D. Falk, 2002
[Raphael the angel instructs Tobias in the making of a
magic potion to ward off demons]
6:7, "As for the heart and liver, if a demon or evil
spirit gives trouble to any one, you make a smoke from these before the man
or woman, and that person will never be troubled again. 8 And as for the gall, anoint with it a
man who has white films in his eyes, and he will be cured." . . .
8:1 When they had finished eating,
they escorted Tobias in to her. 2 As he went he
remembered the words of Raphael, and he took the live ashes of incense and put
the heart and liver of the fish upon them and made a smoke. 3 And when the demon smelled the
odor he fled to the remotest parts of
They said to Honi the Circle-drawer, “Pray that it
may rain.” He said to them, “Go out and bring in the Passover ovens so that
they might not get soggy.” He prayed and it did not rain. What did he do? He
drew a circle and stood in it and said, “Lord of the world, your children have
turned to me, since I am like a child of your household. I swear by your great
name that I will not budge from here until you have show mercy on your
children!” It began to rain by drips. He said, “This isn’t what I asked for,
but for rains filling wells, pits, and caves!” It began to pour violently. He
said, “This isn’t what I asked for, but for rains of benefit, blessing, and
goodness!” Then it rained moderately, until
Now there was one, whose name was Onias, a
righteous man he was, and beloved of God, who, in a certain drought, had prayed
to God to put an end to the intense heat, and whose prayers God had heard, and
had sent them rain. This man had hid himself, because he saw that this sedition
would last a great while. However, they brought him to the Jewish camp, and desired, that as by his prayers he had once put an end to the
drought, so
he would in like manner make imprecations on Aristobulus
and those of his faction. And when, upon his refusal, and the excuses that he
made, he was still by the multitude compelled to speak, he stood up in the
midst of them, and said, "O God, the King of the whole world! since those that stand now with me are thy people, and those
that are besieged are also thy priests, I beseech thee, that thou wilt neither
hearken to the prayers of those against these, nor bring to effect what these
pray against those." Whereupon such wicked Jews as stood about him, as
soon as he had made this prayer, stoned him to death. (translation
by W. Whiston)
[Jesus is accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the
prince of demons]
“Now if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your exorcists cast them out?’ [RSV]
Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit said to them in reply, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. [RSV]
18
Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed
their practices. 19 A number of those who practiced
magic collected their books and burned them publicly … [RSV]
Now a certain man named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of
(258) There was also another body
of wicked men gotten together, not so impure in their actions, but more wicked
in their intentions, which laid waste the happy state of the city no less than
did these murderers. These were such men as deceived and deluded the people
under pretense of Divine inspiration, but were for procuring innovations and
changes of the government; and these prevailed with the multitude to act
like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness, as pretending that God
would there show them the signals of liberty. But Felix thought this
procedure was to be the beginning of a revolt; so he sent some horsemen and
footmen both armed, who destroyed a great number of them.
(261) But there was an Egyptian false prophet that did the Jews more mischief than the former; for he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him; these he led round about from the wilderness to the mount which was called the Mount of Olives, and was ready to break into Jerusalem by force from that place; and if he could but once conquer the Roman garrison and the people, he intended to domineer over them by the assistance of those guards of his that were to break into the city with him. But Felix prevented his attempt, and met him with his Roman soldiers, while all the people assisted him in his attack upon them, insomuch that when it came to a battle, the Egyptian ran away, with a few others, while the greatest part of those that were with him were either destroyed or taken alive; but the rest of the multitude were dispersed every one to their own homes, and there concealed themselves.
[Summer, 4 BCE]
222 But when Archelaus sailed off to
224 Now at this time Herod's son Antipas also sailed to
269 [While Archelaus and Antipas
were in
271 There was Judah, son of Hezekiah, the powerful bandit
chief whom Herod had captured with difficulty. Now this
272 So he was a terror to all by raiding and plundering
those he encountered in his desire for fortune and his zeal to be recognized as
king. This prize he expected to win, not by virtue but by trampling over
everybody.
273 There was also King Herod's slave, Simon, a
handsome man, great especially in physical size and strength, as well as his
self-esteem. Inebriated by the unsettled situation, he dared to don the [royal]
diadem.
274 Now he assembled some crowds and, in their fanaticism,
he was heralded as the king himself. And he hoped to be more worthy than
anyone...
278 And then there was Athronges,
a man distinguished neither by worthiness of his forebears nor by outstanding
virtue or the greatness of any traits. Rather, he was a shepherd, unknown to
anyone anywhere, except for his physical size and striking feats of strength.
279 He dared to claim the kingship, planning, if he
got it, to delight in more prancing about. If he died, he did not think his
life too great a price to pay for this.
280 There were also his four brothers, who were both tall
and confident, projecting great physical power. They believed themselves to be
prominent in retaining his kingship. Each of them led a band, for a great crowd
had gathered to them. Now, while they were commanders, they were also
subordinate to him whenever they set out to fight on their own.
281 Athronges wore a diadem and
convoked a council for judging what they were to do. And he had everything
dependent on him. Power remained with him for quite a while, for he was called
king, and no one prevented him from doing what he wanted...
