Jesus of Nazareth

Matthew 2:23 refers to a prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Scholars have long noted that there is no prophecy anywhere in the Old Testament that could associate Jesus with being called a Nazarene. Yet we can not just brush the mystery aside and say it is not worth looking for answers. There has to be an explanation for Matthew’s reference to a prophecy that Jesus will be called a Nazarene: one that makes good sense for Matthew’s author.

The main proposal of this research is to perform the translation of a Greek version of the Gospel of Mark that appears in the manuscript denominated Sinaitic Codex. It was found in the nineteenth century CE, by the german linguist Constantin von Tischendorf, in the monastery of St. Catherine (Mount Sinai, Egypt) and is one of the oldest and most complete bibles handwritten in ancient Greek (4th century CE). The objective is to present a bilingual edition (Greek Koiné - Portuguese) of close connection with the Greek text, without abandoning fluency and understanding in the Portuguese language. From a comparison, there were notable divergences between the translation of the Gospel of Mark contained in the Sinaitic Codex and those contained in the Bibles called “Almeida Revista e Atualizada” and “Nova Almeida Atualizada”. The main disagreements between the translations were analyzed in the light of the bibliographical revision and evidenced the possibility of a rereading of the canonical gospel of Mark. In this rereading, Jesus of Nazareth is a construction worker who has left the profession to become a "favorite son of God" and the itinerant preacher of a "Kingdom of God" accessible without intermediaries and where there are no social categories; Jesus appears as a master who sits "in a circle" with his apprentices, that is, on the same level, without hierarchy; he uses a kind of "path pedagogy," for the learning of his followers is happening as he walks along with them through the cities; Jesus expresses impulsive feelings of anger as any human being; does not resuscitate and does not appear to his followers after his death. In this translation were put explanatory notes of philological and exegetical character, besides an introductory study in which the proposal of rereading of the canonical gospel of Mark from the Sinaitic Codex is discussed.



Key words: Translation, Gospel of Mark, Sinaitic Codex, Bible, Jesus of Nazareth.


RESUMO



A principal proposta desta pesquisa é realizar a tradução de uma versão grega do evangelho de Marcos que figura no manuscrito denominado Códice Sinaítico. Ele foi encontrado no século XIX E.C., pelo linguista alemão Constantin von Tischendorf, no mosteiro de Santa Catarina (Monte Sinai, Egito) e é uma das mais antigas e completas bíblias manuscritas em grego antigo (Século IV E.C.). O objetivo é apresentar uma edição bilíngue (Grego Coiné – Português) de estreita ligação com o texto grego, sem abandonar a fluência e a compreensão na língua portuguesa. A partir de um cotejamento, verificaram-se notáveis divergências entre a tradução do evangelho de Marcos que figura no Códice Sinaítico e aquelas que constam nas bíblias denominadas “Almeida Revista e Atualizada” e “Nova Almeida Atualizada”. As principais discordâncias entre as traduções foram analisadas à luz da revisão bibliográfica e evidenciaram a possibilidade de uma releitura do evangelho canônico de Marcos. Nessa releitura, Jesus de Nazaré é um operário da construção civil que deixou a profissão para se tornar um “filho predileto de Deus” e o pregador itinerante de um “Reino de Deus” acessível sem intermediários e onde não existem categorias sociais; Jesus aparece como um mestre que senta “em círculo” com seus aprendizes, isto é, no mesmo nível, sem hierarquia; ele utiliza uma espécie de “pedagogia do caminho”, pois a aprendizagem dos seus seguidores vai acontecendo a medida que ele vai caminhando junto com eles através das cidades; Jesus expressa sentimentos impulsivos de ira como qualquer ser humano; não ressuscita e tampouco aparece aos seus seguidores depois de morto. Nesta tradução foram apostas notas explicativas de caráter filológico e exegético, além de um estudo introdutório em que se discute a proposta de releitura do evangelho canônico de Marcos a partir do Códice Sinaítico.



Palavras-chave: Tradução, Evangelho de Marcos, Códice Sinaítico, Bíblia, Jesus de Nazaré.

