Gordon Franz<\/b><\/p>\n
Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n
Sefar Ya\u2019akov<\/i> (book of James), written by Ya\u2019akov Ben-Zavdai<\/i> (James son of Zebedee), was addressed to Messianic Jews residing in the Diaspora, outside of Eretz Yis-rael<\/i> (Land of Israel). This small epistle, only five chapters long, has a distinct Jewish flavor based on the teachings of Yeshua ha-Mashiach<\/i> (Jesus the Messiah).<\/p>\n
I believe that James, the son of Zebedee, wrote this epistle soon after AD 30 as a follow-up letter to encourage Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus who had come to faith during the annual pilgrimage of Shavuot<\/i> (Pentecost) in Jerusalem (Acts 2).<\/p>\n
In the first century AD, there was a Jewish community living on the island of Delos in the Aegean Sea. This island, situated at the center of the Cyclades Islands, was famous in Greek mythology as the birthplace of the god Apollo and his sister, the goddess Artemis.<\/p>\n
This article will give a brief overview of the history of the island, and will discuss the Jewish and Samaritan communities that resided on the island, as well as the synagogue that was discovered during archaeological excavations in 1912\u20131913. The recipients of the epistle of James would have been in such a synagogue in the Diaspora. I will use the Delos synagogue to illustrate several passages in the epistle. Using our \u201csanctified imagination,\u201d we will try to comprehend how a Jewish believer in the Lord Jesus on the island of Delos would understand the word-pictures in the epistle in light of the first century AD history, geography, and material culture. The archaeology of the islands of Delos and Rheneia, an island near Delos, will help to illustrate the word-pictures.1 <\/p>\n
Map of Cyclades.<\/b><\/p>\n
A Brief Geography and History of the Island of Delos<\/b><\/p>\n
Delos is a small island in the center of the Cyclades. Pliny the Elder described the Cyclades as \u201clying round Delos in a circle which has given them their name.\u201d He went on to state, \u201cBy far the most famous of the Cyclades and lying in the middle of them, Delos, celebrated for its temple of Apollo and for its commerce\u201d (Natural History<\/i> 2, 4.12: 65; LCL (= Loeb Classical Library) 165, 167).<\/p>\n
The island is 3 mi (5 km) long in a north-south direction. At its widest, it is 0.8 mi (1.3 km) in an east-west direction. The highest mountain is Mt. Cynthus which rises 367 ft (112 m) above sea level. If one climbs to the top of Mt. Cynthus on a clear day, the islands of Syros can be viewed to the west, Tinos to the north, Mykonos to the northeast, Paros and Naxos to the south. Issuing from spring on the side of the mountain is the River Inopus that flows 3\/4 mi (1.2 km) north and west to the Bay of Scardanas.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 84<\/p>\n
A statue of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, in the Delos Museum. According to Greek mythology she was born on the island of Delos.<\/b><\/p>\n
The first settlement on the island of Delos was discovered on Mt. Cynthus and dates to the third millennium BC. It did not seem to last long and the island was abandoned until the late Mycenaean period (1580\u20131200 BC) when the plain below the mountain was inhabited. Delos was colonized by the Ionians about 750 BC. At this point in history, the island takes on its sacred status. Homer\u2019s Odyssey<\/i> 1 (Book 6, line 162; LCL 233) and the Homeric Hymns,<\/i> written about 700 BC, portray Delos as an important religious center. Its importance drives from Greek mythology, in which the island of Delos offered Leto safety from the fury of Hera, wife of Zeus, in order to give birth to Apollo and Artemis (Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, Homerica,<\/i> LCL 325\u201337).<\/p>\n
Athenian influence was exerted over the island in the sixth century BC. They \u201cpurified\u201d the island by removing all the burials from the area around the Temple of Apollo in 540 BC. The Persian Wars broke out about 490 BC. An alliance of Greek city-states was formed, called the Delian League, against the Persians in 478\/477 BC. Delos became the center for this league and the treasury was kept on the island.<\/p>\n
In the winter of 426\/425 BC the second \u201cpurification\u201d of the island occurred. This time, all the burials from the island were again removed and reburied in what archaeologists call the \u201cPurification Trench\u201d on the island of Rheneia (Catling 1996: 443).<\/p>\n
From 314\u2013166 BC, Delos enjoyed a period of independence and prosperity. The island began to develop as a commercial center with public and private banks. There was extensive building activity and foreigners began to populate the island. In 166 BC the Romans gained control of the island. They put Athens in charge and made it a free port. With economic prosperity came outside influence. Foreigners from Italy, Egypt, Syria, Phoenicia, and Israel brought their cults with them and built temples and shrines to their gods.<\/p>\n
