C&J Study Questions
Hellenism
Read: Wylen Ch. 3, 32-48; Fredriksen 9-17, Ehrman, Ch. 2 & Ch.3
1.Define/Identify with dates as appropriate: Mystery cults, Alexander the Great; Ptolemies; Seleucids; Antioch; Alexandria; Syncretism; Hellenization, Gymnasion, epispamos, koine, Aramaic; polis, boule, agora, cosmopolis; paideia; proselytism, Ben Sirah/Ecclesiasticus, Stoic logos; Platonic Idea of the Good; Philo of Alexandria; Septuagint; Targum, allegory, wisdom literature, Jewish Diaspora, Apocalyptic Literature, Judaeophobia
*2.Describe 5 important differences between ancient (except Judaism) and modern religions. Where did postexilic Judaism fit in (in what 3 ways did it bear the characteristics of any ancient religion? In what 5 ways was it different? (Ehrman)
3. Describe some features (minimum 6) of Hellenistic culture. (Wylen and Fredriksen)
*4.Be able to explain in your own words the following quote from Fredriksen:
“Fredriksen, p.10: “THE PARTICULAR GENIUS OF CULTURAL HELLENISM LAY IN ITS ABILITY TO TRANSLATE THE MYTHICAL INTO THE PHILOSOPHICAL, TO TAKE THE DIVINITIES OF ALL CULTURES, AND THROUGH ALLEGORY, TO TRANSLATE THEM INTO THE LARGER SYNCRETISTIC RELIGIOUS SYSTEM OF HELLENISTIC PHILOSOPHY. SUCH A HIGHLY EVOLVED AND ECUMENICAL INTELLECTUAL VISION HELD ENORMOUS APPEAL; ONE NEED NOT RENOUNCE ONE’S HERITAGE, MERELY SEE THROUGH IT.” I.E.”ALLEGORY SAVES MYTHIC TRADITIONS AND NARRATIVES.
5.Describe some important characteristics of Hellenistic Judaism.
*6. Describe some (5) major social and theological influences of Hellenistic Diaspora Judaism on Early Christianity.
7. Who was Honi The Circle Drawerl? Why is he of interest to students of the “historical Jesus”? (Ehrman)
8. Why are Hellenistic mystery cults of interest to students of early Christianity? (Ehrman)
9. Describe some significant differences between Apocalyptic prophecy/literature ( in content and style) and biblical prophecy. (Wylen)
10. What was the position of the so-called God-Fearers vis a vis Hellenistic Judaism?(Wylen, N.B. They will grow increasingly important in the polemics of the first 4 centuries of Christianity)
11.Based on your readings, do you think that the historical Jesus knew Greek? Support your position with historical argument.
12. What text is referenced in the following quote? What historical reality lies beneath the author’s claims?
Bickerman, p.101:
“Although Hebrew and Aramaic literature continued to flourish in the early Hellenistic age, the Jews in the Greek dispersion slowly learned to think and write in Greek. The first fruit of their labor was a translation, the most important translation ever made: it opened the Bible to the world and the world to the word of God. Without this translation London and Rome would still be heathen and the Scriptures would be no better known than the Egyptian Book of the Dead.”
On Barrett 290-98 (Septuagint Translation), 253-268 (Philo, allegorical exegesis)
PHILO, 20BC-CE45 ca.
13.Discuss:“What he [Clement] learnt [from Philo] was how a link could be made between Platonist ideas and the contents of scripture. It is this, I submit, that forms the greatest specific contribution that Philo made to the beginnings of Christian thought. He showed how insights from the Greek philosophical tradition could be localized in the authoritative words of scripture. In this process the philosophical paradigm of Platonism had a special, if not exclusive, place.”
14. Barrett #225 De migratione Abrahami 89-93: (ORAL REPORT)
Questions:
1. How does Philo apply the allegorical method to interpret Jewish laws re circumcision?
2. Does he advocate doing away with literal meaning of law?
3. Paraphrase Philo’s argument for keeping the commandments on the physical literal level while at the same time studying their allegorical meaning?
FYI: Allegorical Exegesis; harmonization, preserve the literal (plain meaning) of text, at the same time study the hidden, allegorical meaning. Pythagorean idea of split between body and soul here applied to literal physical meaning of commandments vs. ethical spiritual meanings- but (unlike Plato) one cannot neglect the world of the senses. For the body is where the soul lives.Uses examples, here, of Sabbath observance, holidays, circumcision.
2. Does he (Philo) advocate doing away with literal meaning of law?
ReplyDeleteNot at all. The literal observance of the law is a reflection of how well you understand the deeper meanings of the rules. The body houses the soul, therefore, we must keep the body clean and be in accordance with the law.
10. What was the position of the so-called God-Fearers vis a vis Hellenistic Judaism?(Wylen, N.B. They will grow increasingly important in the polemics of the first 4 centuries of Christianity)
ReplyDeleteAccording to Weylin, God-Fearers can be seen as a somewhat of a "watered down" version of a Jew in the sense that they were Gentiles who "worshipped without idols", sent funds to the Jerusalem temple worshipped the God of the jews but weren't tied down entirely being Jewish because they did not live by the Torah (instead they lived by rules of Greek and Roman society), opposed circumcision and did not abide by Jewish dietary laws. In other words, they were able to worship the Jewish God without being Jewish...they were given exceptions (if you will).
"Historians call the Greek speaking Jews "Hellenistic Jews". They were separate in the sense that they took on Greek culture and language. They also translated (for lack of a better term...Weylin prefers: re-interpreted) the Hebrew Bible to greek this re-interpretation was called the Septuagint.
In all the Hellenistic Jews were not as different from traditional Jews as God-fearers were from traditional Jews.
I hope that's somewhere in the ballpark?
11.Based on your readings, do you think that the historical Jesus knew Greek? Support your position with historical argument.
ReplyDeleteIt is very possible that Jesus spoke Greek. Nazareth was not very far from Sepphoris, a city where Greek was the primary language. Although Jesus did grow up in a Jewish village, he was surrounded by Hellenistic world views. Israel was filled with Greek, Jewish, and mixed cities. It is possible even if he only traveled through Jewish cities that he could have picked up some Greek.
6. Describe some (5) major social and theological influences of Hellenistic Diaspora Judaism on Early Christianity.
ReplyDelete• Spoke Greek
• Septuagint (LXX) (70)-250 BCE
• Conversion-“god –fearers”-sympathizers
o They just kind of add the Jewish God to their roster since they are already polytheistic (Jews at this time believe their God is the only god)
• Allegory-not what the sentence means in the context but an interpretation
• Custom of the weekly meetings of the group for worship
• *associations for charity*
o Soup kitchens
• A strong sense of distinct identity
Describe some important characteristics of Hellenistic Judaism.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Hellenistic period was a focus on the individual. The Greek philosophies during this period, for instance, displayed a distinct interest in personal happiness, which placed emphasis on the individual. Through the Jewish apocalyptic literature written during that period, we see the introduction of the concepts of the immortality of the soul, stellar immortality, and resurrection after death.