A close relationship exists between Jesus’ death on the cross and the fact that Jesus was a carpenter. Wood, from which the tool of Jesus’ execution was fashioned, was also the dominant element of the Son of God’s everyday experience. In the light of this correspondence one can see God’s plan, according to which there is a strong link not only between Nazareth and Golgotha, but also between the „cross” carried by a Christian and the content of his everyday life.

Mark did not create Christianity but wrote a compelling account about a faith that he already knew. Some modern scholars recognise that in so writing, the author we now know as Mark developed the story’s characters in order to focus on Jesus himself. At least some of these characters were probably created by Mark, who seems to have assigned them names that helped develop hidden insights.

This is an extensive introduction to the third volume of the John, Jesus, and History Series (Atlanta: SBL Press, forthcoming in early 2016) written by Jaime Clark-Soles and Paul N. Anderson. A total of twelve volumes of collected essays are projected as the fruit of this international project, now in its 15th year at the national Society of Biblical Literature meetings.

The present paper is a follow-up to our article ‘The Maternus Code: The Gospel of the Stargazers’, published in ISAR International Journal, Vol. 48, N3, December, 2019, pp. 22-36. The starting point of our investigation is the hypothesis regarding the Nativity date encrypted in the Mathesis, tractate written by the 4th century Roman astrologer Julius Firmicus Maternus. The significant issue discussed in the present article is mutually corresponding theological, astrological and kabbalistic symbolism in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

When beginning a status quaestionis of Luke 4:16-30, one immediately finds several quotes in these or similar words, “Inasmuch as many others have undertaken the task of writing on the topic of Jesus’ opening sermon in the Nazareth synagogue, it seemed somewhat ostentatious for me also … to do the same thing,” (Jeffrey L. Staley, “‘With the Power of the Spirit’: Plotting the Program and Parallels of Luke 4:14-37 in Luke-Acts,” in Society of Biblical Literature 1993 Seminar Papers, ed. Eugene H. Lovering, Jr. (Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1993), 281)  or, “Even a cursory examination of the most recent bibliography for the Gospel of Luke … reveals that there has been no shortage of writings during the past fifteen years on aspects of Luke’s Nazareth pericope,” (Christopher J. Schreck, “The Nazareth Pericope: Luke 4:16-30,” in The Gospel of Luke, ed. F. Neirynck, Deuxieme edition, (Leuven, 1989: Leuven University Press), 399).  Suffice to say, there is no small amount of scholarship regarding this narrative from the Gospel of Luke. Thus, an attempt to do a status quaestionis on this topic without a guidelines or a direction would make this endeavor akin to a never ending story. What follows is a close examination since Christopher J. Schreck’s work in 1989 of current scholarly material concerning Lk 4:16-30.

As part one of a three-part series (called "Starting Points") exploring questions about Christian faith, this document is the handout associated with the slide presentation by the same name and presented at New City Church of Los Angeles. The four major sections include a very brief survey of historical Jesus research, a selection of non-Christian sources for the historical Jesus, a survey of the New Testament data and historical context of Jesus of Nazareth, and finally, a theological and historical understanding of who Jesus was and is.

RESUMO
O Evangelho de Marcos, o proto-anúncio da comunidade dos discípulos de Jesus, é uma boa notícia para todo tempo e história. Trata-se de um importante querigma do cristianismo inicial que perpassou pela história, sendo visitado e lido. Este artigo tem como intuito apresentar a boa notícia marcana em sua estrutura e sentido teológico. Para isso faz-se mister averiguar a redação, a linguagem, o esquema literário para a depreensão da teologia da obra de Marcos, grosso modo, sua compreensão daquele que narrou a si mesmo: Jesus de Nazaré.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Evangelho de Marcos. Querigma. Jesus de Nazaré. Teologia marcana.

ABSTRACT
St. Mark's Gospel, the proto announcement of the community of the disciples of Jesus, is good news for all time and for all history. This article aims to present Mark's good news in its theological structure and meaning. For this purpose, it is necessary to verify the script, the language and the literary model in order to understand the theology of Mark's writing and, in a general way, to ascertain Mark's understanding of the one who lived out his own story, Jesus of Nazareth.
KEYWORDS: St. Mark’s Gospel. Kerygma. Jesus of Nazaret. Marcan theology.

