SSEC eNewsletter Newsletter 74 September 2012

Special Feature: in this issue • SSEC Recent Events • SSEC Modern Church Fathers Series Professor - Adam Smith by Professor Paul Oslington - Johannes Weiss by Rev Jeff Cayzer • SSEC Travel Report by Adam White • Accolades for Professor Alanna Nobbs Laurence • Sir Asher Joel Foundation • “The Palatine Graffito: A Mimic Interpretation” by Professor Laurence Welborn • In Print : Appreciation by Dr Christopher Forbes Welborn • Non- SSEC activities • SSEC Calendar From the President’s Desk “The unique Welcome to our September 2012 Newsletter. Thank you sincerely emphasis of our for all the emails, phone calls and comments that I received in June 2012 when found out that I was listed as a Member of the Order of Society is one Australia (AM). As you can appreciate, I was delighted to see the Society for the Study of Early Christianity named in the citation. of history. The See page 4. study of Early As for what the Society has achieved since our last Newsletter, we have had a very full & productive program of events as follows: Christianity in

In June we had a fascinating topic Myth in the Near East by Dr Noel its Jewish and Weeks, formerly Sydney University & Honorary Research Fellow Macquarie University. Graeoc Roman

In July, our function coincided with the Macquarie Ancient Lan- Setting.” guages School (MALS), and we welcomed many MALS participants to hear our speaker Luigi Prada (Oxford). He spoke on The Origins of Coptic: A Script Christian by Choice, Not by Birth. SSEC Newsletter SSEC Newsletter is published three times In August we had two very successful events. The first was our a year for the Society for the Study of Early lunchtime event with speaker Professor Mladen Ancic (Univer- Christianity . sity of Zadar). His topic was Change and Continuity: Christianity in September 2012 Edition : Number 74 the Northern Adriatic Region from late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, Chief Editor: Prof Alanna Nobbs and this lunchtime event was very well attended. Editor: Dr Don Barker Layout & Graphic Design: Peter Eyland Graphics, Typing & Copy: BJ Eyland The Second event, in the evening, was a continuation in our Series Contributions: SSEC Members where we feature several Modern Church Fathers with a group of For further information about the Society speakers. This was chaired by Associate Professor Stuart Piggin for the Study of Early Christianity, to update with Responses by Professor Laurence Welborn your contact details or to subscribe to the • Speaker: Paul Oslington Professor of Economics, School of SSEC Newsletter then contact: Business & School of Theology, Australian Catholic University Email: [email protected] with his topic Adam Smith as Church Father, • Speaker: Rev Jeff Cayzer, Hon Assoc, Ancient History Mac- Website: www.mq.edu.au/ssec/events quarie Uni, with his topic Johannes Weiss, Telephone: SSEC office (9850 7512), • Appreciation of Professor Welborn’s recent book, An End to En- Dr Don Barker (9850 9962), mity, by Dr Chris Forbes. See page 10 for book details. Professor Alanna Nobbs (9850 8844), Ancient History Office (9850 8833)

Once again, thank you to all SSEC members Cover Photo: The Palatine Graffito by L.L. who attend our events & continue to make Welborn them a worthwhile learning endeavour.

