Backgrounds of Early Christianity

by Ferguson, Everett

• ISBN13: 9780802822215
• ISBN10: 0802822215
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-09-01
• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co

Summary

Long serving as a standard introduction to the world of the early church, Backgrounds of Early Christianity is now available in an expanded, up-to-date third edition. Featuring 95 photographs of the ancient world, this book explores--now in even greater depth -- the Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds necessary for a good historical understanding of the New Testament and the early church. New to this edition are substantial revisions of Everett Ferguson's original material, an updated bibliography, and fresh discussions of social life in the first-century, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature.

Author Biography

Everett Ferguson is Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas

Table of Contents

Preface	xvi
Acknowledgments	xviii
Abbreviations	xix
General Bibliography	xx
INTRODUCTION: PERSPECTIVES ON PARALLELS	1	(4)
POLITICAL HISTORY	5	(43)
INTRODUCTION	5	(1)
NEAR EAST BEFORE ALEXANDER	6	(4)
Persian Empire	6	(1)
Greece	7	(3)
ALEXANDER THE GREAT	10	(5)
Macedonia	10	(2)
Life of Alexander III (356-323)	12	(1)
Alexander's Influence	13	(2)
THE HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS	15	(5)
The Diadochi	15	(1)
Ptolemies - Egypt	16	(2)
Seleucids - Syria	18	(2)
ROME	20	(20)
The Roman Genius	20	(2)
Rome and the West	22	(1)
Rome and the East	23	(1)
The Later Republic: Civil Wars	24	(2)
Augustus (31 B.C.-A.D. 14)	26	(5)
The Early Empire	31	(9)
The Later Empire	40	(1)
ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE	40	(6)
Cities	40	(3)
Provinces	43	(2)
Client Kingdoms	45	(1)
POLITICAL CONNECTIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT	46	(2)
SOCIETY AND CULTURE	48	(100)
INTRODUCTION	49	(1)
THE ROMAN MILITARY	49	(6)
The Legions	49	(2)
Emblems, Weapons, and Dress	51	(1)
Auxiliaries	52	(1)
Praetorian Guard	52	(3)
Other Units	55	(1)
SOCIAL CLASSES	55	(4)
The Senatorial Order	56	(1)
The Equestrian Order	57	(1)
Municipal Aristocracies	57	(1)
Plebeians and Other Free Persons	58	(1)
Freedmen	58	(1)
SLAVERY	59	(3)
ROMAN CITIZENSHIP	62	(3)
ROMAN LAW	65	(1)
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS	66	(3)
Patron-Client Relationship	67	(1)
Friendship	67	(1)
Social Networks	68	(1)
Honor and Shame	69	(1)
SOCIAL MORALITY	69	(13)
Marriage and Family	70	(7)
Place of Women	77	(3)
Children	80	(2)
ECONOMIC LIFE	82	(14)
Trade and Travel	86	(4)
Coinage	90	(5)
Taxation	95	(1)
CLOTHING AND APPEARANCE	96	(1)
ENTERTAINMENT	97	(12)
Theatres	97	(3)
Athletics	100	(2)
Arenas	102	(1)
Circuses	103	(1)
Gymnasia and Baths	104	(2)
Banquets	106	(1)
Music	107	(2)
EDUCATION	109	(4)
LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE	113	(24)
Authors	113	(6)
Rhetoric	119	(1)
Literary Forms and Genres	120	(8)
Making of Books	128	(4)
Reading and Studying of Books	132	(1)
Inscriptions and Papyri	133	(2)
Language	135	(2)
ART AND ARCHITECTURE	137	(5)
CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS	142	(6)
Greek Clubs	142	(1)
Roman Colleges	143	(2)
Egyptian Associations	145	(1)
