Cultural and Historical Context
One – Background Barr Chapter 1 -Preparing to Hear the Stories: The Cultural Context
of the First Audience
I. Examples
1. Barr’s
story about trying to find directions to the ancient ruins of Philadelphia in what is
today Turkey (page 27)
2. Picture
of Public Latrine at Ephesus in Barr p. 28 See also http://www.sewerhistory.org/images/wh/whr/whr03.jpg
for picture of latrine at Corinth
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Ostia/Ostia_Antica/Regio_IV/forica.html
for picture of latrine in Ostia (Italy)
II. History: Reconstruction
of the History of Israel to Bar Cochba Rebellion
(Dates are rough as
scholarly views and chronology tend to differ somewhat. See Barr Appendix B for a more
detailed timeline. Other references include Barry Bandstra, Reading the Old Testament:
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, 2004; Raymond E. Brown, Introduction to the New Testament.
Doubleday, 1997, especially the chronological tables; and E. Mary Smallwood,
The Jews Under Roman Rule: From Pompey to Diocletian : a Study in Political Relations. Brill
2001)
A. Ancestral
Period - c. 2000-1550 BCE - Semi-nomadic (Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob,
Leah, Rachel in stories of Genesis)
B. Egypt and the
Exodus - c. 1550-1280 BCE - Moses
C.
Conquest/Revolution/Settlement/Consolidation- Tribal Confederacy - Period of Judges
(Deborah, Ehud, Gideon, Samuel) c. 1280-1020 BCE - Philistine threat leads to rise of
Saul
D. United Kingdom -
Saul, David and Solomon - Israel and Judah c. 1020 - 922 BCE
E. Divided Kingdoms
of Israel in North and Judah in South c. 922-721 BCE
Northern Kingdom falls to
Assyria in 721 BCE
F. Judah with Capital
in Jerusalem - c. 721-587/6 BCE
Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians under
Nebuchadnezzar in 597 and again in 587/6 BCE when Jerusalem and Temple completely
destroyed
G. Babylonian Exile -
c. 587-539 BCE
F. Cyrus captures Babylon in 539 BCE - Rebuilding -
Persian Influence - Ezra and Nehemiah/Ruth and Jonah - Second Temple completed by 515 BCE;
Struggles to maintain Jewish identity
in the Diaspora. Distinctives: diet (kashrut),
circumcision, monotheism, Shabbat. Interesting conjunction of
physical and social boundaries.
G. Hellenistic Period
– 333 BCE – 63 BCE -
Philip of Macedon
-Alexander the Great, Seleucids and Ptolemies; Antiochus Epiphanes IV – died 164 BCE;
Maccabean Revolt led to establishing an independent Jewish state from c.164-63 BCE
Hasmonean Dynasty
Pompey enters Jerusalem
establishing Roman control 63 BCE.
H. Roman Rule
– See Map of Roman Empire in Barr and online at http://gbgm-umc.org/UMW/corinthians/empire.stm
Rome becomes an empire
– Julius elected chief priest at Rome also 63 BCE; Feb 44 BCE declared perpetual
dictator; assassinated ides of March.; 27 BCE Octavian officially named Augustus by
Senate; series of emperors followed
40-4 BCE – Herod
the Great; Roman Senate names him "King" over Judea, Idumea, Perea, Samaria,
Galilee. Consolidates power; builds cities; builds up the Temple in Jerusalem
4 BCE - 66 CE - Herod=s
kingdom split; Herodians and Romans control/rule various portions
6-66
CE - Roman Procurators rule Judea, Idumea, Samaria (Pontius Pilate 26-36 CE)
66-74 CE - Roman/Jewish War
- Fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE - Temple Destroyed – important turning point
Fall of Masada in 73 CE
132-135 CE Bar Kochba
[ Cochba, Cosibah] Revolt – Shimon [Simon] bar Kochba, Nasi or leader
After defeat, Romans made
Jerusalem into Aelia Capitolina, a Gentile city where Jews could not live. Multiple
temples built to Gentile gods in Jerusalem. A temple to Jupiter also built on top of
Mt. Gerazim, the Samaritan holy site. [for more details see The Jews Under Roman Rule:
From Pompey to Diocletian : a Study in Political Relations by E. Mary Smallwood.
BRILL, 2001 ISBN 039104155X, 9780391041554]
III. Importance of Hellenisation–
language and culture
IV. Roman Empire and Greco-Roman
Culture
A. Status,
Class, and Economics
1. Greco-Roman society, on a basic economic
level, consists of
a. Wealthy, ruling elite (circa 2% of
population) ( Barr 32)
b. Peasants, laborers - subsistence
c. No middle-class in the sense we talk about
for the modern U.S.
2. Status
and Class in Rome – mixture of wealth, class, family background, etc.
a. Senators, Equestrians (knights) –
ruling classes – only 600 senatorial families; equestrians sort of soldier-manager
group
b. Citizens
– legal and financial rights, but varied in wealth
c. Freedpersons = no significant rights,
still tied in a patron-client relation to their former owners
d. Slaves – variety of nationalities,
educational levels, etc. – often enslaved due to capture in war, piracy, etc.-
various jobs from running imperial bureaucracy to laboring in the mines; many could earn their freedom
3. Status
and Class in the Empire – local elites under the Romans
4. Often
huge differences in urban and rural areas. In
urban areas people sometimes joined associations such as burial societies, synagogues,
etc.
B. Honor – “public acknowledgement
of the power and prestige due to one by one’s class, wealth, station, group identity,
and accomplishment.” (Barr 34) - associated with patriarchal values, need to
avoid shame
1. ascribed
– born into a certain family, class, from a certain village, etc. Roman senators and equestrians literally wore
different clothing and gold rings
2. earned
– challenge and riposte contexts; giving gifts and responding appropriately, serving bravely in battle, etc.
Some anthropologists argue that modern
Americans and Northern Europeans belong to a guilt
culture whereas ancient and modern Mediterranean culture is an honor/shame culture.
C. Family and Friends – need to maintain
family honor and social networks created an insider/outsider system; endogamous marriages
encouraged; patronage networks a la the Godfather important (patrons and clients)
D. Worldviews
- “Religion” and “Philosophy” not really separate from rest of life.
1. Polytheism
– hierarchy of gods to whom one owes piety (honor and respect) and from which one
receives benefits. Some are public associated
with your city or village, others family gods. See Barr42-43
Jews and Christians sometimes labeled as atheists because were monotheistic.
a. Emperor Worship - During the Roman Empire,
various emperors granted divine status which helped to consolidate Roman rule. Augustus
consolidated his rule with his position and titles of Son of God and Savior. Halley’s Comet was interpreted as Julius
Caesar (Augustus’ father) being translated to divine status. Made himself head of priests at Rome and encouraged
traditional Roman virtues.
2. Responding
to uncertainty and difficulties in the Greco-Roman World
a. Aesclepios – Aesclepion – went for
healing
b. Barr
discusses Apuleius, Metamorphesis/Golden Ass where
main character Lucius is initiated into cult of Isis.
b. Stoicism
i.
Theodicy and meaningfulness of human life.
