Corpus-Paul

["Hyam Maccoby" <h.z.maccoby AT leeds.ac.uk>]

Dear Loren,
You wrote:
>But, if I recall correctly, the Aramaic word "bisra"
> can mean either "flesh" or "body

Yes, the Aramaic 'bisra' can mean 'body'.  For that matter,  in biblical
Hebrew, 'basar' can mean 'body'.  But the idiomatic compound expression
'basar ve-dam', common in rabbinic literature (but absent in both Aramaic
and biblical Hebrew), has the meaning 'flesh and blood', in contrast with
God, i.e. fallible humanity.  Its correct Greek translation is 'sarx kai
haima', not 'soma kai haima', as Paul was well aware when he used 'sarx kai
haima' in exactly the post-biblical nuance of meaning in 1 Cor. 15:50, Gal.
1:16, Eph. 6:12.

 You appear to agree, however, with my suggestion that there may have been
an emendation, at some point, from 'sarx' to 'soma' in the Eucharistic
words.  You query, however, my suggestion that this leads to an
over-complicated theory.  It certainly makes for a more complicated theory
than that put forward by Ben-Chorin, who does not appear to have seen any
difficulty in the use of the word 'soma'.  I think it is over-complicated to
emend a sentence which is perfectly intelligible in its original form,
provided one is not in the business of rescuing the Eucharistic words from
non-Jewish connotations.

One also has to take into account that the Gospel of John, in a very
provocative statement of Eucharistic doctrine which alienated not only Jews
in general but many of this own disciples, does say plainly that to gain
salvation one must eat the 'flesh' ('sarx') of Jesus.  But Ben-Chorin makes
no attempt to bring this passage into his interpretation that Jesus, in the
Last Supper accounts of the Gospels, was merely using an innocuous phrase
meaning 'humanity' ('basar ve-dam'), and had no intention of instituting a
Eucharistic rite.

With best wishes,

Hyam

-----------------------------------------
Dr.Hyam Maccoby
Research Professor
Centre for Jewish Studies
University of Leeds
Leeds.LS2
Direct lines: tel. +44 (0)113 268 1972
                   fax +44 (0)113 225 9927
e-mail: h.z.maccoby AT leeds.ac.uk


----- Original Message -----
From: "Loren Rosson" <rossoiii AT yahoo.com>
To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2002 9:13 PM
Subject: [corpus-paul] Re: More blood of the covenant


> Hyam Maccoby wrote:
>
> > Ben- Chorin's theory depends on identifying Jesus'
> > alleged phrase at the
> > Last Supper about his 'body and blood' with the
> > Hebrew expression 'flesh and
> > blood' (BASAR VE-DAM).  But 'body' is by no means
> > the same thing as 'flesh'.
> > The Greek uses the expression SOMA, not the
> > expression SARX.
>
> But, if I recall correctly, the Aramaic word "bisra"
> can mean either "flesh" or "body". (Am I right or
> wrong, Professor Kilmon?) From this standpoint, one
> can understand evolution from "flesh" to "body" in the
> last supper tradition more easily.
>
> > Of course, one could
> > come up with a theory that Jesus actually said
> > 'flesh', which was changed by
> > later editors to 'body' for theological reasons.
>
> Bingo.
>
> > But this complicates
> > Ben-Chorin's theory rather too much,
>
> How?
>
> Loren Rosson III
> Nashua NH
> rossoiii AT yahoo.com
>
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