Christians at Pompeii? (the SATOR square)

[pakeha]

To understand the context within which gilgul (reincarnation) was interpreted in Job:

Biblical verses and commandments were interpreted in terms of gilgul. The early sects to whom Anan was indebted saw the laws of ritual slaughter (sheḥitah) as biblical proof of transmigration in accordance with their belief in transmigration among animals. For the Kabbalists the point of departure and the proof for gilgul was the commandment of levirate marriage (see *Ḥaliẓah): the brother of the childless deceased replaces the deceased husband so that he may merit children in his second gilgul. Later, other mitzvot were interpreted on the basis of transmigration. The belief in metempsychosis also served as a rational excuse for the apparent absence of justice in the world and as an answer to the problem of the suffering of righteous and the prospering of the wicked: the righteous man, for example, is punished for his sins in a previous gilgul. The entire Book of Job and the resolution of the mystery of his suffering, especially as stated in the words of Elihu, were interpreted in terms of transmigration (e.g., in the commentary on Job by *Naḥmanides, and in all subsequent kabbalistic literature). Most of the early kabbalists (up to and including the author of the Zohar) did not regard transmigration as a universal law governing all creatures (as is the case in the Indian belief) and not even as governing all human beings, but saw it rather as connected essentially with offenses against procreation and sexual transgressions. Transmigration is seen as a very harsh punishment for the soul which must undergo it. At the same time, however, it is an expression of the mercy of the Creator, "from whom no one is cast off forever"; even for those who should be punished with "extinction of the soul" (keritut), gilgul provides an opportunity for restitution. While some emphasized more strongly the aspect of justice in transmigration, and some that of mercy, its singular purpose was always the purification of the soul and the opportunity, in a new trial, to improve its deeds. The death of infants is one of the ways by which former transgressions are punished.

In the Bahir it is stated that transmigration may continue for 1,000 generations, but the common opinion in the Spanish Kabbalah is that in order to atone for its sins, the soul transmigrates three more times after entering its original body (according to Job 33:29, "Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man"). However, the righteous transmigrate endlessly for the benefit of the universe, not for their own benefit. As on all points of this doctrine, opposing views also exist in kabbalistic literature: the righteous transmigrate as many as three times, the wicked, as many as 1,000! Burial is a condition for a new gilgul of the soul, hence the reason for burial on the day of death. Sometimes a male soul enters a female body, resulting in sterility. Transmigration into the bodies of women and of gentiles was held possible by several kabbalists, in opposition to the view of most of the Safed kabbalists. The Sefer Peli'ah viewed proselytes as Jewish souls which had passed into the bodies of gentiles, and returned to their former state.

The early Christians similarly read various passages in the gospel in terms of a doctrine of transmigration.

Interesting, this talk of gilgul and kabbala in relation to the origins of Christianity and this leads me to a question for you:
I came across references to a SATOR square found in Pompeii as a possible Christian or Jewish relic.
How likely is that?

[andrewcriddle]

Interesting, this talk of gilgul and kabbala in relation to the origins of Christianity and this leads me to a question for you:
I came across references to a SATOR square found in Pompeii as a possible Christian or Jewish relic.
How likely is that?

Maybe this should be a separate thread.

There was certainly a SATOR square at Pompeii but it may not have been Christian.
See Christians at Pompeii
Cryptogram

Andrew Criddle

[Peter Kirby]

Maybe this should be a separate thread.

Good call. Thanks, Andrew.

[pakeha]

I see my curiosity has inadvertently birthed a thread.
I find the idea the earliest archeological traces of Christianity were preserved by Vesuvius's destructive force in 79 AD fascinating and hope the better informed posters here can help me see just what it is we know and don't know about a possible Christian presence in 1st century Italy.

Thanks for the links, andrewcriddle.
Off to read!

[pakeha]

...It is much more likely that we are dealing with a Latin-speaking Jewish slogan here, and there is plenty of evidence for Jews in the Vesuvian towns (including a kosher version of garum, the Roman staple of rotten fish sauce). "Alpha" and "omega" are well known in Jewish literature, and "our father" is perfectly compatible with a Jewish cultural background (and are found as that in Jewish prayers).

I'm afraid that ideas of Christians at Pompeii are a bit of a fantasy. Sorry.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_lif ... dence.html

The comment section is a good read, too.


There's a further discussion linked to in the article here

ETA
I see the above link is the second one given by Andrew.
There doesn't seem to be much else written about a possible Christian presence in Pompeii.

ETA
From the Fishwick article
"The final verdict on the origin of the Rotas-Sator square is clearly dependent on future archaeological discoveries. But in the present state of the evidence it seems reasonable to conclude that this charm, at least in the form we now have it,73 originated with Latin-­speaking Jews (presumably settled in Italy) in the period immediately prior to the Christian Era. Such an origin is itself sufficient explanation of its cryptic form; alternatively, it may have been a product of the pogroms of, e.g., A.D. 19 or A.D. 49. It would seem that it fell into disuse, to be revived later as a Christian symbol amid the new enthusiasm for symbolism characteristic of the third century and later.74"