Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

corpus-paul - [Corpus-Paul] R: Mixed Marriages . . .

corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Corpus-Paul

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: MillerJimE AT aol.com
  • To: corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Corpus-Paul] R: Mixed Marriages . . .
  • Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 01:36:21 EST

<<Jim, what is your source concerning the settlement of Jews in Anatolia by
Antiochus I? I am aware only of the settlement of just 2000 families of
Jews by Seleucid Antiochus III (Josephus Ant. 12.3). He settled them in
Lydia and Phrygia, and no mention is made of Lycaonia.>>

First, I should mention that I am not interested in the Timothy question.
I have an interest in the Jewish population of central Anatolia which is
only occasionally tangental to this newsgroup. But I do notice that Paul
tended to evangelize where synagogues were already established. And somehow
central Anatolia managed to have enough of a Jewish presence that Paul's
preaching in a local synagogue could raise the interest of the whole city (if
Acts 13-14 is to be believed). So, IMHO, Acts would have had some
difficulty in being accepted if those synagogues were a mere fiction. Acts
tells us that the Jewish presence was there in Pisidian Antioch and in
Iconium (which is in Lycaonia). A significant Jewish presence in Lystra and
Derbe is not specified in Acts, but the silence should not be taken as proof
against. It might only mean that the local Jews did not take offence at
Paul's preaching.
Also (assuming again that Acts is to be believed), how did Jews from
Antioch and Iconium manage to stir up the gentiles of Lystra against Paul?
Did they first gain the ear of some local Jewish leaders, or were they
influential by themselves among these gentiles without a significant local
Jewish base? There is much that we are not told, and I find the blanks
easier to fill if I assume a significant Jewish presence in all of these
cities -- which are, admittedly, not nearly as large as Antioch on the
Orontes (though I wouldn't want to specify exact numbers or ratios).
Josephus explains how at least some of those Jews settled in central
Anatolia. And "2000 families" should not be counted an insignificant
presence. At least in the eyes of Josephus such a number is sufficient to
pacify a troubled province and to explain the significant Jewish presence in
central Anatolia. For all we know Josephus made the number up and was a bit
unclear on the exact settlement pattern. We cannot critique the sources of
Josephus, but I think we can assume that the first century CE Jewish
population of central Anatolia was substantial, which is why Josephus
explained their presence by telling us about this action of Antiochus.
BTW, the Bronze Age peoples of south-central Anatolia were known as the
Luwians (according to the Hittites), and that name is often used to explain
why so many regional and city names in the area begin with "ly". Hence
Lydia, Lystra and Lycaonia.
Jim Miller




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page