Showing papers in "New Testament Studies in 2013"
TL;DR: The authors argue that the Gospel of Philip depicts the incarnate Jesus as actually married (to Mary Magdalene) and represents that marriage as a symbolic paradigm for the reunification of believers with their angelic (spiritual) doubles in Christian initiation ritual, a ritual which effectively transforms initiates into members of the body of Christ and also enables "undefiled marriage" for Christian partners by freeing them from demonic influences.
Abstract: It has long been recognized that one of the main topics of the Gospel of Philip is ritual, including ‘the bridal chamber’, and numerous studies have discussed what practices and attitudes toward sexuality and marriage are implied by this imagery. This article will build on these studies to argue that the Gospel of Philip portrays the incarnate Jesus as actually married (to Mary Magdalene) and it represents that marriage as a symbolic paradigm for the reunification of believers with their angelic (spiritual) doubles in Christian initiation ritual, a ritual which effectively transforms initiates into members of the body of Christ and also enables ‘undefiled marriage’ for Christian partners by freeing them from demonic influences. The article aims to show that this distinctive position on Jesus' marital status was catalyzed by reading Ephesians 5 in conjunction with Valentinian incarnational theology.
29 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored the meaning of the term in each of the contexts in the Greek world in which thinking about "equality" developed: friendship, politics, and the cosmos, highlighting the novelty of Paul's attempt to create an economic structure, partnership in the collection, the goal of which was to achieve 'equality' between persons of different social classes through redistributive exchange.
Abstract: The purpose of this essay is to illuminate the character of Paul's appropriation of the ideal of ‘equality’ (ἰσότηϛ) in 2 Cor 8.13–15 by exploring the meaning of the term in each of the contexts in the Greek world in which thinking about ‘equality’ developed: friendship, politics, and the cosmos. The essay traces a consistent tendency in Paul to reverse the ancient logic of inverse proportion as the means for achieving ‘equality’. The essay highlights the novelty of Paul's attempt to create an economic structure—partnership in the collection—the goal of which was to achieve ‘equality’ between persons of different social classes through redistributive exchange.
14 citations
TL;DR: A review of the evidence presented by the proponents of this view calls into question their conclusion that "peace and security" had the character of a slogan as discussed by the authors, concluding that it was not the case for "security".
Abstract: According to a growing number of scholars, when Paul makes use of the phrase ‘peace and security’ in 1 Thess 5.3, he is alluding to a well-known slogan in Roman propaganda that summed up the benefits of the Pax Romana. While there can be no doubt that ‘peace’ played an important role in Rome's imperial ideology, it is less clear that this was the case for ‘security’, and a review of the evidence presented by the proponents of this view calls into question their conclusion that ‘peace and security’ had the character of a slogan.
13 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored how Mark's third sea crossing (8.14-21) is intended to evoke a humorous response and found that humor is a natural byproduct of performance and is a powerful means of communicating a central theme of the Gospel.
Abstract: Relatively little scholarly work has attempted to change the perception that the Bible is a non-humorous book. Drawing upon contemporary humor theory, this article explores how Mark's third sea crossing (8.14–21) is intended to evoke a humorous response. Although laughter emerges from the comedic depiction of the Twelve, humor complements the evangelist's broader theological agenda. In Mark, humor is a natural byproduct of performance and is a powerful means of communicating a central theme of the Gospel.
10 citations
TL;DR: This paper argued that the precise date of the crucifixion of Christ can no longer be recovered and that all we can claim with any degree of historical certainty is that Jesus died some time around Passover (perhaps a week or so before the feast) between 29 and 34 CE.
Abstract: After discussing the scholarly preference for dating Jesus' crucifixion to 7 April 30 CE, this article argues that the precise date can no longer be recovered. All we can claim with any degree of historical certainty is that Jesus died some time around Passover (perhaps a week or so before the feast) between 29 and 34 CE. The emergence of the Johannine tradition (in which Jesus died on the day of Preparation) and the Markan tradition (in which Jesus died on the Passover itself) are explored through the lens of social/collective memory.
9 citations
TL;DR: Although the last Supper of the Lord's Last Supper probably took place on the night before Passover rather than on the first night of Passover itself (as in the Synoptics), it contained elements strongly marked by the Jewish institution of the Passover seder (fixed order of service) and haggadah (ritual retelling of the exodus events).
