{"id":1216,"date":"2013-08-27T13:36:20","date_gmt":"2013-08-27T18:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/?page_id=1216"},"modified":"2013-08-27T13:45:13","modified_gmt":"2013-08-27T18:45:13","slug":"discussion-notes-for-founders-of-christianity-version-b","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/harlands-courses\/course-outline-for-founders-of-christianity-huma-2830-version-b\/discussion-notes-for-founders-of-christianity-version-b\/","title":{"rendered":"Discussion Notes for Founders of Christianity (version B)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Contents<\/p>\n<p><b>Orientation<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#Academic\">Early Christianity and the Academic Study of Religion<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Context\">Early Christianity in its Greco-Roman and Judean Cultural Contexts: A Bird&#8217;s Eye View<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>Jesus Among His Contemporaries<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#introJesus1\">Introduction to the Historical Jesus, part 1: Sources, Problems, and Methods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#introJesus2\">Introduction to the Historical Jesus, part 2: Some Scholarly Portraits and Approaches<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Galilee\">Jesus among Galileans and Judeans: Political, Social-Economic, and Cultural Contexts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Teacher\">J<\/a><a href=\"#Educated%20groups\">esus among Educated Groups and Leaders<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Teacher\">Jesus as Teacher: The Method and Content of Jesus&#8217; Teaching (Reign of God)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Healer\">Jesus among Popular Groups and Leaders, part 1: Jesus as Healer, Exorcist, and Miracle-Worker<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Prophet\">Jesus among Popular Groups and Leaders, part 2: Jesus as Prophet or Messiah?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>Paul Among His Contemporaries<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#Paulintro\">Introduction to Paul and his letters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#PaulApocalyptic\">Paul among Apocalyptic Judeans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#PaulPhariseeCircumcision\">Paul among Pharisees and Other Judeans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#PaulPhilosophers\">Paul among Greco-Roman Philosophers and Teachers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#PaulRhetoric\">Paul among Greco-Roman Rhetoricians<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#PaulSlavery\">Paul and his Contemporaries on Slavery<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>Other Early Christian Perspectives<\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#Apocalypse\">John\u2019s Apocalypse (Revelation): The Fall of an Earthly Empire and the Establishment of God&#8217;s Kingdom<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#1Peter\">1 Peter: The Nature of Persecution and Relations with Outsiders<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_________________________________________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Academic\"><\/a>Early Christianity and the Academic Study of Religion<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Why study early Christianity and early Christian writings?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Life in the ancient world<\/li>\n<li>From insignificant Jewish sect to Roman imperial religion to world religion<\/li>\n<li>Significance for Western history and civilization<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. What is the academic study of religion, or Religious Studies?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Background of the discipline<\/li>\n<li>Characteristics of the academic study of religion<\/li>\n<li>How do we approach the study of early Christianity within this discipline?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Ongoing themes and arguments<\/p>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Context\"><\/a>Early Christianity in its Greco-Roman and Judean Cultural Contexts: A Bird&#8217;s Eye View<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Handouts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Diversity\">Diversity in Second-Temple Judaism<\/a> (Josephus)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Greco-Roman\">Early Christians through Greco-Roman eyes<\/a> (Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny the Younger)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Websites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/associations.html\">Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>1. The Greco-Roman world<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historical developments\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2006\/01\/12\/alexander-the-great-d-323-bce-and-christian-origins-nt-2\/\">Alexander the Great<\/a> and the impact of Hellenization (from 331 BCE)<\/li>\n<li>Roman Rule and the impact of the <i>pax Romana<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Greco-Roman culture and society\n<ul>\n<li>Social life and the structures of society<\/li>\n<li>Honouring the gods (Religious life)\n<ul>\n<li>Religion embedded within everyday life in antiquity<\/li>\n<li>Honouring the gods &#8211; Intolerance of failure to do so<\/li>\n<li>Various forms of cult: Official and unofficial\n<ul>\n<li>Guilds and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/associations.html\">associations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Intellectual \/ philosophical life: Stoics, Platonists, Epicureans, Cynics &#8211; Cosmology and ethics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Judean culture and customs in the Second-Temple period<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Periods in the history of Israel: Israelites and the first temple; Northern and Sourthern kingdoms (<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Image:Levant_830.svg\" target=\"_blank\">map<\/a>); Assyrian \/ Babylonian conquests (722 BCE \/ 586 BCE); Judean exile and the formation of the Hebrew Bible; Second temple period (from about 500 BCE on)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Judean culture and Hellenistic culture: Interactions and oppositions\n<ul>\n<li>Reactions: The case of the Maccabean revolt<\/li>\n<li>Hellenization and the LXX; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.torreys.org\/bible\/philopag.html\">Philo of Alexandria<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Roman rule in Israel\n<ul>\n<li>Tensions and the Judean war of 66-70 CE\n<ul>\n<li>E.g. Josephus, <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.mcmaster.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=18&amp;chapter=3&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=55&amp;text=anti&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\" target=\"_blank\"> <i>Antiquities<\/i> 18.55<\/a> on Pilate and imperial images<\/li>\n<li>E.g. Soldier&#8217;s indiscretion in <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.mcmaster.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=2&amp;chapter=1&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=224&amp;go.x=18&amp;go.y=9&amp;go=go&amp;text=wars&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\" target=\"_blank\"> <i>War<\/i> 2.224-227<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Characteristics of Second-Temple Judean culture (&#8220;Judaism&#8221; = Judean approaches to honouring their God)\n<ul>\n<li>Importance of regional factors: Galilee, Samaria, and Judea<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Misrepresentations of &#8220;Judaism&#8221; within scholarship<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Common denominators in Judean culture:1) Monotheism, 2) Election\/land, 3) Covenant\/Law, 4) Temple\/sacrifice<\/li>\n<li>Diversity in practice and belief:\n<ul>\n<li>Regional Israelite traditions and possible tensions with Jerusalem temple leadership (e.g. Galilee; Samaria&#8217;s Mount Gerizim)<\/li>\n<li>Educated leaders and groups: Saduccees, Pharisees, Essenes (e.g. Josephus, <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.cns.yorku.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=2&amp;chapter=1&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=119&amp;go.x=0&amp;go.y=0&amp;go=go&amp;text=wars&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\"> <i>War<\/i> 2.119<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.cns.yorku.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=18&amp;chapter=1&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=11&amp;text=anti&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\"> <i>Ant.<\/i> 18.11-25<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Popular leaders and groups: messianic and prophetic movements (e.g. <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.cns.yorku.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=17&amp;chapter=1&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=269&amp;go.x=0&amp;go.y=0&amp;go=go&amp;text=anti&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\"> <i>Ant.