285 So Judea
was filled with bandits. And they gathered around any champion who
presented himself as king, urging the destruction of the commonwealth.
This caused the Romans---just a few---only a little trouble; but it brought on
the greatest slaughter of their own (Jewish) kin.
[translation by Mahlon
Smith, http://religion.rutgers.edu/iho/uprising.html]
[In response to the census of the Jews in 6 CE for
taxation (mentioned in Luke’s gospel), some Jews revolted]
18.4 But Judah, a man of Golan from a city called Gamala, whose partner was a Pharisee Zaddok, plunged into rebellion. They claimed that taxation was nothing but outright slavery. And they called on the people to claim their freedom . . .
8 From these sprang dissensions among themselves and
political murders. Some (died) in battle, some in the slaughter of kin, in a
mania of men disposing of one another and themselves in (their) desire not to
be left to their opponents. A famine was the final insult. And there was
conquest and destruction of cities, until even the temple of God was consumed
by fire from the hostilities [in 70 CE]. This was faction [responsible for all
that].
9 The innovation and transformation of traditions has the
impact of ending the consensus. In this case, at least, Judah and Zaddok gave rise to a fourth philosophy that was foreign to
us. And gaining those who admire this, for the time being they filled the
commonwealth with chaos and in turn planted the roots of the subsequent evils.
23 Now in the fourth of the philosophies,
[translation by Mahlon Smith, http://religion.rutgers.edu/iho/uprising.html]
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiber'i-us
Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of
Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae'a
and Trachoni'tis, and Lysa'ni-as
tetrarch of Abile'ne, 2 in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca'iaphas, the word of
God came to John the son of Zechari'ah in the
wilderness; 3 and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the
book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."
7 He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him,
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8
Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, `We
have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even
now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
10 And the multitudes asked him, "What then shall we do?" 11 And he
answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none;
and he who has food, let him do likewise." 12 Tax collectors also came to
be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13 And he
said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you." 14 Soldiers
also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them,
"Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your
wages."
15 As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts
concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, 16 John answered them all,
"I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the
thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his
threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he
will burn with unquenchable fire."
18 So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. 19
But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Hero'di-as,
his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added
this to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
. . . What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees
have passed on to the people a great many observances handed down by their
fathers, which are not written down in the law of
Moses. For this reason the Sadducees reject them and say that we are to
consider to be obligatory only those observances which
are in the written word, but need not observe those which are derived from the
tradition of our forefathers.
[Mark’s Gospel was written about 65-70 CE.]
The
beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
""See, I am
sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;
3 the voice of one
crying out in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of
the Lord,
make his paths straight,' "
4 John the baptizer
appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the
people of
9 In those days Jesus
came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the
12 And the Spirit
immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness
forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels
waited on him.
14 Now after John was
arrested, Jesus came to
29 As soon as they left
the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about
her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the
fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening, at
sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And
the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick
with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the
demons to speak, because they knew him.
35 In the morning, while
it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there
he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found
him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." 38 He
answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim
the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." 39 And he went
throughout
One sabbath he was going through the grainfields;
and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 The
Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the
sabbath?" 25 And he
said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his
companions were hungry and in need of food? 26 He entered the house of God,
when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of
the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he
gave some to his companions." 27 Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind,
and not humankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of
Man is lord even of the sabbath."
3:1 Again he entered the
synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched him to
see whether he would cure him on the sabbath,
so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered
hand, "Come forward." 4 Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to
do good or to do harm on the sabbath,
to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. 5 He looked around at them
with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man,
"Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians
against him, how to destroy him. (NRSV)
Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" 6 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
`This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' 8 You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men."
9 And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, `Honor your father and your mother'; and, `He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; 11 but you say, `If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) -- 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do."
14 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." 16 17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." (RSV)
And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesare'a Philip'pi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" 28 And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Eli'jah; and others one of the prophets." 29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." 30 And he charged them to tell no one about him. (RSV)
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: `Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" 20 And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." 21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
23
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be
for those who have riches to enter the
As he came out of the
temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large
stones and what large buildings!" 2 Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see
these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will
be thrown down."
3 When he was sitting on
the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked
him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign
that all these things are about to be accomplished?" 5 Then Jesus began to
say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my
name and say, "I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear
of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the
end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be
famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
9 "As for
yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be
beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of
me, as a testimony to them. 10 And the good news must first be proclaimed to
all nations. . . .
14 "But when you
see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader
understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 15 the one on the
housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away; 16 the one
in the field must not turn back to get a coat. 17 Woe to those who are pregnant
and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not be
in winter. 19 For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been
from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never
will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be
saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those
days. 21 And if anyone says to you at that time, "Look! Here is the
Messiah!' or "Look! There he is!'-do not believe it. 22 False messiahs and
false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if
possible, the elect. 23 But be alert; I have already told you everything.
"But in those days,
after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be
falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see
"the Son of Man coming in clouds" with great power and glory. 27 Then
he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the
ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28
"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender
and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you
see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things
have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not
pass away. (NRSV)