Professor Alanna Nobbs AM President SSEC

2 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 of religion (surveyed by Iannaccone 1995) after a long period of neglect. Smith’s analysis is quite dif- SSECrecent ferent to contemporary economics of religion – he does not offer a model of rational choice, where See the column individuals maximize on arbitrary preferences sub- called “From the ject to income and other constraints, and his moral President’s Desk” philosophy is not utilitarian. on page 2 for full de- tails of all recent SSEC To understand Smith’s views we need to consider events. We wish to his other writings on the origin of religious senti- sincerely thank our ments – they come from our hopes and fears – our wonderful speak- Luigi Prada (Oxford). Topic The imagination. Religious sentiments are powerful ers, for their time, Origins of Coptic: A Script Christian and Smith fears fanaticism “enthusiasm” and suspi- and enthusiasm in by Choice, Not by Birth. cious of “superstition”. Smith’s ideal is “pure and putting together these insightful talks and pres- rational religion” entations. Their talks stretch us intellectually and academically, and the discussions we share over a How useful is Smith’s analysis today? There are cuppa afterwards, problems with contemporary economics of religion and the camarade- tests of Smith’s theory. Smith actually connects rie of our society market structure to doctrine not attendance. members is price- less. SSEC Modern Church Fathers Professor Mladen Ancic (University of Zadar). Topic Change and Continuity: Christianity in the Series - Johannes Weiss Northern Adriatic Region from late Antiquity to the Middle Ages, by Jeff Cayzer Summary of a paper “Johannes Weiss (1863- SSEC Modern Church Fathers 1914)– pioneer New Testament scholar” deliv- ered to SSEC in August 2012 Series - Adam Smith The son of Bernhard Weiss, a well-known New Tes- by Professor Paul tament scholar and textual critic, Johannes Weiss made his own name as a radical and provocative Oslington thinker, writer and teacher, occupying chairs of New School of Business and Testament at Marburg, then Heidelberg. Among his School of Theology, students were Rudolf Bultmann and D.M. Baillie, Australian Catholic Uni- both of whom became well-known theologians. As versity. SSEC seminar the developer of form criticism and the architect of given in August 2012. the Q documentary theory, Weiss was a major influ- ence on 20th century biblical scholarship. In 1892 Outline appeared the first edition of his notable book Die Why is Smith a mod- Predigt Jesu vom Reiche Gottes (English: Jesus’ Procla- ern Church Father? Not any particular interest in mation of the Kingdom of God) – only 63 pages long Christian doctrine such as the atonement, Christol- – which (re)introduced the theme that the kingdom ogy, Trinity, though some more general theological of God was a future hope in the eyes of Jesus, not a commitments are built into his ethics and econom- program for modern-day social reform as his father- ics (for instance Oslington 2011). Smith is a Father in-law Albrecht Ritschl and followers were saying. because he was a pioneer of naturalistic explana- tion of religious behaviour and institutions, and an This book formed a watershed in the study of Jesus instrumental view of religion. and the Kingdom: all writers who followed Weiss had to adopt a position in regard to his argument. Smith’s writings on religion have attracted inter- Weiss also produced a number of other works of est in recent years with the rise of the economics New Testament history and scholarship (few of 3 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 which have been translated), always displaying a Her accolades have been many and varied in the meticulous examination of the text, in both its im- fields of Ancient History and Classical studies. mediate and its wider historical and literary context, However, Alanna’s role as Director of SSEC needs together with a profound understanding of the to be emphasised - it has been ground-breaking. thought processes of the writers and the implica- Building the Society up from a modest beginning, tions of what they were saying. He was ever alert for she has made it blossom into the highly regarded signs of sources which may have been drawn upon body it is today. No one should underestimate her by the author and was sensitive to literary structure, input. With her legendary enthusiasm she has en- as well as to linguistic and grammatical issues. His ticed top-ranking scholars from around the world to mastery of Hellenistic sources was without equal come and speak to us, visits of inestimable value to in his time. None of his works displays these gifts staff, students and many members. more brilliantly than his superb commentary on 1 Corinthians from 1910, which is now finally being Alanna has worked tirelessly and modestly as a translated into English. Had he lived longer, there is hands-on President for the past 25 years. She has no doubt the name of Johannes Weiss would have been, and still is, indefatigable in searching out top- been far more widely known. ics and appropriate speakers. She regards this as a continuum in raising funds for overseas scholar- ships for aspiring students. The welfare of students SSECtravel has been a top priority. In congratulating you on your AM Award, Alanna, Travel Report Thanks I thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm. by Adam White Many of our Foundation Members from 1987 are Around six months ago, my paper “Paul’s Education- still with us; you have won the hearts of many in the al Imagery in Corinthians” accepted into the Graeco- community, now loyal friends of the Society. Thank Roman Society and NT session of the SBL (Society you. of Biblical Literature) conference in Amsterdam. This was not only my first SBL presentation, but also my The citation reads: first SBL conference, so needless to say I was very Professor Alanna Maree NOBBS excited. Due to a mix up my Post Graduate Research For service to education in the fields of ancient Fund (PGRF) my application never reached the re- history and the classics as an educator, and viewing committee, thus I missed out on considera- through leadership roles in professional organ- tion. A significant setback, but SSEC came to the res- isations, particularly the Society for the Study cue and very kindly gave me a $500 grant towards of Early Christianity. the trip. Alanna was awarded the Order of Australia - Mem- ber (AM) in the General Division. My talk was well received and it raised some good discussion and certainly gave me a few ideas for further development. I should like to express my thanks to the Society for the travel grant. SSECfocus The following items outline “SSEC in focus”, or the SSECaccolades future direction of the Society. SSEC Conference May 2013 Australian Honours List Please mark these two dates into your diaries. Professor Alanna Nobbs This is a sneak preview of what we are planning for by Pat Geidans the SSEC conference in 2013. This may seem a belated recognition of Alanna’s Our theme will be: Church and Synagogue: the Member of Australia (AM) award, but unfortunately the news came through after our previous Newslet- Interaction between Jews and Christians ter was sent. Our warmest congratulations, Alanna! in Antiquity, featuring a number of scholars of 4 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 Judaism and Early Christianity. Best of all, a major donation from the Education • At our “Conference Curtain Raiser” on the Heritage Foundation has been secured for a lecturer Thursday night, 2 May 2013, will have two in the Archaeology of Ancient Israel. The position is guest speakers and afterwards a catered expected to commence in the middle of 2013. Kosher style super with tea & coffee, (bookings requested for catering purposes.) • Our day conference will be held on the Editors’ Note The following article, unedited & Saturday 4 May 2013. We will start slightly with complete footnotes is available from the later (approx 9:30am), and finish slightly earlier SSEC office - please email [email protected] than in previous years. Note: Paper version of Newsletter is without We plan to have nine speakers - including two at References or footnotes. the “Conference Curtain Raiser”. We believe that this conference will be very special and will further promote study of Judaism and Christianity in antiquity. Please mark these two dates into your diaries. Note: As details become available they will be loaded onto the SSEC Conference Website SSECarticles The Palatine Graffito: A Mimic New opportunities to learn Interpretation about Ancient Israel - Sir by L. L. Welborn Asher Joel Foundation Fordham University, Macquarie University by Dr Gil Davis, Program Director As members know, the Joel family have been tireless and generous supporters of Macquarie University and the study of Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity. They have brought many exciting speakers over the years as Sir Asher and Lady Joel Fellows. This September, we are keenly awaiting the arrival of Prof Matthias Henze from Rice University Texas to speak on ‘Paul’s Messianic Expectations’.

