Bibliography
| Title: Jews, Christians, and Burial in Roman Palestine Type: Thesis Year: 1992 Abstract: "Early Jewish and Christian relations were more complex than has previously been suspected. In particular, the fourth - rather than the second - century CE increasingly appears to be the period during which Christianity became independet of Judaism. This dissertation explores burial practices in Roman Palestine (37 BCE - 324 CE), to determine whether early Jews and Christians in this region and period differed in matters of burial. The results will either support or resist the current trend toward regarding the fourth century as decisive for early Jewish and Christian relations. The dissertation employs archaeological data, including a catalogue of 191 published Jewish tombs from Roman Palestine, along with literary texts which mention or describe burial. The social anthropology of death ritual, which treats burial practices as rituals for healing society and constructing culture, then analyzes whether early Jews and Christians shared common rituals, theologies, and social and cultural norms of death. The results show that Jews and Christians in Roman Palestine were in full accord on all matters related to the disposal of human remains. Archaeology indicates that a Christian material culture of burial did not develop in the Roman period. Christian literature from Roman Palestine always mentions or implies Jewish burial customs: some anti-Jewish texts (e.g., Mt. 23:27-28/Lk. 11:44) presuppose Jewish norms of tomb architecture and social boundaries of impurity, while others (e.g. , Mt. 8:21-22; Jn. 11:1-44; Mk. 14:48-52par) describe or imply Jewish rituals and theologies. Social anthropology confirms that Jews and Christians repaired the social order through the same ritual processes, affirming the same cultural values. the burial practices of the Qumran community demonstrate that Jews in Roman Palestine could express sectarian identity by peculiar funerary customs. Further, in the Byzantine period, Christians did develop distinctive burial practices. There was Jewish and Christian conflict in the synagoge, but not at the cemetery. This dissertation thus supports the view that early Christianity in Roman Palestine constituted as a sect (or sects) within Jewish society and culture. The fourth century CE does appear to have been the decisive period for early Jewish and Christian relations". Keywords: Theology of Ancient Judaism and early Christianity |