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  • From: "Gary Burnett" <gwburn AT ntlworld.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: corpus-paul digest: October 30, 2002
  • Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2002 09:45:40 -0000

Many thanks to those of you who took the time to discuss the Tensions in Rome issue. I first started thinking about this and feeling uneasy about the use of the Claudius edict as the defining factor behind the situation at Rome, when I read Mark Nanos's book a couple of years ago. So it's interesting to see that not everyone buys into this.
 
I'm pretty much in agreement with what Mark Nanos said in his email - no matter what your take on Romans is it would be a mistake to let this Claudius construct control our reading of Romans, given the historical evidence that exists. And I found
James Millers' argument that Claudius probably did take some action against the Jews in Rome in 49 C.E., but that that action would have be too small to decisively shape the character of the Jesus movement in Rome in the late 50's when Paul writes, very helpful.
 
So - a few more lines of enquiry for me to follow up! Many thanks.
 
Gary
 
----- Original Message -----
From: "Corpus-paul digest" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
To: "corpus-paul digest recipients" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 4:00 AM
Subject: corpus-paul digest: October 30, 2002

> CORPUS-PAUL Digest for Wednesday, October 30, 2002.
>
> 1. Re: tensions in Rome
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Re: tensions in Rome
> From: James Miller <themiller7 AT worldnet.att.net>
> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 1906 23:51:22 +0800
> X-Message-Number: 1
>
> Gary Burnett wrote, "The generally accepted background these days for Roman=
> s
> is based on the expulsion and the subsequent return of Jews to Rome due to
> an edict of Claudius around 49 . . ."
>
> I agree that this is the "generally accepted background" for Romans. It is
> often simply assumed to be true in much recent writing on Romans. But I
> think the idea that an expulsion of Jews under Claudius, and their later
> return, determined the situation among those to whom Paul wrote in Rome
> needs to be challenged.
>
> I will briefly list a few objections (taken from Achtemeier), then recommen=
> d
> a couple of items worth consulting.
>
> 1. Neither Suetonius nor Orosius states how many Jews were sent out of Rome=
> ,
> though Luke states it was "all the Jews of Rome." Estimates of the Jewish
> population of Rome in the mid-50's run as high as 40,000-50,000. A total
> expulsion was simply impossible.
>
> 2. Suetonius says "Jews" were expelled. Orosius isn't sure whether only Jew=
> s
> or Christians as well were expelled. Luke says all the Jews were expelled.
> Who is right?
>
> 3. Orosius (writing in the early fifth century) is the only one who provide=
> s
> us with a date for the expulsion. He gives Josephus as the source for that
> information. Such a reference to an expulsion under Claudius cannot be
> located in Josephus. So the date of 49 C.E. depends on a fifth-century
> source who cites what a appears to be a non-existent source.
>
> 4. Cassius Dio denies Claudius sent the Jews out of Rome because there were
> too many of them. Instead, Claudius banned them from meeting together.
>
> 5. Finally, we have a much more firmly attested date for an expulsion under
> Tiberius.
>
> These problems with conflict among sources, the date and reliability of one
> important source, the feasibility of a large-scale expulsion, all call into
> question the extent, or even fact, of an expulsion under Claudius in 49
> C.E.. Some have dated the expulsion referred to in our sources to 41 C.E.,
> where we have better evidence of Claudius taking action against Jews.
>
> The most complete treatment of the subject is Mark Nanos's superb book, THE
> MYSTERY OF ROMANS (Fortress, 1996), 372-87. See also Paul Achtemeier,
> "Unsearchable Judgments and Inscrutible Ways" in PAULINE THEOLOGY IV:
> LOOKIND BACK, PRESSING ON, eds. E. Elizabeth Johnson and David M. Hay
> (Scholars Press, 1997), esp. 5=AD7.
>
> My own conclusion (see THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH, THE ESCHATOLOGICAL PEOPLE OF
> GOD, AND THE PURPOSE OF ROMANS [SBL, 2000]) is that Claudius probably did
> take some action against the Jews in Rome in 49 C.E.. But that action would
> be too small to decisively shape the character of the Jesus movement in Rom=
> e
> in the late 50's when Paul writes.
>
> James C. Miller
> Daystar University
> Nairobi Kenya
> themiller7 AT worldnet.att.net
>
>
>
>
> ---
>
> END OF DIGEST
>
> ---
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  • Re: corpus-paul digest: October 30, 2002, Gary Burnett, 11/06/2002

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