Now the long held dream of the late Sir Asher Joel to have the Archaeology of Ancient Israel taught at Macquarie is becoming a reality. Professor Alanna Nobbs, Dr Michael Joel, and Dr Gil Davis have been organising the new Program. So far this year, a formal agreement has been reached with Tel Aviv University for joint cooperation.

Over a dozen Macquarie students went to Israel to participate in the exciting new excavation with Tel Aviv University at Tell Azekah – the Judahite fortress Discovered in 1856, a well known graffito from the city known in the Bible from where David sallied Palatine Hill in Rome, dated to the third century forth to fight Goliath. They were sponsored in A.D., depicts a crucified figure with the head of an part by a donation from the Pratt Foundation; and ass, (from Rodolfo Lanciani, Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent PhD candidate Andrew Pleffer received a special Discoveries (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1898) ch. 5; and also Heikki Solin and Marja Kaila, “Graffiti del Palatino I. Paedagogium,” Acta scholarship from the Whitten family to participate Instituti Romani Finlandiae III (Helsinki, 1966) no. 246.). Facing as a team leader on the excavation. 5 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 the crucified is a smaller, beardless man clad in a Roman World (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) 184- tunic, his left hand raised in supplication. A crudely 185, 194-195). Harnack demonstrated long ago that Christians were to be found in the Roman army, and lettered inscription reads: 0Alecameno\v se/ even in the imperial palace, from an early period. bete [=se/betai] qeo/n, that is, “Alexamenos (from Adolf von Harnack, Militia Christi: The Christian Religion and the Military in the First Three Centuries (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1981).) worships (his) god.” On At the outbreak of persecution, one can only see Solin and Kaila, “Graffiti del Palatino I. Paedagogium,” no. 246). assume that Christians in the imperial guard, like our Alexamenos, would have been among the first The drawing was discovered in one of the rooms to be attacked. of a building which served as a training school for imperial guards. (In one of the rooms of the Domus Gelotiana; A story told by Lucian illustrates the capacity cf. Lanciani, Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent Discoveries, ch. 5; see now Peter Keegan, “Reading the ‘Pages’ of the Domus Caesaris: for such graffiti scratched on the walls of public pueri delicate, slave education, and the graffiti of the Palatine buildings to instigate intrigue. (Lucian Dialog. meretr. 4.) paedagogium” in M. George (ed.), Roman Slavery and Roman Material In Lucian’s story, a young woman named Melitta Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012)). is inconsolable over the loss of her lover who has Garrucci, who published the grafitto, suggested accused her of cheating on him with a ship’s captain that the image was meant as a parody of the faith named Hermotimos. In vain, Melitta tries to reassure of a Christian convert by one of his fellow soldiers. her lover of her fidelity, but he jealously explains (from Lanciani, Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent Discoveries, ch. 5; that even the walls of the Kerameikos quarter of the Hermann Reich, Der König mit der Dornenkrone (Leipzig: Teubner, city are informed about her affair. Puzzled, Melitta 1905) 3-4). sends her servant-girl to investigate: she discovers that, in fact, the wall of a gateway is inscribed with This view has become the consensus among the words, “Melitta loves Hermotimos,” and beneath scholars such as Erich Dinkler and Martin Hengel. this, the message, “Ship-captain Hermotimos loves (Erich Dinkler, Signum Crucis. Aufsätze zum Neuen Testament und zur (Lucian Dialog. meretr. 4.) Christlichen Archäologie (Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1967) 150-153; Melitta.” So graffiti had produced Martin Hengel, Crucifixion in the Ancient World and the Folly of the the desired effect. Lucian’s story concludes with Message of the Cross (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977) 19). Melitta expressing the hope that she may yet win her jealous lover back through the services of a This interpretation is strengthened by another sorceress. (Lucian Dialog. meretr. 4.) Thus, we have before graffito found in a neighboring building of the same us in the Palatine graffito a parody of the faith of a complex, which reads: 0Alecameno\v fidelis. (from Christian convert by one of his fellow soldiers, as Solin and Kaila, “Graffiti del Palatino I. Paedagogium,” no. 246). It is Garrucci suggested long ago. not difficult to reconstruct a plausible relationship between the two graffiti: a pagan guard in the But how is one to explain the depiction of the imperial palace first sought to denounce a Christian crucified Christ with the head of an ass? Drawing comrade by writing on the wall “Alexamenos is a upon Tertullian’s discussion of pagan mockery of Christian”; when this did not produce the desire Christians, (Tertullian Apol. 16.6-8; Ad Nat. 1.12; Adv. Val. 1.14.) a result, he sketched a caricature of Alexamenos as number of scholars have explained the ass’s head as the devotee of a crucified god. (from Reich, Der König mit a derogatory reference to the Jewish origins of the der Dornenkröne, 3-4; Dinkler, Signum Crucis, 151; Hengel, Crucifixion Christian religion. (E.g., Dinkler, Signum Crucis, 152; Hengel, in the Ancient World, 19). Crucifixion in the Ancient World, 19). This interpretation is an inference from the fact that one of the themes We must remind ourselves that the third century of ancient anti-Judaism, as found in writers such as was marked by persecutions of Christians, first Apion and Apollonius Molon, was the accusation under Septimius Severus (in 211), then under that the Jews secretly worshipped an ass in the Caracalla, sporadically (211-217). The Thracian temple. (from I. Opelt, “Esel,” RAC VI, 592-595; J. G. Préaux, “Deus emperor Maximinus persecuted Christians again Christainorum Onocoetes” in Hommages L. Hermann (Bruxelles: in 235-238. A sharp attack upon Christians took Latomus, 1960) 539-554). But this interpretation deserves place under Decius in 249-251, and was continued to be evaluated critically. The crucified figure under Gallus (251-253). Emperor Valerian issued an portrayed in the Palatine graffito is not an ass, but edict against the Christians in 257. (from Robert M. Grant, a man, clad in a short tunic, with the head of an ass. Augustus to Constantine: The Rise and Triumph of Christianity in the