Abstract: Although Jesus' Last Supper probably took place on the night before Passover (as in John) rather than on the first night of Passover itself (as in the Synoptics), it contained elements strongly marked by the Jewish institution of the Passover seder (fixed order of service) and haggadah (ritual retelling of the exodus events). These elements were not, as some scholars of Judaism have recently argued, post-70 CE developments. Rather, evidence from Jubilees, Philo, and the NT itself indicates that seder and haggadah already existed in some form in the pre-70 period.
9 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the author proposes to consider the anacoluthon as a figure of speech, deliberately chosen by the Apostle both to emphasize the total character of the filial relationship of Christians to God, as opposed to their past dependences, and to help them discover this particularity of their new status on their own.
Abstract: This article discusses the Pauline anacoluthon in Romans 8.12. The usual interpretations consider it a communicative accident on the part of Paul or as a case of laudable laconicism. Against such an understanding the present author proposes to consider the anacoluthon as a figure of speech, deliberately chosen by the Apostle both to emphasize the total character of the filial relationship of Christians to God, as opposed to their past dependences, and to help them discover this particularity of their new status on their own.
8 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the central question of Paul's letter to the Galatians is not "what time is it?" but "What has Jesus done for you?" In Paul's explanation of Christ's work, spatial categories are more important than temporal ones.
Abstract: This article argues that the central question of Paul's letter to the Galatians is not ‘what time is it?’, but ‘what has Jesus done for you?’ In Paul's explanation of Christ's work, spatial categories are more important than temporal ones, as he impresses upon the Galatians that they have been delivered from the domain of slavery and transferred into the realm of freedom. The purpose of the letter is to urge the Galatians to remain in Christ's domain and not return to slavery by submitting to the law of Moses.
7 citations
TL;DR: The authors identify additional echoes from LXX Isa 49.24-50.2 in Rom 7.14-25 and interpret Paul's discourse in the light of the sin-exile-restoration paradigm implied by both the source's original context and Paul's own strategic use of Isaiah in his portrayal of the plight of ἐγώ.
Abstract: Although Romans has been heavily mined for scriptural allusions in recent years, the influence of Isaiah 49–50 on Rom 7.14-25 has gone largely unnoticed. Building on Philonenko's work on the allusion to Isa 50.1 in the phrase ‘sold under sin’ (Rom 7.14), this study seeks to identify additional echoes from LXX Isa 49.24–50.2 in Rom 7.14-25 and to interpret Paul's discourse in the light of the sin–exile–restoration paradigm implied by both the source's original context and Paul's own strategic use of Isaiah in his portrayal of the plight of ἐγώ. The identification of these echoes, it is suggested, aids in interpreting the story of ἐγώ by connecting the allusions to Israel's early history in Rom 7.7-13 to images of the nation's later history in 7.14-25, thus showing the speaker's plight under sin to be analogous to Israel's own experiences of deception, death, and exile.
6 citations
TL;DR: This paper provided a comprehensive catalog of literary, papyrological, and epigraphical occurrences of the name "Erastus" in Greek and in Latin in antiquity, showing that the name was in fact rare.
Abstract: Three questions have remained central to the Erastus debate (Ἔραστος ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλɛως, Rom 16.23): the date of IKorinthKent 232, the nature of the office of οἰκονόμος (τῆς πόλɛως), and the frequency of the name ‘Erastus’ in antiquity. The present article focuses on the third issue. Moving beyond Meggitt's earlier research (1996, 1999), the author here furnishes a comprehensive catalog of literary, papyrological, and epigraphical occurrences of the name (in Greek and in Latin) in antiquity. The chief payoff of the catalog is two-fold: (1) it provides, for the first time, comprehensive quantitative evidence that the name was in fact rare; and (2) it reveals a significant dearth of attestations from first-century Greece.
5 citations
TL;DR: This article argued that the great weakness of reformational orderings of faith and justification is that they fail to coordinate Christology and the doctrine of justification, and they argued that this is a misreading of Protestant theology, at least as it comes to expression in Martin Luther's exegesis of Galatians 2.16.
