Does the New Testament Imitate Homer?: Four Cases from the Acts of the Apostlesdiv In this provocative challenge to prevailing views of New Testament sources, Dennis R. MacDonald argues that the origins of passages in the book of Acts are to be found not in early Christian legends but in the epics of Homer. MacDonald focuses on four passages in the book of Acts, examines their potential parallels in the Iliad, and concludes that the author of Acts composed them using famous scenes in Homer’s work as a model. |
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... beginning their studies are nursed on Homer's teaching . One might say that while we were still in swathing bands we sucked from his epics as from fresh milk . He assists the beginner and later the adult in his prime . In no stage of ...
... beginning of Book 2 of the Iliad: the famous lying dream of Zeus to Agamemnon and the vision of the serpent and the sparrows. The third example is Peter's escape from Herod's prison (Acts 12:1–17), gener- ally considered a rescue ...
... beginning . " 3 This event demonstrated to the church in Jerusalem that " the gentiles received the word of God . " 4 When Peter sought to justify the gentile mission in chapter 15 , he harked back to the Cornelius episode : God gave ...
... beginning and end- ing . Geographical references divide it into five distinct scenes : ( 1 ) the vision of Cornelius at Caesarea ( 10 : 1–8 ) ; ( 2 ) the vision of Peter at Joppa ( 10 : 9–16 ) ; ( 3 ) the summoning of Peter from Joppa ...
... however , will argue that Luke composed these tales with attention not to Jewish - Christian sources but to the beginning of Iliad 2 : the lying dream to Agamemnon and Odysseus's recollection of a portent Cornelius and Peter 21.
Contents
1 | |
17 | |
Pauls Farewell at Miletus and Iliad | 67 |
The Selection of Matthias and Iliad | 103 |
Peters Escape from Prison and Iliad | 121 |
Conclusion | 146 |
Greek and Latin Parallels | 153 |
List of Abbreviations | 167 |
Notes | 171 |
Bibliography | 209 |
Index | 221 |