Corpus-Paul

[rfellows AT intergate.ca]

Jack Kilmon wrote:
>The 1st century Theodotus Inscription found in Jerusalem inn 1913 is
>contemporary to the Markan usage and says:
>
>"Theodotus, son of Vettanos, a priest and an archisynagogos, son of an
>archisynagogos grandson of an archisynagogos, built the synagogue for the
>reading of Torah and for teaching the commandments; furthermore, the hostel,
>and the rooms, and the water installation for lodging needy strangers. Its
>foundation stone was laid by his ancestors, the elders, and Simonides"  This
>suggests that Father and son may have been contemporary archisynagogoi.

It is interesting to find here three generations of archisynagogoi in the 
same family. Is it possible that it was usual for all the archisynagogoi of a 
particular synagogue to belong to the same family? If so, are we to 
understand Sosthenes to have been a member of Crispus's household, and 
therefore a believer at the time of his beating? Could Sosthenes have been 
the son or father of Crispus? That would make sense of Acts 18:17 as well as 
1 Cor 1:1.

To put the issue another way: Can Acts 18:17 together with 1 Cor 1:1 be used 
as evidence that the title of archisynagogos was held by members of only one 
family at a time? Or is this scenario implausible? Are there any indication 
at all that archisynagogoi from different families could simultaneous hold 
office in the same synagogue?

I would also like listers' advice on a related issue: would an archisynagogos 
be given that title even after defecting to Paul's camp?

Richard Fellows.