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:"Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Cherstus, he expelled them from Rome." :"Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Cherstus, he expelled them from Rome."


Suetonius is somewhat confused in this passage and thinks that 'Cherstus' was alive at the time of the disturbance and was agitating the Jews.<ref name=Cradle110 /> Most scholars assume that Suetonius misheard the name as 'Cherstus' as 'Cherstus' and also misunderstood the report and assumed that the followers of someone called Cherstus were causing disturbances within the Jewish community based on his instigation.<ref name=Dunn141>''Jesus Remembered'' by James D. G. Dunn 2003 ISBN 0-8028-3931-2 pages 141-143</ref> Suetonius is somewhat confused in this passage and thinks that 'Cherstus' was alive at the time of the disturbance and was agitating the Jews.<ref name=Cradle110 /> Most scholars assume that Suetonius misheard the name as 'Chrestus' as 'Cherstus' and also misunderstood the report and assumed that the followers of someone called Cherstus were causing disturbances within the Jewish community based on his instigation.<ref name=Dunn141>''Jesus Remembered'' by James D. G. Dunn 2003 ISBN 0-8028-3931-2 pages 141-143</ref>


Scholars generally agree that the disturbances were likely caused by the objections of Jewish community to the continued preachings by early Christians.<ref name=Dunn141/> The confusion of Suetonius weakens the historical value of his reference as a whole.<ref name=Dunn141/> However, Suetonius's perception that ''Chrestus'' was instigating Jewish unrest also suggests that there is no Christian interpolation. If a later Christian scribe were to interpolate such a passage, he would be unlikely to think of the followers of Christ as Jews and would not have used Chrestus.<ref>Robert E. Van Voorst, ''Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000. p 37</ref> Scholars generally agree that the disturbances were likely caused by the objections of Jewish community to the continued preachings by early Christians.<ref name=Dunn141/> The confusion of Suetonius weakens the historical value of his reference as a whole.<ref name=Dunn141/> However, Suetonius's perception that ''Chrestus'' was instigating Jewish unrest also suggests that there is no Christian interpolation. If a later Christian scribe were to interpolate such a passage, he would be unlikely to think of the followers of Christ as Jews and would not have used Chrestus.<ref>Robert E. Van Voorst, ''Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000. p 37</ref>

Revision as of 03:00, 24 July 2012

A 1540 copy of Lives of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius

The Roman historian Suetonius makes references to early Christians and their leader in his work Lives of the Twelve Caesars.. The references appear in Claudius 25 and Nero 16 which describe the lives of Roman Emperors Claudius and Nero.

The Claudius reference

Roman Emperor Claudius reigned 41 to 54 AD. Suetonius reports his dealings with the eastern Roman Empire, that is, with Greece and Macedonia, and with the Lycians, Rhodians, and Trojans.

In Claudius 25 Suetonius refers to the expulsion of Jews by Claudius and states:

"Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Cherstus, he expelled them from Rome."

Suetonius is somewhat confused in this passage and thinks that 'Cherstus' was alive at the time of the disturbance and was agitating the Jews. Most scholars assume that Suetonius misheard the name as 'Chrestus' as 'Cherstus' and also misunderstood the report and assumed that the followers of someone called Cherstus were causing disturbances within the Jewish community based on his instigation.

Scholars generally agree that the disturbances were likely caused by the objections of Jewish community to the continued preachings by early Christians. The confusion of Suetonius weakens the historical value of his reference as a whole. However, Suetonius's perception that Chrestus was instigating Jewish unrest also suggests that there is no Christian interpolation. If a later Christian scribe were to interpolate such a passage, he would be unlikely to think of the followers of Christ as Jews and would not have used Chrestus.

The passage was likely written before 96 AD, when the Romans still viewed Christianity as a Jewish sect. Historians debate whether or not the Roman government distinguished between Christians and Jews prior to Nerva's modification of the Fiscus Judaicus in AD 96. From then on, practising Jews paid the tax, Christians did not.

The Nero reference

A coin issued by Emperor Nerva (AD 96-98) reads fisci Judaici calumnia sublata, "abolition of malicious prosecution in connection with the Jewish tax"

In Nero 16 Suetonius refers to the abuses by Nero and states:

"During his reign many abuses were severely punished and put down, and no fewer new laws were made.... Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a class of men given to a new and mischievous superstition."

In Roman usage, the word superstitio refers to any type of religious observance that could not be incorporated into traditional Roman religious practice.

Unlike Tacitus' reference to the persecution of Christians by Nero, Suetonius does not relate the persecution to the Great Fire of Rome.

See also

References

  1. ^ Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius, Catharine Edwards 2001 ISBN 0192832719 pages 184 and 203
  2. Birth of Christianity by John Dominic Crossan 1999 ISBN 0567086682 pages 3-10
  3. Robert E. Van Voorst, Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000. pp 29-39
  4. ^ The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 978-0-8054-4365-3 page 110
  5. C. Adrian Thomas, A Case for Mixed-Audience With Reference to the Warning Passages in the Book of Hebrews, Peter Lang Pub, 2008. p 116
  6. ^ Jesus Remembered by James D. G. Dunn 2003 ISBN 0-8028-3931-2 pages 141-143
  7. Robert E. Van Voorst, Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000. p 37
  8. Wylen, Stephen M., The Jews in the Time of Jesus: An Introduction, Paulist Press (1995), ISBN 0-8091-3610-4, Pp 190-192.; Dunn, James D.G., Jews and Christians: The Parting of the Ways, 70 to 135, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (1999), ISBN 0-8028-4498-7, Pp 33-34.; Boatwright, Mary Taliaferro & Gargola, Daniel J & Talbert, Richard John Alexander, The Romans: From Village to Empire, Oxford University Press (2004), ISBN 0-19-511875-8, p. 426.;
  9. As translated by Molly Whittaker, Jews and Christians: Graeco-Roman Views, (Cambridge University Press, 1984), p. 105.

Bibliography

  • Barry Baldwin, Suetonius: Biographer of the Caesars. Amsterdam: A. M. Hakkert, 1983.
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