The Digitus Impudicus

 

We are far more connected to the ancient world than we understand or acknowledge. Many people seem to be unaware of anything more ancient than twenty years ago. They have no grasp of, or interest in, “history,” which they think is boring. This is not just the Bible or biblical history. Asking a history question of a random person on the street can at first seem humorous, and then astonishing, and then disheartening. They know nothing and do not care that they know nothing.

Our customs, traditions, fables, aphorisms, and even our insults, often have very ancient origins. What modern American English slang calls “flipping the bird finger” is an example. The Romans called it the digitus impudicus, the “shameless,” “offensive,” or “indecent” finger. It is intended as an expression of utter contempt for the targeted person or persons. The usage of the hand sign was ancient before the Romans mentioned it.

The middle finger is extended, with the first and third fingers curled towards the palm of the hand and held down by the thumb. The middle finger represents an erect penis and the knuckles of the curled fingers represent the testicles. The hand gesture is obviously a reference to a more overt insult, bending over and spreading the buttocks toward the one being insulted.

The gesture was obviously known at least as early as the 4^th Century BC/BCE in Athens, Greece, when Diogenes of Sinope publicly expressed his feelings towards the Greek orator, Demosthenes. The gesture was also mentioned in the 5^th Century BC/BCE by Aristophanes in his comedic play, The Clouds. Tacitus mentions that the “barbarian” Germans used the gesture to insult advancing Roman armies before battle.

The historian Josephus links the insult to a major event affecting the Jewish people about 50 BC/BCE. The Jews were gathered at the temple for Passover when “one of the soldiers, raising his robe, stooped in an indecent attitude, so as to turn his backside to the Jews, and made a noise in keeping with his posture.” This resulted in a riot and a panicked stampede when the Roman soldiers used force to try to stop the riot. Josephus says that at least 30,000 Jews died.

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/jesus/jesuschronology.html

Christian Respect for Political Leaders

 

 

Singer Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at the inauguration ceremony for the new United States President, Donald J. Trump, on 20 January 2025. Once this was announced, the singer began to receive vitriolic and hateful comments from persons opposed to Mr. Trump. Ms. Underwood seems to have taken the approach that it is an honor to be asked to perform at the ceremony, regardless of who the new leader is.

When Jesus said “Render unto Caesar,” he was warning against elevating the temporal government over the Kingdom of God. He was not telling us to remove ourselves from any involvement with the government.

Once, during the presidency of Barack Obama, a coworker of mine was bitterly complaining about the president. I was also not particularly fond of the president, but I told the coworker that it was the responsibility of every American, especially those who are Christian, to be willing to jump in front of a bullet to protect our leader. He responded, “Not me! I would be hitting the floor!”

It is our duty and honor as Christians to be civically involved, even if we do not personally approve of our current political leaders. Paul, who would ultimately be executed by the Roman government, would agree.

Mark 12:17; Romans 13:1-7; Hebrews 13:1-17; 1 Peter 2:13-17

Jesus Spoke Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek

The New Testament is written in Greek, the common language of the Roman Empire at the time.  It was the Greek language which helped spread the gospel across the then known world. Some, myself included, believe that God arranged events so that at the arrival of Jesus there was one essentially global empire with one universally understood language. Communications across the Empire were much faster across great distances than we today would imagine.

The languages of the subjugated peoples were still in use and the Jews spoke Aramaic among themselves. The sacred language in use in their synagogues was Hebrew and they considered it to be a great honor to speak and read before the congregation.  Jesus would have been conversant in both languages and he also read before the congregation. The Samaritan Woman at the Well would have been speaking Hebrew. (Luke 2: 39-52; John 4:4-26: Luke 4:16-21)  Some of Jesus' sayings  in the New Testament are presented in untranslated Aramaic. ("Talitha cumi" and "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!")

Many Jews probably spoke only Aramaic and Hebrew, but to function in the Roman environment it was very helpful to also speak and understand Greek. Jesus was able to talk to Pilate (John 18: 28-38) and the Roman soldiers  (Matthew 8: 5-13 ), answering them in Greek It is unlikely that Pilate or the centurions understood a single word of Aramaic.

