Nicodemus in John 3

[Charles Wilson]

2nd Post. For those who do not know of me, I believe that a large part of the NT was a re-write of the Temple Slaughter of 4 BCE, given in Josephus, Antiquities..., Book 17 and Wars..., Book 2. I typically follow Logic Trails that somehow consistently end up with the Hasmoneans, The House of Eleazar (1 Chronicles 24) and especially the Mishmarot Service Group "Immer". If you don't know who Alexander Jannaeus was, you're missing the Show. Oh!...'N the Temple Slaughter of 4 BCE and the Duplicate Passover of 9 CE.

Recently, on another site, I was exploring "You must turn as a child..." in Matthew and "The Narrow Door" in Luke as describing the same Story of the Saving of the Priest by Peter. I got sidetracked with Nicodemus and found an interesting bit of evidence that tells of something that may go back over 1000 years from NT times:

John3: 1 - 4 (RSV):
[1] Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of the Jews.
[2] This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him."
[3] Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
[4] Nicode'mus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

An "idiom" is a phrase that means something other than what its constituent words would imply. Lamsa used to talk about "Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt" as a perfect example. Lot's wife was not literally turned into a pillar of salt, she was awestruck. Thousands of pictures and paintings through the centuries of Lot's wife as a pillar of salt are therefore laughable: "HEY! You're missing the point! This is an IDIOM". I saw that this passage of Nicodemus shows this idea.

If you can find Samuel Kramer's The Sumerians, p. 79 (Or Google "Amargi", f'rinstance) you will find that the first appearance of the word "Freedom" is found on a cuneiform tablet telling of the Sumerian Reformer Urukagina. The word literally meant "Return to the Mother". Are there examples found in the Bible of this idea? I believe so:

Ecclesiastes 5: (RSV):
[13] There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt,
[14] and those riches were lost in a bad venture; and he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
[15] As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil, which he may carry away in his hand.
[16] This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he that he toiled for the wind,
[17] and spent all his days in darkness and grief, in much vexation and sickness and resentment?
[18] Behold, what I have seen to be good and to be fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life which God has given him, for this is his lot.
[19] Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and find enjoyment in his toil -- this is the gift of God.
[20] For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Look at verse 15 (Alexander Aramaic): "As he came out of his mother's womb naked, he shall return to go back from where he came...".

There appears to be an undercurrent of understanding that this idea of "Return to the Mother" => "Freedom" carries with it the idea that your returning to Mother may be involved with "Jubilee", "Happiness with whatever you have..." and the like.
Is this Idiom found in the NT? I believe that Nicodemus illustrates just that.

Notice that Nicodemus is not just a hated Pharisee, he is a "Ruler of the Jews". He also comes to Jesus at night, about which more in a moment. Jesus tells him that he must be "Born Again". Notice Nicodemus' reaction: "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" . This is a classic reaction of someone who doesn't get it. Now, if he had said, "C'mon, Jesus, are you pulling my leg?...", we would have known that Nicodemus knew that there was an Idiom being thrown at him. Instead, he repeats the words of the Idiom, arguing to Jesus that his words are absurd.

"Return to the Mother" => "As he came out of his mother's womb naked, he shall return to go back from where he came..." => "You must be Born Again".

The "Ruler" is being told that he must get rid of the things that are Oppressive to him. He will never be Free until he does. This "Ruler" Nicodemus is a learned man, supposedly, by his being a Pharisee. He does not understand the Idiom that is being given to him. Therefore, as a "Ruler" who doesn't understand what leads to this Aramaicism, he is identified as a Roman.

It is suggestive - Not Proof at this level! - that the passage occurring "at night" means that this may be another moment from the floor of the Temple at Passover, 4 BCE:

Josephus, Wars..., 2, 1, 3:

"Accordingly, he [[Archelaus]]made trial to quiet the innovators by persuasion, rather than by force, and sent his general in a private way to them, and by him exhorted them to be quiet. But the seditious threw stones at him, and drove him away, as he came into the temple, and before he could say any thing to them."

A more direct quote from this moment comes from Luke 19: 39 - 40 (RSV):

[39] And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."
[40] He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

CW

[Adam]

MaryHelena on this website will be interested in this.

[Charles Wilson]

Update from Kenneth J. Dover, The Greeks, p. 10:

In discussing the word "Amargi" => "Freedom", he states:

"...But there are many different freedoms. "Amargi", like the Akkadian word which translates it in bilingual documents, covers manumission of slaves, remission of debts and immunity from taxation..."

Josephus, Antiquities...,, 17, 8, 4 (Emphasis Added):

"...and so by how much Archelaus spake the more gently and civilly to them, by so much did they more highly commend him, and made application to him for the grant of what they desired. Some made a clamor that he would ease them of some of their annual payments; but others desired him to release those that were put into prison by Herod, who were many, and had been put there at several times; others of them required that he would take away those taxes which had been severely laid upon what was publicly sold and bought..."

CW

[ghost]

He also comes to Jesus at night, about which more in a moment.

Nicomedes meets Caesar at night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicomedes_IV_of_Bithynia

[Charles Wilson]

VERY interesting insight.
Julius Caesar has a place in the NT. The Tenth Legion was his "Favorite" and it was in attendance at the Fall of Jerusalem along with the star-struck Twelfth Legion - See Acts.
I can place "The Release of Bar-Abbas" with the Eastern Crowd and a particular King whose son was being held... uhhh...taught in Rome but this is a new possibility.

Tell us more!

CW

[ghost]

I can place "The Release of Bar-Abbas" with the Eastern Crowd and a particular King whose son was being held... uhhh...taught in Rome but this is a new possibility.

"Bar-Abbas" means "son of the father". Bar-Abbas is Marcus Iunius Brutus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Ju ... he_Younger