In 88 BC, Menophanes, an officer of Mithradates VI, \u201crazed Delos itself to the ground.\u201d If one can believe the reports of Appian and Pausanias (Description of Greece<\/i> 2, Book III: 23.3-5; LCL 147), upwards of 20,000 people were killed on the island in this attack. In 69 BC, the pirates of Athenodorus, sacked the island and it never regained its glory. Its religious and commercial influence waned. Stabo put it, \u201cWhen the Romans again got the island, after the king withdrew to his homeland, it was desolate; and it has remained in an impoverished condition until the present time\u201d (Geography<\/i> 5, 10.5.4; LCL 167).<\/p>\n
In 58 BC the Roman Senate conferred privileges on the people of Delos. Throughout the first century AD, there was a community on the island and life went on under the control of the Athenians.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 85<\/p>\n
A view to the northwest from the top of Mt. Cynthus. Below is the city of Delos with the harbor. The island of Syros is off in the distance.<\/b><\/p>\n
In the second century AD, during the reign of Hadrian, the Athenians put the island up for sale, but there were no takers! In fact, Pausanias states, \u201cDelos, once the common market of Greece, has no Delian inhabitants, but only the men sent by the Athenians to guard the sanctuary\u201d (Description of Greece<\/i> 4, 33.2; LCL 69).<\/p>\n
At the end of the third century AD, there was a small Christian community on the island. Toward the end of the seventh century AD the island was abandoned.2 <\/p>\n
The Jewish and Samaritan Communities on the Island of Delos<\/b><\/p>\n
Jewish and Samaritan communities on the island of Delos are well attested to in the contemporary literature, as well as by inscriptions discovered in excavations on Delos and Rheneia. The first mention in the literature of a Jewish community on the island of Delos is in 1 Me 15:16\u201323. This passage contains a letter from the Roman proconsul, Lucius Calpurnius Piso (140\u2013139 BC). It affirms that the Jews were friends of Rome and the various kings should protect them. During the reign of Julius Caesar, two edicts were given that protected the rights of the Jews on the island of Delos, both recorded by Josephus (Antiq.<\/i> 14: 213\u201316 and 231\u201332; LCL 561\u201363 and 571\u201373).<\/p>\n
Two funerary stelae of Jewish women who were murdered on Delos were found on the island of Rheneia. Each stela contained a prayer for vengeance against the murderers (Deissmann 1995: 413\u201324). Interestingly, the Greek form of El Elyon<\/i> (\u201cGod, Most High\u201d) is used on both inscriptions. This name also appears on one inscription found in the synagogue. Recently, two Samaritan inscriptions were found 100 yd (90 m) north of the synagogue building. One reads,<\/p>\n
King Mithradates VI of Pontus, 120\u201363 BC, who \u201crazed Delos to the ground\u201d in 88 BC.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Israelites on Delos who make offerings to hallowed Argarizein crown with a gold crown Sarapion, son of Jason, of Knossos, for his benefactions toward them (Kraabel 1984: 44; photograph on page 86, left).<\/p>\n
The second one states, \u201c[the] Israelites [on Delos] who make offerings to hallowed, consecrated Argarizein…\u201d (Kraabel 1984: 45; photograph on page 86 right).<\/p>\n
One can assume that both communities were engaged in the trade and commerce on the island.<\/p>\n
The Synagogue on the Island of Delos<\/b><\/p>\n
Excavations on the island of Delos began in 1873 and were conducted by the Greek Antiquities Service and the Ecole Fran\u00e7aise d\u2019Archeologie at Athens. The most intensive excavations were carried out between 1902 and 1914. During the 1912\u20131913 excavations, a synagogue building was discovered by the excavator, Andr\u00e9 Plassart. The site was later re-excavated by Philippe Bruneau in 1962 and published by him in 1970 and 1982.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 86<\/p>\n
Samaritan inscription found to the north of the synagogue on the island of Delos; translation on page 85<\/b><\/p>\n
The structure is located in a residential area in the northeast part of the island. It consists of several rooms. The main room, the hall of assembly, measures 55 ft (16.9 m) north-south by 49.3 ft (15.0 m) east-west, with a triportal entrance. The assembly hall was divided into two rooms, probably after the War of Mithridates in 88 BC. In the northern room, there are marble benches that line the wall. In the center of the west wall is a kathedra<\/i> (throne) with a footstool. The entrance to a cistern is located in the southern room.<\/p>\n
Four inscriptions were found in the excavations. Each contained the words, Theos Hypsistos<\/i> (\u201cGod, the Most High\u201d) or Hypsistos<\/i> (\u201cthe Most High\u201d). The former is translated El Elyon<\/i> in the Septuagint (cf. Gn 14:19, 20, 22; Goodenough 1957). This name of God also appears on the \u201cVengeance Inscription\u201d from the island of Rheneia mentioned above. One inscription also contained the word proseuchai,<\/i> sometimes translated \u201cprayer halls\u201d and could refer to a synagogue.<\/p>\n