Christianity in Herculaneum

On 24 August 79 AD/CE Mount Vesuvius in Italy began to erupt, spewing out large rocks and streams of molten lava.  The Roman communities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Oplontis were destroyed as well as several nearby villas.  The port of Herculaneum was smaller than the port of Pompeii and existed as a resort town for the wealthy.  The towns were covered by 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash and pumice.

Excavations at Herculaneum and the other towns yielded multitudes of intact buildings after the ash was removed.  Since a 1939 excavation at Herculaneum found only the bodies of a few women and children, it was thought that the town was successfully evacuated during the cataclysm.  It was not until 1981 that over 300 skeletons were found huddled together in cluster of buildings.

During the 1939 excavation of Herculaneum it was proven that Christianity had made inroads in the area when a wooden cross was found nailed to a wall in one of the houses.

Extrabiblical Evidences of Biblical Persons, Places, and/or Events: Caesar Augustus

Gaius Octavius (b. 63 BC/BCE, Italy – d. 14 AD/CE), the adopted son and heir of Julius Caesar,  is mentioned only once in the Bible, at Luke 2:1.  Gaius is best known as Augustus Caesar or Caesar Augustus.  His full imperial title was Imperator Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavianus Divi Filius Augustus.  By birth he was Julius Casear’s great nephew.

Christian Illustrators: Karen Hargett

Christian illustrators often work in secular markets.  Karen Hargett is a Christian artist (pencils and pastels) in Buda, Texas (USA).  She is a professional working artist who does nature scenes, animals portraits, and work for commission.

Karen Hargettt lives in Buda, Texas, a rapidly growing community.  In the 2000 census, Buda had 2404 residents; in 2010 the population had grown to 7295.  Originally known as DuPre, the town became Buda late in the 19th century.

There are two possible known derivations for the name of the town.  Both sound plausible.  Perhaps both sources contributed to the name.

The Carrington Hotel in Buda is popularly known as the "Buda House"because of the "viudas" (Spanish = "widows") who worked in the kitchen.

The second explanation is that the town is named for the hometown (Buda) of Hungarian refugees who settled in the area after the failed 1848 revolution in Hungary.  Budapest, Hungary was formed from the merging of the cities of Buda and Pest. 

The city name Buda may derive from the name of its founder, Bleda (Buda), the brother of the Hunnic ruler Attila.   It may also be derived from the Slavic word "вода, voda" ("water"), a translation of the Latin name "Aquincum", which was the main Roman settlement in the region

Definition: Sanhedrin

In yesterday’s post on the Rich Young Ruler I said the it was possible that he was a member of the Sanhedrin.  The word is often translated as “council,” and when presented as “Sanhedrin” is a direct transliteration of the Aramaic word and the Greek word synedrion.  The word seems to have begun in Greek and then passed into Aramiac and, in Greek, means “together” and “seat,” so, “to sit together.” The Greek speaking Jews called it the gerousia, “the Assembly of the Ancients.”

The Sanhedrin was a council of judges who ruled in matters of a strictly Jewish nature.  The Romans held all real political power.

Jewish tradition says that the Sanhedrin began with Moses and his council of seventy elder (Numbers 11:16) but the first undisputed mention of the gerousia is in The Antiquities of the Jews, (XII, iii, 3) by Josephus, in his discussion of the reign of Antiochus the Great (223-187 B.C.).

Book Comment: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die

Pastor John Piper, in Fifty  Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die (2006), uses Biblical citations to show that “to die for our sins” is only one of the many reasons Jesus chose to die.  This is a point which Piper points out repeatedly; Jesus chose to die and God the Father was pleased.  The death of Jesus should not be blamed on a particular group of people;  Yes, the Jews killed Jesus,  and the Romans killed Jesus, but so did you and I.  Ultimately, God killed Jesus, and it was God’s idea.

The death of Jesus was planned from the instant of the Creation.  It did not surprise God or interfere with His Plan.  It was His Plan.  It should not surprise us that God  had multiple purposes with His plan.