6 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 Now, the ass-man was a theme featured in ancient Christian” became the newest type of the mimic mimes. (Hermann Reich, “Der Mann mit dem Eselkopf, ein fool upon the popular stage. (Hermann Reich, Der Mimodrama, von klassischen Altertum verfolgt bis auf Shakespeares Mimus. Ein litterar-entwickelungsgeschichtlicher Versuch, 2 vols. Sommernachrstraum,” Jahrbuch der deutschen Shakespeare- (Berlin: Weidmann, 1903) 1.86-90). Gregory of Nazianzus Gesellschaft 40 (1904) 18-19; Allardyce Nicoll, Masks, Mimes and Miracles: Studies in the Popular Theatre (New York: Harcourt, Brace, complains: “The Christians now serve as a theater- 1931) 75). act, not before angels and men, as Paul did, but before the lowest level of the populace.” (Gregory of Nazianzus Or. 2.84 in Migne, PG 35 col. 489. Cf. Reich, Der Mimus, The ass-man is depicted upon a bronze bowl dated 1.81-86; Nicoll, Masks, Mimes and Miracles, 120-123). to the first century A.D. (Figure in Reich, Der König mit der Dornenkrone, 10). The relief portrays a lively scene from Christian baptism was a favorite subject of ridicule a mime in which a man with an ass’s head is beaten in the mime, as we learn from the Martyrdom by two other figures in a mimic dance. (See the of Porphyrius. (Reich, Der Mimus, 1.86-90; Nicoll, Masks, discussion in Reich, Der König mit der Dornenkrone, 10). The ass- Mimes and Miracles, 121-122). In this comedy, the mime man depicted on the bronze relief bears a striking Porphyrius, who later suffered martyrdom, steps similarity to the crucified figure with the head of an into a stage-baptistery, pronouncing over himself ass in the Palatine graffito. the formula: “Porphyrius is baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost,” The similarity of the images was pointed out by (Mnhmei=a a9giologika/ p. 358, cited in Reich, Der König Hermann Reich in an essay published in 1905. (Reich, mit der Dornenkrone, 12; Nicoll, Masks, Mimes and Miracles, 121-122) Der König mit der Dornenkrone, 9-10 ). More recently, John and entirely realistic imitation of Christian ritual, in Winkler has argued that the theme of the ass-man keeping with Diomedes’ definition of the mime as in the mime lies behind the plot and the humor (from Diomedes in Grammatici Latini, Vol. of Apuleius’ Golden Ass and the Greek short story mi/mhsiv bi/ou. 1, ed. H. Keil (Hildesheim: Olms, 1961) 490-491). Even more entitled Lucius, or the Ass. (from John J. Winkler, Auctor and Actor: A Narratological Reading of Apuleius’ Golden Ass (Berkeley: instructive is the Martyrdom of Saint Genesius. (from Acta Sanctorum, ed. T. Ruinart (Paris, 1689) 282-283, cited University of California Press, 1991) 286-291.) But what does the and discussed in Reich, Der Mimus, 1.84; idem, Der König mit der ass-man in the mime have to do with the crucified Dornenkrone, 13-14; Nicoll, Masks, Mimes and Miracles, 121-122). Christ, as he is depicted in the Palatine graffito? Genesius appears in a Christological mime before Indeed, what does Christian faith have to do with the Emperor Diocletian. In the first scene of this the vulgar mime? mime, Genesius walks down a street, where he suffers a fit of epilepsy and falls to the ground. As is well known, the church fathers—Tatian, Friends rush to help Genesius, but he demands to Tertullian, and Cyprian—fiercely denounced the be baptized. The scene changes: Genesius enters mime for its obscenity. (Tatian Or. ad Graecos 22; Tertullian a church, is baptized, and is clothed in a white Apol. 15; De Spect. 23; Cyprian De Spect. 6). garment. But the joy of Genesius and his new friends is short-lived. The new Christian is denounced to Mime artists were eventually excommunicated the authorities. Soldiers appear and drag Genesius from the church. (from Nicoll, Masks, Mimes and Miracles, 135- before the judgment seat of the emperor. In the 150). Hence, scholars of early Christianity routinely account of Genesius’ martyrdom, the plot of the dismiss any connection between the cross and the mime is suddenly broken off, because the actor mime, (E.g., Udo Heckel, Kraft in Schwachheit. Untersuchungen zu 2. Genesius, overwhelmed by the mystical power of Korinther 10-13 (Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1993) 20; Martin Hengel, that which he seeks to travesty, is apprehended “Der vorchristliche Paulus” in Paulus und das antike Judentum, ed. M. by divine grace, steps forward before the crowd, Hengel and U. Heckel (Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1994) 184) and prefer to explain the crucified Christ with the head and confesses himself to be a Christian. Thus he of an ass as a derogatory reference to the Jewish is condemned, and suffers an actual, rather than a mimic martyrdom. origins of Christianity. (from Dinkler, Signum Crucis, 152; Hengel, Crucifixion in the Ancient World, 19). Other accounts of martyrdoms of mime-actors We begin our search for a mimic interpretation of who became Christians through conversion to the the depiction of Christ in the Palatine graffito with faith that they travestied date to the third century: the observation that during the persecutions of Gelasinus in Heliopolis, and Ardalio in one of the Christians in the third and fourth centuries, “the cities of the Roman East. (See the full account of the Christian