<\/i> 17.269-278<\/a> on popular movements and &#8220;disorders&#8221;; <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.cns.yorku.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=20&amp;chapter=10&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=97&amp;go.x=0&amp;go.y=0&amp;go=go&amp;text=anti&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\"> <i>Ant.<\/i> 20.97<\/a> on Theudas the prophet \/ &#8220;magician&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The Jesus-movement\u2019s origins within the Judean \/ Galilean cultural spheres<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Diaspora Judeans throughout the empire: Cohabitation and conflict\n<ul>\n<li>On Diaspora synagogues see: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pohick.org\/sts\/\">Second Temple Synagogues<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Greco-Roman views on Judean customs, positive and negative:\n<ul>\n<li>E.g. Strabo, <a href=\"http:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/Strabo\/16B*.html\"> <i>Geography<\/i> 16.2.35-36<\/a> (positive on Moses); <a href=\"http:\/\/classics.mit.edu\/Tacitus\/histories.5.v.html\" target=\"_blank\">Tacitus, <i>Histories<\/i>, 5.2-5.5<\/a>, esp 5.5 (negative)<\/li>\n<li>Followers of Jesus perceived as a Judean sect<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Early Christianity in its context<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Early Jesus movements within the context of Judean culture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Where did groups of Jesus-followers fit (or not fit) within the Greco-Roman world?\n<ul>\n<li>Models from the ancient context: Philosophical schools, Judean synagogues, associations<\/li>\n<li>Christians through Greco-Roman eyes (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#Greco-Roman\">handout<\/a>):\n<ul>\n<li>Pliny the Younger: A Roman elite perspective on Christians (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fordham.edu\/halsall\/ancient\/pliny-trajan1.html\">Pliny, <i>Epistles<\/i> 10.96-97<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Popular perceptions of Christians:\n<ul>\n<li>Familiarity: Just another association<\/li>\n<li>Peculiarity: Jesus-followers (and Judeans) as \u201catheists\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"introJesus1\"><\/a>Introduction to the Historical Jesus, part 1: Sources, Problems, and Methods<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. External Greco-Roman literary sources for the historical Jesus<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Roman historians: Tacitus (<i>Annals<\/i> 15.44)\n<ul>\n<li>One of the most solid things we know about the historical Jesus: Jesus was executed under the Roman official Pilate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Roman imperial officials: Pliny the Younger&#8217;s unfortunate lack of knowledge<\/li>\n<li>Other authors on Jesus-followers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Judean and Galilean sources for the historical Jesus<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Josephus&#8217; <i>Judean War <\/i>and <i>Judean Antiquities<\/i>\n<ul>\n<li>Problems in using Josephus to reconstruct historical events<\/li>\n<li>Josephus and the first century Judean context<\/li>\n<li>John the Baptist in Josephus (<i>Ant.<\/i> 18.116-119)<\/li>\n<li>Jesus in Josephus (Christian interpolations) (<i>Ant.<\/i>18.63-64<i>)<\/i><\/li>\n<li>James in Josephus (<i>Ant.<\/i> 20.200-201)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Archaeological and epigraphical materials from Judea and Galilee\n<ul>\n<li>E.g. the Pilate inscription and ritual baths (<i>mikvaoth<\/i>)<\/li>\n<li>Problems of interpretation remain, however<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4. Early Christian sources for the historical Jesus<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First generation (before 65 CE): Paul and the problem of disinterest\n<ul>\n<li>Sayings and traditions of &#8220;the Lord&#8221; in Paul&#8217;s letters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Second generation (from 65 CE) Christian sources: Early Christian &#8220;Lives&#8221; \/ biographies (gospels) and other materials\n<ul>\n<li>Problems in using the gospels to reconstruct history:\n<ul>\n<li>Genre and Interests of these writings:\n<ul>\n<li>Gospels as biographies, not modern history-writing\n<ul>\n<li>Luke as biography and ancient historiography<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Promotional writings (&#8220;Historical Jesus&#8221; vs. &#8220;Christ of faith&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>Late first century interests and the context of communities of Jesus-followers (e.g. Gospel of John&#8217;s references to being thrown out of the synagogue, Matthew&#8217;s references to &#8220;the church&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Isolated sayings (&#8220;agrapha&#8221;) and non-canonical writings\n<ul>\n<li>The Gospel of Thomas and early sayings collections (e.g. &#8220;Q&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>Gospel of Peter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Methods and approaches to the Jesus materials:\n<ul>\n<li>Traditional approaches: Form criticism, source criticism, redaction criticism<\/li>\n<li>Source criticism, the Synoptic problem and relations among the gospels\n<ul>\n<li>Two Source (aka Four Source) hypothesis as our working hypothesis<\/li>\n<li>Q as an early Christian sayings source<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Criteria of authenticity and their limits:\n<ul>\n<li>Dissimilarity (from church interests and contemporaries)<\/li>\n<li>Embarrassment<\/li>\n<li>Multiple attestation<\/li>\n<li>Context<\/li>\n<li>Accounting for and compatibility with the most secure historical factor: the execution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The nature and limits of modern historical methods and history writing &#8211; Possibilities and levels of probability, not certainties<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_____________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"introJesus2\"><\/a>Introduction to the Historical Jesus, part 2: Some Scholarly Portraits and Approaches<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Jesus as a counter-cultural, egalitarian, non-apocalyptic peasant &#8211; John Dominic Crossan<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Crossan&#8217;s method and approach:\n<ul>\n<li>Social sciences and the study of the ancient Mediterranean as the framework<\/li>\n<li>Dating the strata of our evidence for Jesus and the place of the Gospel of Thomas and other extra-canonical writings<\/li>\n<li>Organizing the sayings material into complexes (based on theme)<\/li>\n<li>Multiple attestation as the key criterion of authenticity<\/li>\n<li>Issue of interpretation and scholarly choice as deciding factors at many levels -value of transparency in method<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Crossan&#8217;s portrait:\n<ul>\n<li>Overview: Peasant with counter-cultural values (affinities with Horsley&#8217;s &#8220;social revolutionary&#8221; peasant)<\/li>\n<li>Social-economic conditions of first century Palestine as key (draws heavily on work of Richard Horsley) &#8211; Bandits, prophets, and messiahs are important here<\/li>\n<li>Discontinuity between the programs of John the Baptist (apocalyptic) and Jesus (non-apocalyptic &#8212; compare Marcus Borg)<\/li>\n<li>The Sapiential (Wisdom) Kingdom or Rule\n<ul>\n<li>Proclaiming the &#8220;kingdom of nobodies&#8221; (e.g. <a href=\"http:\/\/users.misericordia.edu\/davies\/thomas\/Trans.htm\" target=\"_blank\">G. Thomas<\/a> 22; 54)<\/li>\n<li>Kingdom here and now (e.g. G. Thomas 3; 113)<\/li>\n<li>Performing the kingdom: Magic and meal\n<ul>\n<li>Open commensality: Implications regarding Jesus and Judean cultural ways including ritual laws<\/li>\n<li>Itinerancy: Mission speech and Cynic-like activity (G. Thomas 14; Luke 10:4-11)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Why was Jesus executed?\n<ul>\n<li>The Gospel of Peter and the early &#8220;Cross gospel&#8221; &#8211; Biblical interpretation and the passion narrative<\/li>\n<li>Symbolic destruction of the temple (compare Sanders), yet only insofar as this action symbolized his overall teaching and program of recreating an egalitarian peasant society (contrast Sanders)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Strengths\/Weaknesses\n<ul>\n<li>Strengths: Sophisticated and explicit methodology; Placing Jesus firmly within a social-economic context &#8212; Jesus is explained in relation to concrete realities<\/li>\n<li>Problems: Debatable aspects of the sketch of social-economic realities; Archeological evidence?; Galilee-specific context? (vs. Mediterranean generalities); Categorization, choice, and interpretation of evidence (selection of what is in the first strata, for instance); Itinerancy theory (including the Cynic hypothesis)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Jesus as a Jewish apocalyptic prophet &#8211; E.P. Sanders (compare John P. Meier \/ Bart Ehrman)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stress on placing Jesus within the context of Judaism (Judean culture) &#8212; Jesus as a Torah observant Jew\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; conflicts with contemporary Jews (e.g. Pharisees) are not the key to understanding his demise<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The apocalyptic frame: Apocalyptic teacher (John the Baptist) &#8211; apocalyptic followers<\/li>\n<li>Sanders on importance of deeds or basic &#8220;facts&#8221;\n<ul>\n<li>Starting point: Jesus and the temple incident &#8211; Symbolic destruction (Mk 11:15-19 and \/\/s)\n<ul>\n<li>Sayings on, and charges regarding, the temple (Mk 13; Mt 26:60ff; Jn 2:18-22)<\/li>\n<li>Reading the rest of our evidence in light of an end-time restoration of Israel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; teachings on the imminently arriving Kingdom of God\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus and the renewal or restoration of kingdom of Israel under the twelve tribes (cf. <a href=\"http:\/\/ftp.fortunaty.net\/com\/sacred-texts\/bib\/fbe\/fbe193.