Piper finds fifty reasons from scripture for the voluntary death of Jesus.  There are probably more.  Using the chapter titles from John  Piper’s book, here are a few which may surprise you:

To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation:  Galatians 5:11,  6:12

To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning: Ephesians 5:25

To Destroy the Hostility Between Races: Ephesians 2: 14-16

So That He Would be Crowned With Glory and Honor: Hebrews 2:9,  Philippians 2: 7-9, Revelation 5:12

To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant By God for Good: Acts 4:27-28

 

As smart as we pride ourselves on being, we are very limited in our intelligence.  Look at the doctrine of the Trinity, which is clearly taught in Scripture and which we clearly struggle to understand.  God thinks on a cosmic level not bounded by space or time.  Read the series of questions He put forth in the book of Job.  “My ways are not your ways.”  Isaiah 55:8

Shocking Information About the Roman Empire

Here is one reason why the Jews and early Christians viewed the Roman Empire as hopelessly corrupt. This has nothing to do with the fact that the wheels of the Empire were greased with bribery.  It has nothing to do with the rampant ruthless ambition of many (possibly most) of the military and political leaders.  It has to do with the Roman attitude towards household sexuality.  A Warning: Do not read this if you are easily shocked.

http://www.roman-empire.net/society/soc-household.html

Film Comment: The Spirit of '76

The silly comedic (?) film, The Spirit of ’76 (1991), is almost totally negligible unless you are on a nostalgia trip to the Seventies.   You might wish to see it for its long list of cameo appearances by Tommy Chong, Julie Brown, Devo, Iron Eyes Cody, Don Novello, Carl and Rob Reiner, Moon Unit Zappa, and others.

The thin plot is basically this: three time travelers from 2176 [ Adam 11 (David Cassidy), Chanel 6 (Olivia d’Abo), and Heinz 57 (Geofff Hoyle}] set out for 1776 to recover the long lost history of America.  A malfunction in their time machine sends them to 1976, where they set out to find the meaning of America, not realizing that they have missed their mark by 200 years.

Just like the confused time travelers, we really do not understand what it was like to live in Roman Judea.  The average live span was about 35 years.  The majority of people were illiterate or very close to it.  Most people lived and died in the village in which they were born and did the same work their parents before them had done.  The Romans were a brutal and alien occupying force who could arrest or kill someone for little or no reason.  Though many/most were illiterate it was quite common for the men to have a deep knowledge of Jewish tradition, history, and the scriptures.

The modern student of scripture must realize that we read and see and hear through our modern filters.  When Jesus and the Apostles spoke, their listeners understood what they meant.   Some of their responses make sense only when we understand the historical and cultural environment in which they lived.  

Jews Who Claimed to Be the Messiah

Over the last two thousand years there have been at least thirty-eight Jewish men, and one Jewish woman, who have claimed to be the promised Messiah.  Christians, of course, regard Jesus of Nazareth as the Holy One.

Jesus of Nazareth is believed by Christians to have been the Jewish Messiah.

The best-known Messiah claimant is Simon bar Kokhba, seen below: the others are:

The first recorded self-proclaimed Messiah was Simon of Peraea (fl. 4 BC/BCE), a former slave of Herod the Great.   Simon was followed by Athronges (fl. 4-2BC/BCE).  Both Simon and Athronges led rebellions which were put down by the Romans and both messiahs were killed.

Judas of Galilee (6AD/CE)

Menahem of Judah, a grandson of Judah of Galilee.

Theudas (d.46)

Vespasian (ca. 70)

John of Gischala, (after 70)

Simon bar Kokhba (d ca 135). Simon’s rebellion ended with the Romans destroying the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Luluas (115)

Moses of Crete (5^th century)

(Name unknown) in Khusistan  (7^th century)

Ishak ben Ya’kub Obadiah Abu ‘Isa al-Isfahani of Ispahan (8^th century)

Yudghan (8^th century, in Persia)

(Name unknown), in France, (ca. 1087)

(Name unknown), in Cordoba, Spain, (ca. 1117)

Moses al-Dari  in Morocco (1127)David Alroy, from Kurdistan, led a revolt in Persia in 1160.

The Yemenite Messiah (12^th century)

Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia (b. 1240-d. after 1291)

Nissim ben Abraham (fl. In Avila, Spain (ca. 1295)

Moses Botarel of Cisneros, fl ca. 1413.