The Statutes of an Association	145	(2)
Conclusion	147	(1)
HELLENISTIC-ROMAN RELIGIONS	148	(171)
ANCIENT GREEK RELIGION	149	(16)
The Epic Age: Homer	150	(7)
Hesiod	157	(3)
The Archaic Period	160	(4)
Signs of Dissolution in the Classical Age	164	(1)
ANCIENT ROMAN RELIGION	165	(8)
Deities	167	(1)
Religious Personnel	167	(2)
Religious Observances	169	(2)
Soul and the Dead	171	(1)
Characteristics of Roman Religion	171	(2)
RELIGION IN HELLENISTIC-ROMAN TIMES: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS	173	(4)
DOMESTIC AND RURAL RELIGION	177	(5)
Greek	178	(2)
Roman	180	(2)
CIVIC CULTS	182	(17)
Priesthood	184	(2)
Ritual Prescriptions	186	(2)
Sacrifice	188	(4)
Votive Offerings	192	(1)
Prayers and Hymns	193	(2)
Festivals	195	(2)
Other Features	197	(1)
A Sample of a Civic Cult: Ephesus and Artemis	198	(1)
RULER CULT	199	(14)
Antecedents and Presuppositions	200	(4)
Historical Developments	204	(7)
Forms of the Imperial Cult	211	(2)
PERSONAL RELIGION	213	(38)
Oracles	213	(7)
Dreams and Divination	220	(1)
Healing Cults	221	(6)
Magic and Maledictions	227	(8)
Imprecations and Oaths	235	(1)
Demons and Superstition	236	(2)
Astrology, Astral Religion, and Fate	238	(5)
Death and the Afterlife	243	(8)
GREEK MYSTERIES AND EASTERN RELIGIONS	251	(49)
Local Mysteries	253	(1)
Eleusinian Mysteries	254	(5)
Dionysiac Mysteries	259	(7)
Egyptian Deities: Isis, Osiris, and Sarapis	266	(11)
Phoenician Deities: Astarte and Adonis	277	(1)
Syrian Deities: Atargatis and Others	278	(3)
Phrygian Deities: Cybele and Attis	281	(6)
A Persian Deity: Mithras	287	(10)
Mystery Religions and Christianity	297	(3)
GNOSTICISM, HERMETIC LITERATURE, CHALDAEAN ORACLES	300	(16)
The Term Gnosticism	300	(1)
Sources for Study	301	(6)
Origins of Gnosticism	307	(2)
Characteristic Features	309	(3)
Gnosticism in the New Testament	312	(1)
The Hermetics	313	(2)
Chaldaean Oracles	315	(1)
LATER DEVELOPMENTS: MONOTHEISM AND SUN WORSHIP	316	(3)
HELLENISTIC-ROMAN PHILOSOPHIES	319	(77)
INTRODUCTION	320	(6)
Philosophy as Religion	320	(1)
Philosophy as Ethics	321	(2)
Popular Philosophy	323	(2)
Philosophy and Individualism	325	(1)
Philosophy in Its Social Setting	325	(1)
SOPHISTS AND SOCRATES	326	(4)
The Sophists	326	(1)
Socrates (469-399 B.C.)	327	(3)
PLATO AND THE ACADEMY TO THE FIRST CENTURY	330	(8)
Life of Plato (429-347 B.C.)	330	(2)
The Dialogues	332	(1)
Plato's Thought	333	(2)
Plato's Influence	335	(1)
The Old Academy	336	(1)
The Skeptical Academy	336	(1)
The Eclectic Academy	337	(1)
ARISTOTLE AND THE PERIPATETICS	338	(8)
Life of Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)	338	(1)
Aristotle's Thought	339	(3)
Aristotle's Influence	342	(1)
Theophrastus (370-285 B.C.)	342	(1)
Strato	343	(1)
Later History and General Character	344	(1)
Aspects of the Peripatetic Legacy	344	(2)
SKEPTICISM	346	(2)
Pyrrho (c. 360-c. 270 B.C.)	346	(1)
Aenesidemus	347	(1)
Sextus Empiricus (c. A.D. 200)	347	(1)
Influence of Skepticism	347	(1)
CYNICISM	348	(6)
Beginnings of Cynicism	348	(1)
Cynic Characteristics	349	(3)
Dio of Prusa (A.D. 40 to after 112)	352	(1)
Lucian of Samosata (c. A.D.120 to after 180)	352	(2)
STOICISM	354	(16)
Early Stoa	354	(2)
Stoic Physics	356	(2)
Stoic Logic and Epistemology	358	(1)
Stoic Ethics	359	(1)
Middle Stoa	360	(3)