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> <i>Psalms of Solomon<\/i> 17<\/a> &#8212; Mk 14:25; Mt 19:27-29) :\n<ul>\n<li>Background of the Babylonian exile and the return (in the prophets of the Hebrew Bible)<\/li>\n<li>1. Reassembling the twelve tribes; 2. Gentiles converted or subjugated; 3. Jerusalem&#8217;s temple restored; 4. Perfect worship by a righteous people<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Why was Jesus executed? &#8212; Temple actions and sayings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Strengths\/weaknesses\n<ul>\n<li>Problems: Lack of attention to the real-life social and economic contexts of Palestine (instead focussed on ideology); Less attention to the &#8220;present&#8221; aspects of the kingdom<\/li>\n<li>Places Jesus solidly into the context of Judean culture; Accounts for the apocalyptic teacher and apocalyptic followers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Our approach: Jesus in the context of his contemporaries in Judea and Galilee<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The balancing act: Jesus must be placed firmly within his cultural context in Galilee and Judea, and yet be noticeable or distinctive enough to lead him to execution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_____________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Galilee\"><\/a>Jesus among Galileans and Judeans: Political, Social-Economic, and Cultural Contexts<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Our approach to the historical Jesus: Jesus in his context and among his contemporaries<\/p>\n<p>1. Geography and history of Jesus&#8217; world<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Prelude: Problems on the nature of our sources &#8211; how little we know<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Upper and Lower Galilee on the map: Terrain and locales<\/li>\n<li>Jerusalem and Judea on the map\n<ul>\n<li>Jerusalem as the centre of a Temple-state system\n<ul>\n<li>Functions (political-economic-religious) and structure of the temple; importance of the priesthood and the Torah as the basis of temple activity; Centrality of the sacrificial function of the temple (maintaining proper relations between God and the people)<\/li>\n<li>Question of the relationship between this system in Jerusalem and other areas under its jurisdiction, including the peasantry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Quick history of Israel for geographic purposes: Twelve tribes under a united monarchy (David on), northern and Southern kingdoms, fall of those kingdoms<\/li>\n<li>In the wake of the Assyrian conquest (730s BCE)\n<ul>\n<li>The question of the inhabitants of Galilee: &#8220;Pagan&#8221; or Israelite peasants?<\/li>\n<li>Independence of Judean temple leadership in Jerusalem<\/li>\n<li>Consequences of independence: Regional social and cultural developments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The Babylonian conquest of Judea (586 BCE) and the return under Persian rule\n<ul>\n<li>Reconstruction of a temple state in Jerusalem<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Hellenistic control and the wake of the Hasmonean (Maccabean) expansion (from ca. 104 BCE)\n<ul>\n<li>Renewed contacts between Jerusalem temple and Galilee: Promoting Judean customs &#8211; Continued regional characteristics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>In the wake of Roman conquest (from 63 BCE)\n<ul>\n<li>Client rulers (Herod and his offspring)\n<ul>\n<li>Herod &#8220;the Great&#8221; (reigns 37-4 BCE)\n<ul>\n<li>Herod&#8217;s building program (e.g. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.holylandphotos.org\/browse.asp?s=1,2,6,16,288\" target=\"_blank\">Caesarea Maritima<\/a>) and the expansion of the temple (see Reed, pp. 29-31)<\/li>\n<li>Assessing Herod&#8217;s reign<\/li>\n<li>Jesus likely born in the final years of Herod&#8217;s reign<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Herod&#8217;s sons (view a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/uploaded_images\/Palestine%20under%20Herods.gif\">map<\/a> of regions under the Herods, originating from the Wikipedia page here, under a GNU licence.)\n<ul>\n<li>Herod Antipas (rules 4 BCE-39 CE) &#8212; tetrarch of Galilee and Perea &#8212; renewing of Sepphoris and founding of Tiberias<\/li>\n<li>Herod Philip (rules 4 BCE-34 CE) &#8212; tetrarch of Trachonitis, Gaulanitis, and Batanea<\/li>\n<li>Herod Archelaus (rules 4 BCE-6 CE) &#8212; ethnarch of Judea, including Samaria<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Roman governors (from 6 CE in Judea and later in other districts)<\/li>\n<li>Roman-Judean war of 66-70 CE and the destruction of the temple<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Social, economic, and cultural contexts of Galilee and Judea in the first century<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Social and economic life:\n<ul>\n<li>Galilee and Judea as peasant societies\n<ul>\n<li>Agrarian focus and subsistence farming (grain, vegetables, oil)&#8211; some trade (primitivist vs. market debates)<\/li>\n<li>Redistribution economy (Polanyi) centred on the Temple\n<ul>\n<li>City &#8211; countryside relations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Social strata: Rulers (aristocrats) and ruled (peasants and others)<\/li>\n<li>Social-economic conditions of the peasants: Taxes and temple dues (20-over 40%?); Land situation (increase in large-landholders); Social banditry and other factors<\/li>\n<li>Life in cities (Sepphoris and Tiberias) and villages in the Galilee:\n<ul>\n<li>Populations (cities in thousands, villages in hundreds)<\/li>\n<li>Simple houses<\/li>\n<li>Working the land, keeping animals, fishing, or engaging in handwork in villages (e.g. carpenter): excavated fishing tackle and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.holylandphotos.org\/browse.asp?s=1,2,5,14,105&amp;thumbs=1\" target=\"_blank\"> boats<\/a> (Reed, pp. 11, 68-69)<\/li>\n<li>Health and life expectancy (see discussion by Reed, pp. 10-11, 69)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Cultural life &#8211; key scholarly debates and interpretations of the archeological evidence\n<ul>\n<li>How Hellenistic or Judean or Galilean (Israelite) was Galilee (and Jesus)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Judean culture<\/i> (Judaism) in Galilee? (Some scholars: Freyne, Sanders, Horsley)\n<ul>\n<li>What do we mean by Judean culture: Customs and laws outlined in the Torah (Hebrew Bible, especially the Pentateuch) and centred on the Second Temple and its priesthood (purity, offerings, sacrifices)<\/li>\n<li>Scholarly debates regarding Judean culture: &#8220;Common Judaism&#8221; (e.g. Sanders, Freyne) vs. Regional tensions with Jerusalem (e.g. Horsley)<\/li>\n<li>Literary evidence (problem &#8211; Josephus our principal source):\n<ul>\n<li>Galileans and the temple: Pilgrimage festivals (Passover in Spring; Weeks in Summer; Booths in Fall)<\/li>\n<li>Other anecdotal incidents suggesting Galilean adoption of Judean ways or concerns to observe the Judean Torah (e.g.s from Freyne)\n<ul>\n<li>Judas the Galilean in Judea (vs. the tribute in 6 CE) (<a href=\"http:\/\/pace.mcmaster.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=2&amp;chapter=8&amp;textChunk=whistonSection&amp;chunkId=2&amp;down.x=6&amp;down.y=13&amp;down=down&amp;text=wars&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=down&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\" target=\"_blank\"><i>War<\/i> 2.117-118<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Protest of Galileans at Ptolemais against attempt to place imperial images in the temple under Caligula (<a href=\"http:\/\/pace.mcmaster.