Intro. to the New Testament

Lecture Outline for Quiz 7

Spring 2004 St. Joseph's University

Reading

Bible: Revelation
Barnstone: 4 Maccabees, Perpetua & Felicity, Simon Magus, Carpocrates, Odes of Solomon 1-15
Theissen: p. 163- ch. 9
Web: Martyrdom of Polycarp

Apocalyptic

Apocalyptic world view
Radical dualism
marginalized communities
Archaism

Apocalyptic eschatology
Messiah and Messianic expectation
Messiah = Hebrew/Aramaic for 'anointed'
Christ = Greek for 'anointed'
Title derives from practice of anointing Israelite kings
Expected return of Davidic monarchy
Originally merely political
With time became increasingly eschatological
Disappointment with Hasmonean rulers may have fueled this tendency, but it was already in place by their time
Question of whether there were claimants to be the Messiah in & around Jesus' time
Judah the Galilean leads Sepphoris in revolt after death of Herod (~4 BC)
Certainly during 2nd Jewish revolt
Simon bar Kokhba
literature
visions of the future
tours of heaven/hell
pseudepigraphy
symbolic language
vagueness prevents failed predictions
esoteric language and symbols (only the community of faith understands)
prophecy after the fact

Revelation

The Apocalypse (Revelation)
Letters to the 7 churches
Martyrdom (see below)
Heresies
Gnosticism
Perhaps reflected in 'synagogue of Satan'
Antinomianism
Perhaps reflected in Jezebel and Nicolatians
[vs. Libertinism & Epicureanism]
Carpocrates (all things in common, possession leads to covetousness)
All things must be experienced
Possibility of sex in worship service
Cainites (all law evil - violation as obedience to higher power)
Adamites
Nudism with abstinence
Tours of Heaven & visions of the future
Symbolic language (animals, etc)
Cycles of 7
Separate visions or visions within visions?
The number of the beast
Gematria
666/616 = Nero Caesar?

Persecution and the Rise of Early Catholic Christianity

legal issues in the Roman Empire
Martyrdom stories
Polycarp
Perpetua & Felicitas
Paul & Thecla
Revelation
Donatist controversy

Varieties of Christianity 3

Odes of Solomon
Holy Spirit as mother of Jesus

Greek and Roman religious context

orientalism
classical 'paganism'
merging of god(desse)s with foreign deities of similar function
growing dissatisfaction with traditional religions
Astrology & magic
"Mystery Religions"
Isis/Osiris worship
Mithraism
Dionysus worship (Baccic rites)
Murals at Pompei

Last Modified 5/4/2004 by Alan Humm humm@ccat.sas.upenn.edu