Read: -Jeremiah 31:31-33 - Galatians 4 What is Paul saying in Galatians 4?

1. Read: -Jeremiah 31:31-33-Galatians 4 What is Paul saying in Galatians 4?

2. Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke Synoptikos: “seen together” They have much in common and differ significantly from the Gospel of John.

3. Goals for Today: -Assyrian & Babylonian Legacies. -Persian Legacy -Alexander the Great -Israel and Hellenism -The order and peace of Rome in Palestine (Julius Caesar, Octavius, Tiberius & Catigula, Claudius & Nero). -Social Settings & Stratification -Jewish Groups (Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots)

4. Assyria: Elimination of northern Israel as part of Israel (replacement of the northern tribes with “half- breeds”: Assyrians mixed with Jews = Samaritans) Babylonia:A captivity reminiscent of EgyptExposure to urban life and new ideas

5. Persian legacy: -An enduring notion that Persia was different from the other empires (including “Cyrus, my Messiah”) -A well-governed and organized empire that respected individual tribes (like the Jews) -Often portrayed as the bad guys but they were the ones who sent the Jews back after conquering the Babylonians.

6. Alexander’s Legacy -“Hellenism” -Expansion throughout the former Persian Empire of Greek language, ways of thinking (even the Judaism of the time of Jesus was very Hellenized Judaism). -Acceptance of local religious practice, tried to create a synthesis of all the religions into each sector of the empire. Israel during the Hellenistic Period -Israel again becomes the “pawn” of warring Empires -Seleucids and Ptolemies -Seleucid king: Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC)

7. Israelite groupsTobiads (Jewish high-priestly family allied with the Ptolemies) Maccabees / Hasmoneans: War: 167-132 BC Hasideans (“the pious”) – 1 Macc 2:42 “Those seeking righteousness and justice” – 1 Macc 2:29-38 ( initial group of “Pharisees”?)

8. Persons of the Roman Empire Pompey the Great (63 BC enters Temple) Julius Caesar (44 BC assassinated)Julio-Claudian Emperors Octavian (Augustus Caesar, after 31 BC Actium and 27 BC Senate decree – AD 14) ▪ Herod the Great (until 4 BC) ▪ Quirinius (governor of Syria) Tiberius (AD 14-37)▪ Pontius Pilate: magistrate in Judaea Caligula (AD 37-41) Claudius (AD 41-54) Nero (AD 54-68)

9. Persons of the Roman Empire Flavian Emperors Vespasian Titus Domitian (AD 81-96) Nervan-Antonine Emperors Trajan (AD 98-117)Hadrian (AD 117-138)

10. Social Settings of 1c Palestine Countryside-Not generally inhabited; used for cultivation, grazing, or infertile. Villages -Main population base; found every few kilometers. Cities -Very few – Jerusalem, Caesarea, Tiberias, etc. – and essentially elite or Roman, along with working class and slaves to supply the city’s services.

11. Social Stratification (by control of the food supply)  -Land-owners (patrons), usually live in the city  -Managers (brokers)  -Land-workers (‘farmers’, ‘peasants’)  -Day labourers / Artisans (craftsmen)  -Beggars (infirm), Widows, Orphans: all of these lack any social support (i.e., “poor”)

12. Jewish Ideological Groupings: Essenes Zealots Pharisees Sadducees

13. NT: Library of earliest texts/books of Christianity From a very narrow period of time and culture, the Roman provinces of the Levant during the middle and final years of the Roman Empire’s Julio-Claudian dynasty (and possibly from the earliest years of the Flavian dynasty). Almost entirely in Greek In both cases, texts were read aloud to people (most people could not read.) New Testament is not a category but rather a testament to a new relationship of God with all people. OT: Library of books sacred to Judaism in the period of Roman occupation Hundred or thousands of years before the Romans, reflecting broad ranges of the Ancient Near Eastern World Almost entirely written in Hebrew Testament=covenant “OT’ = the record of the covenant of God with His people Old covenant or testament: the texts that document how Jews were guardians of God’s world until the Messiah

14. Textual criticism is the discipline that attempts to ascertain:  What was in the original text? What changes have been made to the original text and why? Ex: Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Translation of Greek found in late but very good MSS “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Translation of the Greek found in the earliest MSS

15. Social (Generalized human behavior) vs. Cultural (local social practices) -Culture is all about the distinctive, shared meanings and feelings characteristic of a given group at a certain time and place -Meaningful human behavior shares cultural patterns and is performed in ways that are culturally meaningful -Texts (words) reflect these patterns -Language is about more than just extracting literal meaning.  -Cultural norms that make up a culture=cultural cues for knowing how to behave in a particular culture

16. Honor (Shame) vs. Dishonor (Shamelessness) Honor = a claim to worth that is socially acknowledged for males. Can be ascribed or acquired Shame = a claim to worth for females Example Mark 15:27-32

17. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!”31 In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.  Mark 15:27-32

18. Limited good vs. abundance -Everything is in limited supply. Envy -The situation that arises when equals or superiors are losing limited good, as a means of survival -When honour that you seek to acquire is beyond you. To gain back by force what is lost or unable to be gained

19. Evidence of envy -Ostracism, Gossip, Homicide, & Evil eye -Mark 12:13-17, 14:1, 15:10 Kinship: -Relationships derived from birth and marriage (a network of culturally defined family relationships) -Marriage (exogamous/endogamous) -Patrilocal

20. Corporate personality (dyadic) vs. individual personality If Jesus didn’t go to Rabbinic school where did he get his knowledge? Very suspect of someone who individually trained.

21. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’”32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:21

22. Traditionally, Matthew was believed to be the first Gospel written. However, later biblical scholarship led most to believe that Mark was written first. Matthew and Luke “improve” difficult passages in Mark.

23. Gospel: “Good News” The very life of Jesus Christ is the Good News of God’s love and Salvation for all. Preaching about Jesus Four written versions of the Good News; each evangelist proclaims in their own unique way the “Good News”