7 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 mimes in Reich, Der Mimus, 1.82, 86-90; Nicoll, Masks, Mimes and worship of a fellow-soldier whose god hung on the Miracles, 121-122). cross would evoke derisive laughter. Such humor is remote from, and perhaps repugnant to, our modern In the time of persecutions of Christians, such sensibilities. Is there a way of understanding why Christological mimes must have enjoyed favor with the Palatine artist expected that viewers would find the pagan populace. The soldier who sketched the his graffito laughable? Palatine graffito had probably seen such mimes, and had seen Christians, if not Christ himself, upon The explanation suggested by ancient theorists of a stage-cross. the laughable is that gallows humor is an extreme expression of “aesthetic disdain” towards the weak But, in fact, the depiction of crucifixion upon the and defective. (Aristotle Ars Poet. 1449a30; Cicero De Orat. 2.236; stage is not specific to the persecution of Christianity. Quintilian Inst. Orat. 6.3.8. Cf. Mary Grant, The Ancient Rhetorical Rather, the crucifixion was a well-established subject Theories of the Laughable (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, of the mime. Evidently, the most popular mime of 1924) 19). Quintilian summarizes a tradition that goes the first century A.D. was the Laureolus of a certain back to Plato, when he states: “Laughter is never far Catullus. (See Mimorum Romanorum Fragmenta, ed. M. Bonaria removed from derision…Laughter has its basis in (Geneva: Instituto di Filologia, 1955) 112. On the popularity of the some kind or other of deformity or ugliness.” (Quintilian Laureolus mime and the identity of the author, see Nicoll, Masks, Inst. Orat. 6.3.8. Cf. G. M. A. Richter, “Grotesques and the Mime,” AJA Mimes and Miracles, 110-111; T. P. Wiseman, Catullus and His World. A 17 (1913) 148-156; R. Garland, The Eye of the Beholder: Deformity Reappraisal (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985) 183-195). and Disability in the Greco-Roman World (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995) 73-86). Because the weak and the defective References to this mime by Josephus, Martial, were considered laughable, slaves and the poor Juvenal, and Suetonius make it possible to were assigned the principal roles in comedy. (from reconstruct the plot: Laureolus was a slave who Grant, Ancient Rhetorical Theories of the Laughable, 39-47; Erich Segal, ran away from his master and became the leader Roman Laughter: The Comedies of Plautus (Cambridge, MA: Harvard of a band of robbers; in the final scene, he was University Press, 1952) 137-16). crucified. (from Josephus Ant. 19.94; Martial De Spect. 7; Juvenal By an extension of this logic, slave-beating was a 8.187-188; Suetonius Calig. 57. Cf. Reich, Der Mimus, 1.564-566). The crucifixion was enacted with a considerable standard feature of comedy, and whiplash marks degree of stage realism. Josephus reports that “a seem to have been the sign by which slaves were great quantity of artificial blood flowed down from identified on the comic stage.(See, already, Aristophanes Pax 743-744; Vesp. 1292-1296; and numerous instances in Plautus, the one crucified.” (Josephus Ant. 19.94). Suetonius esp. Amphitruo 443-446, on which see Segal, Roman Laughter, 138- records a performance on the day of Caligula’s 143). The special object of ridicule in the mime was assassination in which the chief actor fell and a grotesque, deformed figure, the fool, upon whose vomited blood. (Suetonius Calig. 57.4) Suetonius notes humped back or bald head blows rained down for that the performance was immediately followed by the amusement of the audience. (On the psychology of a humorous afterpiece in which “several mimic fools audience response to the abuse of the fool in the mime, see Grant, so vied with one another in giving evidence of their Ancient Rhetorical theories of the Laughable, 48-51; Winkler, Auctor proficiency at dying that the stage swam in blood.” and Actor, 290-291.) Sometimes this grotesque figure was represented as less than human—the ass-man. (Suetonius Calig. 57.4) According to Martial, in De Spect. (from Reich, Der König mit der Dornenkrone, 9-10; Winkler, Auctor 7 a condemned criminal was forced to take the part and Actor, 286-291). This crucified figure, flogged and of Laureolus at a performance during the reign of tortured, and nailed up by way of jest, represents Titus, and actually died on the cross. (Martial De Spect. 7. the extreme limit of the human.

