REL 015 The English Bible

Jesus Traditions

• Caesarea -- found a reused inscription that names Pontius Pilate as prefect.
  
• The later designation was "procurator" (see Luke-Acts).
  
• He was a governor for a fairly long time (11 years) but gets recalled to Rome for messing up by the Emperor Tiberius who dies on Pilate's way back.

• Fire in Rome in 64, Nero was out of town. Could have been ordered by Nero but he blames the fire
  on Christians, followers of this person executed under Pilate.
• Nero blamed and imprisoned Christians
• Set them on fire in his gardens
• Quo Vadis tradition -- "where are you going?"
  Peter was escaping from Rome during the persecution along with other Christians and saw Jesus entering the city. Peter asked Jesus this question (quo vadis? -- and/or perhaps Jesus asked Peter!) and Peter went back to be martyred, following Jesus example.

C. Pliny the Younger (112-113 ce) also mentions "Christians":

• Appointed to governorship of Bithynia in what is now northwestern part of Turkey.
• Christians accused of doing things against the Roman Empire (e.g. secret meetings), so Pliny writes to the Emperor (Trajan) for instructions.
• Pliny was personally acquainted with Tacitus, which might be a factor in these accounts.

D. [tangent] Pliny the Elder (was the younger's uncle)

• The elder helped people evacuate after the eruption of volcano Vesuvius in 79 CE (see Pompeii, Herculaneum ruins)
• The younger wrote about the death of his uncle in the rescue operations.
• Pliny the Elder wrote a comprehensive natural history that survives -- deals with animals, flora and fauna, geography, including Palestine, etc. (mentions the "Essenes" in Dead Sea area who don't marry or propagate; people just flee to them in troubled times).

E. Josephus -- single most important source for knowing ancient Judaism up to this period..

1. People usually don't believe that he wrote everything said about Jesus in his Antiquities (book 18).
2. He also mentions John the baptizer, and James/Jacob the brother of Jesus.

• Birth stories with shepherds and a Roman census (from Caesar Augustus).
• Jesus is circumcised, brought to Jerusalem Temple and revered there as an infant.
• Jesus' "Bar-Mitzvah" -- around 12 years old again in Jerusalem, speaking with learned people there.
• Jesus was dunked in Jordan by John the Baptist during reign of Tiberius Caesar, etc.

• Sadducees -- are the most different because they don't believe in messiah and eschatology.
• Pharisees -- closest to Jesus and Paul, and to what develops into "classical/orthodox Judaism"
• Essenes -- similar to Pharisees, but very critical of the Jerusalem priesthood (run by the wrong family?)
• Zealots ("the fourth philosophy" for Josephus) -- political activists, related to "sicarii" dagger carrying terrorists who fought for theocracy (rule by God).

H. Roman general Pompey brought Roman power into the Tigris-Euphrates River area around 63 BCE:.

• Intervened in Judean affairs as Hasmonean rule broke down.
• From Pompey and Caesar to Brutus to Mark Antony to Octavian Augustus

I. Herod the Great (died 4 BCE) and his family were influential Jews in Rome.

• designated by Augustus as ethnic king. "King of the Jews"
• Jesus is actually born prior to Herod's death in 4 BCE. A 5th century monk messed up the Christian calendar.
• Archelaus (Matt 2.22), son of Herod -- controversial successor, important people of Judea petitioned for a Roman ruler (prefect) rather than this ethnic king.

--- 3 April 2003 --

The Lord's Prayer (aka "the Our Father")

• Debts vs. trespasses vs. sins vs. transgressions
• found in two different settings in Matthew 6 and Luke 11.
• In Matthew it was given in the Sermon on the Mount.
• In Luke it was given as a response to a request concerning John the baptizer's disciples.

Influence of Jewish scriptures on Jesus traditions:

• Matthew's string of "fulfilment" passages
• Jesus entering Jerusalem in Matthew on two animals, on an ass and the foal of a she-ass (misinterpretation of Hebrew poetic parallelism?)
• Some of the details of Jesus' death could have arisen from supposed "prophecies" in Psalms and Isaiah.

The resurrection of Jesus and its aftermath:

• Matthew and Mark -- Jesus is going to Galilee where he will see his disciples.
• Luke -- all Jesus' appearances are in the Jerusalem area (not in Galilee) -- Emmaus is a short distance from Jerusalem (Jesus appears mysteriously to two of his followers who are unnamed).
• (The unnamed beloved disciple in the 4th Gospel is usually thought to be John)

Early Christians were accused of being atheists by Greco-Roman critics, since the Christians did not worship the customary gods of that culture.

• Story of Jesus spread because of people like Paul.
• Others claiming to be Messiah were not unknown in that world.

Sunday School Jesus (quick sketch):

• Catholic -- Mary is miraculously born; "immaculate conception" refers to her birth without original sin.
• In Luke, Mary is "blessed" to give birth to Jesus (virgin), in connection with John the baptizer's birth
• Luke also reports on shepherds coming to see the newborn, circumcision and reception at the Temple
• In Matthew, "magi" (astrologers) came from the east (3 gifts, not necessarily 3 magi)
• Also in Matthew, all children 2 and under were killed by Herod's command, Jesus & folks go to Egypt
• Luke has Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple at 12, discoursing with the Jewish leaders
• Then at around 30 (Luke) he was baptized by John the baptizer.