The Gospel of John and the Mediterranean Diaspora

The Gospel of John and the Mediterranean Diaspora Raimo Hakola raimo. hakola@helsinki. fi Theological faculty Department of Biblical Studies

Introduction n What things should be considered, if John is located in a Diaspora setting? n Thesis: n Societal structures in Diaspora were much more complex than is often assumed in many Johannine studies n Criticisms of the persecution scenario: n Adele Reinhartz 1998, 2001 n Raimo Hakola, Identity Matters: John the Jews and Jewisness (Brill, 2005) n cf. also Hakola, “The Johannine Community as Jewish Christians? Some Problems in Current Scholarly Consensus. ” n Hakola and Reinhartz, “John's Pharisees. ”

The Johannine community as a persecuted minority in Diaspora n Martyn 2003, 75 -75 n. 99: n “Now I am on the verge of being compelled to conclude that in John’s milieu Jewish leaders do in fact exercise some kind of authority even over those who have been excommunicated. I can only suggest that this authority exercised over excommunicates was of a very peculiar sort, carried out in light of what the Jewish leaders in John’s city must have viewed as extremely provocative activity on the part of Jewish-Christian evangelists. This line of thought obviously presupposes that within their own section of the city the Jewish leaders had considerable de facto power” (italics original).

The Johannine community as a persecuted minority in Diaspora n Martyn 2003, 76 n. 100: n “There a few hints in the Gospel that would seem to indicate the presence in John’s city of a distinct Jewish quarter. If so, one would think immeaditely of Rome, Antioch and Alexandria. ”

Diaspora Jews in written sources n Tacitus Hist. V 1– 5. (Translation from LCL): n “the Jews are extremely loyal toward one another, and always ready to show compassion, but toward every other people they feel only hate and enmity. ” n Acts 10: 28 (NRSV) n “It is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile” (Acts 10: 28). n Rutgers 1995, 43 -49 n Judaism and Hellenistic culture are mutually exclusive, a <<<< a Hegelian view of history

Diaspora Jews and the study of ancient material culture n White 1998, 32 -33: n “Here, too, traditional assumptions have been significantly revised in the light of the social interaction of these synagogue communities with their local environments. What has become increasingly clear is that traditional assumptions of the static nature of Diaspora Judaism, whether in relation to the later development of the rabbinic tradition or in relation to the emergence of the Christian movement, must be discarded. Instead, we see a diverse and socially active Jewish life in the Diaspora, where the competing social and cultural pressures of self-definition and assimilation are held in a creative tension by local congregations. ” (Cf. also Kraabel 1979, 1981, 1982)

Jewish Neighborhoods in Diaspora n Alexandria n Josephus, War. 2. 495; Apion 2: 33– 36; Philo, Flacc. 55 n Trastevere in Rome n Antioch n Jews were spread all over the city n Barclay 1996, 229 -330. n “residency in a Jewish district of a town did not mean, of course, that all such Jews had minimal links with non-Jews. Such were the crowded conditions in an immigrant quarter like Trastevere in Rome that Jews could not help encountering people of other nationalities in every turn. But common residency did make it possible for those who wished to minimize social contacts with ‘outsiders. ’”

Jewish self-government in Diaspora? n Jewish politeumata? n Zuckerman 1985/88, 171– 185; Lüderitz 1994, 183– 225. n two inscriptions from the city of Berenice in Cyrenaica n Zuckerman 1985/88, 184: n “The concept of the politeuma of aliens as an ‘independent political unit’ which could secure for its members any rights whatsoever belongs to the realm of historiographic legend, which can claim the support of quite a number of learned authorities but not a single source. ”

Jewish privileges in Diaspora? n Josephus’ n Jews are allowed to live according to their own laws and customs n Rajak 2001, 301– 333. n in normal case there was no need to the special legislation for the Jews, the main concessions concerned the practice of religion n Pucci Ben Zeev 1998 n “The Jews, like most peoples living under the Roman government, were allowed to use their own juridical framework to a certain extent — an extent which was determined not only by Roman intervention but also by the interests of the Jews themselves. ” (437 -438)

Jewish privileges in Diaspora? n Pucci Ben Zeev 1998 n “The rights given to the Jews therefore may not be regarded as proof of a special consideration for Jewish needs, but rather an application of common principles of Roman policy. ” n Collins 2000, 115: n “Despite the strong tradition that Jews could live in accordance with their own laws, the papyri record only Jewish litigation before Gentile courts. Jewish law could serve as civil law in disputes between Jews, but it was never the highest court of appeal. Ultimate authority lay with the Ptolemaic king and the Roman prefect. ”

Diaspora synagogues n Cohen 1999, 140– 74. n the Gentiles could interact with Jewish communities in a variety of ways—from admiring some aspects of the faith of the Jews to full conversion. n White 1990, 92. n “In many early Diaspora communities the boundaries between Jew and gentile were less rigid and allowed for access to the assembly and worship. ”

Diaspora synagogues n Synagogue Mosaic, Dura-Europos, 3 rd Century CE (Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Diaspora synagogues n Synagogue communities as private associations n Many different synagogue communities for example in the city of Rome n No central government

Conclusions n The evidence of the material culture should be taken into account in the reconstructions of the history of the Johannine community. n Synagogue communities were open, diverse and nonhierarchical. n The strict distinction between Jewish and Greco-Roman cultural stimuli is not viable in the Diaspora context.

The Gospel of John and the Mediterranean Diaspora Raimo Hakola raimo. hakola@helsinki. fi After the meeting, PP: s available at: http: //www. helsinki. fi/teol/hyel/rimi/project Theological faculty Department of Biblical Studies