Each of the Synoptic gospels contains a narrative in which Jesus is tested in the desert, followi... more Each of the Synoptic gospels contains a narrative in which Jesus is tested in the desert, following his baptism and prior to the commencement of his public ministry (Mark 1:12-13; Matt 4:1-11; and Luke 4:1-13). This discussion focusses on the Lukan narrative in particular, referring to its parallels in Matthew and Q. What is most striking about this pericope, however, is the presence of three texts from Deuteronomy, the final book of the Torah, which Jesus quotes in response to the challenges of his diabolic interlocutor (Deut 8:3; 6:13, 6:16 & 10:20). If this text is indeed a reflection on Jesus’ messianic identity, then the absence of proof texts from the prophetic writings is equally significant. By focusing on these verses in our study of the pericope, it might indeed be possible to uncover other layers of meaning beyond the standard interpretations already noted, particularly those relevant to Jesus’ identity as a Jew from Galilee.
Jews and Christians share many biblical texts, in the Jewish Tanach and the Christian Old Testame... more Jews and Christians share many biblical texts, in the Jewish Tanach and the Christian Old Testament, however, each community has developed its own traditions of biblical interpretation that have often resulted in quite divergent readings of the same text. The Pontifical Biblical Commission (2002, # 22) notes that Christians “can learn much from Jewish exegesis practiced for more than two thousand years.” In a spirit of openness to other possible readings of the texts we share with the Jewish people, this paper will explore Gen 12:1-3 making use of a number of Jewish and Christian readings of these texts from the last 30 years of biblical scholarship. It is hoped that by doing so, it will deepen our understanding of the biblical text in ways not possible through an exclusively Christian reading of the text. This paper has been edited for publication. A full version, including a more extensive bibliography, can be obtained from the author.
A review of Sean Freyne, Jesus, A Jewish Galilean: A New Reading of the Jesus-Story (London: T&T ... more A review of Sean Freyne, Jesus, A Jewish Galilean: A New Reading of the Jesus-Story (London: T&T Clark, 2004).
Sean Freyne places both Jesus and those who followed him firmly within a first century Jewish Galilean matrix, providing a counterbalance to other Christian scholarship seeking to distance both Galilee and Jesus from both Judaism and Jerusalem. Within this text, Freyne explores many of the boundaries impacting upon Jewish life in Galilee: physical, political, ideological, national and religious. In doing so he often demonstrates that these boundaries were not hard and fast, but in fact more fluid than one might have expected. It is possibly this blurring of boundaries that might be his greatest contribution to the study of the historical Jesus.
Each of the Synoptic gospels contains a narrative in which Jesus is tested in the desert, followi... more Each of the Synoptic gospels contains a narrative in which Jesus is tested in the desert, following his baptism and prior to the commencement of his public ministry (Mark 1:12-13; Matt 4:1-11; and Luke 4:1-13). This discussion focusses on the Lukan narrative in particular, referring to its parallels in Matthew and Q. What is most striking about this pericope, however, is the presence of three texts from Deuteronomy, the final book of the Torah, which Jesus quotes in response to the challenges of his diabolic interlocutor (Deut 8:3; 6:13, 6:16 & 10:20). If this text is indeed a reflection on Jesus’ messianic identity, then the absence of proof texts from the prophetic writings is equally significant. By focusing on these verses in our study of the pericope, it might indeed be possible to uncover other layers of meaning beyond the standard interpretations already noted, particularly those relevant to Jesus’ identity as a Jew from Galilee.
Jews and Christians share many biblical texts, in the Jewish Tanach and the Christian Old Testame... more Jews and Christians share many biblical texts, in the Jewish Tanach and the Christian Old Testament, however, each community has developed its own traditions of biblical interpretation that have often resulted in quite divergent readings of the same text. The Pontifical Biblical Commission (2002, # 22) notes that Christians “can learn much from Jewish exegesis practiced for more than two thousand years.” In a spirit of openness to other possible readings of the texts we share with the Jewish people, this paper will explore Gen 12:1-3 making use of a number of Jewish and Christian readings of these texts from the last 30 years of biblical scholarship. It is hoped that by doing so, it will deepen our understanding of the biblical text in ways not possible through an exclusively Christian reading of the text. This paper has been edited for publication. A full version, including a more extensive bibliography, can be obtained from the author.
A review of Sean Freyne, Jesus, A Jewish Galilean: A New Reading of the Jesus-Story (London: T&T ... more A review of Sean Freyne, Jesus, A Jewish Galilean: A New Reading of the Jesus-Story (London: T&T Clark, 2004).
Sean Freyne places both Jesus and those who followed him firmly within a first century Jewish Galilean matrix, providing a counterbalance to other Christian scholarship seeking to distance both Galilee and Jesus from both Judaism and Jerusalem. Within this text, Freyne explores many of the boundaries impacting upon Jewish life in Galilee: physical, political, ideological, national and religious. In doing so he often demonstrates that these boundaries were not hard and fast, but in fact more fluid than one might have expected. It is possibly this blurring of boundaries that might be his greatest contribution to the study of the historical Jesus.
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Sean Freyne places both Jesus and those who followed him firmly within a first century Jewish Galilean matrix, providing a counterbalance to other Christian scholarship seeking to distance both Galilee and Jesus from both Judaism and Jerusalem. Within this text, Freyne explores many of the boundaries impacting upon Jewish life in Galilee: physical, political, ideological, national and religious. In doing so he often demonstrates that these boundaries were not hard and fast, but in fact more fluid than one might have expected. It is possibly this blurring of boundaries that might be his greatest contribution to the study of the historical Jesus.
Sean Freyne places both Jesus and those who followed him firmly within a first century Jewish Galilean matrix, providing a counterbalance to other Christian scholarship seeking to distance both Galilee and Jesus from both Judaism and Jerusalem. Within this text, Freyne explores many of the boundaries impacting upon Jewish life in Galilee: physical, political, ideological, national and religious. In doing so he often demonstrates that these boundaries were not hard and fast, but in fact more fluid than one might have expected. It is possibly this blurring of boundaries that might be his greatest contribution to the study of the historical Jesus.