The excavator concluded that the synagogue was in use from the first century BC into the second century AD. Recently, Monika Trumper published a comprehensive article advocating that this structure is the oldest original synagogue building in the Diaspora (2004). She contends that there were five phases of occupation from the second century BC to the second century AD. This, however, is not the final excavation report.<\/p>\n
The identification of this structure has been hotly debated. The original excavator, Andr\u00e9 Plassart, identified it as a Jewish house of worship (1913). E. L. Sukenik, in his Ancient Synagogues in Palestine and Greece,<\/i> followed this identification (1934). In 1935, Belle D. Mazur came out with a study disputing this identification. As a result of this study, Sukenik reversed his position on the structure (1949). Edwin R. Goodenough, in his monumental work, Jewish Symbols of the Graeco-Roman Period,<\/i> analyzed Mazur\u2019s work and offered counter arguments. However, he concluded that the structure \u201cmight almost certainly…be taken, without any protest, to be probably a synagogue\u201d (1965, 2: 74). So much for archaeological dogmatism!<\/p>\n
Hershel Shanks concluded that the structure was actually a temple to Zeus (1979: 43^15). There have been other studies by L. Michael White (1987) and A. Thomas Kraabel that reaffirm the synagogue interpretation. For the purpose of this paper, the synagogue interpretation will be accepted and followed.<\/p>\n
The Setting of the Epistle of James<\/b><\/p>\n
It is not the intent of this article to imply or suggest that the epistle of James reached the island of Delos, or that James had this particular synagogue in mind. The Delos synagogue is used only as an example of a first century AD Diaspora synagogue to illustrate two passages in the epistle. Nothing more is implied.<\/p>\n
James was writing to Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus in the Diaspora (Jas 1:1). The Diaspora is a technical Jewish term, in Greek, for the Jewish people living outside of the Land of Israel. James 2:2\u20134 says,<\/p>\n
For if there should come into your synagogue a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing fine clothes and say to him, \u201cYou sit here in a good place,\u201d and say to the poor man, \u201cYou stand there,\u201d or, \u201cSit here at my footstool,\u201d have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?3 <\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 87<\/p>\n
Synagogue of Delos, View northwest. The kathedra<\/i> (\u201cseat of Moses\u201d) can be seen in the left center.<\/b><\/p>\n
Most English Bibles translate the Greek word \u201csynagogue\u201d as either \u201cassembly,\u201d \u201ccongregation,\u201d \u201cmeeting,\u201d \u201cplace of worship,\u201d or even \u201cchurch\u201d! If we see the epistle of James in its Jewish Diaspora context it should be translated, as the New Jerusalem Bible translates it, \u201csynagogue.\u201d4 <\/p>\n
The early church apparently met in synagogues before the inevitable split between the Church and the Synagogue (Acts 26:11). The Delos synagogue can illustrate James 2. On the west wall of the assembly hall was a kathedra<\/i> (throne) of white marble that has been identified as a \u201cseat of Moses.\u201d This was the most prominent seat in the synagogue where the rabbi would teach the Torah<\/i> to the congregation. Below his feet was a footstool. When the rich man came in, he was given a \u201cgood place,\u201d probably the seat next to the \u201cseat of Moses\u201d on the bench reserved for the elders. On the other hand, the poor man was relegated to stand in the corner or sit at the footstool of the rabbi.<\/p>\n
The kathedra,<\/i> or seat of Moses, illustrates the second passage. James 3:1 says, \u201cMy brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.\u201d The Christian teacher of the Word of God, like the rabbis, scribes and Pharisees, would sit in the \u201cseat of Moses\u201d and expound the Scriptures. James warns the teacher about living a life that is contrary to what he is teaching. James still has the words of the Lord Jesus that he heard only a short while before ringing in his mind.<\/p>\n
The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses\u2019 seat, therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works, for they say, and do not do (Mt 23:2, 3).<\/p>\n
The Word Pictures from the Epistle of James<\/b><\/p>\n