Later Stoa: Roman Stoicism	363	(5)
Stoicism and Christianity	368	(2)
EPICUREANISM	370	(9)
Epicurus and His School	370	(2)
Lucretius (94-55 B. C.)	372	(1)
Epicurean Physics	372	(2)
Epicurean Epistemology	374	(1)
Epicurean Ethics	375	(2)
Estimate and Comparisons	377	(2)
ECLECTICISM	379	(3)
Characteristics	379	(1)
Cicero (106-43 B.C.)	380	(2)
NEOPYTHAGOREANISM	382	(5)
Pythagoras	382	(1)
The Pythagorean Revival	383	(1)
Apollonius of Tyana and Philostratus	384	(2)
Numenius	386	(1)
MIDDLE PLATONISM	387	(4)
Characteristics	387	(2)
Plutarch (c.A.D. 50-after 120)	389	(2)
PLOTINUS AND NEOPLATONISM	391	(5)
Life of Plotinus (A.D. 205-270)	391	(1)
Plotinus's System	391	(2)
Later Neoplatonists	393	(3)
JUDAISM	396	(187)
JEWISH HISTORY, 538 B.C. To A.D. 200	399	(28)
The Persian Period (538-332 B.C.)	399	(4)
The Greek Period (332-167 B.C.)	403	(4)
The Maccabean or Hasmonean Period (167-63 B.C.)	407	(4)
The Roman Period (from 63 B.C.)	411	(16)
JEWS IN THE EARLY ROMAN EMPIRE	427	(4)
JEWISH LITERATURE AND OTHER SOURCES IN THE HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN PERIODS	431	(82)
The Old Testament in Greek	432	(7)
Jewish Literature in Greek: Fragments	439	(1)
Apocrypha	440	(8)
Pseudepigrapha	448	(15)
Dead Sea Scrolls	463	(12)
Apocalyptic Writings	475	(3)
Philo	478	(7)
Josephus	485	(5)
Rabbinic Literature	490	(11)
Jewish Mysticism	501	(2)
Archaeological Sources	503	(9)
Pagan References to Jews	512	(1)
PARTIES AND SECTS	513	(24)
Pharisees	514	(5)
Sadducees	519	(2)
Qumran Community, Essenes, and Therapeutae	521	(11)
Zealots	532	(1)
Herodians	533	(1)
Samaritans	534	(3)
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES	537	(25)
One God	538	(1)
Israel, the Chosen People	538	(1)
Torah, Tradition, and Scripture	539	(7)
Proselytes and Godfearers	546	(5)
Messianism and the Glorious Destiny	551	(3)
Afterlife	554	(1)
Festivals and Holy Days	555	(6)
Daily Devotions	561	(1)
ORGANIZATION AND INSTITUTIONS	562	(21)
Temple and Priesthood	562	(5)
Sanhedrin	567	(3)
Community Organization	570	(2)
Rabbis	572	(1)
Synagogue	573	(10)
CHRISTIANITY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD	583	(38)
LITERARY REFERENCES TO CHRISTIANITY IN NON-CHRISTIAN SOURCES	584	(1)
Latin Authors	584	(1)
Greek Authors	584	(1)
Jewish Sources in Greek	584	(1)
Jewish Sources in Hebrew and Aramaic	584	(1)
ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS BEARING ON EARLY CHRISTIAN HISTORY	585	(4)
Inscriptions	585	(2)
Papyri	587	(1)
Coins	588	(1)
SOME CLAIMED ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY	589	(3)
Rotas-Sator Word Square	589	(1)
The "Cross" at Herculaneum	590	(1)
Ossuaries	591	(1)
The Tomb of Peter	592	(1)
ATTITUDES OF PAGANS TOWARD CHRISTIANS	592	(9)
THE LEGAL STATUS OF CHRISTIANITY	601	(7)
HINDRANCES TO THE ACCEPTANCE OF CHRISTIANITY	608	(1)
RELIGIOUS RIVALS	609	(7)
Judaism	609	(1)
Pagan Religion and Philosophy	610	(2)
Gnosticism and Other Rival Versions of Christianity	612	(1)
Jewish Christianity	613	(3)
FACTORS FAVORABLE TO CHRISTIANITY	616	(3)
External Circumstances	616	(1)
Hellenistic Judaism	617	(1)
Religious Quest	618	(1)
WHAT WAS UNIQUE IN CHRISTIANITY?	619	(2)
Index of Subjects	621	(22)
Index of Scripture References	643	(7)
Map of the Ancient World	650