Greco-Roman Culture and the Galilee of Jesus, a book-length
investigation of this topic, challenges the conventional scholarly
view that first-century Galilee was thoroughly Hellenised.
Examining architecture, inscriptions, coins and art from Alexander
the Great''s conquest until the early fourth century CE, Chancey
argues that the extent of Greco-Roman culture in the time of Jesus
has often been greatly exaggerated. Antipas''s reign in the early
first century was indeed a time of transition, but the more
dramatic shifts in Galilee''s cultural climate happened in the
second century, after the arrival of a large Roman garrison. Much
of Galilee''s Hellenisation should thus be understood within the
context of its Romanisation. Any attempt to understand the Galilean
setting of Jesus must recognise the significance of the region''s
historical development as well as how Galilee fits into the larger
context of the Roman East.
目錄:
Introduction
1. Galilee''s early encounter with Hellenism
2. The Roman army in Palestine
3. The introduction of Greco-Roman architecture
4. The transformation of the landscape in the second and third
centuries CE
5. The use of Greek in Jesus'' Galilee
6. The coinage of Galilee
7. Greco-Roman art and the shifting Limits of acceptability
Conclusion.