Permit me to use my \u201csanctified imagination\u201d for a moment. Let\u2019s assume that the epistle of James did reach the island of Delos and believers in the Lord Jesus read it. How would they understand the word pictures used by James in his epistle? They, like us, read the Bible in the context of the world in which they lived.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the believers were meeting on the Lord\u2019s Day in the synagogue of Delos when somebody came from the harbor carrying a copy of the epistle of James. With great anticipation they began to read it. \u201cJames, a servant (doulos)<\/i> of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ\u201d (1:1a). Delos had an earlier reputation as a great slave market. Strabo described the slave market of Delos in these terms:<\/p>\n
Delos, which could both admit and send away 10,000 slaves on the same day; whence arose the proverb, \u201cMerchants, sail in, unload your ship, everything has been sold.\u201d The cause of this was the fact that the Romans, having become rich after the destruction of Carthage and Corinth, used many slaves\u201d (Geography<\/i> 6, 14.5.2; LCL 329).<\/p>\n
James goes on to say, \u201cTo the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad\u201d (1:1b). The Jews who had come to faith were descendents of the tribe of Judah. Also living on the island of Delos were Samaritans, who were descendents from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.<\/p>\n
They continued to read, \u201cMy brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.\u201d James wrote this epistle to encourage the people as they went through trials and testings in their walk with the <\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 88<\/p>\n
Begin SideBar<\/i><\/p>\n
THE SYNAGOGUE OF DELOS AND THE EPISTLE OF JAMES<\/b><\/p>\n
For if there should come into your synagogue a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, \u201cYou sit here in a good place, \u201c and to the poor man, \u201cYou stand there, \u201c or, \u201cSit here at my footstool, \u201c have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (Jas 2:2\u20134)<\/i>.<\/p>\n
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment (Jas 3:1)<\/i>.<\/p>\n
But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so (Jas 3:8\u201310)<\/i>.<\/p>\n
This drawing of the synagogue on the island of Delos, by Steve Cavallo and his daughter Julie, captures some of the truths set forth in the epistle of James. The Delos synagogue is the oldest known Jewish synagogue in the Diaspora and is contemporary with the epistle of James.<\/p>\n
James, the son of Zebedee, wrote to the \u201ctwelve tribes which are scattered abroad\u201d (1:1), a reference to the Jewish people who came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and were addressed as \u201cbrethren\u201d and \u201cbeloved brethren\u201d (1:2, 9, 18, 19; 2:1, 14, 15; 3:1; 4:11; 5:7, 10, 12, 19). He wrote this as a follow-up letter to encourage the believers that returned to the Diaspora from Jerusalem after Shavuot<\/i> (Pentecost) of AD 30 (Acts 2).<\/p>\n
He admonishes them to \u201ccount it all joy when you fall into various trials\u201d (1:2\u201312) and not to give into temptation (1:12\u201318). As one goes through trials (from without) and temptations (from within), that person is to be \u201cswift to hear\u201d (1:19, cf. 1:21\u20132:26), \u201cslow to speak\u201d (1:19, cf. 3:1\u201318), and \u201cslow to wrath\u201d (1:19; cf. 4:1\u20135:6). The key to going through trials and temptation is patience (waiting for the Lord\u2019s return) and prayer (5:7\u201320).5 <\/p>\n
The early church (ekklesia),<\/i> with recognized elders (5:14), met in synagogue buildings (2:2). The teacher (3:1), sitting in the \u201cseat of Moses\u201d (cf. Mt 23:2, 3), proclaims the word of God. The listeners are not to be just hearers, but doers of the Word as well (1:22).<\/p>\n
James admonishes them not to show partiality by giving the seat of honor next to the \u201cseat of Moses\u201d to the rich man, or forcing the poor man to sit at the footstool or stand in the corner (2:1\u20139).<\/p>\n
He continues to admonish the believers about the use of their tongue. One\u2019s conversation should be that of blessing the Lord and building up the Body of Christ, rather than cursing (3:2\u20132).<\/p>\n
End SideBar<\/i><\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 89<\/p>\n
Lord. He recounts the words he heard the Lord Jesus say on the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:11, 12). He then writes about testings from without (1:2\u201312) and temptation from within (1:12\u201318).<\/p>\n
The believer who doubts the wisdom of God in testings is described as \u201ca wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind\u201d (1:6). James had in mind the eastern windstorms that he had experienced while fishing on the Sea of Galilee (Mt 8:23\u201327 = Mk 4:35\u201341 = Lk 8:22\u201325; Mt 14:22\u201333 = Mk 6:45\u201352 = Jn 6:15\u201321). The reader on Delos knew from experience the description of \u201choly Delos\u201d given by Callimachus:<\/p>\n
Surely all the Cyclades, most holy of the isles that lie in the sea.. .Wind-swept and stern is she set in the sea, and, wave-beaten as she is, is fitter haunt for gulls than course for horses. The sea, rolling greatly round her, casts off on her much spindrift of the Icarian water (To Delos<\/i> 4; LCL 85).<\/p>\n