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=2&amp;chapter=10&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=188&amp;down.x=6&amp;down.y=10&amp;down=down&amp;text=wars&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=down&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\" target=\"_blank\"><i>War<\/i> 2.184-203<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>John of Gischala supplying oil (purity issues) to inhabitants of Caesarea Philippi (ca. 66 CE; <a href=\"http:\/\/pace.mcmaster.ca\/York\/york\/showText?book=2&amp;chapter=10&amp;textChunk=nieseSection&amp;chunkId=591&amp;go.x=0&amp;go.y=0&amp;go=go&amp;text=wars&amp;version=whiston&amp;direction=&amp;tab=&amp;layout=split\" target=\"_blank\"> <i>War<\/i> 2.591-93<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Archeological evidence (discussion of Reed, ch. 4):\n<ul>\n<li>Problems of interpretation &#8211; Interpreting the archeology in terms of Judean rituals and customs (from the Torah)<\/li>\n<li>Purity concerns: Ritual baths (<i>miqvaoth<\/i>) at Sepphoris and Gamla and stone dishes and other stoneware (stone as not susceptible to impurity) (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.holylandphotos.org\/search.asp?searchText=miqvaoth&amp;page=1\" target=\"_blank\">click here<\/a> for photos of ritual baths)<\/li>\n<li>Food laws: Absence of pork remains in eating contexts<\/li>\n<li>Burial practices (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.holylandphotos.org\/browse.asp?s=1,2,6,19,98&amp;img=IJOTIT22\" target=\"_blank\">photo<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Synagogues in Galilee?\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kchanson.com\/ANCDOCS\/greek\/theodotus.html\" target=\"_blank\"> Theodotus inscription<\/a> from Jerusalem (pre-70 synagogues in Israel)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_____________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Educated groups\"><\/a>Jesus among Contemporary Educated Groups and Leaders<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Educated near-contemporaries of Jesus<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What can we know about the Sadducees, Pharisees, and Essenes? (problem of sources)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Sadducees: Aristocrats; lack of belief in life after death<\/li>\n<li>Pharisees: Respect among and some ability to influence the populace (e.g. Josephus&#8217; ongoing complaint); Specific traditions regarding interpretation and application of Torah, especially regarding purity and eating (viewed as too lenient by some and as too strict by others); Applying certain aspects of the Torah regarding priests to everyday life, including eating practices; Belief in a future resurrection of the dead; Galilean presence?<\/li>\n<li>Essenes: Concerns with purity as well; Question of whether the Dead Sea (Qumran) group was an Essene community<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The Dead Sea community (second century BCE to first century CE): A penitential and apocalyptic sect (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.holylandphotos.org\/browse.asp?s=1,2,6,175,177\" target=\"_blank\">Qumran photos<\/a>)\n<ul>\n<li>Origins of a penitential movement (c. 190 BCE) and the priestly &#8220;Teacher of Righteousness&#8221; &#8211; &#8220;they realised their sin and knew that they were guilty men&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2007\/02\/11\/origins-of-an-apocalyptic-sect-at-qumran-teacher-of-righteousness-vs-wicked-priest-end-16\/\" target=\"_blank\">post here<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>The Qumranites and other educated or powerful Judeans:\n<ul>\n<li>Perspective on the Temple: The &#8220;Wicked (Hasmonean?) Priest&#8221; &#8211; Reinstate Zadokite priesthood in a purified temple\n<ul>\n<li>Idea of a &#8220;new covenant&#8221; following the proper calendar for the festivals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Seekers after smooth things&#8221; (lenient Pharisees?) in the scrolls\n<ul>\n<li>Qumranites&#8217; strict interpretations of purity and other laws<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Communal life, legal concerns (especially purity), and modes of biblical interpretation (new covenant idea is key)<\/li>\n<li>Apocalyptic worldview: The visitation of God and the final battle with Belial\n<ul>\n<li>Dualism of good vs. evil (God vs. Belial; Angel of Light vs. Angel of Darkness)<\/li>\n<li>Expectation of two messiahs: messiahs of Aaron (priestly) and Israel (kingly = branch of David) (1QS 9:11)<\/li>\n<li>Purified Jerusalem with a restored temple<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>General relevance for understanding Jesus and his earliest followers: Common concerns and differing interpretations among contemporaries on Judean <i>Law <\/i>and purity customs (Torah \/ covenant), <i>Temple<\/i> leadership, <i>God&#8217;s plans<\/i> and human destinies (the apocalyptic option)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. John the Baptizer: Jesus (at 30) as student and follower<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nature of our sources: Josephus and gospels<\/li>\n<li>Baptizer and Prophetic leader of a penitential movement\n<ul>\n<li>Context and implications: Symbolic significance of the desert and Jordan<\/li>\n<li>Ascetic lifestyle<\/li>\n<li>Message and method: Coming apocalyptic judgement, repentance \/ baptism (immersion and purity)<\/li>\n<li>Affinities with the Dead Sea sect: Penitent movement, purity emphasis, and the coming end<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Interactions with authorities and reason for his death: The soap opera that killed John<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Significance for the historical Jesus: The debate about the apocalyptic message of Jesus<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Teacher\"><\/a>Jesus as Teacher: The Method and Content of Jesus&#8217; Teaching (Reign of God)<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Forms of teaching material and methods<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; first audiences\n<ul>\n<li>Peasants of Galilee<\/li>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; closer following (both men and women) and the question of the twelve<\/li>\n<li>Pharisees, scribes, or other educated figures?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Example of the &#8220;Inaugural speech&#8221; from Q (<b>Lk 6:20-49<\/b> + \/\/s)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Forms or methods of teaching\n<ul>\n<li>Problem of sorting out historical Jesus from later developments<\/li>\n<li>Wisdom sayings (aphorisms &#8211; one-liners)<\/li>\n<li>Parables\n<ul>\n<li>What is a parable? Stories that use everyday things (known) to explain some deeper teaching (unknown)<\/li>\n<li>Contemporary rabbis and parable-tellers\n<ul>\n<li>Examples of parables: <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualreligion.net\/iho\/parable.html\" target=\"_blank\">Rabbinic parables<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; parables and their imagery\n<ul>\n<li>Rural, Galilean referents and imagery: agriculture (seeds, planting, harvesting, vineyards, tenants, loans, etc); everyday life (birds, banquets, etc).<\/li>\n<li>Examples: Luke chs. 15-16: Hundred sheep, lost coin, two sons, rich man and the manager<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Content of the teaching \/ message:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The &#8220;Kingdom of God&#8221;\n<ul>\n<li>Authentic?: Multiple attestation and dissimilarity criteria (e.g. &#8220;Kingdom of God&#8221; not common among contemporary Judeans or early Christians such as Paul)<\/li>\n<li>What does it mean? God&#8217;s kingly reign in a Judean \/ Israelite context<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Present (non-apocalyptic) vs. future (apocalyptic) debate (Judean background of apocalypticism)\n<ul>\n<li>Future elements of the kingdom (emphasis of Sanders, Meier, Ehrman &#8212; Albert Schweitzer forerunner)\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus and the temple actions (Mk 11:15-19) \/ sayings (Mk 13:1; 14:57ff)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;The twelve&#8221; (1 Cor 15), the twelve tribes (Mt 19:28), and restoration ideology<\/li>\n<li>Banqueting in the Kingdom (<b>Mk 14:25<\/b> + \/\/s; Mt 8:11-12 \/\/ <b>Luke 13:28-29<\/b>)<\/li>\n<li>Blessings and curses &#8211; Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12 \/\/ Lk 6:20-23)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Present elements of the kingdom (emphasis of Crossan, Borg)\n<ul>\n<li>When and where is it? (<b>Luke 17:20-21 \/\/ Thom 113<\/b>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Relation of future \/ present elements &#8212; imminence of the kingdom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Inhabitants of the kingdom\n<ul>\n<li>Reversal theme in Jesus&#8217; teachings<\/li>\n<li>Parable of the dinner invitation (<b>Lk 14:15-24 \/\/ Thom 64<\/b>) &#8211; unexpected and somewhat random<\/li>\n<li>Nobodies and undesirables: Children (<b>Mk 10:13-16; cf. Thom 22<\/b>); poor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Connections between Jesus&#8217; teaching of the Kingdom of God and his role as a healer \/ exorcist?\n<ul>\n<li>E.g. Jesus&#8217; acts of healing interpreted as a sign of the intervention of God: &#8220;But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.