) A disaster followed, whether accidental or treacherously contrived by the emperor, is uncertain, as authors have given both accounts, worse, however, and more dreadful than any which have ever happened to this city by the violence of fire. . . (15.44) But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man’s cruelty, that they were being destroyed (Tacitus, Annals, 15.38-44; trans. by A.J. Church and W.J. Brodribb, The Annals by Tacitus [London, New York: Macmillan, 1877]; public domain; bold mine).

SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS: There are many historical issues that could be explored both in Josephus and in Tacitus. (On Tacitus and persecution, see my earlier post on the atheistic Christians). But what is the primary significance of these passages for study of the historical Jesus? These sources coincide with a claim made in the gospels, the claim that Jesus was executed in Judea with the most severe form of punishment available for criminals, crucifixion, and that this took place in connection with the Roman imperial official Pontius Pilate. So we have multiple sources, some non-Christian, that confirm this aspect of what happened to the peasant named Jesus. Multiple attestation is always a key criterion in historical reconstructions (and in gospel studies, by the way). This is the most reliable thing we know — using limited, modern historical methods — regarding that figure, Jesus.

I will soon return to a second key item that scores high on the scale of probability for modern historians: the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, which has other significant corollaries regarding the peasant Jesus.

UPDATE: For those interested in reading further on some debates regarding the Josephus passage (the so called Testimonium Flavianum) on other blogs, see Stephen Carlson’s Testimonium Flavianum Series.

Did the peasant Jesus ignore Judean ritual laws? Crossan’s answer

Phil Harland — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:37:46 +0000

As I’m preparing to introduce second year students to the study of the historical Jesus, I am trying to pinpoint key issues and differences among scholars in order to highlight the problems in getting at that Galilean peasant. Soon enough, I’ll come to scholars (e.g. E.P. Sanders) who might point to the ways in which the Galilean Jesus was concerned to observe the Judean (Jewish) practices outlined in the Torah or Law, including some or most of its ritual observances. The proposal there would be that the difference between Jesus and many of his contemporaries was in the interpretation or application of those ritual laws, not in whether they were valid or not.

As I’m re-reading John Dominic Crossan’s book, however, I am starkly reminded of where his peasant Jesus diverges from some other portraits. For Crossan, Jesus significantly diverged from the apocalyptic message of his mentor, John the Baptist. John the Baptist’s warning of the imminent end and the impending kingdom of God in the near future was replaced by Jesus’ message focussed on transforming present arrangements in a way that acknowledged the kingdom of God in the present.

The central point of what Jesus was all about is centered on the implications of Jesus’ call for “open commensality” (meal practices open to anyone) in this present kingdom of God and it is related to the charge that Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard. Crossan’s claim to find in Jesus an egalitarian view on gathering together at the meal and a randomness in Jesus’ notion of the gathered community that will have a part in the kingdom or reign of God (e.g. parable of the feast in Gospel of Thomas 64 // Luke 14:15-24) becomes the interpretive key for all other aspects of the historical Jesus.

Crossan’s focus on this issue has implications regarding the degree to which Jesus was an observer of Judean customs and ritual ways as outlined in the Torah. You could even say that Crossan’s approach here determines the question of Jesus’ observance or non-observance of ritual requirements (apart from any other evidence or lack thereof):

it was obviously possible for the first Christian generations to debate whether Jesus was for or against the ritual laws of Judaism. His position must have been, as it were, unclear. I propose, from those preceding complexes [themes that converge in sayings of Jesus that center on open or egalitarian notions of meal practices, including the view that Jesus ate with sinners and was a glutton/drunkard], that he did not care enough about such ritual laws either to attack or to acknowledge them. He ignored them, but that, of course, was to subvert them at a most fundamental level. Later, however, some followers could say that, since he did not attack them, he must have accepted them [e.g. Crossan may be thinking of Matthew]. Others, contrariwise, could say that, since he did not follow them, he must have been against them [e.g. Crossan may be thinking of Mark]. Open commensality profoundly negates distinctions and hierarchies between female and male, poor and rich, Gentile and Jew. It does so, indeed, at a level that would offend the ritual laws of any civilized society. That was precisely its challenge (Crossan, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant [New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992], 263).

