I was delighted to discover the IAP website, Insciptions of Aphrodisias, where one can find transcriptions, translations, bibliography, high quality photographs, and more of inscriptions recovered from the ruins in south-west Turkey (ancient Asia Minor). Here is the relevant page. Below is a photograph of face b II lines 34-44. The first 14 letters are [Κ]αὶ ὅσοι θεοσεβῖς ("and all who are Godfearers"/"the following Godfearers"). What follows are names and occupations; notably, the first nine persons are city-councillors (βουλ[ευτής]).
5 comments:
Nick,
I've never really understood the theory that Luke invented the God-fearers. Why would he? And what would his reader(s) have made of them? Anyway, these inscriptions seem to be important for a number of other reasons.
Firstly, they attest some converts who have taken Jewish names. From this and other inscriptions we can estiamate that about half of the proselytes took new names. This phenomenon is important for the study of Acts because it may provide the background for cases of renaming among Gentiles in the early church (Titus-Timothy, Crispus-Sosthenes, and Ignatius-Theophorus).
Secondly, there are councillors among the God-fearers and they will have publically participated in pagan sacrifices. This supports the view that God-fearers often participated also in paganism. If this is the case, there is no contradition between Paul, who says that the Thessalonians had been idolators, and Luke who says that Paul converted them in the synagogue.
It seems to me that the historicitiy of Acts is supported by both these points.
Hello Richard:
The theory went that Luke created the Godfearers to dramatize Christianity's roots in Judaism. What his readers would make of this would depend, in part, I suppose, on how they read his work, i.e., as novel, history, etc. Alternatively, it has been argued that Luke anachronistically placed them in his narrative, in which case many of his readers may not have seen the error, regardless of what they made of his work generically. But I agree with you. I do not think either possibility at all likely. And I agree with your point about the Thessalonians (Cornelius in Acts 10is another example of a Godfearer Paul would have regarded as an idolater). I find your stuff on name-changes fascinating, and yes, there seems to be evidence of that here (Samuel?). The other intersting thing about the inscription is that in the very first part we have Godfearers mentioned among the decany. It's not clear what that is, but it probably demonstrates the various levels of integration they could have within the synagogue.
Nick, thanks for your thoughts.
I think Acts 18:5-17 presupposes that the readers knew that God-fearers abounded and were the main source of converts to Christianity. 18:8 tells us that many Corinthians converted on hearing that Crispus the synagogue ruler had become a believer. This makes sense if we take those Corinthians to be Gentile adherents of the synagogue. Also, Luke points out that the house of Titius Justus was adjacent to the synagogue and that Paul was afraid after the conversion of the many Corinthians. The location of the house is important because it was a good position from which to attract God-fearers and the danger that Paul faced makes sense if we assume that Paul was stealing the synagogue's flock of God-fearers.
It seems to me that none of this would make sense to the readers unless they knew that Gentile adherents to the synagogue were Paul's source of converts.
So I think Acts 18 confirms that we are right to view the God-fearers as historical.
Richard, I've often read Rom 11.13-14 in this context of Paul gaining converts from associates of the synagogue, especially Gentile.
Interesting, Nick. I haven't worked closely with Romans, but what you say sounds probable to me.
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