One can experience the winds and the waves today on the ferry from Mykonos to Delos.<\/p>\n
When James describes temptation he uses a word from the terminology of his own fishing profession, \u201centiced\u201d (1:14; Kent 1986: 51). The Delos readers would immediately understand this word picture. Callimachus continues in his hymn To Delos,<\/i> describing Delos as a place where \u201csea-roaming fishermen have made her their home\u201d (LCL 85). In the excavations of Delos, a number of fish hooks and implements used for mending nets (cf. Mk 1:19) were discovered. The term \u201centice\u201d depicts live bait, either a worm or fish on a hook, to prompt the fish to bite. The temptation to sin is the same way. It looks alluring (Heb 11:25), but when partaken of, it leads to death (Jas 1:15).<\/p>\n
James gives an outline for the rest of the book in v. 19 (Hodges 1994: 15, 16). \u201cTherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.\u201d James expands on the theme, \u201cbe swift to hear\u201d in James 1:21\u20132:26. The believer is not just to hear the Word of God, but is also to do it (1:22). The second section, \u201cbe slow to speak\u201d is expanded on in chap. 3. The third section, \u201cbe slow to wrath\u201d is expanded on in James 4:1\u20135:6. The final section of the book gives the key for going through trials and temptation. James says the believer is to have patience (waiting for the Lord\u2019s return) and pray (5:7\u201320).<\/p>\n
Adapted From: Konstantinos Tsakos, Delos-Mykonos, A guide to the History and Archaeology, page 8.<\/b><\/p>\n
The first section, \u201cbe swift to hear\u201d is set in the synagogue, with its \u201cseat of Moses\u201d and footstool. James admonishes the believers to be swift to hear the Word of God and apply it to one\u2019s life. The setting of the synagogue has already been discussed. However, within the context of the synagogue in James 2, James quotes the Hebrew Scriptures inv. 8 (cf. Lv 19:18) and v. 11 (Ex 19:13, 14), passages that would be found in the Torah<\/i> scrolls of the synagogue. In his discourse on \u201cfaith and works\u201d he says, \u201cYou believe that there is one God, you do well\u201d (2:19). The statement \u201cone God\u201d comes from the Shema<\/i> (Dt 6:4) that was recited in the synagogue, as well as in the Scriptures contained within the tefillin<\/i> (Ex 13:1\u201310; Dt 6:4\u20139; Ex 13:11\u201316). Tefillin<\/i> is the Aramaic word for phylacteries (cf. Matt. 23:5), the two leather boxes that contain select Scripture passages that are worn on the forehead and the left arm. They were used in the first century, as examples found Qumran testify (Yadin 1969: 13).<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 90<\/p>\n
The Delian agora by the harbor. At one time in its history, many slaves were sold in this marketplace.<\/b><\/p>\n
Waves crashing against the rocky shore of the island of Delos.<\/b><\/p>\n
James then gives two examples of people who expressed their faith before their fellow human beings by their works, Abraham and Rahab (2:21\u201325; cf. Mt 5:16; Ti 3:5, 8). He concludes this section with v. 26, \u201cFor as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.\u201d The Delians had an interesting custom concerning the dead. Strabo described Rheneia, the island opposite Delos, in these terms:<\/p>\n
Rheneia is a desert isle within four stadia from Delos, and there the Delians bury their dead; for it is unlawful to bury, or even burn, a corpse on Delos itself (Geography<\/i> 5, 10.5.5; LCL 167).<\/p>\n
Since Delos was a \u201choly\u201d island, nobody could be born on the island for fear of infant mortality, nor die there.<\/p>\n
The \u201cseat of Moses\u201d in the synagogue where the rabbi or teacher sat in order to instruct the people in the Scriptures. The seat of honor would be on either side. Note the footstool in front of the seat.<\/b><\/p>\n
The theme \u201cslow to speak\u201d is addressed in James 3. James admonishes the teacher who would sit in the \u201cseat of Moses\u201d and expound the Scriptures. James uses seven illustrations from the Sea of Galilee to describe the effect the tongue has on other people. At least six of these would be clearly understood on Delos.<\/p>\n
The first illustration is the bit in the horse\u2019s mouth that turns his body (3:2b, 3). On the walls of one of the houses on Delos was found a painting of a man riding a horse with a bit in the horse\u2019s mouth. The Delians likewise would understand this because of the hippodrome on the island. As previously mentioned, Callimachus referred to the course for horses. Archaeological remains of a hippodrome were discovered to the east of the sacred lake.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 91<\/p>\n
Fishhooks and other fishing implements found in the excavations on Delos.<\/b><\/p>\n