Pochi personaggi hanno avuto un impatto tanto decisivo quanto misconosciuto sulla nascita del cristianesimo come Giovanni Battista. Figura tutt'altro che marginale nello scenario politico-religioso giudaico del i secolo, paradossalmente Giovanni non ha mai potuto brillare di luce propria. Accantonando certi schemi interpretativi teologici che ne hanno a lungo distorto la comprensione e criticando il luogo comune che vorrebbe vedervi un esseno ex membro della comunità di Qumran, il volume restituisce il Battista alla sua reale fisionomia storica di stimato profeta sacerdotale, fedele al tempio e impegnato in un'opera di rinnovamento sociale d'Israele all'insegna della purità, della giustizia e della solidarietà. Una visione che influenzò il suo discepolo Gesù di Nazaret così profondamente da farne il programmatico continuatore.

Indice
Introduzione
1. Non un ebreo marginale
Un sacerdote.../... in libera uscita
2. Tracce di una vita radicale
In cammino verso la gente/Due enigmatiche notizie: dieta e abito/La morte di un santo politicamente offensivo
3. Il Battista, Qumran e gli esseni
Giovanni a Qumran: le ragioni di un’ipotesi fantasiosa/Contatti generici: sacerdozio ed escatologia/Una dieta essena vincolante?/Immersione e “movimento battista”/Adozione a Qumran e attività nello stesso deserto?/Isaia 40,3 e la nuova prospettiva su Qumran e gli esseni/Giovanni esseno non settario/enochico?
4. Giovanni il purificatore
«Per la purità del corpo»/Che tipo d’impurità rimuoveva l’immersione di Giovanni?/Una sfida al tempio?/«E vide discendere lo Spirito»: ordinaria amministrazione?
5. Maestro di giustizia
Amico dei pubblicani, dei peccatori e dei poveri/Imitare Abramo per essere figli di Abramo
6. Profeta dell’Altissimo
Tra giudizio e salvezza/Il battesimo escatologico/Chi era il Veniente?/Giovanni annunciava il regno di Dio?/Un profilo sintetico del Battista
7. Giovanni e Gesù
Un penitente al Giordano/Che cosa accadde appena uscito dall’acqua?/Discepolo e collaboratore
8. Gesù il Battista
La causa di Giovanni continua/Gesù battezzatore nel Vangelo di Marco/Gesù battezzatore nel Vangelo dei segni
Note
Bibliografia
Indice dei nomi

La question de la possibilité ou non de concilier les données lucaniennes et joséphiennes apparemment contradictoires ( Luc situe le “recensement” de Quirinius vers -4 et Josèphe en +6) en un récit cohérent et historiquement crédible se pose depuis fort longtemps. En effet, le récit lucanien, qui s’attarde plus longuement sur les circonstances historiques de la naissance de Jésus de Nazareth que les trois autres évangiles, apparaît en première analyse invraisemblable et incompatible avec ce qu’a écrit Flavius Josèphe. Mais au-delà de cette incompatibilité apparente, peut-on néanmoins examiner ce texte et tenter de l'accorder avec ce que l’on connaît par ailleurs du contexte historique juif et romain du tournant de notre ère ? Pour répondre à cette question, nous reprendrons une à une les informations de type chronologique et géographique données par Luc (à savoir les personnages de César Auguste et de Quirinius, et les bourgades de Nazareth et Bethléem) et nous les analyserons à la lumière des connaissances actuelles afin d’établir si elles font sens par rapport au contexte historique que fut celui de la Palestine au tournant de notre ère. Nous conclurons cette étude en soulignant que Luc et Flavius Josèphe, plutôt que de se contredire, se complètent admirablement.

Eckart R. Straube – Gregor Julien Straube: I – 19.4 Glauben und Heilen. Die Rolle der Psyche. In: Michael Klöcker, Udo Tworuschka (Hg.): Handbuch der Religionen. Kirchen und andere Glaubensgemeinschaften in Deutschland und im deutschsprachigen Raum. Band 2. Olzog Verlag, München 1997–2014, 41. Ergänzungslieferung 2014, S. 1-19.