Are the sayings of Jesus pertaining to meals and eating the primary (or only) means by which his relation to Judean ritual customs can be determined? may be a question to ask. There will be more to come on such things in future posts.

Podcast 2.11: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Melchizedek, part 2

Phil Harland — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:14:03 +0000

Here I discuss the way in which the book of Hebrews portrays Jesus both as highpriest Melchizedek and once for all sacrifice (part 2 of 2). In particular, I explore the ways in which this author is saturated by the Hebrew scriptures and influenced by Platonic philosophy. This is the final episode in series 2 (“Early Christian Portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.11: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Mechizedek, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.11-HebrewsPortraitOfJesusPart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

RBL Review of Identity and Interaction in the Ancient Mediterranean

Phil Harland — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:25:19 +0000

In the midst of showing my students bookreviews.org (to help them understand the genre of the book review), I noticed today that there is now a review of the book Zeba Crook and I edited in honour of Steve Wilson. The reviewer, Thomas W. Gillespie of Princeton Theological Seminary, concludes, among other things, that the book is a “quality collection of essays” (whew). The review is here.

Biblical Studies Carnival no. 33

Phil Harland — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:09:52 +0000

The thirty-third biblical studies carnival is up at Pisteuomen.

Podcast 2.10: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Melchizedek, part 1

Phil Harland — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:06:26 +0000

Here I discuss the way in which the book of Hebrews portrays Jesus both as high-priest Melchizedek and once for all sacrifice (part 1 of 2). This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian Portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.10: Hebrews’ Portrait of Jesus – Highpriest Mechizedek, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.10-HebrewsPortraitOfJesusPart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

On Sexual Indulgence: Paul and contemporaries like Musonius Rufus

Phil Harland — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:31:53 +0000

Quite well-known are the moral exhortations of early Christian authors such as Paul, which include a fair bit of advice on how to conduct oneself sexually. Thus, for instance, Paul objects to a follower of Jesus at Corinth who was sleeping with his step-mother (the father was not likely around anymore) (1 Corinthians 5). Quite well known and controversial these days are Paul’s comments about Greeks and Romans (“gentiles” = non-Judeans) who engage in what Paul considers “degrading passions”: “Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men. . . were consumed with passion for one another. . . ” (Romans 1:26-27 [NRSV]). And Paul speaks to the followers of Jesus at Thessalonica and advocates that “you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body [vessel] in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the gentiles [non-Judeans] who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). In some ways, Paul is reflecting quite typical stereotypes about Greeks and Romans from a Judean perspective here.

Yet such perspectives on sexual morality and modes of moral exhortation were not necessarily specifically Judean or “Christian” in Paul’s time. Some of Paul’s “lustful” gentiles advocated similar moral choices when it came to sex. In many ways, the instructional techniques and lifestyle choices advocated by Paul have parallels in contemporary philosophers (see also my early post on the “Golden Rule” among the ‘pagans’).

Musonius Rufus is one of these contemporary philosophers, a Greek philosopher who combined elements from both the Stoic and Cynic schools. As I was designing my introductory Christian origins course this week, which this year focuses on placing Jesus, Paul, and other early Christian founders in the context of contemporaries, I re-read Musonius’ advice “On Sex”. There he includes the following advice addressed primarily to men:

Not the least significant part of luxury and self-indulgence lies also in sexual excess. For example those who lead such a life crave a variety of loves not only lawful but unlawful ones as well, not women alone but also men. Sometimes they pursue one love [women] and sometimes another [men], and not being satisfied with those which are available, pursue those which are rare and inaccessible, and invent shameful intimacies, all of which constitute a grave indictment of manhood. Men who are not wantons or immoral are bound to consider sexual intercourse justified only when it occurs in marriage and is indulged in for the purpose of begetting children, since that is lawful, but unjust and unlawful when it is mere pleasure-seeking, even in marriage. But of all sexual relations those involving adultery are most unlawful, and no more tolerable are those of men with men, because it is a monstrous thing and contrary to nature.