The second illustration is that of a small rudder on a large ship (3:4). James the son of Zebedee, being a fisherman, knew the power of the rudder to turn a ship in the wind. The Delians likewise understood the workings of the rudder from watching the ships maneuver as they came and went from this maritime trading center in the midst of the Aegean Sea.<\/p>\n
The third illustration is that of a forest fire (3:5, 6). James the son of Zebedee painted this word picture from the summer fires that were in the forests of Galilee and the Golan (cf. Am 7:4; Joel 1:19, 20; 2:3).<\/p>\n
The fourth illustration is of the animals (3:7). The \u201ccreatures of the sea\u201d would be understood by James as the fish in the Sea of Galilee. The Delians would understand it as the sea creatures in the Aegean Sea.<\/p>\n
The fifth illustration is that of a spring (3:11, 12). James would have understood the contrast between the fresh water and bitter water from the time he spent at Tabgha, the fishing grounds for Capernaum. There were seven springs there; some were bitter and some very sweet. The island of Delos had only one source of fresh water, a spring on the side of Mt. Cynthus creating the Inopos River that flowed down to the salt water of the sea.<\/p>\n
The sixth illustration James uses is of fruit trees\u2014figs, olives and grapes. These trees were local to the Sea of Galilee as well as most of the land of Israel. Today, if one visits Delos, it appears to be devoid of fertile land. The reason for that is twofold. First, during the 19th century, the island was used as pastureland for the sheep from Mykonos. Second, today it is an archaeological park under the auspices of the World Heritage Federation and farming is not permitted (Reger 1994: 95). There are a few fig trees scattered here and there, but in antiquity there were farms that engaged in agricultural activity (Reger 1994: 127\u201345). One can see vines on funerary monuments from Rheneia that would have reflected the earthly activities of the dead. Callimachus also mentioned olive trees on the island (To Delos;<\/i> LCL 105).<\/p>\n
In the final word-picture, James describes the \u201cwisdom that is from above\u201d as being \u201cwithout hypocrisy\u201d (3:17). The word \u201chypocrisy\u201d is a Greek theatric term for an actor that performs for the applause of the audience. James was well aware of at least three theaters in the area of the Sea of Galilee. From the northern shore of the Lake, one could see the Tiberias, Hippos and Gadara theaters. The recipients of the letter on Delos also knew the theatric term \u201chypocrisy\u201d because of the theater on the island. Also, a common motif of the period was painted masks on the walls and in mosaics on the floors. In a private house called the \u201cHouse of the Masks\u201d one can see such examples.<\/p>\n
A painting on the wall of a house on Delos depicting a man riding a horse. Note the bit in the horse\u2019s mouth.<\/b><\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 92<\/p>\n
A mosaic depicting dolphins found on the floor of a house on Delos.<\/b><\/p>\n
The third section, \u201cbe slow to wrath,\u201d begins in chap. 4. James asks, \u201cWhere do wars and fights come from among you?\u201d The implication of that verse is that the believers were fighting in the church meeting. James also states that some believers murder and covet (4:2). A sword found in the excavations reminds us of potential weapons that could be used to carry out this gross and sinful deed. A wall painting of two boxers fighting each other from one of the houses illustrates fighting.<\/p>\n
In this context as well, James says that some believers were adulterers and adulteresses (4:4). Most commentators see this as spiritual adultery, but in the context of the Greco-Roman world, it could be both physical and spiritual. On the island of Delos, there were temples to a host of deities that would try to lure the believer away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Some cults even used sexual immorality to attract people to them. The most notable one on Delos was the cult of Dionysos, the god of wine and merrymaking. His shrine, called the Stoibadeion,<\/i> was \u201ca rectangular exedra which at both ends has a pillar which supported an oversize phallus, the symbol of Dionysos\u201d (Zaphiropoulou 1993: 32). Dionysos was also discovered on mosaics in private houses on the island (1993: 34\u201337).<\/p>\n
Entrance to the spring on the side of Mt. Cynthus. It has since dried up.<\/b><\/p>\n
In the section on \u201cslow to wrath\u201d, James addresses the source of the problem, which is pride (4:6, 10). He goes on to describe the arrogant merchants as saying,<\/p>\n
Come now, you who say, \u201cToday or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit\u201d (4:13).<\/p>\n
James reminds them that they don\u2019t even know what tomorrow brings because life it like a vapor. Most of the Jewish community on the island of Delos probably engaged in trade and commerce. For the self-sufficient believer, this would strike home.<\/p>\n