Abstract: It is regularly suggested that the great weakness of reformational orderings of ‘faith’ and ‘justification’ is that they fail to coordinate Christology and the doctrine of justification. Behind this assertion is a particular construal of the pistis Christou debate: the interpretative decision to read Christ as the object of faith contributes to an anthropocentric account of justification whereas a ‘subjective’ interpretative of the genitive phrase restores the (Pauline) relationship between Jesus and justification. This article will argue that this is a misreading of Protestant theology, at least as it comes to expression in Martin Luther's exegesis of Galatians 2.16, 19-20 which presents a radically Christocentric account of ‘faith in Christ’. For Luther, the sola fide , as an interpretation of a Pauline antithesis—‘not by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ’—, is an anthropological negation and a christological confession: it excludes the human as the subject of salvation and confesses Christ, who is present in faith, as the one by, in, and on the basis of whom God justifies the ungodly.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the nature of the man's offense, i.e., an ostentatious display of sexual immorality that also receives theological justification from the perpetrator,demanded a harsher sentence beyond mere physical exclusion.
Abstract: When Paul asks for the incestuous man at Corinth to be handed over to Satan is he calling for mere physical expulsion from the community or is he calling for something more? We argue in this paper that the nature of the man's offense—i.e., an ostentatious display of sexual immorality that also receives theological justification from the perpetrator—demanded a harsher sentence beyond mere physical exclusion. Drawing on the book of Job, we show that the disciplinary practice Paul advocates in 1 Corinthians 5 is a spiritual practice that aims to remove the spiritual protection enjoyed by the incestuous man while he remained in the body of Christ, thereby exposing him to Satan's attacks. Paul's hope was that the affliction suffered by the man at the hands of Satan as a result of this exposure would lead to his repentance and ultimate salvation.
TL;DR: The authors re-examine the early Titus fragment 𝔓32 (P.Ryl. Gr. 1.5) with respect to its physical situation within the manuscript and expand the scope of current reconstructions to consider in detail the lost beginning of the epistle, and argue that Titus was not the first document in the codex: at least one other preceded.
Abstract: Following the recent emphasis on studying early Christian manuscripts as historical artefacts, whose text and meta-textual aspects comprise important embodiments of reception and interpretation, this article re-examines the early Titus fragment 𝔓32 (P.Ryl. Gr. 1.5) with respect to its physical situation within the manuscript. I expand the scope of current reconstructions to consider in detail the lost beginning of the epistle, and argue that Titus was not the first document in the codex: at least one other preceded. Although the identity of the accompanying material cannot be deduced codicologically, patristic evidence suggests that Titus was normally transmitted in a collection of thirteen or fourteen Pauline epistles when the 𝔓32 codex was produced, rendering these the prime candidates.
TL;DR: In both his Gospel and Acts, Luke places the ascension at the end of the day of Jesus' resurrection as discussed by the authors and there is no difference between the dates of the ascensions in these two versions of the Bible.
Abstract: In both his Gospel and Acts, Luke places the ascension at the end of the day of Jesus' resurrection. There is no difference between Luke's dating of the ascension in his Gospel and that in Acts. The forty days mentioned in Acts 1.3 are viewed by Luke as subsequent to the ascension, not as previous to it. The forty days are not the term fixed for the ascension; they are not linked with the ascension at all. They are linked with the post-Easter, post-ascension appearances. The ascension ought to be regarded as preceding the forty days of Jesus' appearances rather than following them.
TL;DR: In this paper, a re-examination of the term Πκλησία and the metaphors used in the Epistle to the Ephesians is presented.
Abstract: That the ‘Church’ constitutes the main theme of the Epistle to the Ephesians is the opinio communis in exegesis. Going beyond the undisputed letters by Paul ἐκκλησία would thus no longer designate the local congregation but the universal Church instead. Yet it is still open to question whether ecclesiology becomes the theological centre, out of which Christology, too, enfolds, and the Church acquires a soteriological function. The paper argues for a re-examination of the term ἐκκλησία and the metaphors used in the epistle. It then emerges that Ephesians does indeed have an ecclesiological theme, but not yet the concept of one ‘Church’ as a transcendent entity. Of major importance are the various body metaphors, as they imply the unity of the assembled. Nevertheless, even the body metaphors do not presuppose an already developed concept of the ‘Church’ as the ‘realm of salvation’ or any other spatial metaphor. Instead, they demonstrate that soteriology and ecclesiology remain strictly related to Christology. With a view to the epistle's intention this means that Ephesians develops a vision of the unity and community of believers, not, however, as the theological construct of the Church, but rather as a paraenetic goal to integrate Christians of differing persuasions.
