Re: The Jerusalem Church after 70 CE
Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 10:34 am
Ben sent me a link to all of Bauckham's Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church and I'm enjoying that. Regarding Symeon bar Clophas, the second bishop of Jerusalem after James, Bauckham says that Eusebius says "Symeon" when he is paraphrasing Hegesippus but that when he quotes him directly Hegesippus says "Simon," and I never noticed that before. So I guess I'll start saying "Simon" now.
Simon seems like an interesting guy, and I'm enjoying reflecting on Hegesippus' account, which is the only source we have for him. And I've noticed that there is some discussion about Simon being said to have been 120 years old when he died, but there is nothing unusual about that, since this is the age that Moses is said to have died so it is said of other important (and more or less contemporary) figures in Judaism as well, i.e., Hillel, Rabban ben Zakkai (the founder of post-70 CE Rabbinic Judaism) and Rabbi Akiva (who was also tortured and executed, like Simon was). As Yadin-Israel notes (citing Sifre to Deuteronomy):
Also, Josephus notes that many Essenes lived to be over a hundred (not to say that Jewish Christians were Essenes; in fact, Hegesippus explicitly says they were not) in War 2.8.10:
I think Hegesippus is the best source we have for early Christianity (after 70 CE, at least) and he answers many questions to my satisfaction. For example, "brother of the Lord" means a literal brother. Though I would have thought this anyway, Hegesippus makes no bones about it. It reminds me of the Maccabee brothers. I take it that they were literal brothers and see no reason to make any issue of it, and when one died another one took over the movement. I suspect the only reason it is an issue in post-70 CE (Pauline) Christianity is (in part) because of the doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity. I reckon this won't sway anyone, but it works for me.
And it means that there was an historical Joseph since Hegesippus says that Simon was the son of Joseph's brother (here it says Symeon in a direct quotation, so I will have to check Bauckham's observation).
Simon seems like an interesting guy, and I'm enjoying reflecting on Hegesippus' account, which is the only source we have for him. And I've noticed that there is some discussion about Simon being said to have been 120 years old when he died, but there is nothing unusual about that, since this is the age that Moses is said to have died so it is said of other important (and more or less contemporary) figures in Judaism as well, i.e., Hillel, Rabban ben Zakkai (the founder of post-70 CE Rabbinic Judaism) and Rabbi Akiva (who was also tortured and executed, like Simon was). As Yadin-Israel notes (citing Sifre to Deuteronomy):
"And Moses was 120 years old" (Deut. 34:7). He was one of four who died at the age of 120, and these were Moses, Hillel the Elder, Rabban Yohannan ben Zakkai, and Rabbi Akiva.
https://books.google.com/books?id=GvjSB ... va&f=false
Also, Josephus notes that many Essenes lived to be over a hundred (not to say that Jewish Christians were Essenes; in fact, Hegesippus explicitly says they were not) in War 2.8.10:
So Simon's age is no big deal in my view (though I suspect that all of these cases are exaggerated); it's a traditional age given to revered figures in Judaism because of Moses and is in keeping with Eusebius' statement that Hegesippus "mentions other matters as taken from the unwritten tradition of the Jews."They are long-lived also, insomuch that many of them live above a hundred years, by means of the simplicity of their diet; nay, as I think, by means of the regular course of life they observe also.
I think Hegesippus is the best source we have for early Christianity (after 70 CE, at least) and he answers many questions to my satisfaction. For example, "brother of the Lord" means a literal brother. Though I would have thought this anyway, Hegesippus makes no bones about it. It reminds me of the Maccabee brothers. I take it that they were literal brothers and see no reason to make any issue of it, and when one died another one took over the movement. I suspect the only reason it is an issue in post-70 CE (Pauline) Christianity is (in part) because of the doctrine of Mary's perpetual virginity. I reckon this won't sway anyone, but it works for me.
And it means that there was an historical Joseph since Hegesippus says that Simon was the son of Joseph's brother (here it says Symeon in a direct quotation, so I will have to check Bauckham's observation).
The same author also describes the beginnings of the heresies which arose in his time, in the following words: “And after James the Just had suffered martyrdom, as the Lord had also on the same account, Symeon, the son of the Lord’s uncle, Clopas, was appointed the next bishop."
And "according to the flesh" means that Jesus was a human being.They all with one consent pronounced Symeon, the son of Clopas, of whom the Gospel also makes mention; to be worthy of the episcopal throne of that parish. He was a cousin, as they say, of the Saviour. For Hegesippus records that Clopas was a brother of Joseph.
After the martyrdom of James and the conquest of Jerusalem which immediately followed, it is said that those of the apostles and disciples of the Lord that were still living came together from all directions with those that were related to the Lord according to the flesh (for the majority of them also were still alive) to take counsel as to who was worthy to succeed James.
And "descendant of David" means exactly that (or was at least thought to mean exactly that).Of the family of the Lord there were still living the grandchildren of Judas, who is said to have been the Lord’s brother according to the flesh.
And when many were fully convinced and gloried in the testimony of James, and said, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ ...
Information was given that they [the grandsons of Judas] belonged to the family of David...
And he [Domitian] asked them if they were descendants of David, and they confessed that they were.
But there is nothing like hearing the historian himself, who writes as follows: “Certain of these heretics brought accusation against Symeon, the son of Clopas, on the ground that he was a descendant of David and a Christian; and thus he suffered martyrdom, at the age of one hundred and twenty years, while Trajan was emperor and Atticus governor.”
And the same writer says that his [Simon's] accusers also, when search was made for the descendants of David, were arrested as belonging to that family.