The Inn, the Manger, the Swaddling Cloths, the Shepherds, and the Animals

2020 ◽  
pp. 223-236
Author(s):  
Jody Vaccaro Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Historical Aspects ◽  
Greco Roman

While both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke narrate the story of the Nativity, only Luke’s account provides the unique details of the inn, manger, swaddling cloths, and shepherds. In the earliest tradition, an ox and ass become incorporated into the scene, though they are not mentioned in Luke 2:1–20. Each one of these elements presents historical aspects which the original Greco-Roman and Jewish audiences would be familiar with as part of everyday life. They all also convey important symbolism, alluding to various Old Testament passages that signify the theological meaning of the birth of this infant as the Davidic Messiah. Luke’s literary skill demands that each element be considered carefully in terms of its context and relevance to the account. Artistic depictions of the inn, manger, swaddling cloths, shepherds, and animals offer some intriguing interpretations of these elements.

Das frühe Christentum und die Bildung

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Schnelle
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Early Christianity ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Literary Production ◽  
Roman Religion ◽  
Literary Genres ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Urban Congregations ◽  
Intellectual Level

Early Christianity is often regarded as an entirely lower-class phenomenon, and thus characterised by a low educational and cultural level. This view is false for several reasons. (1) When dealing with the ancient world, inferences cannot be made from the social class to which one belongs to one's educational and cultural level. (2) We may confidently state that in the early Christian urban congregations more than 50 per cent of the members could read and write at an acceptable level. (3) Socialisation within the early congregations occurred mainly through education and literature. No religious figure before (or after) Jesus Christ became so quickly and comprehensively the subject of written texts! (4) The early Christians emerged as a creative and thoughtful literary movement. They read the Old Testament in a new context, they created new literary genres (gospels) and reformed existing genres (the Pauline letters, miracle stories, parables). (5) From the very beginning, the amazing literary production of early Christianity was based on a historic strategy that both made history and wrote history. (6) Moreover, early Christians were largely bilingual, and able to accept sophisticated texts, read them with understanding, and pass them along to others. (7) Even in its early stages, those who joined the new Christian movement entered an educated world of language and thought. (8) We should thus presuppose a relatively high intellectual level in the early Christian congregations, for a comparison with Greco-Roman religion, local cults, the mystery religions, and the Caesar cult indicates that early Christianity was a religion with a very high literary production that included critical reflection and refraction.

Everyday Life in Old Testament Times

1958 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Georges A. Barrois ◽  
E. W. Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Old Testament

The Paradox of the Easy Yoke: A Survey of χρηστός in Greek Literature and the Interpretational Implications for Matthew 11:30

2019 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-19
Author(s):  
Clark Bates
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
First Century ◽  
Greek Literature ◽  
Word Study ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Roman Literature ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
The Common ◽  
Apostolic Fathers

Matthew 11:30 could easily be considered one of the most recognizable passages of the New Testament. Many find comfort and fortitude in the words of Jesus, and warm to the idea that his ‘yoke’; is ‘easy’ and ‘burden’, ‘light’. However recognized and familiar this passage may be, it has not gone unnoticed throughout scholarship as a persistent word study in need of incessant explanation. While copious amounts of ink have been spilt discussing the nature of the ‘yoke’ in Matthew 11:30, it is the position of this article that the author of Matthew, had no intention of creating such a mystery. Rather, that the emphasis is to be found in the nature of the yoke itself and the attributive use of χρηστός in Greco-Roman literature, including that of the Greek Old Testament, and the writings of the first-century Christians. This article seeks to demonstrate that the use of χρηστός in the Matthean Gospel does not mean ‘easy’ by English standards, nor was this what the audience of this Gospel would have taken it to mean, given the common use of the term. This is accomplished through an engagement of the text and message of Matthew, followed by an examination of the word’s use in Classical Greek compositions and the Apostolic Fathers, as well as its use in the LXX and the New Testament.

WAJAH KERAHIMAN ALLAH DALAM PERJANJIAN LAMA

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 74-81
Author(s):  
Agustinus Supriyadi
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The People ◽  
God's Love ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Universe

The theme is taken for this Jubilee is "Compassionate like God - Like the Merciful Father" (Lk 6:36).God is essentially show mercy, even declared himself the Almighty through His mercy. We must realize that God's mercy was not a sign of weakness, but a sign of power. Since the Old Testament, God invites each individual to reflect on his mercy, as proclaimed by the prophet Zephaniah. God has to get rid of the punishment that fell upon His people (Zephaniah 3:15). God is also present in the midst of His people (Zephaniah 3:17) expressed his compassion and solidarity. Moreover, God refurbish the people with His love (Zephaniah 3:17). God's mercy is transformed and entered into the history of mankind, in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the perfect face of God's mercy. Finally, everyone is called to show the face of the compassion of God through everyday life. God's love is so great that it revealed first of the works of creation. His love for man revealed in action by creating the universe and it is all provided for humans. Because after all there (the earth and its contents) God created man in the image of Himself.