TL;DR: In Acts 1-7, the Holy Spirit functions as the restored temple presence of the Lord that will restore the kingdom to Israel via the Ekklesia as discussed by the authors, as one would expect the Lord's temple presence to act, and when Barnabas, Ananias, and Sapphira bring their offerings to the temple, they place them at the feet of the new religio-fiscal center of restored Israel.
Abstract: In Acts 1–7, the Holy Spirit functions as the restored temple presence of the Lord that will restore the kingdom to Israel via the Ekklesia. The Holy Spirit acts through the Ekklesia as one would expect the Lord's temple presence to act. When Barnabas, Ananias, and Sapphira bring their offerings to the temple, they place them at the feet of the leadership of the new religio-fiscal center of restored Israel. As proof that the Lord's presence has indwelled this eschatological temple community, an improper act can, and does in this case, result in immediate death.
TL;DR: This paper propose a relecture tres originale de la tradition religieuse communement partagee entre lui et la communaute destinataire, pour offrir a celle-ci une interpretation qui donne sens a ce qu'elle vit dans une situation devenue de plus en plus opaque et conflictuelle.
Abstract: La lettre aux Colossiens - tres probablement un document deuteropaulinien - peut etre vue avant tout comme un remarquable effort theologique de memoire. Si son auteur n'a pas l'ambition de dire quelque chose de reellement inedit, il y propose une relecture tres originale de la tradition religieuse communement partagee entre lui et la communaute destinataire, pour offrir a celle-ci une interpretation qui donne sens a ce qu'elle vit dans une situation devenue de plus en plus opaque et conflictuelle. Dans cette optique, la confrontation explicite avec la "philosophie colossienne" (Col 2), apparemment secondaire, est sans doute plus centrale qu'il y parait a premiere vue. Col 2 revele alors l'enjeu d'un conflit d'interpretation sur des notions aussi centrales que l'"humilite", l'"intelligence" ou la "sagesse".
TL;DR: The authors argued that Paul's probable allusion to Mal 3 and his reference to the testing function of fire may imply refining as well, and showed that nearly every other instance of the construction σῴζω+διά++ ǫ+ǫ-genitive in relevant Greek literature has an instrumental sense.
Abstract: According to the prevailing interpretation of 1 Cor 3.15, the phrase διὰ πυρός must be taken in the local sense, and the fire of vv. 13 and 15 plays no soteriological function. This article contests this reading, arguing that Paul's probable allusion to Mal 3 and his reference to the testing function of fire may imply refining as well. More importantly, it demonstrates that whereas the phrase διὰ πυρός is indeterminate and may take either the local or the instrumental sense, nearly every other instance of the construction σῴζω + διά + genitive in the relevant Greek literature has an instrumental sense.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the ways the story of the soul's present plight and its return to the divine realm is narrated in different Nag Hammadi treatises, and to what effect.
Abstract: This article explores the ways the story of the soul's present plight and its return to the divine realm is narrated in different Nag Hammadi treatises, and to what effect. The soul's condition is a central concern in two types of stories: there are (1) demiurgical myths, in which the soul's origin is ascribed to an inferior creator-god, and (2) plainer stories of the soul, which are solely focused on the soul, without a creation narrative. The main sources for the latter type are the Exegesis on the Soul (NHC II, 6) and Authoritative Teaching (Authentikos Logos, NHC VI, 3). In addition to these texts, three demiurgical myths from Nag Hammadi Codex II, are drawn into the discussion: The Secret Book of John, The Nature of the Rulers, and On the Origin of the World.The soul pestered by emotions is one of the themes that connects these stories with the long-standing philosophical tradition, starting from Plato's dialogues. The portrayals of this theme become increasingly ‘demonic’, but even the soul's battle against demons is first and foremost a battle against emotions. A new element in these stories is the emphasis placed upon repentance as bringing about transformation in the soul. Although strong sexual imagery is used in these texts to describe both the mythic past and the soul's present plight, the analysis suggests that sexual lust is not the only moral concern in them. Some texts discussed in this article show far greater concern with wine, luxury, good looks, pride, and arrogance than with illicit sex.
