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The Emergence of the Concept of Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith A Tradition-Critical Study By Jeremiah Jay Johnston B.A., Midwestern Baptist College, 2007 M.Div., Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009 Submitted to the Faculty of Theology, Acadia Divinity College, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Theology) Acadia Divinity College, Acadia University Spring Convocation 2012 © by Jeremiah Jay Johnston, 2012 ii This thesis by JEREMIAH JAY JOHNSTON was defended successfully in an oral examination on 24 February 2012. The examining committee for the thesis was: Dr. Christopher Killacky, Chair Dr. Paul Foster, External Examiner Dr. Allison Trites, Internal Examiner Dr. Craig Evans, Supervisor & MA Director Dr. Harry Gardner, Dean & President This thesis is accepted in its present form by Acadia Divinity College, the Faculty of Theology of Acadia University, as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Theology). iii I, JEREMIAH JAY JOHNSTON, hereby grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to provide copies of the thesis, upon request, on a non-profit basis. Jeremiah Jay Johnston Author Dr. Craig Evans Supervisor 24 February 2012 Date Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith iv Table of Contents Preface iv Abbreviations vi Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Post-Mortem Beliefs in the Hebrew Bible 9 1.1. Anomalous Encounters with the Dead 10 1.1.1. Resuscitations, Translations, and the Song of Hannah 10 1.1.2. The Witch of Endor 11 1.2. The Earliest Discernible Afterlife Beliefs in the Hebrew Bible 13 1.2.1. Anthropological Belief in the Inseparability of the Body and Soul 14 1.2.2. Reward and Reputation 14 1.2.3. Passages Dealing with the Destination of Departed Spirits 16 1.3. Explicit Passages dealing with Resurrection of the Dead 19 1.3.1. Daniel’s Vision of Resurrection and Judgment: Dan 12:2–3 19 1.3.2. The Isaianic Apocalypse: Isaiah 26:19 21 1.4. Conclusion 22 Chapter 2 The Emergence of the Concept of Resurrection in Late Second Temple Judaism 25 2.1. Intertestamental Literature attesting Eschatological Judgment 27 2.1.1. Historical and Social Context in which Resurrection emerges 27 2.1.2. Separation, Reward, and Punishment in the Afterlife 29 2.1.3. Intertestamental Literature attesting Bodily Resurrection 32 Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith v 2.1.4. Immortality of the Soul and other Options from Late Second Temple Judaism 35 2.1.5. Contemplation of the Afterlife at Qumran 38 2.2. Judgment Passages in Late Second Temple Literature 43 2.3. Prominent Secondary Sources Representing Late Second Temple Judaism 44 2.4. Conclusion 47 Chapter 3 Resurrection in New Testament Texts 50 3.1. Jesus and Resurrection 51 3.2. Resurrection and People who die twice? 54 3.3. John the Baptist Resurrected? 56 3.4. NT Passages that Re-Work HB Passages 58 3.4.1. Leviticus 18:5 58 3.4.2. Daniel 12:2 61 3.4.3. Hosea 6:2 62 3.4.4. Ezekiel 37:12–14 65 3.5. Jesus’ Resurrection 66 3.6. Paul: The earliest Christian Witness to the Resurrection 67 3.6.1. When Christians believed in Resurrection 68 3.6.2. What Christians believed about Resurrection 69 3.6.3. Paul’s use of aÓfqarsi÷a and aÓqanasi÷a 70 3.7. The First Day of the Week and the Lord’s Day in Afterlife Tradition 72 3.8. The Pauline Letters affirm Christian Faith based on Jesus’ Resurrection 72 3.9. Conclusion 73 Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith vi Chapter 4 Resurrection Polemic and Apologetic in the Second Century: The Gospel of Peter in Context 75 4.1. Is the Akhmîm Codex Gospel Fragment the Gospel of Peter? 76 4.2. Evidence for identifying the Akhmîm Gospel Fragment as the Gospel of Peter 77 4.2.1. The Anti-Semitism of the Akhmîm Gospel Fragment 77 4.2.2. The Apologetic the Akhmîm Gospel Fragment 83 4.2.3. The Polymorphic Christology of the Akhmîm Gospel Fragment 86 4.2.4. The Akhmîm Gospel Fragment’s Portrayal of Pilate 88 4.3. Is the Akhmîm Codex Gospel Fragment the Gospel of Peter? 90 4.4. What is the Contribution of the Gospel of Peter? 90 Summary and Conclusion 94 Bibliography 99 Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith vii Preface The German sage Franz Kafka was fond of saying, “The meaning of life is that it ends,” and for most all too soon. Beliefs concerning death and the afterlife have been pondered for centuries by those who claim faith and those who do not. For Jews and Christians, resurrection faith emerged out of the shadows of Sheol. By the second century, resurrection faith was under severe attack and became the focus of the new movement’s apologetic. The author has stood on the shoulders of many scholars and now introduces new ideas, which he hopes will carry the resurrection conversation forward. It is the author’s hope that this work will provide some answers and at the same time raise new questions that will lead to further progress