The Gospels Byzantine Online Fall 2013 Sandra Collins, Ph.D.

Week 1 Introduction Sandra (Sandee) Collins , ext. 23 "For what could God have more generously and abundantly provided in the divine writings than that the same words might be understood in various ways," (De doctrina Christiana, 3.27,28).

Texts

BIBLE: introduction and terms Old Testament (Christian) Tanakh (Jewish) Hebrew Bible (academic) o Torah (lit. “teaching”)= can be only first five books or a reference to the totality of the Old Testament o Jews read the Bible descriptively o Christians order the text to fit a predictive reading

Geography and dates BCE = Before Common Era CE = Common Era Judea (4 th century BCE- 1 st century CE) Palestine (Latinized Philistia; 135 CE to 20 th century CE) Israel (1948-)

HISTORY Alexander the Great and Roman Occupation (333 BCE- 63 BCE) o Imposition of Hellenistic (Greek) cultural norms o Septuagint (LXX): Greek translation of Hebrew Scriptures,Alexandria, ~250 BCE o Establishment of Herodian kings (roughly 37-4 BCE Herod Agrippa, or Agrippa the Great, ruler of Judea (10 BC – 44 AD)

Jesus the Christ Jesus (roughly 4 BCE – 33 CE) Life corresponds with Roman occupation of Judea o Pax Romana, or Roman peace o Killed by Roman authorities for sedition, or attempt to set up rival kingdom to that of the emperor of Rome, which is treason. o Image (Augustus Caesar [63 BCE-14 CE]; Chiaramonti Museum, Braccio Nuovo ).

Paul and earliest Christianity Period of CE Paul o Apostle to the Gentiles o Earliest NT writings we have Gospels o Roughly CE o Mark is earliest; John the latest 70 CE o Pivotal historical moment o Temple is destroyed by Rome o Great diaspora, or expulsion, of Jews from Judea o Image: Existing southern steps of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

Johannine Christianity Roughly 90 CE and following Gospel of John; Johannine Letters; Revelation o Strong pneumatology o Trinitarian doctrine has its roots here

“The Gospels are narratives.” Image: o The ending of the Gospel of Luke from Codex Alexandrinus, a 5 th century copy of the Septuagint (Greek OT) and New Testament found in Alexandria, currently in the British Library.