Martial compares the fate of Laureolus with the In accordance with this conception of the suffering of Prometheus, the other “crucified god” laughable, the Palatine artist may have expected of antiquity. (Martial De Spect. 7. On Prometheus as a “crucified god,” see Hengel, Crucifixion in the Ancient World, 11-14, citing Lucian viewers to respond to his graffito with amusement. The crucifixion of an unfortunate fool, one who Prometheus 1-2). The popularity of the Laureolus mime raises the question of the psychology of gallows was socially inferior or physically defective, was a humor. It is a question that should be addressed welcome reminder of what it was like to be a fully to the artist of the Palatine graffito. For, clearly, the human part of society, and thus invulnerable to creator of this image expected that his parody of the such cruel punishment. For such persons as our

8 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 imperial guard, the representation of the crucifixion that the Son of God had died the contemptible of a misfit in an artistic medium, such as a graffito or death of a fool, a little man like Alexamenos heard the mime, must have been especially pleasurable, that he had been “chosen” by God. Paul explained because of what Sigmund Freud described as the mysterious “calling” of the crucified God two “economy in the expenditure of affect,” in his centuries before Alexamenos believed: “Consider discussion of gallows humor in Jokes and Their your calling, brothers and sisters, that not many of Relation to the Unconscious (from Sigmund Freud, Jokes you were wise in a human sense, not many powerful, and Their Relation to the Unconscious, trans. J. Strachey (New York: not many well-born; but God chose the foolish of the Norton, 1963) 229, where Freud deals with Galgenhumor). world,…and God chose the weak of the world,… and God chose the low-born of the world and the Our conclusion with respect to the Palatine graffito despised, mere nothings” (1 Cor. 1:26-28). Or, to put may take the form of an argument a minori ad it the other way around, the message that a piece maius: if the crucifixion of a slave or a poor man of human garbage, a half-man and half-ass, one provoked humor, for the reasons given above, then of those whom life had demolished, and who had how much more the faith in a crucified god. That touched bottom, has been vindicated by God and is one who had suffered the death of a slave and had now “the Lord of glory”—this message was a power experienced the extreme limit of human misery, an capable of rescuing those who trusted in it from ass-man, should be worshipped as a god—this was despair over the nothingness of their lives. So that, surely the purest folly! That a piece of human trash, even if they live in the shadow of the cross and die one of those whom life had demolished, should be a bit every day, and even if the cross should be their hailed as “god”—was the most laughable scenario tomb, as it was of their fathers and grandfathers imaginable. Thus, in the Palatine graffito, the central (from Plautus Miles 372-373), even there life would have mystery of the Christian faith is parodied as a scene value and meaning, because for Alexamenos ,the from the mime, in which the crucified god of the One who died in this contemptible way was the Son Christians is mocked as a grotesque, much-slapped of God. ass.

And what of that central mystery—the message Editors’ Note The Society takes no about the cross—and its appeal to Alexamenos? position on the intellectual content of On the principle that an effective parody must papers and articles. always preserve the thing parodied, may we venture to ask why Alexamenos worships a crucified figure with an ass’s head as his god? In the mime, and in other literature written from “the grotesque perspective,” (from Winkler, Auctor and Actor, 286-291. On the SSECfacebook concept, see already M. Bakhtin, Rabelais and His World (Cambridge, Follow us on Facebook! Thanks to Jenny Irving MA: MIT Press, 1968) esp. 18-30), we discover that the fate for making this a reality & for agreeing to be the of the fool is the source of a “laughter of liberation,” administrator of our Facebook group. Try this link to use Erich Segal’s felicitous term. (from Segal, Roman to join us on facebook Laughter, 9, see further, 101-123, 143-158). Plautine slaves http://www.facebook.com/groups/152884928081983/?bookmark_t=group defy whippings, tortures and crucifixion, giving thanks to “Holy Trickery.” (from Plautus Asinaria 545-551). The fool in the mime is ugly, deformed, and beaten. Yet, for the common people who delighted in the mime, the fool was a locus of value and meaning. (from Winkler, Auctor and Actor, 279-28). This psycho-social dynamic explains the extraordinary popularity of the Laureolus mime, in which a runaway slave was Bequests If you would like to leave a Bequest crucified on stage. to the Society for the Study of Early Christianity Macquarie University, please Alexamenos’ faith in a crucified god builds upon phone Professor Alanna Nobbs on (02) 9850 this dynamic and supersedes it. In the message 8844 or email me at [email protected] 9 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 tainly have not finished it yet. But I can tell you al- ready that I’m not “just interested” in it. It is impossi- ble to be “just interested” in something Larry writes: you will be engaged, drawn in, led along by the exuberance of Larry’s exposition, even when you’re not sure you agree. It’s like the sense one has with a really good novel: you don’t know where it’s going, but you do have a sense that you’re in good hands.