scholarly journals Sexuality and shifting paradigms – setting the scene

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolanda Dreyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mediterranean World ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Over Time

The social environment of the Biblical world can be distinguished in the Eastern Mediterranean (Semitic) and the Western Mediterranean (Greco-Roman) contexts. From a historical chronological perspective these contexts first functioned separately and then later merged because of Hellenisation. In both these Mediterranean contexts sexuality, religion and marriage were intertwined, but the values attributed to them, were different. The Old Testament mostly mirrors the Eastern Mediterranean world, whereas the New Testament represents a syncretism of the values of the Eastern and Western Mediterranean worlds. In order to understand the changes in the values attributed to sexuality, religion and marriage over time – from premodern, to modern, to postmodern times – it is necessary to investigate the social dynamics in the different eras. The aim of the article is to explore the nature of the interconnections and the values attributed to sexuality, religion and marriage in Biblical times.

scholarly journals Parallelisms and revelatory concepts of the Johannine Prologue in Greco-Roman context

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benno Zuiddam
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Asia Minor ◽  
Fourth Gospel ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Central Concept ◽  
John 1 ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
Parallel Structures ◽  
John's Gospel

This article builds on the increasing recognition of divine communication and God’s plan as a central concept in the prologue to the Fourth gospel. A philological analysis reveals parallel structures with an emphasis on divine communication in which the Logos takes a central part. These should be understood within the context of this gospel, but have their roots in the Old Testament. The Septuagint offers parallel concepts, particularly in its wisdom literature. Apart from these derivative parallels, the revelatory concepts and terminology involved in John 1:1–18, also find functional parallels in the historical environment of the fourth gospel. They share similarities with the role of Apollo Phoebus in the traditionally assigned geographical context of the region of Ephesus in Asia Minor. This functional parallelism served the reception of John’s biblical message in a Greco-Roman cultural setting.Keywords: John's Gospel; Apollo Phoebus; Logos; Revelation; Ephesus

Suffering “Has a Smooth Shape, Smooth as a Black Night. There Are No Handles.”

1996 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-270
Author(s):  
Rosemary Williams
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Human Suffering ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Psychological Practice ◽  
The Holocaust

The quid-pro-quo stance to human suffering is prominent in psychological practice, in everyday life, and in attitudes to survivors of the Holocaust. In this view, suffering is the consequence of unrighteousness. Old Testament Wisdom literature as a whole is non-determinative about the cause of suffering, but much theology and christology still remains determinative, to the harm of suffering human beings.

scholarly journals Die huwelik as identiteitsmerker in die Ou Testament

2007 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter M. Venter
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

Marriage as identity marker in the Old Testament The formularies used for consecrating marriages in the Nederduitsch Hervormde Church reflect this church’s view on matrimony. As the biblical bases of the formularies are deficient, new ways of exploring biblical information on this subject should be followed. This article proposes that data on marriage in the Bible always be used in conjunction with other concepts to form theological constructs to outline who God is and who his people are. It is always intended to be an identity marker to the members of the church. In the three Genesis cycles of Genesis 11:10-25:11; 25:12-35:29 and 36:1-50:26 heirship, marriage and land are used in an integrated construct to indicate the identity of the post-exilic community in Yehud. In the penitential prayers of Ezra 9:6-15 and Nehemia 9:5b-37 the concepts law, land and marriage are jointly used to depict the identity of the “real” Israel. The conclusion drawn from this investigation is that the Bible does not present models for marriage, but rather theological constructs to understand the relationship with the Lord in metaphorical terms and to reflect on the meaning of everyday life of that relationship including matrimony under ever changing social circumstances.

scholarly journals Die literêr-historiese lees van 'n teks

1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 354-368
Author(s):  
D.J. Human
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
The South ◽  
Historical Aspects ◽  
The Past ◽  
Biblical Texts

The discussion on methodology in the South African exegetical and hermeneutical debate has not been completed yet. Several contributions during the past six years have kept this debate alive. Nevertheless, the duration of the discussion has brought growth and more understanding for different viewpoints and approaches. The aim of this article is to argue that both literary and historical aspects in the reading of any Old Testament text are important. Although it is not the only text approach, it proposes the literary-historical reading of texts is a comprehensive way to expose and understand Biblical texts.

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