After the tragedy of September 11, 2001, I was watching an interview with several New York firefighters. One of them recalled the words of the chief chaplain of New York\u2019s bravest, Mychal Judge, who died in the collapse of the World Trade Center. He said, \u201cIf you want to make God laugh, tell Him what you are going to do tomorrow!\u201d This caught the essence of James 4:13\u201317. In this passage, James describes the arrogant merchants who plan their buying and selling activities and anticipate a profit, yet they do not realize that life is like a vapor. James admonishes them to say, \u201cIf the Lord wills, we shall do this or that\u201d (4:15). It is a humbling thought to realize Someone else holds our future!<\/p>\n
James goes on to address the rich in James 5:1\u20136. During the Hellenistic period, Delos was a wealthy island. Several residential quarters of the city had luxurious two and three story houses with beautiful mosaics and frescos on the walls. There were farms on Delos that grew wheat and barley (Reger 1994: 95\u2013101). James reflects the farmer\/reaper who is being taken advantage of by the wealthy farm owner (5:4).<\/p>\n
In the final section of the book, James returns to the opening theme, trials and suffering (5:7\u201320). He encourages the believers to have patience and look for the Lord\u2019s return (5:7\u201312) and to be persistent in prayer (5:13\u201320). In each of these sections, the believer on Delos has a decision to make, either to follow the Lord Jesus Christ or one of the deities of the island.<\/p>\n
In the first section, James encourages them to look for the Lord\u2019s return and follow the example of the prophets. Delos was famous as the birthplace of Apollo, the god of prophecy, poetry and music. His temples stood in the center of the island. An individual could go to his oracles to consult the future, but the believer in the Lord Jesus has a \u201cmore sure word of prophecy,\u201d the Bible (2 Pt 1:19). The prophetic Scriptures were given to encourage the believers to godly living, comfort in times of sorrow, and patience as they persevere through trials (1 Jn 3:2, 3; 1 Thes 4:13\u201318; Rom 8:18\u201330; Blackstone 1989: 181\u201383).<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 93<\/p>\n
James further asks the question, \u201cIs anyone among you sick?\u201d (5:14). Most of the people on the island would go to the Asclepion<\/i> at the headlands of the Fourni Bay for healing (Zaphiropoulou 1993: 52). James instructs the believers to instead,<\/p>\n
Call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up (5:14, 15a).<\/p>\n
The response of the believer would be different than the society around.<\/p>\n
Implications for Dating the Epistle of James<\/b><\/p>\n
The epistle of James was written by James the son of Zebedee (Bassett 1876), and not the half-brother of the Lord as most commentators suggest (Davids 1982: 2\u20137; Hiebert 1992: 24\u201332). The view that James the son of Zebedee wrote the book is based on the internal content of the book, particularly the word pictures in it. Many of the statements in the epistle are based on the teachings of the Lord Jesus, primarily the Sermon on the Mount and parables given in Galilee. James the son of Zebedee was an \u201cear witness\u201d to these sayings. Many of the word pictures that are used in the epistle are from the Sea of Galilee.<\/p>\n
It is also believed that the epistle was written soon (one or two years) after Pentecost (Shavuot)<\/i> of AD 30 to encourage those believers in their new found faith in the Lord Jesus as they returned to their family and friends in the Diaspora (Acts 2:8\u201311, 41; Jas 1:1). These early Hebrew-Christians (or Messianic Jews) would have met in the synagogue buildings until the break with their Jewish brethren (Acts 26:11).<\/p>\n
Archaeology and geography can add a third dimension to Biblical studies. The black and white (and sometimes red!) letters on the pages of Scripture can be placed in a historical and geographical context that can be visualized. The reader can say, \u201cNow I see what the inspired writer is talking about.\u201d Just as the readers on Delos could \u201csee\u201d the word pictures used by James when they read the epistle, so we can as well. Might we not just see the word pictures, but also apply them to our lives. As James admonishes us, \u201cBut be doers of the word, and not hearers only\u201d (1:22).<\/p>\n
Funerary stela from the island of Rheneia depicting a grapevine above the people. This reflects the agricultural life on ancient Delos.<\/b><\/p>\n
Bibliography<\/b><\/p>\n
Bassett, Francis<\/b><\/p>\n
1876 The Catholic Epistle of St. James.<\/i> London: Samuel Gagster and Sons.<\/p>\n
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1989 Jesus is Coming. God\u2019s Hope for a Restless World.<\/i> Grand Rapids MI: Kregel.<\/p>\n
Bruneau, Philippe<\/b><\/p>\n
1970 Recherches sur les cultes de D\u00e9los \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque hell\u00e9nistique et \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque imp\u00e9riale.<\/i> Paris: Editions de Boccard.<\/p>\n