Asher Lammlein, fl. 1502 near Venice.

Isaac Luria (1534-1572) in Palestine.

Hayyim Vital (1543-1620) in Palestine.

David Reubeni (1490-1541?)

Solomon Molcho (1500-1532)

Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676) An Ottoman Jew who converted to Islam.  Many of his followers declared themselves to be the Messiah.

Barukhia Russo

Mordecai Mokia (1650-1729)

Jacob Querido (d. 1690)  Converted to Islam.

Miguel Cardoso (1630-1706)

Lobele Prossnitz (d. 1750)

Jacob Joseph Frank (1726-1791)  A convert to Christianity.

Eve Frank (1754 – ca 1817)

Shukr Kushayl I, in Yemen (19^th century)

Judah ben Shalom (Shukr Kuhayl II) in Yemen (19^th century)

Moses Guibbory (1899-1985)

Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994)

The Praetorian Guard

The “Praetorian Guard” is never specifically mentioned in the New Testament.  They are referenced as “the praetorium” (τῷ πραιτωρίῳ) in Philippians 1:13.  They were the bodyguards of the Roman emperors and served for sixteen year terms, followed by a very generous retirement package.

The group was formally chartered in 27 BC/BCE by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, and, over the years grew to have great political influence,  receiving greater pay and privileges than common Roman soldiers.  The guard was abolished in 312 AD/CE by the Emperor Constantine the Great.

ὥστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου φανεροὺς ἐν Χριστῷ γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτωρίῳ καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πάσιν,

Constantine Was Not the First?

The conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in 380 is considered to be one of the watershed moments in Western history.  It may surprise you to learn that Constantine was not the first Christian ruler, or the second, or even the third.  Those places of honor belong to King Tiridates of Armenia, who in 301 declared Christianity to be the country's state religion; the number two position belongs to King Mirian III of Georgia, who, in 319, declared his country to be Christian; followed by Queen Sofya of Ethiopia in 325, converted by her son's Christian tutor, Frumentius.  Sofya's sons Ezana and Se'azana both became Christians.  Ezana ruled as a Christian king.

A Joke Credited to the Roman Emperor Augustus

The Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus (b. 63BC/BCE - d. 14 AD/CE)  is only mentioned once in the New Testament.


"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." Luke 2:1


Emperor Augustus is credited with the eighth oldest known joke in recorded history:  "Augustus was touring his Empire and noticed a man in the crowd who bore a striking resemblance to himself.  Intrigued he asked, "Was your mother at one time in service at the Palace?" "No your Highness," he replied, "but my father was."

Biblical Coins

The earliest known coins minted during the rule of Herod Antipas (d. after 40 AD/CE), Tetrarch of Galilee ($ BC/BCE - 40 AD/CE), were issued in 19-20 AD/CE.  The words "Herod," "Tetrarch," and "Tiberias" appear on the coins.  Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, was the ruler of Judea at the time of Jesus' crucifixion.  He was banished in 40 AD/CE to Lugdunum (Lyons, France).

Surprisingly, many coins from the biblical period are available to modern collectors.  Below are links to several commercial sites which sell coins from ancient times.  The Forum site is especially interesting.  If you place your cursor on a picture of a coin, a box pops up which gives a description of the coin and its modern value.

One of the coins on the Forum site is a denarius, mentioned in Matthew 22:20-21.  It is valued at $900.00 (US).

Forvm Ancient Coins 

RomanCoins.net  

BiblicalMites.com 

Imperial Coins and Artifacts 

"The New York Same-Sex Marriage Vote" Revisited #3

On 28 June 2011, I posted "The New York Same-Sex Marriage Vote" and promised, "More on tax-exempt status, homosexuality, persecution, and marriage later."  Today, persecution.

The first persecution specifically of "Christians" came under the Roman Emperor Nero in 64 AD/CE.  Claudius in 49 persecuted Christians because he thought they were Jews.  Over the years it has never really stopped, whether it has been overt or more subtle.

Persecution takes many forms; it is not always whips and chains and burnings.  Social disapproval, economic interference, litigation, and other forms of harassment can be very effective.  The world at large does not share our values.

