gryan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 25, 2021 7:28 am
"but I [immediately] departed into Arabia; indeed, I returned again to Damascus (εἰς Δαμασκόν, Gal 1:17, Cf Acts 22:10, "go εἰς Δαμασκό" and Acts 9:8 "they brought him εἰς Δαμασκόν").
Re: Justin Martyr and Turtullian say Damascus was in Arabia
ST. JUSTIN MARTYR
DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO
CHAPTER LXXVIII -- HE PROVES THAT THIS PROPHECY HARMONIZES WITH CHRIST ALONE, FROM WHAT IS AFTERWARDS WRITTEN.
"Now this king Herod, at the time when the Magi came to him from
Arabia, and said they knew from a star which appeared in the heavens that a King had been born in your country, and that they had come to worship Him, learned from the elders of your people that it was thus written regarding Bethlehem in the prophet: 'And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art by no means least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall go forth the leader who shall feed my people.' Accordingly the Magi from
Arabia came to Bethlehem and worshipped the Child, and presented Him with gifts, gold and frankincense, and myrrh; but returned not to Herod, being warned in a revelation after worshipping the Child in Bethlehem. And Joseph, the spouse of Mary, who wished at first to put away his betrothed Mary, supposing her to be pregnant by intercourse with a man, i.e., from fornication, was commanded in a vision not to put away his wife; and the angel who appeared to him told him that what is in her womb is of the Holy Ghost. Then he was afraid, and did not put her away; but on the occasion of the first census which was taken in Jud a, under Cyrenius, he went up from Nazareth, where he lived, to Bethlehem, to which he belonged, to be enrolled; for his family was of the tribe of Judah, which then inhabited that region. Then along with Mary he is ordered to proceed into Egypt, and remain there with the Child until another revelation warn them to return into Jud a. But when the Child was born in Bethlehem, since Joseph could not find a lodging in that village, he took up his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger, and here the Magi who came from
Arabia found Him. I have repeated to you," I continued, "what Isaiah foretold about the sign which foreshadowed the cave; but for the sake of those who have come with us to-day, I shall again remind you of the passage." Then I repeated the passage from Isaiah which I have already written, adding that, by means of those words, those who presided over the mysteries of Mithras were stirred up by the devil to say that in a place, called among them a cave, they were initiated by him. "So Herod, when the Magi from
Arabia did not return to him, as he had asked them to do, but had departed by another way to their own country, according to the commands laid on them; and when Joseph, with Mary and the Child, had now gone into Egypt, as it was revealed to them to do; as he did not know the Child whom the Magi had gone to worship, ordered simply the whole of the children then in Bethlehem to be massacred. And Jeremiah prophesied that this would happen, speaking by the Holy Ghost thus: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and much wailing, Rachel weeping for her children; and she would not be comforted, because they are not.' Therefore, on account of the voice which would be heard from Ramah, i.e., from
Arabia(for there is in
Arabia at this very time a place called Rama), wailing would come on the place where Rachel the wife of Jacob called lsrael, the holy patriarch, has been buried, i.e., on Bethlehem; while the women weep for their own slaughtered children, and have no consolation by reason of what has happened to them. For that expression of Isaiah 'He shall take the power of
Damascus and spoils of Samaria,' foretold that the power of the evil demon that dwelt in
Damascus should be overcome by Christ as soon as He was born; and this is proved to have happened. For the Magi, who were held in bondage for the commission of all evil deeds through the power of that demon, by coming to worship Christ, shows that they have revolted from that dominion which held them captive; and this[dominion] the Scripture has showed us to reside in
Damascus. Moreover, that sinful and unjust power is termed well in parable, Samaria.
And none of you can deny that Damascus was, and is, in the region of Arabia, although now it belongs to what is called Syrophoenicia. Hence it would be becoming for you, sirs, to learn what you have not perceived, from those who have received grace from God, namely, from us Christians; and not to strive in every way to maintain your own doctrines, dishonouring those of God. Therefore also this grace has been transferred to us, as Isaiah says, speaking to the following effect: 'This people draws near to Me, they honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; but in vain they worship Me, teaching the commands and doctrines of men. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to remove this people, and I shall remove them; and I shall take away the wisdom of their wise men, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent men.' "
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/t ... rypho.html
Tertullian adv. Jud. 9
...as it says through Zechariah: And Judah keeps guard at Jerusalem, and shall amass all the vigour of the surrounding peoples, gold and silver. For of this gift of gold David likewise says, And to Him shall be given of the gold of Arabia; and again, The kings of the Arabs and Saba shall bring Him gifts. For the East, on the one hand, generally held the magi (to be) kings;
and Damascus, on the other hand, used formerly to be reckoned to Arabia before it was transferred into Syrophœnicia on the division of the Syrias: the power whereof Christ then received in receiving its ensigns — gold, to wit, and odours.
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0308.htm
Tertullian Adv. Marc. 3.13
Moreover, respecting that gift of gold, David also says: And there shall be given to Him of the gold of Arabia; and again: The kings of
Arabia and Saba shall offer to Him gifts. For the East generally regarded the magi as kings;
and Damascus was anciently deemed to belong to Arabia, before it was transferred to Syrophœnicia on the division of the Syrias (by Rome). Its riches Christ then received, when He received the tokens thereof in the gold and spices; while the spoils of Samaria were the magi themselves.
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/03123.htm
Thanks to StephenGoranson for pointing me toward this: "The Geographic Designation 'Arabia'" (p. 256f in
Paul's Early Period, By Rainer Riesner · 1998, Google books). Riener assumes, with the IMHO mistaken scholarly concensus, that Gal 1:17 refers to a "return again" to Damascus from
another, perhaps nearby place called "Arabia". Nevertheless, he referenced these contrary geographic reckonings asserted by Justin and Tertullian.
Justin and Turtillian were both explicit in asserting that, at the time of the birth of Jesus, Damascus was in Arabia. Would they not also agree that Damascus was in Arabia at the time of Paul's vision when, as I read Gal 1:16-17, Paul
immediately "returned again" to Damascus, Arabia? I'll assume so unless shown otherwise.