&#8221; (Lk 11:20)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Healer\"><\/a>Jesus among Contemporary Popular Groups and Leaders part 1: Jesus as Healer, Exorcist, and Miracle-Worker<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Contemporary exorcists, healers, and miracle-workers (&#8220;magicians&#8221;)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Healers and exorcists\n<ul>\n<li>An historian&#8217;s approach: not interested in question of whether miracles really happen, but in the ancients&#8217; perceptions of the miraculous<\/li>\n<li>Background: Medical anthropology (disease vs. illness); ancient conceptions of health and healing (e.g. mental illness as demon possession; illness as caused by God(s) or demons)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Exorcists and healers:\n<ul>\n<li>Eleazar (and Solomon&#8217;s wisdom) (<i>Ant. <\/i>8.42-49; first century CE)<\/li>\n<li>Judean exorcists (Acts 19:13-20)<\/li>\n<li>Hanina ben Dosa (in Galilee) and his relatives (first century CE)\n<ul>\n<li>Miracles and the prophetic role: &#8220;Are you a prophet?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Nature miracle: Rain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Other miracle-workers (e.g. &#8220;nature miracles&#8221;)\n<ul>\n<li>Onias \/ Honi the Circle-drawer and his descendants (in Josephus and rabbinic passages) (first century BCE)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Traditions relating to Jesus as exorcist and healer<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Multiple attestation &#8211; Synoptics and the Gospel of John (overlaps and tensions)<\/li>\n<li>Overview of miracle material in the gospels (e.g. of John&#8217;s &#8220;signs&#8221; and Mark 4:35-6:56)\n<ul>\n<li>Types: Healings, exorcisms, &#8220;nature miracles&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Jesus as healer in historical perspective\n<ul>\n<li>Ancient worldviews and contemporary healers<\/li>\n<li>Opponents&#8217; perceptions: Beezelbul controversy as the key passage (Luke 11:14-26 and \/\/s, including Mark 3:22-26)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Jesus&#8217; followers and healing (the so-called &#8220;mission speech&#8221;) (Luke 10:1-12 and \/\/s including Thom 14b)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Connections between role as healer and as prophet? (long Israelite\/Judean tradition of the prophet who works miracles &#8212; e.g. Elijah and Elisha in 1-2 Kings)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Prophet\"><\/a>Jesus among Contemporary Popular Groups and Leaders, part 2: Jesus as Prophet or Messiah?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Jesus and contemporary prophets<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is a &#8220;prophet&#8221; in first century Israel?\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Prophets&#8221; in the Hebrew Bible as spokespersons or messengers for God<\/li>\n<li>Moses and Elijah as models (types) of the ideal prophet<\/li>\n<li>Ideas concerning the return of a prophet like Moses (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?passage=Deut+4:18-25\" target=\"_blank\">Deut 18:15-22<\/a>) or like Elijah (<a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?passage=Deut+4:18-25\" target=\"_blank\">Malachi 4<\/a>): Some Judeans looking forward such prophetic figures or interpreting contemporaries as such figures (cf. Mark 6:14-16; 8:28; 9:11-13; and \/\/s)\n<ul>\n<li>Apocalyptic thinkers: Role of such prophets in God&#8217;s final intervention<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Contemporary prophets\n<ul>\n<li>Oracular: John the Baptist, 20s-30s CE; Jesus son of Hananiah, 60s CE (<i>War<\/i> 6.300-309)<\/li>\n<li>Popular (<i>War<\/i> 2.259): The Samaritan, 30s CE (<i>Ant.<\/i> 18.85-87); Theudas, 40s CE (<i>Ant<\/i>. 20.97-98); The Egyptian, 50s CE (<i>Ant. <\/i>20.169-71)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Why would some contemporaries view Jesus as a prophet?\n<ul>\n<li>Problem of distinguishing later Christian authors&#8217; views on who Jesus was from contemporary views<\/li>\n<li>Evidence pointing to contemporary perceptions of Jesus as prophet\n<ul>\n<li>Sayings about Jesus as Elijah or a prophet<\/li>\n<li>Association of healing and prophetic status: Elijah-like prophet (cf. Hanina Ben Dosa)<\/li>\n<li>Apocalyptic element in his teaching (compare John the Baptist)\n<ul>\n<li>Kingdom of God teaching &#8211; Jesus as bringer of God&#8217;s message<\/li>\n<li>Statements and actions about the temple (likely apocalyptic)<\/li>\n<li>Other items attributed to Jesus: Twelve disciples and gathering the twelve tribes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Conclusion: Likelihood that Jesus was perceived as a prophet (with an apocalyptic message), and may have understood himself in that role<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Jesus and contemporary kings \/ messiahs<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is a king or &#8220;messiah&#8221; in first century Israel?\n<ul>\n<li>Biblical model (or type) of David, the anointed (messiah) king (cf. Jeremiah 23:5-6 and 33:17-22; Isaiah 11)<\/li>\n<li>Importance of foreign occupation for developments in notions of a native king<\/li>\n<li>Expectations for a messiah or messiahs not normative or standard\n<ul>\n<li>Some instances of an expectation of a Davidic messiah-king (<a href=\"http:\/\/wesley.nnu.edu\/biblical_studies\/noncanon\/ot\/pseudo\/psalms-solomon.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Psalms of Solomon<\/a> 17)\n<ul>\n<li>Warrior element primary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Dead Sea sect: A prophet and two messiahs: &#8220;messiahs of Aaron [priestly] and Israel [kingly]&#8221; (prevalence for the priestly messiah)<\/li>\n<li>Overall variety in understandings of a messiah, perhaps even within the Dead Sea Scrolls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Contemporary kings and notions of messianic roles\n<ul>\n<li>Popular kings or royal claimants in Josephus&#8217; narratives\n<ul>\n<li>Time of Herod&#8217;s death (4 BCE): Judas son of Hezekias, Simon the servant of Herod, Athrongeus (<i>Ant<\/i>. 17.271-285)<\/li>\n<li>Time of the revolt (66-70 CE): Menahem (<i>War<\/i> 2.433-34) and Simon bar Giora<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Was Jesus viewed as a king or royal messiah by contemporaries?\n<ul>\n<li>Political implications of Jesus&#8217; statements about the temple and his teachings about a kingdom soon to be established\n<ul>\n<li>Passion narratives: Pilate&#8217;s and Highpriest&#8217;s questions &#8212; problem of ambiguity in Jesus answer and lack of multiple attestation<\/li>\n<li>The inscription on the cross: &#8220;King of the Judeans&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Authorities&#8217; disinterest in sorting out kings from prophets &#8212; popular following was enough to get you in trouble<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Conclusion:\n<ul>\n<li>No doubt that gospel authors in the late first century interpreted Jesus as a messianic or Davidic figure of a particular type, drawing on passages from the Hebrew Bible<\/li>\n<li>Lack of secure evidence that the peasant Jesus actually claimed kingly \/ messianic role; no evidence that he engaged in military activities similar to contemporary royal claimants as described by Josephus (Judas, Simon, and Athrongeus)<\/li>\n<li>In general, the historical Jesus <i>did not fit <\/i>the Davidic warrior models that we find in some contemporary Judean writings (e.g. <i>Psalms of Solomon<\/i>) or the pattern set by popular royal claimants<\/li>\n<li>Not likely that the model of the royal messiah would be the first thing to jump into contemporaries&#8217; heads when seeing Jesus (prophetic role more likely)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Jesus&#8217; arrest, trial, and death: Explaining Jesus&#8217; demise<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Contemporary models of prophets and popular leaders who were arrested, tried, and\/or executed: e.g. Jesus son of Hananiah<\/li>\n<li>Why was Jesus arrested and executed?: The popularity and temple factors<\/li>\n<li>Crucifixion: Literary and archeological evidences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Paulintro\"><\/a>Introduction to Paul and his letters<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Handouts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#PaulBio\">Some Biographical Information about Paul<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#PaulCompare\">A Comparative Chronological Sketch of Paul&#8217;s Activity: The Letters and Acts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Websites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ntgateway.com\/paul\/\">NTGateway: Paul the Apostle<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>1. Who is Paul?:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A Hellenistic Judean in the diaspora (remember the slides on Paul&#8217;s world)<\/li>\n<li>Sources and their problems: Priority of Paul&#8217;s own information (over the Acts of the Apostles)<\/li>\n<li>The &#8220;autobiographical&#8221; passages\n<ul>\n<li>Discussion of Philippians 3:1-16; 2 Corinthians 11:7-12:13; Galatians 1-2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Paul&#8217;s relations with the Jesus movement at Jerusalem: Tensions in early Christianity<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s &#8220;announcement&#8221; (gospel) \/ Paul&#8217;s Christianity: Focus on the notion of the resurrection