"Martyr," from the Greek word, μάρτυρας, means "witness." Christians don't have a tradition of seeking to be martyrs.  We do have a tradition of at least some of us not flinching when called upon to witness.

Ancient Libyan Ruins Threatened by Fighting

The Ruins of the Carthaginian/Roman city of Leptis magna in modern Libya are being threatened by the fighting between the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and those of the NATO alliance.  There is a strong possibility that Qadaffi is hiding military equipment in this and other historical sites, knowing that western forces will be reluctant to damage historical treasures.  A NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) spokesperson has been quoted as saying,"We will strike military vehicles, military forces, military equipment or military infrastructure that threaten Libyan civilians as necessary."

Leptis magna (now known as Lebda, Libya) is not mentioned in the Bible, but Libya itself is. The city of Cyrene, the home of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21, Matthew 27:32) is located in Libya.  The city of Leptis magna was especially prominent in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and, in 70 AD/CE, became the home of a community of Jewish slaves sent there by Rome after the War of 70.

The city was founded about 130 km east of modern Tripoli as Lpqy sometime near 1100 BC/BCE, a colony of the seafaring Phoenicians and became a major city of the Carthaginian Empire.  In 146 BC/BCE, during the Third Punic War, it fell into Roman hands.  It became one of the major cities of Roman Africa.

Christian Heresies: Pneumatomachianism

The Pneumatomachi (aka Macedonians) were a fourth and fifth century sect which flourished primarily in what is now Turkey.  Led by Macedonius, Bishop of Constantinople (d.  about 364), they denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit.  They said the Holy Spirit was a creature, merely a ministering angel.  They would say only, "We believe in the Holy Ghost."  Macedonius tortured, forced baptisms, and excommunicated those who would not agree to his doctrine.  Macedonius was deposed by Emperor Constantius (Constantius II, son of Constantine I) for disinterring the body of Constantine.

The teaching of Macedonius was condemned as a Trinitarian heresy by the First Council of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey).

The Saddest Day in Jewish History

When Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan, only two, Joshua and Caleb, came back with a positive report.  God declared that that present generation would not enter the Promised Land and that the day, the ninth of Av, would become one of crying for their descendents. (Numbers 13 and 14.)

The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BC/BCE occurred on Tisha b'av, the ninth day of the month of Av (Hebrew Calendar).

The destruction of the Second Jewish Temple by Rome in 70 AD/CE occurred on the ninth of Av.

The Romans put down the Bar Kochba Revolt and destroyed the city of Betar in 132 AD/CE, on the ninth of Av.  Over 100,000 Jews were killed.

In 133 AD/CE, on the ninth of Av, the Roman commander Turnus Rufus plowed the site of the Temple.

The expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492 by King Ferdinand, the declaration of the First Crusade, the outbreak of World War I, and the deportation of Warsaw's Jews to the Treblinka Death Camp are all sometimes associated with the 9th of Av but did not occur on that day.  The Warsaw deportation is the closest to the correct date, beginning as it did on the 10th of Av.

Tisha B'Av is an annual fast day in Judaism.  Observant Jews do not eat, drink, work, bathe, wear leather shoes, or have sex on this day because it is a day of mourning.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Epenetus: The first Christian convert in the Roman province of Asia. Romans 16:5

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu: (b. 1910, Kosovo – d. 1997; aka. Mother Teresa; Blessed Teresa of Calcutta) In 1950, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India.  The ministry of the organization focuses on the sick, poor, orphaned and dying.

Louis Zamperini: (b. 1917, New York, USA) Olympic runner, WWII pilot, prisoner of war, Christian inspirational speaker.  In 1998, he carried the Olympic Torch in Nagano, Japan.  In 2008, he was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.

Richard Melville Hall: (b. 1965, New York, USA; aka. Moby) keyboardist, guitarist, drummer, singer, songwriter, disc jockey, vegan.  He performs in the following music genres: electronic dance, electronica, pop rock, and ambient.

Simon Kimbangu: (b. 1887, Congo Free State – d. 1951)  Founder of Kimbanguism (The Church of Jesus Christ on Earth by His Special Envoy Simon Kimbangu, a member church in the World Council of Churhces).  Baptist preacher and healer, nationalist.