Chairs: Dr John Lyons and Dr Helen Bond
Session 1:
'The Veil of the Temple and the Firmaments of the Heavens: The Tearing of the Temple Curtain (Matt. 27:51A) in Matthew’s Apocalyptic Eschatology'
Profiling the relationship between the temple veil and the heavenly firmament (Gen 1.6) in Second Temple and Rabbinic literature, this paper explores apocalyptic images, such as the opening of heaven, doors, etc., to inform a contextual reading of the tearing of the temple curtain. It argues that the veil belongs within an apocalyptic tradition and then traces similar apocalyptic themes through the first gospel with particular attention to the ‘special’ Matthean material (27.51b-53).
Session 2:
'Educating Jesus: The Search for a Plausible Context'
Many reconstructions of the life of the Historical Jesus have tended to portray him as being born into illiterate peasant stock. By so doing significant statements in the gospels, both canonical and non-canonical, are ignored. While much caution is needed, since there is a tendency to valorise the young Jesus in early Christian literature and to heighten miraculous events surrounding his childhood, nonetheless there are indicators that Jesus’ background did not reflect the lowest echelons of Galilean peasantry. Instead, it is suggested that internal gospel evidence and knowledge of aspects of the social milieu of first century Judaism give weight to seeing Jesus as a person with what would now be classified as functional or basic literacy levels.
Session 3:
'Reading Matthew in the Light of the Psalms of Solomon? Pursuing the Potential Implications'
This paper will investigate the conceptual links between the Gospel of Matthew and the Psalms of Solomon. The purpose of this exercise is to both highlight the parallels between the two documents as well as pursue the implications. The hypothesis will be suggested that based on the parallels between the two documents the traditional Sitz im Leben of Matthew’s Gospel needs to be reconsidered.