and vindication of Christ (very little focus on the earthly life of Jesus and his sayings); Notion of being &#8220;one in Christ&#8221;; Inclusion of Gentiles (without requiring circumcision and food laws)<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s apostleship \/ &#8220;announcement&#8221; and Jerusalem<\/li>\n<li>Jerusalem meeting according to Paul and the author of Acts (Galatians 1-2; Acts 15; full discussion in tutorials)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Approaches to the study of Paul, his letters, and his communities<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Epistolary approaches: Paul&#8217;s letters as Hellenistic letters\n<ul>\n<li>Some ancient Greek letters: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lib.umich.edu\/pap\/exhibits\/snapshots\/paniskos\/paniskos.html\" target=\"_blank\">Family Letters of Paniskos<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Structural elements in Paul\u2019s letters: Opening (greetings and thanksgiving); Closing (greetings and benediction); Body: Recurring types of material (autobiographical statements, travel plans, paraenesis); Traditional material (Christian hymns, sayings, vice\/virtue lists)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Rhetorical approaches: Paul, the rhetorician\n<ul>\n<li>The three types of rhetoric corresponding to context and purpose:\n<ul>\n<li>1) Judicial: type of speech used in the law courts to convince judges concerning <i>past<\/i> events: <i>accusation<\/i> or <i>defence<\/i><\/li>\n<li>2) Deliberative: type of speech used in the civic context (politics) to persuade people to take a certain <i>future<\/i> course of action: <i>persuasion<\/i> or <i>dissuasion<\/i><\/li>\n<li>3) Demonstrative (epideictic): type of speech used in ceremonial contexts (e.g. festival gatherings) to provide pleasure for audiences in the <i>present<\/i>: <i>praise<\/i> or <i>blame<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Historical and social-historical approaches: Paul and his communities in their contexts\n<ul>\n<li>The situations in the assemblies and Paul&#8217;s responses to those situations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Our main approach in the course: Paul among contemporary Judeans, Greeks, and Romans\n<ul>\n<li>Paul among apocalyptic Judeans (e.g. members of the Dead Sea sect)<\/li>\n<li>Paul among Greco-Roman philosophers (Platonists, Stoics, Cynics, Epicureans)<\/li>\n<li>Paul among rhetoricians (e.g. Dio Chrysostom)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"PaulApocalyptic\"><\/a>Paul among Apocalyptic Judeans<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Apocalyptic Judeans<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Scholarly study of apocalypticism\n<ul>\n<li>1) Apocalyptic worldview (held by apocalyptic thinkers): God reveals secrets; Evil age \/ kingdom of Satan (dualism), God&#8217;s intervention (battle, resurrection, judgement), God&#8217;s age \/ kingdom (emerging some time in the second temple period)<\/li>\n<li>2) Apocalyptic movements \/ groups (living out the worldview)<\/li>\n<li>3) Apocalypse as a genre of literature (expressing the worldview in particular forms: a. historical and b. otherworldly apocalypses)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Fallen angels and the origins of the apocalyptic worldview: 1 Enoch 1-36 (c. 200 BCE)\n<ul>\n<li>Enoch&#8217;s otherworldly journey<\/li>\n<li>Explaining the origins and end of evil<\/li>\n<li>Fallen angels, the evil age, and the coming judgement (development of Satan, head of the fallen angels, in subsequent writings)<\/li>\n<li>Characteristics: Thoroughgoing dualism (with human participation), predeterminism (God has a plan)<\/li>\n<li>Dead Sea sect knew of the fallen angels story and also had copies of 1 Enoch 1-36<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Dead Sea sect (c. 160s BCE-70 CE): Apocalyptic worldview and movement\n<ul>\n<li><i>The Damascus Document<\/i>\n<ul>\n<li>Origins of a penitential movement<\/li>\n<li>Living under a &#8220;new covenant&#8221; with &#8220;exact intepretation&#8221; of the Torah in the era of Belial (&#8220;Worthless One&#8221; = Satan)<\/li>\n<li>Key functionaries in the end times (Teacher, Messiahs of Aaron and Israel)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><i>The Community Rule<\/i>\n<ul>\n<li>New covenant ceremony<\/li>\n<li>The Two Spirits (Light and Darkness) and the apocalyptic scenario (discussion of <i>The Community Rule<\/i>)<\/li>\n<li>The final battle with evil (cf. the <i>War Scroll<\/i>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Apocalyptic Judeans, Pharisees and the afterlife \/ resurrection of the dead\n<ul>\n<li>Daniel 12:1-3 (ca. 160s BCE) as an early example<\/li>\n<li>Standard among apocalyptic Judeans<\/li>\n<li>Pharisees and the resurrection according to Josephus and a few rabbinic passages\n<ul>\n<li>e.g. Mishnah,<i> Sanhedrin<\/i> 10.1: &#8220;All Israelites have a share in the world to come, as it is said, <i>Your people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified<\/i> (Is. 60:21). And these are the ones who have no portion in the world to come: He who says, the resurrection of the dead is a teaching which does not derive from the Torah, and the Torah does not come from Heaven; and an Epicurean&#8221; (trans. by Jacob Neusner).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Gentiles in apocalyptic scenarios (preview for next week)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Paul, the Apocalyptic Judean<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s apocalyptic teachings at Thessalonica in Macedonia (c. 50 CE)\n<ul>\n<li>Introduction to 1 Thessalonians:\n<ul>\n<li>The setting of Thessalonica<\/li>\n<li>Paul and the situation among the Jesus-followers at Thessalonica\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s past relations (initial visit, Timothy&#8217;s visit, letter)<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s praise for the Thessalonian Jesus-followers<\/li>\n<li>Affliction and relations with outsiders (other Thessalonians)<\/li>\n<li>Death of members<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s initial apocalyptic teachings (esp. 1 Thess 1:9-10)<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s apocalyptic clarifications (1 Thess 4:13-5:11)\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus the Christ (Messiah) as the key end-time functionary of God (two visits)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s apocalyptic scenarios in other letters\n<ul>\n<li>1 Corinthians (esp. chapter 15):\n<ul>\n<li>Paul on the resurrection of the dead and on the first and last Adams (1 Cor 15, esp. verses 20-28, 50-57) &#8211; transformation imminently arriving<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s otherworldly journey (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"PaulPhariseeCircumcision\"><\/a>Paul among Pharisees and other Judeans &#8211; Circumcision, the Gentiles, and Biblical Interpretation<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Pharisees and other Judeans on circumcision, the gentiles, and biblical interpretation<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Circumcision and the Gentiles among contemporary Judeans\n<ul>\n<li>Key passages: Abraham, the covenant, and circumcision in Genesis 17<\/li>\n<li>Gentiles and the Judean God in the first century:\n<ul>\n<li>The range of attraction: supporters (e.g. Severa), &#8220;God-fearers&#8221;, proselytes, and others<\/li>\n<li>Judean perspectives on Gentiles (ethnic stereotyping and Noachic expectations)<\/li>\n<li>Gentiles and the end-time: The significance of the gentiles (nations) in the restoration of Israel and in apocalyptic scenarios &#8211; subjugation, destruction, or inclusion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s Judean opponents in Galatia: The position of Paul&#8217;s opponents (and their likely association with Jerusalem)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Interpretive techniques among Pharisees and other Judeans\n<ul>\n<li>Midrash<\/li>\n<li>Allegory (e.g. Philo of Alexandria)<\/li>\n<li>Pesher (e.g. the Dead Sea scrolls)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Paul&#8217;s position on circumcision and his interpretation of the Hebrew Bible<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul, the Law and the Gentiles: Circumcision is not an entrance requirement\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s defence of his circumcision-free announcement (gospel) &#8211; tensions with others with ties to Jerusalem (the other announcement)<\/li>\n<li>The issue of the inclusion of Gentiles in the people of God (the mission to the Gentiles) as the guiding principle in Paul&#8217;s views<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s interpretative techniques\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s midrash of the Abraham story:\n<ul>\n<li>God&#8217;s <i>primary<\/i> covenant-promise to Abraham (Gen 15):\n<ul>\n<li>The blessing of Abraham &#8211; faith (not circumcision = \u201cworks of law\u201d) as the true sign of being sons of Abraham and members of God&#8217;s community<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The <i>secondary<\/i> covenant, circumcision (Gen 17) and the Law at Mount Sinai: \u201cthe law was our custodian until Christ came\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s allegory: Sarah and Hagar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"PaulPhilosophers\"><\/a>Paul among Greco-Roman Teachers and Philosophers<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Greco-Roman philosophers<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Three-fold focus of ancient philosophy: Logic (reason), physics (cosmology), ethics (how to live in accordance with wisdom or reason)<\/li>\n<li>Goal of philosophy: e.g. Pseudo-Plutarch [30-31]<\/li>\n<li>Philosophical schools or groups in Paul&#8217;s time\n<ul>\n<li>Interactions among schools (e.g. Stoic-Cynic or Platonic-Stoic philosophers)<\/li>\n<li>Platonic philosophers<\/li>\n<li>Epicurean philosophers<\/li>\n<li>Stoic philosophers<\/li>\n<li>Cynic philosophers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Judeans interacting with Hellenistic philosophy: E.g. Philo of Alexandria<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Cynic and Stoic perspectives often most helpful in understanding Paul (but also Platonic ideas &#8212; e.g. 1 Cor 15)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Key concerns and topics of debate among philosophers and Paul<br \/>\n1) How should the philosopher approach teaching his students?