TL;DR: According to Seneca, a cardinal rule of benefaction is that the donor of a gift ought not to call attention to the fact that a gift has been given; it humiliates the donee and shames the donor.
Abstract: According to Seneca, a cardinal rule of benefaction is that the donor of a gift ought never to call attention to the fact that a gift has been given; it humiliates the donee and shames the donor. In reminding Philemon that he ‘owes’ Paul for the latter's mediation of the gift of salvation (Phlm 19), Paul breaks Seneca's rule. Both Seneca's ‘virtuous’ advice and Paul's ‘shameful’ breach of etiquette, however, are explicable as strategies calculated to maximize their access to valued goods and services—whether honor or the services of a wealthier man's slave—inflected by vastly different economic situations.
TL;DR: In this paper, Eusebius quotes a passage from Hegesippus's lost memories in which he relates the martyrdom of James the Just; according to this account, the latter was called ᾽Ωβλίας.
Abstract: In his Church History, Eusebius quotes a passage from Hegesippus's lost Memories in which he relates the martyrdom of James the Just; according to this account, the latter was called ᾽Ωβλίας. This article proposes to examine this odd term whose precise meaning remains obscure. Beyond issues related to its signification, the analysis of this word is likely to shed new light on the milieu in which the tradition quoted by Hegesippus appeared. This study seeks to demonstrate through various examples that the figure of the ᾽Ωβλίας was particularly popular in Jewish literature following the destruction of the Second Temple.
TL;DR: The Second Letter of Clement as discussed by the authors argues that a failure to accept these terms would jeopardize the relationship between Christ and his earthly clients and thus call their salvation into question, and proposes that a likely purpose for Second Clement was to convince a Christian audience that the benefits of salvation come with recurring obligations to Christ, their salvific patron.
Abstract: This article analyzes the widely misunderstood concept of ‘payback’ or ‘repayment’ (ἀντιμισθία) that, according to the so-called Second Letter of Clement, believers owe to Christ. Much of the secondary literature is laden with theological polemics (e.g. the author perverts Paul's gospel of grace), rather than an attempt to understand this concept relative to social relationships in antiquity. I argue that Second Clement presents Christ as salvific benefactor and patron. Christ offers salvation to those who accept the terms of his patronage, terms that include the obligation to render ‘payback’—for example, in the form of praise, witness, loyalty, and almsgiving. A failure to accept these terms would jeopardize the relationship between Christ and his earthly clients and thus call their salvation into question. As a corollary, I propose that a likely purpose for Second Clement was to convince a Christian audience that the benefits of salvation come with recurring obligations to Christ, their salvific patron.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a study of the influence of Conzelmann's slogan "Die Mitte der Zeit" (the earthly mission of Jesus as the ‘centre of history’) on definitions of the genre of Acts.
Abstract: Since 1950, studies of Luke–Acts have been influenced by a downgrading of eschatology (at least of the expectation that the goal of history would be near). Conzelmann's slogan ‘Die Mitte der Zeit’ (the earthly mission of Jesus as the ‘centre of history’) suggested a long ‘time of the Church’ with the gift(s) of the Holy Spirit as a substitute (and not a foretaste) of the kingdom of God. The present study challenges this influential view of Luke's theology and its impact on definitions of the genre of Acts.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the difference between Romans 5-6 and one of the earliest Christian readings of these chapters is not accidental, for the ethical appeal in 1 Clement 33 reflects the author's distinct cosmological perspective and rhetorical aims.
Abstract: In 1 Clement 32–33, Romans 5–6 is alluded to in a summary statement concerning justification by faith (32.4), followed by two rhetorical questions that stress the ethical implications of this confession (33.1). These allusions to Romans are punctuated by an appeal for readers to imitate the pattern of good works established by God during creation (33.2-8). This article contends that the difference between Romans 5–6 and one of the earliest Christian readings of these chapters is not accidental, for the ethical appeal in 1 Clement 33 reflects the author's distinct cosmological perspective and rhetorical aims.
TL;DR: In this article, an alternative definition of hapax legomena (HLL) is provided, developed from and proved by several examples, and the significance of HLL for the pragmatic linguistic analysis of a text is highlighted.