In reading it, for me there’s a sense of deja vu, be- inprint cause if like me you’re a regular attender of SSEC functions, you may well have already heard Larry At our recent SSEC event on the evening of Tuesday present various sections of what is here drawn to- August 14, Dr Christopher Forbes gave an appre- gether into one extended, coherent argument. And ciation of this new book by Professor Welborn. that means that the exuberance of Larry’s personal • An End to Enmity: Paul and the “Wrongdoer” of style of presentation will be in your mind as you Second Corinthians (Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Fur read. But what I don’t know is whether I’m reading Die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft Und Die it with Larry’s voice in my head because I’ve heard Kunde Der Alteren Kirche) by L.L. Welborn (15 him, or because his writing really captures his spo- Oct 2011). ken style. We are all so used to picking up both ver- • Hardcover: 570 pages bal and non-verbal clues from speakers, which help • Publisher: Walter de Gruyter & Co (15 Oct 2011) us to follow their line of thought. Those of you who Abstract: An End to Enmity casts light upon the have heard me speak, for example, will probably be shadowy figure of the wrongdoer of Second Cor- waiting for some piece of sly irony. But with Larry, inthians by exploring the social and rhetorical it’s his tone of voice, his gesture and his dramatic conventions that governed friendship, enmity and sense of emphasis; and I think I feel these drawing reconciliation in the Greco-Roman world. The book me in, engaging me, in the book. puts forward a novel hypothesis regarding the iden- tity of the wrongdoer and the nature of his offence In other words, there’s a kind of synergy between against Paul. Drawing upon the prosopographic the spoken and the written data of Paul’s Corinthian epistles and the epigraphic word in reading a book like and archaeological record of Roman Corinth, the this, which mirrors the issues author shapes a robust image of the kind of indi- that Larry is dealing with in the vidual who did Paul wrong and caused pain to both book. For both his book, and Paul and the Corinthians. The concluding chapter the Pauline letters on which reconstructs the history of Paul’s relationship with he’s commenting, have this an influential convert to Christianity at Corinth. quality: they preserve, in fro-

An Appreciation by Dr Christopher Forbes It is a delight to be asked to give a brief appreciation of Larry Welborn’s new book, An End to Enmity: Paul and the “Wrongdoer” of 2nd Corinthians. It is, however, quite unfair to expect anyone to comment on the book in only five minutes. To quote Larry him- self, the book is both obscenely long and absurdly expensive, and though I have read my way into it, I most cer- Dr Christopher Forbes, Professor Laurence Welborn and Professor Edwin Judge with the book. Photo by Alanna Nobbs 10 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 zen, or even in fossilized form, the sense of the spo- expensive”. I don’t know at all whether I will agree ken word. And what Larry sets out to do is to mine with all the stages of the argument, but I do know I the text of Paul’s Corinthian letters for the subtleties, will learn a great deal, and I think I’ll enjoy learning for the nuances – even for what Paul does not say – it. For this, we owe Larry many thanks. Larry him- which would have been so much more obvious in self makes it very clear who he wants to thank. He the spoken form, in which a Pauline letter would be dedicates the book to Edwin, and tells the story of presented to its first hearers. his own trepidation at presenting some of the ma- terial for the first time, some years ago, in Edwin’s But there are two layers of distance between Paul’s presence. I remember that trepidation, but I also verbal presentation and us: his reduction of it to remember Edwin’s delight at the presentation, and writing in the Corinthian letters, albeit presented the joyful meeting of minds and discussion which verbally to the Corinthians by Paul’s envoy, and then followed. With that in mind, I have been asked to our own cultural distance. When we compare Larry’s give symbolic form to the dedication, by ceremoni- lectures to the finished book, we find that the order ally presenting this copy of Larry’s book to Edwin, of argument has altered, and the overall logic has and there my role in this evening ends. been re-structured. And one of the first things Larry Chris Forbes. argues is that this has also happened to Paul’s mate- rial. He argues for a partition theory which hypoth- • Professor Edwin Judge commented: “Please esises that we have in the canonical Corinthian let- note that this book has a special link with SSEC ters the remnants of what were originally four, five (the opening sentence of the Preface says it all or even more original letters of Paul. As a result, the began at the SSEC conference four years ago)”.’ letters need to be unwoven, and then re-woven into their original chronological order. Straight away I have concerns, as I’m not normally a fan of partition theories, but Larry’s trademark lucidity and exuber- Stoppress ance carry me along to see where the argument will take us. SSEC Seminar Reminders • Please let us know your email address, and I spoke earlier of the second main feature of the we can send you a brief reminder about SSEC book: the attempt to mine the (reconstructed) let- seminars and other events of interest. ters for the nuances of what Paul says, hints at, or ac- • If you also wish to receive the Newsletter tually avoids saying. Now, this is of necessity a sub- electronicallay, and you are not already getting tle, if not a dangerously subjective business. What’s it this way - please let us know - it will help save encouraging with Larry’s presentation is the care on printing and postage costs. and reasonableness of his exposition. He’s aware of Please send a brief email to [email protected] the levels of provability of his case, and scrupulous about letting the reader know how far he thinks the evidence can be pushed. And he’s also so much the SSEC Volunteers Our recent request for a bunch of new helpers master of such a range of material – archaeologi- to come forward, was answered by three very cal, epigraphic, rhetorical – that the essential sense capable people. We are very appreciative that of confidence which the reader has – at least this they can spend an hour or two a week helping reader – is strongly enhanced. And all this erudition us with membership renewals, processing credit does not overwhelm: the excitement of the chase card payments, photocopying, typing, setting carries the reader along. And the aim throughout is out chairs, meeting & greeting at SSEC events etc. to track down the stages and the resolution of the conflict between Paul and some of the Corinthians, Our new volunteer co-ordinator is BJ Eyland (Mrs), despite the fact that the evidence we have is (a) dis- so if you would like to get involved it is not too organised, (b) allusive, and (c) strictly occasional, late. You may be asked to help us fold newsletters tied to the needs of the moment of writing. or stuff envelopes (three times a year). BJ will look after you, and make your feel very welcome. But enough. Larry has hooked me. I want to read the rest, despite it being “absurdly long and obscenely

11 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 Membership Renewal & Electronic Newsletter • If a blue renewal form is enclosed with this Newsletter, your payment would be appreciated. Membership renewals are due in the first quarter each year. • If you would prefer to receive future newsletters electronically in PDF format by email, then tick the box labelled ElectronicNewsletter on your renewal form.

