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 …
Read MoreBreaking 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 …
Read MoreFlavia 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 …
Read MoreIn 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. …
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Read MoreWhy 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 …
Read MoreSeleucid time-keeping was a necessary condition for apocalyptic thinking and writing
Prior to 311 BC, time was marked by local events or consulships or years since the start of a monarchy. Beginning in 311 BCE, the Seleucids began counting history going forward as “n+1,” forever and ever. Paul J. Kosmin proposes that this innovation in time-keeping …
Read MoreWhat are the orantes in the catacombs?
There are orante figures depicted on the walls of the very earliest Christian catacombs of Rome. The orantes are praying females or males. (Century and number of images of orantes: first: 0, second: 5, third: 57, fourth: 92, later: 3)* What are the orantes in …
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