Abstract: The present study is prompted by Hellen Mardaga's recent discussion and definition of so-called hapax legomena (HLL), ‘rare words’ or ‘words occurring only once’, within and outside the MT, the LXX and/or the NT. After interacting with Mardaga's theses an alternative definition is provided, developed from and proved by several examples. By doing so the significance of HLL for the pragmatic linguistic analysis of a text is highlighted, of which HLL form an integral and interesting element. Throughout the study, however, it is stressed that HLL are only one element among many in a full analysis of a text and the language of its author. Consequently, HLL need to be evaluated within the context of all elements of such an analysis. German Abstract: Die vorliegende Studie ist veranlasst durch Hellen Mardagas kürzlich erfolgter Diskussion und Definition sogenannter hapax legomena (HLL), ‘seltene Wörter’ oder ‘Wörter, die nur einmal vorkommen’, innerhalb oder außerhalb des MT, der LXX und/oder des NT. Nach einer Auseinandersetzung mit Mardagas Thesen wird eine alternative Definition geboten, die auf der Basis mehrerer Beispiele entwickelt und untermauert wird. Dadurch wird die Bedeutung von HLL für die pragmatisch-linguistische Analyse eines Textes hervorgehoben, innerhalb derer HLL eine integrales und interessantes Element darstellen. Dennoch wird durch die gesamte Studie hindurch betont, dass HLL innerhalb der vollständigen Analyse eines Texts und der Sprache seines Autors nur einen Teil von vielen mehr ausmachen. Deshalb bedarf es unbedingt stets der Bewertung von HLL im Kontext aller Elemente einer solchen Analyse.
TL;DR: The authors identified a structural and conceptual chiasm within the description of Jesus' death and resurrection in Acts 2.23b-24, which helps to account for the distinctive elements of the passage.
Abstract: This article identifies a structural and conceptual chiasm within the description of Jesus' death and resurrection in Acts 2.23b-24, which helps to account for the distinctive elements of the passage.
TL;DR: In this article, the importance of the resurrection in John 20.12 is emphasized, as corroborated by the motif of Isis and Nephthys flanking Osiris while mourning his death and assisting him in his resurrection.
Abstract: The scene with two angels that Mary Magdalene sees in John 20.12 could have been visualized as an icon of resurrection by the first readers of the Fourth Gospel, especially by those familiar with the iconography of the Isis cult which was spread over the Roman Empire. Using traditional exegetical, hermeneutical, historical, and iconographic methods, this article stresses the importance of the resurrection in John 20, as corroborated by the motif of Isis and Nephthys flanking Osiris while mourning his death and assisting him in his resurrection.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that reception history must not be confined to ideas or stories, but may take an interest in places, not just art or literature, but also envisage geography.
Abstract: With the example of Aceldama, this paper shows that reception history must not be confined to ideas or stories, but may take an interest in places. It should not simply explore art or literature, but also envisage geography. The site purchased by Judas with the blood of Jesus in Acts . – has suffered, once identified (or at least defined), from this terrible acquisition. At the same time, a legend has grown around the land, which is supposed to devour corpses while a sinister reputation was established making ‘ Aceldama ’ the paradigm of a scary place. This Wirkungsgeschichte should lead us to revise an initial preconception accord- ing to which historical work should stop at the writing of the text, and a second mistaken notion according to which the work of the exegete ends with ‘ defining ’ the ‘ meaning ’ of the text. There are potentialities in texts that only the study of their effects can perceive.
TL;DR: The authors show that none of the solicited rabbinic passages refers to tanning as ritually defiling, and that the rabbinic sources reveal a disdain for tanners because of their stench and filth.
Abstract: Many New Testament exegetes have taken the reference in Acts 9.43 to Peter's stay at Simon the Tanner's house as proof that purity laws are no longer relevant for the author of Acts, since tanning conveys ritual impurity. These interpreters have relied primarily on rabbinic passages to make their argument. This article shows that none of the solicited rabbinic passages refers to tanning as ritually defiling. Rather, the rabbinic sources reveal a disdain for tanners because of their stench and filth. At times, the rabbinic sages also criticize tanners for their supposed lack of moral scruples. Peter's visit to Simon the Tanner's house, therefore, cannot be taken as evidence that the author of Acts dismisses the relevance of the Jewish purity system, let alone kashrut. At best, the reference in Acts to Simon the Tanner informs us about the social-economic status of some of the members of the Jesus movement.