Executive summary: It is reasonable to conclude that during the play, there were no Herodians onstage. There is no reason to think that in real life, followers of Herod were visually distinctive. In addition, according to the text of GMark, the Herodians did not contribute …
Read MoreMatthew created Mt 8:5-13, which characterizes the centurion as a man of faith, in order to retain him at the crucifixion
A centurion appears once in GMark: “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) In GMatthew, there is a new scene that stars the centurion …
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Seleucid time-keeping and apocalypses
Beginning in 311 BCE, the Seleucids began counting history going forward as “n+1,” forever and ever. In contrast, formerly and elsewhere, time was marked by local events or consulships or years since the start of a monarchy. In an article entitled “A Revolution in Time,” …
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