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Methods of instruction:\n<ul>\n<li>Living the principles and presenting a model for imitation (imitate me) (e.g. Seneca [T 52]<\/li>\n<li>Diatribe \/ dialogue (e.g. Epictetus [36-37]; cf. Romans 9-11)<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Frank speech&#8221; (telling it like it is) vs. gentle instruction (e.g. Plutarch [T 55]) &#8211; assessing your students&#8217; situations<\/li>\n<li>Letters as a means of instruction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>1 Thessalonians: Paul&#8217;s approach to his students<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2) How are we to live? (ethics and moral exhortation \/ parenesis)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Philosophers&#8217; prominent concern with moral behaviour (e.g. Hierocles on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/2007\/03\/07\/golden-rule-do-unto-others-according-to-the-pagans\/\" target=\"_blank\"> the &#8220;golden rule&#8221;<\/a> ) &#8211; should not adopt a Judean or Christian perspective on the immoral &#8220;pagans&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>E.g. Musonius Rufus on sexual indulgence<\/li>\n<li>Parenetic sections in Paul&#8217;s letters (e.g. 1 Thess 4:1-12; Romans 12-13)\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s teaching on relations with the state (e.g. Romans 13) in the context of philosophical discussions<\/li>\n<li>Listing virtues, vices, and hardships<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3) Is marriage compatible with the pursuit of a proper life?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Debates on whether one can pursue philosophy and be married: E.g. Hierocles on marriage not being a burden<\/li>\n<li>Paul reflects such debates in 1 Corinthians 7<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4) How should a teacher financially support his activities?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Options: 1) Live off wealth from land (if you own it); 2) Fees for teaching; 3) Financial support from a patron or benefactor; 4) Handwork; 5) Begging<\/li>\n<li>Opinions among philosophers:\n<ul>\n<li>Cicero [150-151] on gentlemanly and vulgar occupations<\/li>\n<li>Some Epicurean, Cynic, and other opinions (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#handwork\" target=\"_blank\">link<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Musonius Rufus (Cynic-Stoic) on the value of farming [151-152]<\/li>\n<li>Ideals of self-sufficiency among some Stoics and Cynics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s approach(es): Handwork with the Thessalonians and Corinthians (1 Thess 2 9-10; 1 Cor 9); Acceptance of financial support from the Philippians (Paul&#8217;s thank-you letter)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"PaulRhetoric\"><\/a>Paul among Greco-Roman Rhetoricians<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Greco-Roman rhetorical training and speeches<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rhetoric as argumentation in oral or written form<\/li>\n<li>Rhetorical handbooks and education in the world of Paul<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The three types of rhetoric corresponding to context and purpose:\n<ul>\n<li>1) Judicial: type of speech used in the law courts to convince judges concerning <i>past<\/i> events: <i>accusation<\/i> or <i>defence<\/i><\/li>\n<li>2) Deliberative: type of speech used in the civic context (politics) to persuade people to take a certain <i>future<\/i> course of action: <i>persuasion<\/i> or <i>dissuasion<\/i><\/li>\n<li>3) Demonstrative (epideictic): type of speech used in ceremonial contexts (e.g. festival gatherings) to provide pleasure for audiences in the <i>present<\/i>: <i>praise<\/i> or <i>blame<\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Contemporary examples illustrating aspects of rhetoric: The speeches of Dio Chrysostom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Paul and Greco-Roman rhetoric<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Judicial (1 Cor 9), deliberative (1 Corinthians), and demonstrative (e.g. 1 Thessalonians; Philippians) rhetoric in Paul&#8217;s letters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Character of deliberative rhetoric: Dio Chrysostom&#8217;s speech as context for understanding deliberative rhetoric<\/li>\n<li>1 Corinthians: A case study of deliberative rhetoric and civic discourse\n<ul>\n<li>Background on the situation at Corinth\n<ul>\n<li>Ethnic and social-economic composition of the community<\/li>\n<li>A letter from some of the Christians at Corinth (chs. 7-15 as a response)<\/li>\n<li>Internal divisions and perceived problems in the situation at Corinth: Social-economic and other factors in the problems\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cI belong to Paul\u201d &#8211; \u201cI belong to Apollos\u201d (chs. 1-4)<\/li>\n<li>Ethical problems (ch. 5): Thou shalt not sleep with thy step-mother<\/li>\n<li>The socially \u201csuperior\u201d Christians: Litigious Christians (ch. 6); the drunk and the hungry (rich and poor) (11:17-34)<\/li>\n<li>The intellectually \u201csuperior\u201d Christians (spiritual enthusiasts) and their slogans (chs. 7-15): Asceticism: \u201c&#8230;it is good not to touch a woman&#8230;\u201d; Knowledge and wisdom: \u201c&#8230;all of us possess knowledge&#8230;an idol has no real existence\u201d (the weak and the strong) (chs. 8, 10); &#8220;&#8230;some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead&#8230;\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s response and argument for concord and against division:\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s language of civic (political) discourse<\/li>\n<li>Versus divisions (chs. 1-4)<\/li>\n<li>Addressing other problems<\/li>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s body metaphor and civic discourse<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>_______________________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"PaulSlavery\"><\/a>Paul and his Contemporaries on Slavery<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Links:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Paul and Slavery in the Greco-Roman world&#8221;: <a href=\"http:\/\/philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#Slavery\">http:\/\/philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#Slavery<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/history\/ancient\/romans\/slavery_01.shtml\">Resisting Slavery in Ancient Rome<\/a> (by Keith Bradley on the BBC History homepage)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ucd.ie\/classics\/classicsinfo\/96\/Madden96.html\" target=\"_blank\">Slavery in the Roman Empire: Numbers and Origins<\/a> (by John Madden)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.iath.virginia.edu\/meyer\/\" target=\"_blank\">A New Interpretive Study of the Evolution of Slavery in Hellenistic and Roman Greece <\/a>(Elizabeth Meyer) &#8211; includes translations of many inscriptions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>1. Slavery in the Greco-Roman world<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nature of ancient slavery\n<ul>\n<li>Compare and contrast ancient and modern slavery<\/li>\n<li>Sources of slaves<\/li>\n<li>Slaves as objects owned by masters<\/li>\n<li>Slaves as members of the household \/ family community<\/li>\n<li>Duties of slaves and slaves in different roles\n<ul>\n<li>Slaves in imperial service (&#8220;Caesar&#8217;s family&#8221; &#8211; e.g. Phillipians)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Manumission practices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Inscriptions pertaining to slavery and manumission (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www2.iath.virginia.edu\/meyer\/\" target=\"_blank\">Meyer&#8217;s site<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Contemporaries of Paul on Slavery<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Slaves and Judeans in the diaspora\n<ul>\n<li>Slaves in the Judean scriptures<\/li>\n<li>Judeans as slaves\n<ul>\n<li>Judean war and slavery<\/li>\n<li>Judean slaves and freedmen in Rome<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Judeans as masters\n<ul>\n<li>Diaspora examples of manumissions in the Black Sea area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Jokes involving slaves (Philolegos, nos. 25, 57)<\/li>\n<li>Intellectuals on self-control in the treatment of slaves\n<ul>\n<li>Musonius Rufus on the sexual use of slaves<\/li>\n<li>Galen, the physician and philosopher, on his father&#8217;s policy (late first century, Pergamon)<\/li>\n<li>Seneca on controlling one&#8217;s passions \/ anger (first century, Stoic philosopher)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Intellectuals punishing or protecting runaway slaves\n<ul>\n<li>Pliny the Younger, <i>Epistles 9<\/i>.21 and 9.24<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Paul on Slaves<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tensions in Paul&#8217;s views?