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…
Category: Jesus movement/early Christianity
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…
What 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 the catacombs? I suggest that the orantes represent people who…