in this important area of inquiry. I came to Acadia Divinity College to study with Prof. Craig A. Evans, the Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament. Some might refer to it as luck, others providence, but meeting Prof. Evans was a life-altering moment. His lecturing left me yearning for more and soon that new hunger led me to pursue research with him at the highest levels. I recall strategic moments of growth under his tutelage: holding papyri in my hands for the first time, walking with him back in time through archaeological sites in Israel, my first published article which he encouraged me to write and submit, and a brutal supervisory session at an SBL meeting that left me wondering if I was up for the challenge; only to arrive home to an email from Prof. Evans encouraging me to keep going. I am thankful for the patience and wise counsel he has given me. I am forever grateful, in this life and the next. Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith viii Finally, to my family I owe the deepest gratitude. To my father, you are my best friend and I thank you for exemplifying by your life never to give up. To my mother, thank you for the 1,042-mile drive home from my freshman dorm in Virginia, which seems like ages ago. With every mile I immersed myself in your strength. To my wife, Audrey, and our two children, Lily and Justin, you are all my reasons. Jeremiah J. Johnston Wolfville, Nova Scotia Canada February 2012 Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith ix Abbreviations AASF Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae AB Anchor Bible (commentary) ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library Ag. Ap. Josephus, Against Apion AGJU Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums ANRW W. Haase and E. Temporini (eds.), Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1979–) Ant. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities ArBib Aramaic Bible AYBD Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary BAG W. Bauer, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1957) Bar Baruch 2 Bar. 2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse) 3 Bar. 3 Baruch (Greek Apocalypse) B.C.E. Before the Common Era BDAG W. Bauer, W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1979) BibOr Biblica et orientalia BTS Biblical Tools and Studies CD Cairo Genizah copy of the Damascus Document C.E. Common Era DSS Dead Sea Scrolls Eccl. Ecclesiasticus (See Sir below) EDNT H. R. Balz and G. Schneider (eds.), Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990–93) 1 En. 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Apocalypse) 2 En. 2 Enoch (Slavonic Apocalypse) Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith x 3 En. 3 Enoch (Hebrew Apocalypse) 1–2 Esd 1–-2 Esdras FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament Gen. Rab. Genesis Rabbah Gk. Greek GPet Gospel of Peter HB Hebrew Bible Heb. Hebrew HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs HTS Harvard Theological Studies ICC International Critical Commentary JSPS Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha, Supplement Series JSHJ Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Supplement Series JTS Journal of Theological Studies Jub. Jubilees J.W. Josephus, Jewish Wars LCL Loeb Classical Library Life Josephus, The Life LXX Septuagint (the Greek OT) m. Mishnah 1–2 Macc 1–2 Maccabees (Apocrypha and Septuagint) 3–5 Macc. 3–5 Maccabees (OT Pseudepigrapha) MT Masoretic Text (of the HB) NCB New Century Bible NCBC New Cambridge Bible Commentary NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary NovT Novum Testamentum NT New Testament NTS New Testament Studies Resurrection in Judeo-Christian Faith xi NumSup Numen, Supplements OT Old Testament OTL Old Testament Library P.Oxy. Papyrus Oxyrhynchus Q Qumran 1QHa Hodayot or Thanksgiving Hymns 1QM Milhamah or War Scroll 1QS Serek or Rule of the Community 4Q285 Serekh Hamilhamah or Rule of War 4Q521 4QMessAP or Messianic Apocalypse RILP Roehampton Institute London Papers SBT Studies in Biblical Theology Sir Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) SSEJC Studies in Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity T. Benj. Testament of Benjamin TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament WBC Word Biblical Commentary Wis Wisdom of Solomon WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament ZNW Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Introduction* Forty years ago George Nickelsburg published his impressive Harvard University doctoral dissertation on resurrection, immortality, and eternal life in intertestamental Judaism.1 Among other things, Nickelsburg showed how beliefs about afterlife inevitably reflected the vicissitudes of life in the intertestamental period.2 Ideas about rewards and punishment (in this life or in a heavenly life), justice, restoration, and the forms of human existence in the post-mortem state came to expression.