In the Gospel of Mark, the author gave the Roman centurion the last word at the crucifixion: “Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (Mk 15:39 NRSV) I suggest that Matthew wanted to avoid the ambiguity of…
Think-Blog
I Corinthians/I Clement are not evidence for a church at Corinth
The famous Corinthian bronze was an alloy (Satyricon, 50s or 60s CE). The term “Corinthian” in common parlance could have denoted “mixtures” in general. I Corinthians and 1 Clement are pastoral letters concerning factions within a congregatoin (See 1 Cor 1.11 and 1 Clem 1.1) Both letters were addressed to the church at Corinth. 1…
The history of the Basilica of Saint Clement in Rome is consistent with my scenario
The archaeology and early history of the Basilica of Saint Clement in Rome are consistent with my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text. The archaeology links Pope Clement I to a church that began as a first-century private house. (I proposed that the papal name “Clement I” was a real or imagined…
What was the title of Mark’s play?
Here I investigate the title of the play behind the Gospel of Mark. In antiquity, comedies and mime plays seem to have been named for the profession or a particular quality of the main character, e.g., “The Grouch” or “The Girl from Samos.” Sometimes, the name referred to a plot development, “The False Accuser.” The…
Sergius Paulus (Acts of the Apostles) = Titus Flavius Clemens (Mark’s world)?
Summary Acts 13:7 mentions “the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God” (NRSV here and hereafter). In other words, an elite Gentile, the highest civilian official of Cyprus, is interested in (proto-)Christianity. The character “John whose other name was Mark” of Jerusalem has…
Breaking bread in the Roman world: The panis quadratus
What does “breaking bread” mean in ancient texts (Mark 14:22, Acts 2:42, 2:46, etc.)? Look at one of the contemporary types of bread, the panis quadratus. The top is scored into equal sections. Usually there are eight sections, but an image from Pompeii shows a candidate for office distributing larger breads with 12 sections. The…
Flavia and Clemens: Victims of the “living like Jews” prosecutions?
Is it likely that Domitian’s niece, Flavia Domitilla; her husband, Titus Flavius Clemens; and their sons were executed/wiped out in 95 CE because Flavia and Clemens were “Judaizing” (participating in Judean religion)? 1 And the same year Domitian slew, along with many others, Flavius Clemens the consul, although he was a cousin and had to…
In the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus appear in Galilee?
In the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus appear in Galilee, and not in some other place? There are three good reasons why Jesus appears in Galilee. First, the Sea of Galilee borders the Galilee. Mark can have characters in his story who are fishermen. He can stage scenes that use a boat, such as…
Questions and comments about the book
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Why is a sayings collection called the Gospel of Thomas?
What was a sayings collection called the Gospel of Thomas? The (Aramaic) name “Thomas” designated the author of a sayings collection used by Judean/proto-Christian congregations in the first and second centuries CE. I have an explanation that I have never seen elsewhere. “Thomas” means “twin.” Was Thomas an “identical twin”? Imagine a synagogue leader saying “And…