rgprice wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 3:03 pmI've heard several claims that even the earliest of the Pauline letters were actually written sometime after the First Jewish-Roman War.
Tacitus,
Histories, Book 4:
"The murder of
Calpurnius Galerianus caused the utmost consternation. He was a son of
Caius Piso, and had done nothing, but a noble name and
his own youthful beauty made him the theme of common talk; and while the country was still unquiet and delighted in novel topics, there were persons who associated him with idle rumours of Imperial honours.
By order of Mucianus he was surrounded with a guard of soldiers. Lest his execution in the capital should excite too much notice, they conducted him to the fortieth milestone from Rome on the Appian Road, and there put him to death by opening his veins. Julius
Priscus, who had been prefect of the Praetorian Guard under Vitellius, killed himself rather out of shame than by compulsion. Alfenius Varus survived the disgrace of his cowardice..."
1 Corinthians 1: 14 - 17 (RSV):
[14] I am thankful that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Ga'ius;
[15] lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name.
[16] (I did baptize also the household of Steph'anas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.)
[17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
To see the Tie-In, you have to look at Acts 6 and on:
Acts 6:
[5] And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Proch'orus, and Nica'nor, and Ti'mon, and Par'menas, and Nicola'us, a proselyte of Antioch.
Who was "Proselyte"/"Hero" of Antioch? Octavian. This is an Inverted List of Caesars. This makes Stephen Martyr into Frugi Piso, the four Day Emperor.
[8] And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Ahhh, but there is mischief afoot:
[15] And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
As far as I know. this is not Frugi Piso. It is Calpurnius Galerianus, son of Gaius Piso.
[58] Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
[59] And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
[60] And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
"Saul" is Mucianus and the laying of the garments at his feet is symbolic:
"While things were in this state, while there was division in the Senate, resentment among the conquered, no real authority in the conquerors, and in the country at large no laws and no Emperor, Mucianus entered the capital, and at once drew all power into his own hands..."
Remember, "...they conducted him (Galerianus Piso) to the fortieth milestone from Rome on the Appian Road, and there put him to death by opening his veins..."
Stephen is taken outside the city. Galerianus is taken outside the city.
One is stoned the other has his veins opened.
I always ask at this point: "
Do you fall asleep when you are stoned?'
We now understand The
House of Stephanas. It's the Piso Family.
Lastly, we get from "Crispus" to "Priscus":
"Julius Priscus, who had been prefect of the Praetorian Guard under Vitellius, killed himself rather out of shame than by compulsion..."
You can almost compute this to the day. Of course, there is more here but this should be enough.
Best,
CW