Backgrounds of Early Christianity

633 Pages·1993·28.561 MB·English

by  Everett Ferguson

Backgrounds of
Early Christianity
Second Edition
EVERETT FERGUSON
WILLIAM B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
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© 1987, 1993 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
All rights reserved
First edition 1987
Second Edition 1993
Printed in the United States of America
00 99 98 97 96 95 7 6 5 4 3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ferguson, Everett, 1933-
Backgrounds of early christianity / Everett Ferguson. - Second ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8028-0669-4 (paper)
1. Christianity - Origin. 2. Rome - History - Republic, 510-30 B.C.
3. Philosophy, Ancient. 4. Judaism -History - Post-exilic period,
586 B.C.-21O A.D. I. Title.
BR129.F47 1993
270.1-dc20 93-1584
CIP
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To My Wife Nancy,
with whom I have shared all things,
including the studies and travel
that have entered into the writing of this book.

CONTENTS
PREFACE xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XVll
ABBREVIATIONS XVlll
GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY xix
INTRODUCTION: PERSPECTIVES ON PARALLELS 1
1. POLITICAL HISTORY 5
I. INTRODUCTION 5
II. NEAR EAST BEFORE ALEXANDER 6
A. Persian Empire 6
B. Greece 7
III. ALEXANDER THE GREAT 10
A. Macedonia 10
B. Life of Alexander III (356-323) 10
c. Alexander's Influence 13
IV. THE HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS 15
A. The Diadochi 15
B. Ptolemies - Egypt 15
C. Seleucids - Syria 17
V. ROME 19
A. The Roman Genius 19
B. Rome and the West 21
vii
Vlll CONTENTS
C. Rome and the East 22
D. The Later Republic: Civil Wars 23
E. Augustus (31 B.C.-A.D. 14) 25
F. The Early Empire 30
G. The Later Empire 38
VI. ADMINISTRATION OF THE EMPIRE 39
A. Cities 39
B. Provinces 41
C. Client Kingdoms 43
2. SOCIETY AND CULTURE 45
I. INTRODUCTION 46
II. THE ROMAN MILITARY 46
A. Legions 46
B. Emblems, Weapons, and Dress 48
C. Auxiliaries 51
D. Praetorian Guard 51
E. Other Units 52
III. SOCIAL CLASSES 52
A. The Senatorial Order 53
B. The Equestrian Order 53
C. Municipal Aristocracies 54
D. Plebeians and Other Free Persons 54
E. Freedmen 55
F. Patron -Client Relationship 55
IV. SLAVERY 56
V. ROMAN CITIZENSHIP 59
VI. ROMAN LAW 61
VII. SOCIAL MORALITY 63
A. Marriage and Family 65
B. Place of Women 70
C. Exposure of Children 73
VIII. ECONOMIC LIFE 74
A. Trade and Travel 78
B. Coinage 82
C. Taxation 87
IX. ENTERTAINMENT 88
A. Theatres 88
CONTENTS ix
B. Athletics 91
C. Arenas 93
D. Circuses 94
E. Gymnasia and Baths 94
F. Banquets 96
G. Music 98
X. EDUCATION 100
XI. LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE 104
A. Authors 104
B. Rhetoric 109
C. Literary Forms and Genres 111
D. Making of Books 117
E. Reading and Studying of Books 122
F. Inscriptions and Papyri 123
G. Language 124
XII. ART AND ARCHITECTURE 126
XIII. CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS 131
A. Greek Clubs 131
B. Roman Colleges 132
C. Egyptian Associations 133
D. The Statutes of an Association 134
E. Conclusion 136
3· HELLENISTIC-ROMAN RELIGIONS 137
I. ANCIENT GREEK RELIGION 138
A. The Epic Age: Homer 139
B. Hesiod 146
C. The Archaic Period 149
D. Signs of Dissolution in the Classical Age 153
II. ANCIENT ROMAN RELIGION 155
A. Deities 155
B. Religious Personnel 157
C. Religious Observances 158
D. Soul and the Dead 159
E. Characteristics of Roman Religion 160
III. RELIGION IN HELLENISTIC-ROMAN TIMES:
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 161
IV. DOMESTIC AND RURAL RELIGION 166
x CONTENTS
A. Greek 166
B. Roman 168
V. CIVIC CULTS 170
A. Priesthood 172
B. Ritual Prescriptions 174
C. Sacrifice 176
D. Votive Offerings 180
E. Prayers and Hymns 181
F. Festivals 183
G. Other Features 185
VI. RULER CULT 185
A. Antecedents and Presuppositions 186
B. Historical Developments 190
C. Forms of the Imperial Cult 197
VII. PERSONAL RELIGION 199
A. Oracles 199
B. Dreams and Divination 206
C. Healing Cults 207
D. Magic and Maledictions 212
E. Imprecations and Oaths 219
F. Demons and Superstition 220
G. Astrology, Astral Religion, and Fate 222
H. Death and the Afterlife 228
VIII. GREEK MYSTERIES AND EASTERN RELIGIONS 235
A. Local Mysteries 236
B. Eleusinian Mysteries 237
C. Dionysiac Mysteries 243
D. Egyptian Deities: Isis, Osiris, and Sarapis 249
E. Phoenician Deities: Astarte and Adonis 260
F. Syrian Deities: Atargatis and Others 261
G. Phrygian Deities: Cybele and Attis 264
H. A Persian Deity: Mithras 270
I. Mystery Religions and Christianity 279
IX. GNOSTICISM, HERMETIC LITERATURE, CHALDAEAN ORACLES 282
A. Origins of Gnosticism 288
B. Characteristic Features 290
C. Gnosticism in the New Testament 292
D. The Hermetica 294