We’ve all heard from Biblical teachings that Jesus was raised in a town called Nazareth; he’s specifically called “Jesus of Nazareth” in the KJV version of the New Testament 17 times, 12 times in the Gospels and 5 times in the Book of Acts.

So, lets take a look at where the word “Nazareth” and its vocabulary cousins, “Nazarene” and “Nazirite”, come from and why it is important.  First off, there is a very important verse in Matthew, that suggests that Jesus must be “from Nazareth” to fulfill a specific messianic prophecy.

The problem is that many interpreters insufficiently account for the literary context of the Samaritan Parable of Luke 10:30–35, which leads to misunderstanding the parable. Redaction critical textual relationships (cultural literary context, preceding and succeeding narrative co-text, intra-parabolic canonical intertext [Hosea & 2 Chronicles]) show that the literary context in which the Samaritan parable occurs prepares for the reader’s seeing the theological theme of Messianic Reunification (MR) of all Israel. Thus, fully appreciating the literary context indicates that the Samaritan parable coheres with MR and that Jesus is answering the two combined questions: “Whom must the Judaean accept as a fellow Israelite in order to participate in the messianic restoration of the reunited kingdom of all Israel?”

This talk is helpful to see some of the basic points I make about how the OT prophetic theme of the Messiah, who would come to reunite the divided kingdom of north and south Israel, empowers better understanding this parable of Jesus, who claimed (e.g. Luke 24:44) that all the prophecies were to be fulfilled by Him and His people.

Jesus, as part of his mission to remove divisions within Israel, to include those wrongly marginalized, etc., here uses the most ancient and hateful division of Israel in an a fortiori manner to specifically teach that polemically racist Judaean cultists, who wrongly exclude many Israelites, must accept even their estranged fellow Samaritan Israelites as covenanters if they want to be part of the Messiah's reunited Davidic kingdom.

Reflections on the turning point from the Old to the New Testament according to Phil 3:2-11.
Table of contents:
1. Who was Paul?
Excursus 1: The Pharisees
2. Paul as the authorized representative of Judaism
3. Knowledge of the Messiah of God versus letter-fixed Judaism
4. For or against the Messiah and his people
5. Resurrection life of the Messiah versus legal worship
6. The Messiah: "the end of the (Mosaic) Law
7. Moses' law is replaced by the "new", "holy" and "royal law of the Messiah
8. Who belongs to God's chosen people?
a) Are pedigrees valid?
b) Is the descent of Abraham valid?
c) Is circumcision no longer valid?
Summary
Excursus 2: The Jewish "hyper-apostles"
Conclusion and Closing Words
(2021-07-02)

A century after the term "Zionism" emerged, a paradigm shift in the understanding of the term began to gain ground in the mainstream of Israeli society, as it had previously been represented only by extreme fringe groups. This is an anti-secular transformation process with efforts to reintroduce ancient Hebrew and Talmudic traditions. Increasingly influential political actors of Jewish-religious (ultra-) nationalism claim exclusive biblical legitimacy for their ideology. This study will put this claim to the test of biblical hermeneutics using three case studies.
Table of Content:
Introductory note: On the topicality of the issue.
1. The claim to be "the true Israel" – the "righteous" and "just" of God.
Excursus: On the etymology and oldest pronunciation of the name 'Yisrael'.
2. The claim to be "Zion" and "the gathering of Israel".
3. The claim to be "the land" (Erez).
(2021-07-02)

