SUPERVISION DE TRAGANTES Y CANALES DE DESCARGA

The ongoing disruptive nature of the Asia Jews is still referred to by the third century church historian Eusebius, who not only refers to the citizens of Asia, but in particular to the Jews of Asia as being antagonistic towards Christianity and generally unruly. In his reference to the work of Justin Martyr being dedicated to the emperor, Eusebius states that his work too, was similarly dedicated. Eusebius writes: “The same Emperor was entreated by other Asiatic Christians who had suffered all manner of injury from the local population and he thought fit to send the following decree to the Council of Asia”283

The way Eusebius describes the martyrdom of Polycarp which occurred in A.D.155 or 156, express the view that religious disturbances in Asia were apparently a frequent phenomenon. “At this time Polycarp was consecrated by martyrdom when great persecutions again disturbed Asia.”284 _{The reference that persecutions “again” disturbed Asia, leads one to} believe that this had been experienced on a number of previous occasions.

Eusebius also makes a remark about the general characteristics of the inhabitants of Smyrna, the leading city of Asia285 _{and the city where Polycarp was ultimately burned at the} stake. He describes the action of the Jews of that city as follows: “When this had been said by the herald, all the multitude of heathen and Jews living in Smyrna cried out with uncontrollable wrath and a loud shout: `This is the teacher of Asia.”286 With reference to Polycarp's burning, Eusebius describes the involvement of the Jews in the following way, “the Jews were extremely zealous, as is their custom, in assisting at this.”287 _{The description} of the disposal of Polycarp's body likewise reveals the “love of strife”(θηιovεηθία) shown by the Jews of Smyrna: “When therefore the centurion saw the contentiousness caused by the Jews, he put the body in their midst, as was their custom, and burned it.”288 _{Finally, Eusebius} describes Justin's book which is composed as a dialogue with Trypho, the most distinguished Jew of the day. The interesting aspect pointed out by Eusebius is that Justin describes the plots against Jesus by the Jews as being fermented in the Asian city of Ephesus.289 _Luke's

283 _{Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 4.12.1: ΄Δvηεστζες δ θα θ΄ ηέρφv  αης βαζηι ες π ης}

Αζίας δειθv παvηoίαης βρεζηv πρς ηv πητφρίφv δήκφv θαηαπovoσκέvφv, ηoηαύηες ξίφζεv η θoηvv ης Αζίας δηαηάξεφς· The Council of Asia was responsible for the religious life of the province and answerable to the Emperor. It met originally at Pergamon but later at Ephesus, Smyrna, Laodicaea, Philadelphia, Sardis and Cyzicus. Cf. brief discussion on the Council of Asia in a footnote in the Loeb Classical Library edition of Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, 4.12.

284 _{Ibid,, 4.15.1: v ηoύη δ  Πoι ύθαρπoς κεγίζηφv ηv Αζίαv vαζoρσβεζάvηφv δηφγκv καρησρί}

ηειεηoηαη,.

285 _{This was the inscription on some of its coins. A.Westphal, s.v., Smyrne, Dictionnaire Encyclopédique de} la Bible, (Paris: Je Sers, 1932).

286 _{Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 4.15.26, ηoύηoσ ι ετζέvηoς π ηo θήρσθoς, η πιζoς ζvv ηε θα}

Ίoσδαίφv ηv ηv ΢κύρvαv θαηoηθoύvηφv θαηαζτέη ζσκ θα κεγάι θφ v βόα oηός ζηηv  ης Αζίας δηδάζθαι oς, .

287 _{Ibid., 4.15.29, κάι ηζηα Ioσδαίφv πρoζύκφς, ς ζoς αηoς, ες ηαηα πoσργoύvηφv.}

288 _{Ibid., 4.15.43, δv ov  θαηovηάρτε ς ηv ηv Ioσδαίφv γεvoκέvεv θηιovεηθίαv, ζες αηv v}

κέζ, ς ζoς αηoς, θασζεv,

289 _{Ibid., 4.18.6-7. Eusebius explains that in his book, Justin expounds on how the Jews plotted against}

account of the antagonistic reaction to Paul has its origins in the recognition that Trophimus was an Ephesian (Ac.21:29).290 _{This recognition was apparently only possible because those} who recognised Trophimus were themselves Ephesians.

290 _{On the reference Αζηαvo δ Σστηθς θα Σρόθηκoς(Ac.20:4), Bruce indicates that the δ text, more}

A different perspective on the religious intolerance that characterised the people of Asia is given by Sherwin-White who describes some of the treatment meted out to the Jews who lived in the Greek cities of that province.291 _{Sherwin-White relies heavily on the} testimony of Josephus who documents the barbaric treatment that the Jews had to endure in Asia. “The documents in Josephus all concern the Roman province of Asia. No fewer than eight came under Roman pressure for their anti-Semitic activities, some of them more than once. There was a general Roman edict of toleration issued collectively to all the cities of Asia.”292 Sherwin-White explains further: “Thus in the late Republic period the Greek cities of Asia showed their dislike of the Jewish settlements by persistent and effective official persecution. This was checked by Roman intervention, but without complete success.”293 _This anti-Semitism in Asia is evidence that there was a general and even open dislike of the Jews from that province.

Therefore, Luke's repeated allusions to the Asian Jews as being at the root of the riots against Paul alludes to characteristics of these people that were generally viewed as antisocial and in some instances, directly linked to superstition.

7 Conclusion

The presentation of Paul prior to his conversion together with the Jews who oppose Christianity as depicting the characteristics of superstition is supported by the text in a variety of ways. Luke's choice of words have both direct and subtle links to various forms of behaviour associated with the expression of superstition. Luke's description of the irrationality that forms the basis of opposition together with the undignified verbal expression point to characteristics similar to those of people driven by superstition. Added to this, the aggressive and even frenzied violence exhibited on a number of occasion by the antagonistic Jews presents an overall picture consistent with the characteristics of superstition. The use of words, metaphors and a proverb which are reminiscent of the behaviour of animals is symptomatic of unthinking people and is once again typical of people driven by superstition. In addition, Luke's use of the words δεηζηδαηκovεζηέρoσς (Ac.17:22) and δεηζηδαηκovίας (Ac.25:19) confirms that he intended to deal with the topic of people beset by superstition.

Finally, the fact that the disturbances were initiated by Jews from Asia adds a confirmatory note of historical reality for such forms of excessive religious expression from that area, were well documented.

291 _{A.N.Sherwin-White, Racial Prejudice in Imperial Rome, (Cambridge: University Press, 1967), 88ff.}

292 _{Ibid., 89. This description is found in Josephus Antiquities 14-16.}

Chapter 3