Non-SSEC Activities Macquarie Ancient Languages Summer School will be held on campus over two weeks in January. Dates are Monday, 7 January to Friday, 18 January (excluding weekend). MALS offers a range of courses in Classical and Koine Greek, Latin, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Classical Hebrew, Coptic, Akkadian, Sanskrit and others. Among the selection available at the 2013 Summer School are Reading Greek Inscriptions, Beginners Coptic – Bohairic dialect, and an Introduction to Cuneiform Tablets, based on material for the Museum of Ancient Cultures. The full program will be available on the Ancient History website from late October at http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/ faculty_of_arts/department_of_ancient_history/macquarie_ancient_languages_school/. To add your name to the MALS mailing list, email [email protected]

You are invited to join our Ancient History Continuing Education program for Session 2. As a continuing education student, you attend lectures only, without the pressure of assignments or exams. You also have access to the Macquarie Library collections for use within the Library. Choose from a wide range of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Near Eastern history topics, as well as archaeology and language units. Dates for Session 1 (Semester 1) are 25 February to 8 June. For more information email [email protected] or phone 9850 9962.

Postgraduate Coursework opportunities – Macquarie offers opportunities in Ancient History, Egyptology, Coptic Studies, Early Christian and Jewish Studies, Late Antiquity and Art and Architecture. For information see the Ancient History Department website: www.anchist.mq.edu.au. For further details contact the Ancient History office at email: [email protected] or 9850 8833.

Rundle Foundation for Egyptian Archaeology - A.C.E Annual Egyptology Conference & Events for 2012 • “Egyptology Forum No. 2” to be held on Sunday, 16th September 2012 at Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club Auditorium. Time is 12.45pm for 1.00pm start. Cost is $25 p.p. (includes afternoon tea). • Anyone wishing to book can contact the Australian Centre for Egyptology office on 9850 8848 or they can download the forms on our website www.egyptology.mq.edu.au or email: [email protected]

Face to Face with the New Testament A seminar for the general public is provided by Macquarie papyrologist Dr Don Barker. This is an exciting and informative seminar for groups of 15 or more to explore the earliest surviving N.T. manuscripts and their relevance for the reliability of the text and history of the New Testament. This seminar can be held at your local school, church or community club. Contact Dr Don Barker on 9850 9962 or email: don. [email protected]

Macquarie Ancient History Association (MAHA) Events For seminars and enquiries 9850 9965, 9850 8833, or by email: [email protected] website: www.ancienthistory.com.au/news.php

Centre for the History of Christian Thought and Experience- runs seminars fortnightly on Thursdays at 6.00 pm. For further information contact Assoc/Prof Stuart Piggin 9850 8816, or email: [email protected].

12 SSEC Newsletter 74 | September 2012 SSEC eNewsletter Newsletter 74 September2012 Society for the Study of Early Christianity Ancient Cultures Research Centre Faculty of Arts, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 Tel. (02) 9850 7512 Fax (02) 9850 9001/8240 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mq.edu.au/ssec/events

SSEC Calendar of Events 2012 Date Details Venue & Cost September 12 In conjunction with the Sir Asher Joel Foundation, Professor Museum of Ancient Wed 7:05 pm Matthias Henze, (Rice University, Houston Texas, USA): Paul’s Cultures X5B 321 Messianic Expectations $5/$7 October 17 Coptic night: Museum of Wed 7:05pm Joint event with Coptic Studies Society of Australia. Ancient Cultures - Speaker and title: Dr Malcolm Choat, New Work on Monastic X5B 321 Archaeology in Egypt’ $5/$7 November 29 Early Christmas Event and SSEC 25th Birthday Museum of Thurs 7:05pm The Riddle of the Notitia Dignitatum: An Enigma Wrapped in a Ancient Cultures - Mystery Speaker: Dr Peter Brennan Research Fellow, Sydney X5B 321 University $5/$7

Dr Peter Brennan Research Professor Matthias Henze, Dr Malcolm Choat, Fellow, Sydney University Rice University, Houston Texas, Macquarie University 17 October 2012 29 November 2012 USA 12 September 2012 Please Note : Macquarie University enforces parking charges up to 8:00pm daily. Parking charges are $6 for 1 hour, $10 for 3 hours, $19 all day. As seminars start at 7:05pm, attendees need only pay for one hour. Any updates to the programme will be available on the website and published in the next newsletter. Phone: SSEC Office (9850 7512), Dr Don Barker (9850 9962), Professor Alanna Nobbs (9850 8844) or An- cient History Office (9850 8833) Website: www.mq.edu.au/ssec/events Email: [email protected]