KATRI BØRRESEN sets the stage even though she was mistaken.
With later advances in the field of embryology, Catholic authorities seized the opportunity to bring to closure any further speculations around Mary’s sinless state—now tied to the concept of “first instance” or immediate animation. With this new Marian dogma Ineffabilis Deus Aristotle’s theory of delayed animation was flatly rejected. At the same time, this new Marian dogma implicitly advanced and enhanced the role of women throughout the world—an anthropological certainty—affirming our present understanding of human conception. In this, the Church saw itself as standing on the right side of history—which, according to this interpretive framework, cannot be denied.
Coming to the Shoah: Moving Forward
Moving forward to the time of the Shoah, we see that the Blessed Virgin Mary’s possible sinless state had always been part of Catholic theology. We also noted that throughout history, Marian devotion became connected to Catholic piety through the recitation of the rosary, Marian prayers, Marian masses, the construction of Marian churches, Marian cathedrals, Marian pilgrimages, Marian encyclicals, consecration of one’s life to Mary, and much more. Today these realities are downplayed by historians. Yet these same Marian realties mark the importance in what Carl Jung called the importance of the feminine principle in a male-centered animus-driven world—outlined earlier in chapter 9. Seen in this light, Ineffabilis Deus signaled the intensification of Marian devotion in what later came to be known as the “hundred years of Mary,” ending with the promulgation of dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven—Munificentissimus Deus in 1950, outlined below.
Throughout this entire one-hundred-year period, the importance of Marian devotion took off exponentially among the Catholic faithful. Marian prayers—always centered and anchored in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—became the plea on behalf of the faithful for God to raise up the lowly and scatter the proud in the imaginations of their hearts. We are dealing here with unquantifiable spiritual realities that can only be adequately understood with the help of psychological reference. By linking Mary’s conception to all human conceptions, while steering clear of any and all biological interpretations, Pius IX brought into harmony the Church’s theology with recent discoveries in the field of the biological sciences of his day. Mary, the immaculately conceived Mother of God, through the encyclical Ineffabilis Deus—later backed by papal infallibility—became a dogma enshrined in Catholic consciousness. Ineffabilis Deus became part and parcel of the new Catholic landscape—binding on all the faithful.

The UN document, Transforming Our World, affirms the enabling role of culture in its goal of transforming the world. While the UN assumes the necessity to interface with traditions, it does not take the time to articulate culture's ambivalence. This article insists that proponents of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) should be mindful of culture's enabling and disabling tendencies. It thus maintains that every action plan for the SDG will profit from the tradition-transforming ways of Jesus of Nazareth i) who challenged many religio-cultural traditions of his time; ii) who espoused a ministry of empowerment of the poor; iii) who was portrayed by the evangelists as the real bringer of Good News and shalom against the claim of the global powers. This paper further discusses Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God as the guide of today's Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC), the spearhead of a religious culture that enables the poor in their pursuit of prosperity and fulfilment. The discussion on the BEC serves to focus on the implications of Jesus' vision/ mission for sustainable prosperity and fulfilment of peoples as targets of the SDGs. Thus, this article may also be considered to articulate the need for another SDG target: the transformation of cultures.

This paper employs Cognitive-Dissonance Theory in analyzing some of the disturbing actions performed by Jesus--seeking to evoke transformative experiences among his first-century audiences--a Cognitive-Critical approach to understanding the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. Published in Psychology and the Bible; A New Way to Read the Scriptures, edited by J. Harold Ellens (4 Volumes, Westport/London: Praeger Publishers, 2004), Vol. 4, 305-28.

This article presents the method of Bible interpretation which was chosen by Benedict XVI in his book Jesus of Nazareth pt. l. Using this method, Joseph Ratzinger was looking for an answer to the question about the true identity of Jesus Christ. In this article, the author makes an attempt to present examples of the Pope’s use of various exegetical methods. This helps us to understand Benedict’s opinion which in his book is clearly stated, namely there is no single correct method of Bible interpretation which gives us definitive answer. Frequent references to the canonical method result from the fact that for Benedict XVI faith remains a priority for in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures in the Catholic Church. Skillfully drawing from the treasury of Tradition and contemporary development of knowledge, the Pope engaged substantially in polemics with these interpretative tendencies, which in his opinion do not lead to the discovery of biblical truths.

Jesus of Nazareth- as presented by the Iranian/German poet SAID - is not a gentle sufferer. He doesn't wish to be the Son of God. This dubious honor - dogmatically established by church and religion - would prevent him to initiate the revolution of love as true religion. This impetus in complete freedom leads into the inner closeness of God. Therefore Jesus is more than a son of God, but in fact  the son of man, because - coming from the cross - he experienced the power of deepest humanity in suffering and hope. This image of Jesus is a challenge to change hate and revenge into love.