Trans. by Cora E. Lutz, “Musonius Rufus: ‘The Roman Socrates’,” Yale Classical Studies 10 (1947) 85-87, with adjustments to punctuation.

To modern ears, this may sound wonderful or ridiculous, or a bit of both, depending on who’s listening. Here one of my points is that Paul had more in common with a guy like Musonius than Paul’s condemnation of the morally bankrupt non-Judeans would imply.

Biblical Studies Carnival(s)

Phil Harland — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:33:15 +0000

Number 30 and 31 have arrived almost together — both done well:

Biblical Studies Carnival 30 by Tyler WIlliams.
Biblical Studies Carnival 31 by James R. Getz.

Podcast 2.9: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word, part 2

Phil Harland — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:03:49 +0000

Here I continue to discuss how the gospel of John portrays Jesus as both the Word of God and the Son sent by the Father (part 2 of 2). This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian Portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.9: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.9JohnPortraitJesuspart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Podcast 2.8: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word, part 1

Phil Harland — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:04:40 +0000

Here I discuss how the gospel of John portrays Jesus as both the Word of God and the Son sent by the Father (part 1 of 2). I also deal with this gospel’s stress on the importance of “signs” pointing to Jesus’ identity and the way in which Jesus (“Lamb of God”) is viewed as a fulfillment of Jewish festivals, especially Passover. This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.8: John’s Portrait of Jesus – Son and Word, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.8JohnPortraitJesuspart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Podcast 2.7: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah, part 2

Phil Harland — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:41:38 +0000

Here I continue to discuss how the gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as a prophet like Elijah, which also entails presenting Jesus as a saviour to the poor and marginalized of society (part 1 of 2). This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.7: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.7LukePortraitJesuspart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Podcast 2.6: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah, part 1

Phil Harland — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:37:08 +0000

Here I discuss how the gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as a prophet like Elijah, which also entails presenting Jesus as a saviour to the poor and marginalized of society (part 1 of 2). In this first part, I provide some important background for understanding this two volume work, Luke-Acts, both as ancient biography and as ancient history-writing. This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.6: Luke’s Portrait of Jesus – Prophet Elijah, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.6LukePortraitJesuspart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Carnivals

Phil Harland — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:42:40 +0000

Here are some recent carnivals that I have not yet mentioned:

Biblical Studies Carnival 29

Patristics Carnival 10

History Carnival 63, History Carnival 64

Carnivalesque 38

John H. Elliott’s article on Jesus the “Israelite”

Phil Harland — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:44:08 +0000

I finally got around to reading Elliott’s well-written piece on what terminology scholars should employ when identifying Jesus and his contemporaries in the land of Israel: “Jesus the Israelite was Neither A ‘Jew’ Nor a ‘Christian’: On Correcting Misleading Nomenclature,” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 5 (2007) 119-154 (abstract).

Others such as Loren Rosson have commented positively on Elliott’s article. In another post, I have already discussed Steve Mason’s convincing argument that the term Ioudaioi should be translated as “Judean” with its geographical, ethnic, and cultural implications: see Was there such a thing as ancient “Judaism”? Namely, those in antiquity who identified others by their cultural center, place of origin, or ethnic group naturally assumed a way of life associated with that geographical area, including practices and beliefs that we as moderns tend to call “religious”. “Religion” was integrated within an overall perspective that was focussed more on ethnic groups and their different ways of life.

Elliott’s article rightly follows others such as Esler (Elliott didn’t have Mason’s piece) who see major problems in translating Ioudaioi as “Jews”, or ioudaismos as “Judaism”. Elliott’s focus is not on that point, which has been well argued by others. Instead, Elliott draws on ethnic identity theory and suggests that a person’s or group’s self-identification is best used in scholarly pursuits.

Elliott then pursues evidence for what Jesus and other contemporaries in the land of Israel called one another, surveying identifications in the New Testament, Apocrypha, and Pseudepigrapha. He touches on the inscriptions from Delos (involving “Israelites”) briefly but generally does not deal with epigraphical evidence (partly because his focus is on Jesus, perhaps). His answer based on literary evidence is that in the majority of cases, insiders identified one another using terms such as “Israelite” and “children of Israel” but that at times “Judeans” (Ioudaioi) was used to identify people associated with the region of Judea in a broad sense (encompassing adjacent regions such as Galilee). However, “Judeans” was primarily an outsiders’ perspective on identifying what insiders would call “Israelites”, in Elliott’s view. Gradually, diaspora “Israelites” adopted outsiders’ terminology and began identifying themselves as “Judeans” within a diaspora context.

