General Knowledge/Definitions Flashcards
Where was Jesus born?
Bethlehem, West Bank
4 places associated with Jesus
- Nazareth
- Caesarea Philippi
- Cana of Galilee
- Capernaum
Who was in power at the time?
Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect
4 places associated with Jesus
- Nazareth (place where Jesus grew up)
- Cana (place at which miracle of water to wine took place)
- Jerusalem (holy to the three major Abrahamic religions)
- Bethlehem (birthplace of Jesus)
What language did Jesus speak?
Aramaic
Who were the religious groups during the time of the NT?
- Pharisees
- Sadducees
- Essenes
Name one religious festival that Jesus would have celebrated
Passover
What were the three main sources of information at the time of Jesus?
- the Bible
- the Jewish historian, Josephus
- the Dead Sea Scrolls
When was literature such as the NT & works of Josephus written?
between 30 & 70 years after the death of Jesus
What problems may literature written after the death of Jesus cause - is it possible to be objective & scientific about the events recorded?
- inconsistencies: Josephus published the Jewish War about 75 A.D; there was no mention of the Christian Jesus; Josephus then published the Jewish Antiquities about 93 A.D & in surviving manuscripts of that today, there are two references to the Christian Jesus
- regarding objectivities & scientific legitimacy, while continuing to use the example of the Jewish War, these inconsistencies deepen when reading into Josephus: an old Russian Slavic translation of Josephus’ Jewish War was found that described Jesus in this way: “his nature and form were human, but his appearance was superhuman and his works were divine. It is therefore impossible for me to call him a mere man; … I will not call him an angel.”
- in the vain of objectivity, this passage is clearly forged & therefore believers cannot necessarily trust such sources: almost all scholars and historians see this entire passage as forgery, a later addition by Christians into Josephus’ work because it is unlikely that the Jewish Josephus would say such glowing things about Jesus, especially in a language that suggests Jesus as not only human but not an angel either, which sounds like language from much later Christian theological debates about Jesus
- additionally, a look into the scientific validity of these events suggests that Josephus, who felt conflicted in his Jewish identity through his contradicting views of support for Roman imperialism & Jewish pride, felt free to write historical views for Roman consumption that were strongly at variance with rabbinic views; these rabbinic views however, were often watered down in how sound they were; Palestinian Jews often disagreed with each other violently pre-Hellenism.
What are the synoptic gospels?
- synoptic coming from the Greek word similar
- contains the writing of Matthew, Mark & Luke
What is the significance of John’s gospel?
- very different to the synoptic gospels in terms of style, language, structure & content
- there are many layers of symbolism & theology
- it is the most intriguing gospel because it is surrounded by mystery
What is John’s gospel often referred to?
the ‘spiritual Gospel’
Why was nothing written down for over 20 years after Jesus’ death & resurrection?
- Jesus did not command anybody to write, as well as this he left no trace of any solo writing
- early followers were Jewish Christians - they didn’t see themselves as the beginnings of a new religion so therefore didn’t need new scriptures
- early Christians assumed Jesus would come again soon so they just kept traditions alive by word of mouth
What was significant about Jesus during the mid 60’s (CE)?
- was clear that Jesus’s second coming was not certain & many witnesses of the resurrection had passed away (including Peter & Paul)
- therefore, they decided to write a structured account of Jesus’s words & deeds
What four things contributed to the formation of the Gospels?
- the first generation & the apostles died
- the local communities grew stronger
- the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed in AD 70
- the importance of the Gentile Christians increased
What is the significance of the first generation & the death of the apostles?
- Paul, Peter & James were executed between AD60 & AD64
- this created a conflict of authority so people wrote letters on behalf of the dead apostles
- in comparison, early Christian letters were meant to guide the communities directly, the Gospels exercised authority indirectly in that they defined Jesus’s life
- additionally, it was becoming clear that Jesus’s Second Coming was not imminent & that it seemed right to write a logical account of Jesus’s words & actions
What is the significance of community for the early formation of the Gospels?
- with the loss of great authorities the local communities which they had founded increased in importance, for example the Johannine community
- in was inevitable that they wanted to record their experiences & knowledge about Jesus & his ministry
What is the significance of the Jerusalem Temple’s destruction (AD 70)?
- the bond which held Jews
What is Hellenism?
spreading of Greek culture & language around the known world by establishing cities across Alexander the Great’s empire which attempted to emulate Athens
How did Hellenism affect the Jews?
- Hellenism spread Greek culture everywhere
- being a member of the empire provided security & power
- if you wanted power & influence as a Jew you had to understand & pretend to appreciate the culture of the ruling powers
- however, if you were in the lower classes, these new influences were despised & hated
- Jews wanted to define their own culture rather than do what the pagans did
- they therefore hated the “gentiles”
Define synagogue
the building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship & instruction
Define Herodian
(in NT) a member of a Jewish sect associated with the Pharisees in opposition to Jesus, & assumed to be supporters of Herod the Great’s dynasty
Define scribe
- a Jewish recordkeeper
- more recently; a professional theologian & jurist