\n<ul>\n<li>Ideal expressed in Galatians 3:28: &#8220;no longer slave or free&#8221; in Christ<\/li>\n<li>1 Corinthians 7:21-24: &#8220;remain as you are&#8221; and Paul&#8217;s apocalyptic worldview<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The case of Onesimus, the slave of Philemon<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>1) The situation<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Addressees: Christian group in Colossae?<\/li>\n<li>Onesimus the runaway slave and Philemon his master<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2) Paul&#8217;s response on this case involving a slave<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul&#8217;s letter of recommendation<\/li>\n<li>The rhetoric of the letter<\/li>\n<li>Request or social pressure?: &#8220;Paul&#8230;to Philemon&#8230;and the church in your house&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>_____________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"Apocalypse\"><\/a>John\u2019s Apocalypse (Revelation): The Fall of an Earthly Empire and the Establishment of God&#8217;s Kingdom<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Introductory matters<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Authorship and audience<\/li>\n<li>Date and context: Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE (compare other Jewish apocalypses)<\/li>\n<li>What is an Apocalypse?<\/li>\n<li>Apocalypticism (world-view), Millenial movements (social groups), and the genre of Apocalypse (writing)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Situation and Response<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Situation:\n<ul>\n<li>Traditional explanations: Domitian\u2019s persecution<\/li>\n<li>Revised view: Futuristic visions that build upon some current or past incidents in order to convince followers of Jesus to maintain distance from \u201cpagan\u201d society and imperialism<\/li>\n<li>Opponents in the letters: Followers of \u201cBalaam\u201d and \u201cJezebel\u201d (Nicolaitans) (see Numbers 22-25; 1 Kings 18:4, 13; 19:1-2; 21:25-26)\n<ul>\n<li>Idol-food and \u201cfornication\u201d (metaphor for participation in \u201cforeign\u201d cultural practices)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Response:\n<ul>\n<li>Sectarian perspective of John\u2019s Apocalypse<\/li>\n<li>Call to endurance and worship of God and the Lamb (not the beast)<\/li>\n<li>Distance from surrounding society: \u201cCome out of her, my people&#8230;\u201d(18:4-8)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Overview of the visions:\n<ul>\n<li>1-3 Vision of Jesus and messages to the churches in Asia<\/li>\n<li>4-11 Vision in Heaven<\/li>\n<li>12-16 Vision of Signs (dragon and beasts), vision of plagues<\/li>\n<li>17-18 Vision of Babylon (= Rome), the great harlot, riding the beast<\/li>\n<li>19-20 Vision of final judgment and victory for the righteous<\/li>\n<li>21-22 Vision of the New Jerusalem<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. Visions of Beasts and Babylon: Attitudes toward the Roman empire (12-13, 17-18)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The military and religious critique of empire: Worship of the beast (ch. 13)<\/li>\n<li>The economic critique of empire: Babylon the whore and the \u201cfornicators\u201d (chs. 17-18)\n<ul>\n<li>Links with the opponents in the letters (\u201cfornication\u201d)?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Comparison with other Christian attitudes towards Roman imperial society (see 1 Peter 2:11-17)<\/li>\n<li>Group-society issues among early Christians: Defining community boundaries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4. Locating John\u2019s Apocalypse within early Jesus movements<\/p>\n<p>_____________________________<br \/>\n<b><a name=\"1Peter\"><\/a>1 Peter: The Nature of Persecution and Relations with Outsiders<\/b><\/p>\n<p>1. Introductory matters<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Context:\n<ul>\n<li>1) Asia Minor as a hub of early Christianity (cf. Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, Pastoral Epistles, John&#8217;s Apocalypse, Johannine epistles, 1 Peter)<\/li>\n<li>2) Group-society relations: Christians and outsiders (&#8220;pagans&#8221;) and the issue of &#8220;persecution&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li>Authorship (pseudonymous) and date (late first century) of 1 Peter<\/li>\n<li>Recipients: Ethnic and social identity (&#8220;aliens and exiles&#8221; &#8211; literal or figurative?; see 1:14-16; 4:3)<\/li>\n<li>Genre: Diaspora letter (cf. Jeremiah 29:4-23; 2 Baruch 78-87; James)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Traditional approaches: 1 Peter as instruction manual for initiates (catechesis)?\n<ul>\n<li>Baptismal material (e.g. 3:18-22)<\/li>\n<li>Baptism as initiation ritual within the Jesus movements: Paul on dying and rising with Christ (cf. Romans 6:3-11); taking off and putting on clothing metaphor (Colossians 3:-9-12)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Outline of structure:<\/i>\n<ul>\n<li>1:1-2:10: Hope through suffering: Spiritual household and holy priesthood (identity)<\/li>\n<li>2:11-3:7: Household code: Getting along with outsiders (\u201cGentiles\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>3:8-4:19: Suffering for righteousness, like Christ<\/li>\n<li>5:1-14: Church leadership and closing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. Situation and Response<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Situation:\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Aliens&#8221; facing &#8220;suffering&#8221; and social harassment\n<ul>\n<li>Nature of the suffering: &#8220;Reviled&#8221; and &#8220;abused&#8221; (3:9, 13-17); &#8220;Abused&#8221;, &#8220;reproached&#8221;, and a &#8220;fiery ordeal&#8221; (4:4, 12-19; 5:9)<\/li>\n<li>Roots of the \u201csuffering\u201d (1:14-18; 2:11; 4:3-4)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><i>Discussion<\/i>: The nature of the persecution faced by Christians in Asia Minor and elsewhere: Official or unofficial (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Greco-Roman\">Tacitus on Nero, Pliny the Younger on Christians in Bithynia<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Response:\n<ul>\n<li>Comforting Christians and strengthening group identity: &#8220;holy priesthood&#8221; and &#8220;spiritual household&#8221; (1:1-2:10)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alleviating tensions: Group-society relations (2:11-3:7)\n<ul>\n<li>Attitudes towards authorities and empire (2:11-17): \u201cHonour the emperor\u201d (contrast Revelation\u2019s call to assail the \u201cbeast\u201d = emperor and &#8220;whore&#8221; = Rome)<\/li>\n<li>The household code (2:11-3:7)\n<ul>\n<li>Background: &#8220;Family values&#8221; in the Greco-Roman world (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Courses\/HUMA2830Handouts.htm#Deutero\">Aristotle<\/a> and others)<\/li>\n<li>Household codes in other Christian writings: Colossians, Ephesians; Pastorals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Diversity in early Christian attitudes and practices in relation to outsiders\/society\n<ul>\n<li>Some cases we have seen: Thessalonica vs. Corinth; Pastorals vs. Thecla)<\/li>\n<li>Cases to come: John&#8217;s Apocalypse and the issue of &#8220;idolatry&#8221; and &#8220;worshipping the beast&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contents Orientation Early Christianity and the Academic Study of Religion Early Christianity in its Greco-Roman and Judean Cultural Contexts: A Bird&#8217;s Eye View Jesus Among His Contemporaries Introduction to the Historical Jesus, part 1: Sources, Problems, and Methods Introduction to the Historical Jesus, part 2: Some Scholarly Portraits and Approaches Jesus among Galileans and Judeans: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":1212,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1216","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1216\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philipharland.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}