REDESCRIBING CHRISTIAN ORIGINS Symposium Series Christopher R. Matthews, Editor Number 28 REDESCRIBING CHRISTIAN ORIGINS REDESCRIBING CHRISTIAN ORIGINS Edited by Ron Cameron and Merrill P. Miller BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2004 REDESCRIBING CHRISTIAN ORIGINS Copyright © 2004 by the Society of Biblical Literature This edition published under license from the Society of Biblical Literature by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Office, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Cover photo of the leaf of Papyrus 46 containing 2 Cor. 11:33–12:9 courtesy of the Papyrol- ogy Collection, Graduate Library, University of Michigan. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Redescribing Christian origins / edited by Ron Cameron and Merrill P. Miller. p. cm. — (Society of Biblical Literature symposium series ; no. 28) Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 90-04-13064-0 (alk. paper) 1. Christianity—Origin—Congresses. I. Cameron, Ron. II. Miller, Merrill P. III. Sym- posium series (Society of Biblical Literature) ; no. 28. BR129.R43 2004b 270.1—dc22 2004004671 ISSN 1569-3627 Printed in The Netherlands on acid-free paper. In memory of Andy and Lena Cameron and To my mother, Ruth Miller, and in memory of my father, Arthur Miller, and my brother, Kerry Miller CONTENTS Abbreviations..................................................................................................xi Introduction: Ancient Myths and Modern Theories of Christian Origins Ron Cameron and Merrill P. Miller ........................................................1 PART 1: ALTERNATE BEGINNINGS: THE SAYINGS GOSPEL Q AND THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS Introduction to the Papers from the Third Year of the Consultation Merrill P. Miller ......................................................................................33 The Schooling of a Galilean Jesus Association (The Sayings Gospel Q) Willi Braun ............................................................................................43 Why Q Failed: From Ideological Project to Group Formation William E. Arnal ....................................................................................67 Ancient Myths and Modern Theories of the Gospel of Thomas and Christian Origins Ron Cameron..........................................................................................89 “Keep Speaking until You Find...”: Thomas and the School of Oral Mimesis Arthur J. Dewey ....................................................................................109 Discussion and Reflections Merrill P. Miller ....................................................................................133 PART 2: A JESUS SCHOOL IN JERUSALEM? Proposal for the First Year of the Seminar Ron Cameron........................................................................................141 viii Contents Introduction to the Papers from the First Year of the Seminar Ron Cameron........................................................................................151 Acts and the History of the Earliest Jerusalem Church Christopher R. Matthews ......................................................................159 Antioch, Paul, and Jerusalem: Diaspora Myths of Origins in the Homeland Merrill P. Miller ....................................................................................177 What Do We Really Know about the Jerusalem Church? Christian Origins in Jerusalem according to Acts and Paul Dennis E. Smith ....................................................................................237 A Jewish Jesus School in Jerusalem? Burton L. Mack ....................................................................................253 History, Historiography, and Christian Origins: The Jerusalem Community Luther H. Martin ..................................................................................263 Agenda for the Annual Meeting, Discussion, and Reflections Ron Cameron........................................................................................275 PART 3: A PRE-PAULINE CHRISTOS ASSOCIATION Proposal for the Second Year of the Seminar Ron Cameron........................................................................................285 Introduction to the Papers from the Second Year of the Seminar Ron Cameron........................................................................................293 The Problem of the Origins of a Messianic Conception of Jesus Merrill P. Miller ....................................................................................301 Christos as Nickname Barry S. Crawford ................................................................................337 From Messiahs to Christ: The Pre-Pauline Christ Cult in Scholarship Christopher R. Matthews ......................................................................349 Why Christos ? The Social Reasons Burton L. Mack ....................................................................................365 Contents ix The Anointed Jesus Merrill P. Miller ....................................................................................375 Agenda for the Annual Meeting, Discussion, and Reflections Ron Cameron........................................................................................417 Backbay Jazz and Blues Burton L. Mack ....................................................................................421 Smoke Signals from the North: A Reply to Burton Mack’s “Backbay Jazz and Blues” Willi Braun ..........................................................................................433 Issues and Commentary Ron Cameron and Merrill P. Miller ....................................................443 PART 4: METAREFLECTIONS Social Formation and Mythmaking: Theses on Key Terms William E. Arnal and Willi Braun......................................................459 Remarkable Burton L. Mack ....................................................................................469 Redescribing Christian Origins: Historiography or Exegesis? Luther H. Martin ..................................................................................475 Dayyeinu Jonathan Z. Smith ................................................................................483 Mythmaking, Social Formation, and Varieties of Social Theory Stanley K. Stowers ................................................................................489 Conclusion: Redescribing Christian Origins Ron Cameron and Merrill P. Miller ....................................................497 Select Bibliography......................................................................................517 Index of Ancient Texts................................................................................521 Select Index of Modern Authors ................................................................535 x Contents Index of Subjects ........................................................................................537 Contributors ................................................................................................539 ABBREVIATIONS PRIMARY SOURCES 1 En. 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Apocalypse) 1QM Milhamah˙ or War Scroll 1QS Serek Hayahad˙ or Rule of the Community 1QSa Rule of the Congregation (Appendix a to 1QS) 1QSb Rule of the Blessings (Appendix b to 1QS) 2 Bar. 2 Baruch (Syriac Apocalypse) 4QCommGen A Commentary on Genesis A, formerly Patriarchal Bless- ings or Pesher Genesis 4QFlor Florilegium 4QMessAp Messianic Apocalypse 11QMelch Melchizedek Ap. Jas. Apocryphon of James Apuleius Metam. Metamorphoses / The Golden Ass Aristotle Mem. rem. De memoria et reminiscentia / Memory and Reminis- cence Poet. Poetica / Poetics As. Mos. Assumption of Moses CD Cairo Genizah copy of the Damascus Document Crates Ep. Epistula / Epistle Did. Didache Epictetus Diss. Dissertationes / Dissertations Eusebius Hist. eccl. Historia ecclesiastica / Ecclesiastical History Exeg. Soul Exegesis of the Soul Gen. Rab. Genesis Rabbah Gos. Heb. Gospel of the Hebrews Gos. Thom. Gospel of Thomas Gos. Truth Gospel of Truth xi xii Abbreviations Irenaeus Haer. Adversus haereses / Against Heresies Josephus Ant. Jewish Antiquities War Jewish War Jub. Jubilees L.A.B. Liber antiquitatum biblicarum (Pseudo-Philo) Libanius Orat. Orationes / Orations m. Mishnah Midr. Midrash Philo Flacc. In Flaccum / Against Flaccus Legat. Legatio ad Gaium / On the Embassy to Gaius Praem. De praemiis et poenis / On Rewards and Punishments Plutarch Conj. praec. Conjugalia Praecepta / Advice to the Bride and Groom and a Consolation to His Wife P.Oxy. Oxyrhynchus papyri Pss. Sol. Psalms of Solomon Quintilian Inst. Institutio oratoria / The Orator’s Education Shepherd of Hermas Herm. Sim. Shepherd of Hermas, Similitudes Sib. Or. Sibylline Oracles T. Jud. Testament of Judah T. Levi Testament of Levi T. Reu. Testament of Reuben Ta(an. Ta(anit Tg. Neof. Targum Neofiti y. Jerusalem Talmud SECONDARY SOURCES AB Anchor Bible ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by D. N. Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992. ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library AGJU Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums