Empty Tomb, Resurrection, Apotheosis (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament)

Ancient and modern scholars have written many thousands of pages on resurrection in the New Testament. Fewer have examined the theme in both pagan and Jewish texts, however, and the topic remains inherently fascinating. John Granger Cook argues for two primary hypotheses: First, there is no fundamental difference between Paul's conception of the resurrection body and that of the Gospels; and second, the resurrection and translation stories of Greco-Roman antiquity probably help explain the willingness of Mediterranean people to gradually accept the Gospel of a crucified and risen savior. The use of ἐγείρω (egeirō, wake/rise) and ἀνίστημι (anistēmi, rise) and the bodily nature of resurrection in ancient Judaism and paganism warrant the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis is more speculative, but the Christian apologists' comparisons of pagan narratives with those of the New Testament renders it feasible. Cover Table of Contents Introduction: Resurrection Language 1 The Question of Apologetics for (or Subversion of) the Gospel 2 The Semantics of yqṣ, qyṣ, qûm, and ḥyh 3 The Semantics of ἐγείρω (egeirō) and ἀνίϭτημι (anistēmi) 3.1 Meaning and Usage 3.2 Usage for Bodily Resurrection and the Passive of ἐγἐίρω 3.3 Not Used with ψυχή or πυεῦμα for Res. until Gnosticism 4 The Semantics of ζωοποιέω and ζάω 5 Latin Expressions for Resurrection 6 Resurrection in Zoroastrianism 7 Scribenda Chapter one: Resurrection of Divinities 1 Some Methodological Reflections 1.1 Dying and Rising Gods 1.2 Myth and Ritual 1.3 Justin and Other Patristic Writers on Jesus and Greek Myths 2 Dumuzi (Tammuz) 3 Baal 4 Osiris 5 Adonis 5.1 The Myth of Adonis 5.2 The Adonis Gardens 5.3 Lucian and the Resurrection of Adonis 5.4 Christian Traditions about Adonis 5.5 The Levantine Background 5.5 Iconography 6 Attis 6.1 Classical Sources 6.2 Hippolytus, Firmicus Maternus, and Servius Auctus 6.3 The Hilaria and the Iconography of Attis 6.3 The Attis Cult in Late Antiquity 7 Melqart / Heracles 8 Dionysus 9 Asclepius Eshmun 10 Mithras 11 Conclusion Chapter two: Resurrection Accounts in Greek and Latin 1 Classical Greek Texts 1.1 The Improbability of Resurrection 1.2 Heracles and Alcestis, and Epiphanius’s Response 1.3 Heracles, Theseus, and Pirithous 1.4 Glaucus 1.5 The Magi 1.6 Democritus 1.7 Alexander the Great and Resurrection 1.8 The Germans and Resurrection 1.9 Asclepius 1.10 Pelops 1.11 Aesop 1.12 Er, Antyllus, and the Man from Soli 1.13 Aelian 1.14 Aelius Aristides: Eupolis and other Examples of Resurrection 1.15 Crates 1.16 Polyaenus (II C.E.) 1.17 Artemidorus 1.18 Aeneas of Gaza 1.19 Iolaus 1.20 Tylos 1.21 Lucian 1.22 Achilles Tatius 1.23 Apollonius of Tyana 1.24 A Magic Recipe for Resurrection 1.25 Favorinus (ca 85–155 C.E.) 1.26 Cyranides 1.27 Libanius 1.28 Proclus 1.29 The Resurrection of Jesus in Paganism 2 Resurrection in Classical Latin Texts 2.1 Terence 2.2 Cicero 2.3 Livy 2.4 Ovid 2.5 Vitruvius 2.6 Valerius Maximus 2.7 Pliny the Elder 2.8 Hyginus 3 Resurrection in Early Christian Inscriptions 4 The Hypogeum on via Dino Compagni (Via Latina Catacomb) 5 Conclusion Chapter three: Tombs and Post-Mortem Appearances 1 Empty Tombs with Subsequent Appearances 1.1 Aristeas 1.2 Romulus 1.3 Zalmoxis 1.4 Callirhoe 1.5 Xenophon, Anthia and Habrocomes 1.6 Antonius Diogenes, The Wonders Beyond Thule 1.7 Philinnion of Amphipolis 2 Occupied Tombs and Subsequent Appearances 2.1 Protesilaos 2.2 Eunostus 3 Empty Tombs with no Subsequent Appearances 3.1 Numa Pompilius 3.2 Cleomedes 3.3 Alcmene 3.4 The Apostle John 3.5 A Christian Dyer 3.6 Symeon the Fool 4 Conclusion Chapter four: Translations and Apotheoses of Heroes 1 Immortal Bodies 2 Translations 2.1 Legendary Figures 2.2 Historical Figures 2.3 Vibia and Vincentius: Tomb in the Catacomb of Praetextatus 3 Conclusion Chapter five: Apotheoses of Emperors 1 Consecratio and Funeral 1.1 Consecratio 1.2 Funerals 1.3 The Missing Funeral of Germanicus 1.4 Poppaea Sabina’s Funeral 1.5 Funerals for Slaves and Permitted Second Funerals 1.6 Pertinax’s Funeral 1.7 The Funeral of Septimius Severus 1.8 The Significance of the Wax Images 1.9 Eagles and Witnesses of Apotheoses 2 Apotheoses of Emperors 2.1 Julius Caesar 2.2 Augustus 2.3 Claudius 2.4 Nero 2.5 Vespasian 2.6 Titus 2.7 Trajan 2.8 Hadrian and Sabina 2.9 Antoninus Pius 3 Conclusion Chapter six: Resurrection in Jewish Texts 1 Hebrew Bible and Septuagint 1.1 Psalm 87 LXX 1.2 Isaiah 1.3 Jeremiah 1.4 Daniel 1.5 Hosea 1.6 2 Maccabees 1.7 Job 1.8 Thisworldly Resurrections 2 Inscriptions 3 Ethiopic Enoch 3.1 The Book of Watchers 3.2 The Similitudes of Enoch 3.3 The Epistle of Enoch 3.4 108: The Final Enochic Book 4 Other Pseudepigrapha 4.1 Psalms of Solomon 4.2 Jubilees 4.3 Syrian Baruch 4.4 4 Ezra 4.5 Sibylline Oracles 4.6 Lives of the Prophets 4.7 Testament of Abraham 4.8 Life of Adam and Eve 4.9 Pseudo Philo, The Biblical Antiquities 4.10 The Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides 4.11 Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 5 Josephus 6 Qumran 7 The Eighteen Benedictions 8 Targumic and Rabbinic Literature 8.1 Targums 8.2 Mishnah and Tosefta Sanhedrin 8.3 Abot de Rabbi Nathan: The Origin of the Sadducees 8.4 Elijah and the Resurrection of the Dead 8.5 Tosefta Berakhot and b. Ketubbot: The Blessing of the Dead 8.6 Sife Deuteronomy 8.7 Sifra 8.8 Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin 8.9 The Self Evidence of Resurrection in b. Berakot 8.10 Genesis Rabbah on Resurrection and Healing 8.11 Talmudic Texts on Resurrection in Jerusalem 8.12 Rabbi Jacob: Rewards in the Torah and Resurrection 8.13 Resurrection for the Righteous 8.14 Hosea 6:2 and the Resurrection of the Dead 8.15 Resurrection and the Pangs of the Messiah 8.16 The Dew of Resurrection in the Seventh Heaven 8.17 The Days of the Messiah: Pesiqta Rabbati 8.18 Midrash Aleph Bet: The 7 Trumpet Blasts and the Resurrection 8.19 The Sufferings of the Messiah and Resurrection 9 Resurrection and the Frescoes of Dura Europos 10 The Toledot Yeshu 11 Conclusion Chapter seven: Empty Tomb, Resurrection, and Translation 1 Resurrection in 1 Cor 15 and the Problem of an Empty Tomb 1.1 1 Thess 4:17: Bodies not Abandoned on the Ground 1.2 1 Corinthians 15 1.3 Phil 3:21 1.4 Summary of the Argument 1.5 Possible Objections 2 Empty Tomb and Resurrection in Mark 3 The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus in Q and Luke 3.1 Q 13:34–35 3.2 Resurrection in Luke 24 3.3 Luke’s Ascension Narratives 4 Conclusion Conclusion: Empty Tomb, Resurrection, and Apotheosis Images Bibliography Ancient Sources Databases, CD Roms, Websites Scholarship Sources 1 Greco-Roman Texts 2 Biblical Literature 3 Second Temple Literature 4 Targumic and Rabbinic Literature 5 Magica and Other Papyri 6 Coins, Inscriptions, and Other Archaeological Resources 7 Near Eastern Texts Images Index Ancient Individuals Modern Authors Subjects and Terminology Ancient and modern scholars have written many thousands of pages on resurrection in the New Testament. Fewer have examined the theme in both pagan and Jewish texts, however, and the topic remains inherently fascinating. John Granger Cook argues for two primary First, there is no fundamental difference between Paul's conception of the resurrection body and that of the Gospels; and second, the resurrection and translation stories of Greco-Roman antiquity probably help explain the willingness of Mediterranean people to gradually accept the Gospel of a crucified and risen savior. The use of egeiro, wake/rise) and istemi, rise) and the bodily nature of resurrection in ancient Judaism and paganism warrant the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis is more speculative, but the Christian apologists' comparisons of pagan narratives with those of the New Testament renders it feasible. Back cover: In this work, John Granger Cook argues that there is no fundamental difference between Paul's conception of the resurrection body and that of the Gospels; and, the resurresction and translation stories of antiquity help explain the willingness of Mediterranean people to accept the Gospel of a risen savior