Jews and Christians in First Century Rome: Fragmentary Evidence
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Tobias Nicklas
Abstract
Partly in dialogue with Peter Lampe’s well-known and groundbreaking monograph “Die stadtrömischen Christen in den ersten beiden Jahrhunderten” (1989), the article provides an overview of important sources that deal with the relationship between Jews and Jesus Christ-followers in first-century Rome. Sources on the Edict of Claudius (Suetonius and the Acts of the Apostles), Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, the Gospel of Mark, as well as texts on the persecution of Christians at the time of Nero (with a focus on Tacitus) are examined. Unlike Lampe, the article comes to a very cautious conclusion: The few testimonies about the early movement of Christ-followers in Rome and their relationship to Jews must actually be read as fragments, as pieces of a mosaic that is largely lost. Each of these sources also poses great problems when it comes to evaluating them since they only represent a very fragmentary perspective from which we should not be too quick to draw conclusions about the bigger picture. The more complex the images we presuppose, the more difficult it is to be sure that we place the tiny pieces of direct and indirect evidence in the correct order. And even where we read carefully, our sources sometimes allow us to draw very different conclusions. On the whole, there is little ground left to offer clear evidence for “Jewish–Christian” relations in first-century Rome.
Abstract
Partly in dialogue with Peter Lampe’s well-known and groundbreaking monograph “Die stadtrömischen Christen in den ersten beiden Jahrhunderten” (1989), the article provides an overview of important sources that deal with the relationship between Jews and Jesus Christ-followers in first-century Rome. Sources on the Edict of Claudius (Suetonius and the Acts of the Apostles), Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, the Gospel of Mark, as well as texts on the persecution of Christians at the time of Nero (with a focus on Tacitus) are examined. Unlike Lampe, the article comes to a very cautious conclusion: The few testimonies about the early movement of Christ-followers in Rome and their relationship to Jews must actually be read as fragments, as pieces of a mosaic that is largely lost. Each of these sources also poses great problems when it comes to evaluating them since they only represent a very fragmentary perspective from which we should not be too quick to draw conclusions about the bigger picture. The more complex the images we presuppose, the more difficult it is to be sure that we place the tiny pieces of direct and indirect evidence in the correct order. And even where we read carefully, our sources sometimes allow us to draw very different conclusions. On the whole, there is little ground left to offer clear evidence for “Jewish–Christian” relations in first-century Rome.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Abbreviations
- Introduction 1
- Rome in the New Testament: Early Traces of the Significance of the urbs in Christian History 5
- The Weak and the Strong in Rom 14:1–15:13 33
- A First Step Towards Reading 1 Clement in its Roman Context: Re-assessing the Patristic Evidence on the Date and Authorship of the Letter 53
- The Shepherd of Hermas in Its Roman Context: A Fresh Look at the First Three Visions 99
- The Relationship between the Writings of the New Testament and the Roman Empire 119
- The Application of the Lex Iulia de collegiis in the Early Imperial Context: Remarks for New Testament Exegesis 153
- The Mystery of the Woman or the Mystery of the Beast? Looking for Rome in the Book of Revelation 201
- Jews and Christians in First Century Rome: Fragmentary Evidence 215
- The Cult-Sites of Peter and Paul at Rome in the First Centuries of Christianity: From the Written Sources to the Monumental Remains 237
- Four “Prophecies from the Event” (vaticinia ex eventu): On Paul, Peter, and Rome 267
- Encounters of Christian Faith and Philosophy in Second and Third Century Rome 281
- The Impact of Cerdo, Marcion and Gnostic Teachers on Roman Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries 313
- Justin Martyr and Tatian the Syrian in their Roman Context 343
- Hippolytus, Gaius and the Alogi in Second and Third Century Rome 363
- List of Contributors
- Index of Ancient Sources
- Index of Names and Subjects
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents VII
- Abbreviations
- Introduction 1
- Rome in the New Testament: Early Traces of the Significance of the urbs in Christian History 5
- The Weak and the Strong in Rom 14:1–15:13 33
- A First Step Towards Reading 1 Clement in its Roman Context: Re-assessing the Patristic Evidence on the Date and Authorship of the Letter 53
- The Shepherd of Hermas in Its Roman Context: A Fresh Look at the First Three Visions 99
- The Relationship between the Writings of the New Testament and the Roman Empire 119
- The Application of the Lex Iulia de collegiis in the Early Imperial Context: Remarks for New Testament Exegesis 153
- The Mystery of the Woman or the Mystery of the Beast? Looking for Rome in the Book of Revelation 201
- Jews and Christians in First Century Rome: Fragmentary Evidence 215
- The Cult-Sites of Peter and Paul at Rome in the First Centuries of Christianity: From the Written Sources to the Monumental Remains 237
- Four “Prophecies from the Event” (vaticinia ex eventu): On Paul, Peter, and Rome 267
- Encounters of Christian Faith and Philosophy in Second and Third Century Rome 281
- The Impact of Cerdo, Marcion and Gnostic Teachers on Roman Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries 313
- Justin Martyr and Tatian the Syrian in their Roman Context 343
- Hippolytus, Gaius and the Alogi in Second and Third Century Rome 363
- List of Contributors
- Index of Ancient Sources
- Index of Names and Subjects