I am largely convinced by many of Elliott’s points. However, my own area of research on immigrants in the diaspora, including Judean immigrants, would suggest that the main terminological focus of inscriptions in Asia Minor and elsewhere is Ioudaioi. People from the land of Israel who migrated and settled elsewhere tended to identify themselves as “Judeans” (as a quick survey of the indices of Inscriptiones Judaicae Orientis shows). “Israelites” rarely occurs as an identification of a specific group in the diaspora, with the exception of those on Delos.

Elliott may be right that Jesus (or his earliest followers) were most often designated “Israelite”, “Galilean”, or “Nazarean”. It may also be true that the term “Israelites” should be used in discussing specific writings that do indeed use that terminology. Yet in the case of scholars who are dealing with those from Israel within the broader context of the ancient Mediterranean, “Judeans” remains most appropriate, particularly in light of the preference for that term in the Greek inscriptions (as a self-designation) and in authors like Josephus (“Israelites” would need to be reserved for the exceptional cases when it is used as a self-designation on monuments, as at Delos). This is where the evidence of Paul’s use of “Judean”, which Elliott sees as exceptional, fits in as well.

We scholars are outsiders too. We need not always (and sometimes shouldn’t) adopt specific insider (emic) language to designate the groups we are studying, even though we always need to be attentive to, and descriptive of, what that insider language is. “Holy ones”, “brothers”, “the righteous” and such are examples of value-loaded insider language that we wouldn’t want to adopt as scholars as general designations of the early followers of Jesus (or Paul). We want to avoid value-loaded language whether it is the stereotyping labels of outsiders or the praising self-designations of insiders. Thankfully neither “Israelite” nor “Judean” fall into the value-loaded category. This may be where I differ from Elliott’s more specific point about the need for scholars to use the categories of insiders, but this does not detract from Elliott’s overall contribution here.

Podcast 2.5: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses (part 2)

Phil Harland — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:04:36 +0000

Here I continue the discussion of Matthew’s portrait of Jesus as the new David and new Moses (part 2 of 2). I also delve into tensions between Matthew’s community and other groups of Jews or Judeans in the late first century. This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.5: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.5MatthewPortraitJesuspart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Podcast 2.4: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses, part 1

Phil Harland — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:45:04 +0000

Here I discuss the Judean portrait of Jesus as the new David and new Moses in the Gospel of Matthew (part 1 of 2). This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.4: Matthew’s portrait of Jesus – New Moses, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.4MatthewPortraitJesuspart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Podcast 2.3: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son, part 2

Phil Harland — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:34:39 +0000

This continues the discussion of how Jesus is portrayed in the narrative of the gospel of Mark, namely as the secretive and suffering Son of God (part 2 of 2). This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.3: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son, part 2 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.3MarkPortraitJesuspart2.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

Podcast 2.2: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son, part 1

Phil Harland — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:13:25 +0000

Here I consider how Jesus is portrayed in the narrative of the gospel of Mark, namely as the secretive and suffering Son of God (part 1 of 2). This is part of series 2 (“Early Christian portraits of Jesus”) of the Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean podcast.

Podcast 2.2: Mark’s portrait of Jesus – Suffering Son, part 1 (mp3; archive.org page with various downloading options here).
Download audio file (Podcast2.2MarkPortraitJesuspart1.mp3)

You may also subscribe to this and subsequent episodes through iTunes or another podcatcher. View credits for my introductory music remix.

March Carnivals

Phil Harland — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:45:57 +0000

Kevin A. Wilson has posted the most recent Biblical Studies Carnival XXVII over on Blue Cord. (When a carnival begins with an obscure reference to some prog rock band, you know it’s got to be good).

History Carnival no. 62 is available on Spinning Clio.