There's a trio of geographical details about Jerusalem that are interesting, partly because the author is argued to have generally very little direct knowledge of Palestinian geography:
https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pr ... an1940.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/28372483/_Luke ... eters_2017
Of course there's still the possibility that the author's limited knowledge involved a trip to Jerusalem.
The three references have parallels that cluster in Wars 5 or in Antiquities 15 (which is to say, that is where Josephus provides digressions regarding the geography and description of the Temple and the Antonia tower).
It's possible for example that Luke learned some of this by reading BJ 5.5.1, BJ 5.5.3, and BJ 5.5.8. For example the Talmud manages to come up with seven names, not one of them being “the Beautiful Gate,” perhaps meaning that the author of Luke-Acts invented this name. And the reference in the Antiquities says only that the gate is large and to the east. The Wars gives a description of its beauty: "one gate that was without the [inward court of the] holy house, which was of Corinthian brass; and greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold." This actually explains how the author of Luke-Acts could have gotten the otherwise-unknown name of "the Beautiful Gate," by interpreting the description in Jewish Wars.
Of course, a positive argument that the author of Luke-Acts read Wars is not the same thing as an argument that the author did read or did not read the Antiquities. It just means that for this reference to "the Beautiful Gate," it seems well-explained by a reading of the Wars. The idea of a reading of the Antiquities is not necessary in any way for understanding the reference. We are neither more nor less in a position of ignorance regarding the question of whether the author of Luke-Acts read the Antiquities. It simply doesn't shed light on that question. It helps only to answer the question of whether the author of Luke-Acts read Wars.
This is one of many arguments. I don't know if there's anyone who will disagree with the conclusion that the author of Luke-Acts had been influenced by the Wars of Josephus. But I will go through all of the arguments that I can see, so we can get a better sense of the evidence overall.
https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pr ... an1940.pdf
https://www.academia.edu/28372483/_Luke ... eters_2017
Of course there's still the possibility that the author's limited knowledge involved a trip to Jerusalem.
The three references have parallels that cluster in Wars 5 or in Antiquities 15 (which is to say, that is where Josephus provides digressions regarding the geography and description of the Temple and the Antonia tower).
| Acts 3:2 And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. | BJ 5.5.3 Now nine of these gates were on every side covered over with gold and silver; as were the jambs of their doors, and their lintels. But there was one gate that was without the [inward court of the] holy house, which was of Corinthian brass; and greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold. | AJ 15.11.5 But on the east quarter, towards the sun-rising, there was one large gate: through which such as were pure came in; together with their wives. | Eruvin 5.1 One understands this for Shilo and the Temple, as Rebbi Aḥa said in the name of Samuel bar Rav Isaac, how much did the earlier prophets exercise themselves to make the Eastern gate so that the sun be exactly on it on the summer solstice and the winter solstice. It was called by seven names: the gate “desist”, the foundation gate, the sun gate, the entrance gate, the middle gate, the new gate, the upper gate. The gate “desist” since there the impure separate; that is what is written, desist, impure one calls them. The foundation gate, for there practice was founded. The sun gate, since it was directed towards sunrise, as you are saying, Who says to the sun not to shine. The entrance gate, since it serves as entry and exit. The middle gate, since it is fixed between two gates. The new gate, for there the Sopherim renewed practice. The upper gate, since it was higher than the courtyard of Israel and the courtyard of women. The Temple had another distinction. |
| Acts 3:11 As he clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.” | BJ 5.5.1 But when King Solomon, who was the person that built the temple, had built a wall to it, on its east side, there was then added one cloister, founded on a bank cast up for it, and on the other parts the holy house stood naked. | AJ 15.11.3 This hill it was which Solomon, who was the first of our Kings, by divine revelation encompassed with a wall; ... But within this wall, and on the very top of all, there ran another wall of stone also: having, on the east quarter, a double cloister, of the same length with the wall. In the midst of which was the temple it self. This cloister looked to the gates of the temple: and it had been adorned by many Kings in former times. | |
| Acts 21:27 ... some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple ... Acts 21:32 ... took some officers and soldiers and ran down (κατέδραμεν) to the crowd ... Acts 21:35 ... Paul reached the steps ... Acts 21:40 ... Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd ... Acts 23:10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down (καταβὰν) and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. | BJ 5.5.8 ... whereas that which lay upon the south east corner was seventy cubits high: that from thence the whole temple might be viewed. But on the corner, where it joined to the two cloisters of the temple, it had passages down to (καταβάσεις) them both: through which the guards (for there always lay in this tower a Roman legion) went several ways among the cloisters, with their arms, on the Jewish festivals ... | AJ 18.11.4 ... they called it the Tower, in which were reposited the vestments of the high priest, which the high priest only put on at the time when he was to offer sacrifice. ... which treasurers, the day before a festival, went up (ἀναβαίνοντες) to the Roman captain of the temple guards, and viewed their own seal, and received the vestments; ... |
It's possible for example that Luke learned some of this by reading BJ 5.5.1, BJ 5.5.3, and BJ 5.5.8. For example the Talmud manages to come up with seven names, not one of them being “the Beautiful Gate,” perhaps meaning that the author of Luke-Acts invented this name. And the reference in the Antiquities says only that the gate is large and to the east. The Wars gives a description of its beauty: "one gate that was without the [inward court of the] holy house, which was of Corinthian brass; and greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold." This actually explains how the author of Luke-Acts could have gotten the otherwise-unknown name of "the Beautiful Gate," by interpreting the description in Jewish Wars.
Of course, a positive argument that the author of Luke-Acts read Wars is not the same thing as an argument that the author did read or did not read the Antiquities. It just means that for this reference to "the Beautiful Gate," it seems well-explained by a reading of the Wars. The idea of a reading of the Antiquities is not necessary in any way for understanding the reference. We are neither more nor less in a position of ignorance regarding the question of whether the author of Luke-Acts read the Antiquities. It simply doesn't shed light on that question. It helps only to answer the question of whether the author of Luke-Acts read Wars.
This is one of many arguments. I don't know if there's anyone who will disagree with the conclusion that the author of Luke-Acts had been influenced by the Wars of Josephus. But I will go through all of the arguments that I can see, so we can get a better sense of the evidence overall.
Statistics: Posted by Peter Kirby — Sun Nov 24, 2024 1:16 am