Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Perhaps the pillars could be mocked as a stand-in for a group that claimed them as founders, figureheads, or important characters in the allegory. This could be true. But in every option that claim must exist before Mark und that´s a little stumbling block to me. It all would be so easy, if that wo...

I doubt a little bit that your conclusion is right. If I want then I´m able to read Mark' s gospel in a allegorical way. In this point of view I can understand the figure of Simon as a literary character. The same goes for James and John. No problem here. But if it's true that Mark was mocking the p...

Thanks. Stephan´s explanation about Bethsaida is really great.

I noticed that you have avoided (well, so has everyone else, for that matter) answering my earlier question about Herakles wrestling with Aνταῖος . Given the extensive and elaborate description of that episode, are you not persuaded in the divinity of Herakles? Is the story of Herakles' adventures,...

Apologists contend than "after three days" is the same than "on the third day". I disagree even if I think the later does not conflict with the (about) 40 hours of Jesus' death maximum duration (according to Mark's gospel). This time period is spread over three different calenda...

A huge collection of trivial details does not convert a legend into a genuine human. Yes it´s true, but I think it´s not so easy to judge a concret case. Maybe you know William Tell, the great folk hero of Switzerland. It seems that the legend of William Tell has at first glance a historical backgr...

This book is probably well known to you, but it is worth mentioning just in case. The Crucial Bridge, The Elijah-Elisha Narrative as an interpretative Synthesis of Genesis-Kings and a Literary Model for the Gospels Thomas L. Brodie O.P. The Liturgical Press, 2000, Collegeville, Minnesota http://www...

I´m working a little bit on Mark 1, 16-20 (Calling of the first Disciples) and have a little question. Many scholars agree that Elijah's call of Elisha (1 Kgs 19.19-21) is the model for Mark. I think also that Mark had this in his mind. But it´s not perfect to me. There are similarities but also dif...

The fact you seem so certain about Jesus and his historicity is interesting. I don't subscribe to the 'Jesus myth' hypothesis (whatever that is) because I mistrust groups and moreover feel that a lot of the people who attach themselves to this hypothesis do so as part of an effort to prove Jesus do...