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  • From: "Jeff Peterson" <peterson AT austingrad.edu>
  • To: Corpus-Paul <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Deut 21:22-23
  • Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2003 13:57:47 -0700

Hyam Maccoby wrote;

[Jesus] was not
> condemned by a Jewish court (the Gospel of John omits the alleged Sanhedrin
> trial altogether) but by the Roman procurator, to whom he was handed over as
> a rebel by the quisling High Priest, who was a Roman appointee and had no
> religious authority among the Jews.

It seems a considerable overstatement to say that the High Priest had no
religious
authority whatsoever. Certainly his authority was contested, and some Judeans
challenged his legitimacy and aspects of his administration of the temple;
the DSS
document what common sense would lead us to suppose anyway. But as the High
Priest
did exercise authority over the temple, his judgment was perforce heeded by
all those
Jews who continued to regard it as the site where, the Torah taught, God had
chosen as
the dwelling for his name. Acts, in which Prof. Maccoby expresses some
confidence as a
source, depicts a mixed assembly of Pharisees and Sadducees expressing
outrage at
disrespect shown to "God's high priest" (23:4). E. P. Sanders among others
has offered a
needed corrective to the undue credit traditionally afforded the rabbis'
tendency to exalt
their Pharisaic precursors at the expense of the priestly elite.

US residents are familiar with the a situation in which the chief executive's
legitimacy
and governance persist in dispute, with a vocal minority insisting he has no
claim to an
office in which his performance has been a disgrace. But it would be a
mistake to
conclude from the persistence of such criticism that George W. Bush has "no
political or
moral authority" in American life or indeed hasn't accomplished quite a bit,
whether one
agrees or disagrees with his policies.

I hope it won't be thought out of place if I take this opportunity to express
appreciation
to Prof. Maccoby, whose EARLY RABBINIC WRITINGS helped me survive
comprehensive
exams a few years ago and whose post contains material for a number of
interesting
discussions.

Jeff Peterson
Austin School of Theology
Austin, Texas




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