Was Gospel of John's Nathaniel James/Jacob son of Alphaeus?
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2022 1:07 am
This is the thesis of C E . Hill in a paper titled: THE IDENTITY OF JOHN'S NATHANAEL (Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Date: January 1, 1998)
Primary Text: Jesus Calls Nathanael (John 1)
43The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
48“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater (μείζω) things than these.” 51Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [Alluding to the Jacob's ladder story where Jacob's name was changed to Israel. I note that Genesis 28 also includes this statement that fits the James of Galatians being called a "pillar": "“This stone [LXX, λίθος], which I have set up as a pillar [LXX στήκω, "to stand firm"], will be God’s house...”, https://biblehub.com/context/genesis/28-12.htm ].
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From C E . Hill's comment on this primary text:
Whoever Nathanael was and whatever relationship he might have had with the twelve, John portrays him as one who had prolonged contact with Jesus and members of that group. He is first mentioned among a group that included Andrew, Simon Peter, and Philip (1.40-51) and appears again in Jn 21.2 in the company of Peter, Thomas, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples at the Sea of Tiberias after the resurrection (21.14). Nathanael's importance for the narrative of the early chapters of the Fourth Gospel is well recognized by interpreters.This 'ideal Israelite', 'this type of those within Israel whom the Father gives to the Son (cf. 6.37; 17.2-3)', makes a memorable confession of Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel that impresses even Jesus. His confession becomes the occasion for Jesus' promise to the disciples that they would see heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (1.51)
...That John's Nathanael was a historical person and an early follower of Jesus would already appear to be confirmed, if Bauckham is correct, by the occurrence of this name in a list of personal disciples of Jesus in a rabbinic source (b. Sanh. 43a). From our present study it is also safe to conclude that Epistula Apostolorum''s apostle list represents an intentional identification with James the son of Alphaeus. It is less certain but still quite probable that Epistula Apostolorum's identification had something to do with the Jacob allusions in the Nathanael pericope and was based at least partly on an exegesis of Jn 1.45-51.
Primary Text: Jesus Calls Nathanael (John 1)
43The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
48“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater (μείζω) things than these.” 51Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [Alluding to the Jacob's ladder story where Jacob's name was changed to Israel. I note that Genesis 28 also includes this statement that fits the James of Galatians being called a "pillar": "“This stone [LXX, λίθος], which I have set up as a pillar [LXX στήκω, "to stand firm"], will be God’s house...”, https://biblehub.com/context/genesis/28-12.htm ].
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From C E . Hill's comment on this primary text:
Whoever Nathanael was and whatever relationship he might have had with the twelve, John portrays him as one who had prolonged contact with Jesus and members of that group. He is first mentioned among a group that included Andrew, Simon Peter, and Philip (1.40-51) and appears again in Jn 21.2 in the company of Peter, Thomas, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples at the Sea of Tiberias after the resurrection (21.14). Nathanael's importance for the narrative of the early chapters of the Fourth Gospel is well recognized by interpreters.This 'ideal Israelite', 'this type of those within Israel whom the Father gives to the Son (cf. 6.37; 17.2-3)', makes a memorable confession of Jesus as Son of God and King of Israel that impresses even Jesus. His confession becomes the occasion for Jesus' promise to the disciples that they would see heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man (1.51)
...That John's Nathanael was a historical person and an early follower of Jesus would already appear to be confirmed, if Bauckham is correct, by the occurrence of this name in a list of personal disciples of Jesus in a rabbinic source (b. Sanh. 43a). From our present study it is also safe to conclude that Epistula Apostolorum''s apostle list represents an intentional identification with James the son of Alphaeus. It is less certain but still quite probable that Epistula Apostolorum's identification had something to do with the Jacob allusions in the Nathanael pericope and was based at least partly on an exegesis of Jn 1.45-51.