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  • From: Daniel L Christiansen <dlc AT multnomah.edu>
  • To: Corpus-paul <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Non-Jerusalem Pharisees?
  • Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:38:09 -0800


Graydon wrote:
> >
> >An information question. Could anyone raised in the Diaspora have been a
> >Pharisee?

If we accept tradition, the teachers Shemaiah and Abtalion were
Hellenistic proselytes to Judaism, and that the great Hillel himself had
lived in Babylonia, prior to going to Palestine for study. This would
suggest that Pharisaism/Rabbinism was not limited to those born in a
certain locale, or into a certain family. As Mark Nanos suggested,
Pharisaism appears to have been a voluntary philosophical orientation.
I find it interesting to note that Paul himself can be traced back to
those three teachers. Paul's teacher was supposed to have been
Gamaliel; Gamaliel is alternatively argued to have been either the son
or grandson of Hillel; Hillel was taught by Shemaiah and Abtalion. Of
course, some may argue that this Hellenistic background invalidates
Paul's "Pharisee-ness" even while it explains some of the Greek elements
of Rabbinic exegesis going back to Hillel's Seven Hermeneutic Rules; but
it would also then do the same for Hillel etal. I think we are right
back at the problem of defining what Paul's contemporaries defined as
Pharisaic, and not what later generations thought.

--
Daniel L. Christiansen
Department of Bible
Multnomah Bible College
8435 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR 97220
(Also Portland Bible College, Prof of Biblical Languages)
e-mail: dlc AT multnomah.edu



  • Re: Non-Jerusalem Pharisees?, Daniel L Christiansen, 01/19/2000

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