1982 Les Israelites de Delos et la Juiverie Delienne. Bulletin de correspondence hell\u00e9nique<\/i> 106: 465\u2013504.<\/p>\n
Callimachus<\/b><\/p>\n
2000 Callimachus<\/i>\u2014Hymns and Epigrams, Lycophron,<\/i> trans. Alexander W. Mair, and Aratus.<\/i> trans Gilbert R. Mair. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 94<\/p>\n
Catling, Richard<\/b><\/p>\n
1996 Delos. Pp. 442\u201344 in The Oxford Classical Dictionary,<\/i> eds. Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.<\/p>\n
Davids, Peter H.<\/b><\/p>\n
1982 The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text.<\/i> Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans.<\/p>\n
Deissmann, Adolf<\/b><\/p>\n
1995 Light from the Ancient East.<\/i> Trans. Lionel R.M. Strachan. Reprint of 1927 edition. Peabody MA: Hendrickson.<\/p>\n
Goodenough, Edwin<\/b><\/p>\n
1957 The Bosporus Inscriptions to the Most High God. Jewish Quarterly Review<\/i> 47: 221\u201344.<\/p>\n
1965 Jewish Symbols of the Graeco-Roman Period,<\/i> 13 vols. New York: Pantheon.<\/p>\n
Hiebert, D. Edmond<\/b><\/p>\n
1992 The Epistle of James: Tests of a Living Faith,<\/i> rev. ed. Chicago: Moody.<\/p>\n
Hodges, Zane C.<\/b><\/p>\n
1994 The Epistle of James: Proven Character Through Testing.<\/i> Irving TX: Grace Evangelical Society.<\/p>\n
Homer<\/b><\/p>\n
1998 Odyssey 1, Books 1\u201312.<\/i> Trans. Augustus T. Murray. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
Homeric Hymns<\/b><\/p>\n
2000 Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, Homerica.<\/i> Trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
Josephus<\/b><\/p>\n
1980 Josephus 8: Jewish Antiquities, Books XV-XVII.<\/i> Trans. Ralph Marcus and Allen P. Wikgren. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
Kee, Howard C.<\/b><\/p>\n
1990 The Transformation of the Synagogue after 70 C.E.: Its Import for Early Christianity. New Testament Studies<\/i> 36: 1\u201324.<\/p>\n
1994 The Changing Meaning of Synagogue: A Response to Richard Oster. New Testament Studies<\/i> 40: 281\u201383.<\/p>\n
Kent, Homer A.<\/b><\/p>\n
1986 Faith That Works: Studies in the Epistle of James.<\/i> Winona Lake IN: BMH Books.<\/p>\n
Kraabel, A. Thomas<\/b><\/p>\n
1979 The Diaspora Synagogue: Archaeological and Epigraphical Evidence since Sukenik. Pp. 477\u2013510 in Aufstieg und Niedergang der r\u00f6mischen Welt 2: Principat, Religion (Judentum: Allgemeines; Pal\u00e4stinisches Judentum),<\/i> Bd. 19.1, eds. Hildergard Temporini and Wolfgang Haase. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. Reprinted pp. 95-126 in Ancient Synagogues: Historical Analysis and Archaeological Discovery,<\/i> eds. Dan Urman and Paul V. M. Flesher. Leiden: E. J. Brill (1995).<\/p>\n
A painting on the wall of a house depicting two boxers fighting.<\/b><\/p>\n
1981 Social System of Six Diaspora Synagogues. Pp. 79\u2013121 in Ancient Synagogues, the State of Research,<\/i> ed. Joseph Gutman. Chico CA: Scholars.<\/p>\n
1983 The Roman Diaspora: Six Questionable Assumptions. Journal of Jewish Studies<\/i> 33: 445\u201364. Reprinted pp. 1-20 in Diaspora Jews and Judaism,<\/i> eds. J. Andrew Overman and Robert S. MacLennan. Atlanta GA: Scholars (1992).<\/p>\n
1984 New Evidence of the Samaritan Diaspora has been Found on Delos. Biblical Archaeologist<\/i> 47: 44\u201346.<\/p>\n
1985 Synagoga Caeca: Systematic Distortion in Gentile Interpretations of Evidence for Judaism in the Early Christian Period. Pp. 219\u201316 in \u201cTo see Ourselves as Others see Us\u201d: Christians, Jews, \u201cOthers\u201d in Late Antiquity,<\/i> eds. Jacob Neusner and Erenest S. Frerichs. Chico CA: Scholars. Reprinted pp. 35-62 in Diaspora Jews and Judaism,<\/i> eds. J. Andrew Overman and Robert S. MacLennan. Atlanta GA: Scholars (1992).<\/p>\n
1992 Unity and Diversity among Diaspora Synagogues. Pp. 21\u201333 in Diaspora Jews and Judaism,<\/i> eds. J. Andrew Overman and Robert S. MacLennan. Atlanta GA: Scholars.<\/p>\n
Laidlaw, William A.<\/b><\/p>\n
1933 A History of Delos.<\/i> Oxford: Basil Blackwell.<\/p>\n
Mazur, Belle D.<\/b><\/p>\n
1935 Studies on Jewry in Greece.<\/i> Athens: Hestia.<\/p>\n
Oster, Richard<\/b><\/p>\n
1993 Supposed Anachronism in Luke-Acts\u2019 Use of Synagogue. New Testament Studies<\/i> 39: 178\u2013208.<\/p>\n
Overman, J. Andrew<\/b><\/p>\n
1992 The Diaspora in the Modern Study of Ancient Judaism. Pp. 63\u201378 in Diaspora Jews and Judaism,<\/i> eds. J. Andrew Overman and Robert S. MacLennan. Atlanta GA: Scholars.<\/p>\n
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1993 Description of Greece 2,<\/i> Books III-V. Trans. William H. S. Jones and Henry A. Ormerod. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
1995 Description of Greece<\/i> 4, Books VIII.22-X. Trans. William H. S. Jones. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
Plassart, Andr\u00e9<\/b><\/p>\n
1914 La synagogue juive de D\u00e9los. Revue Biblique<\/i> 11: 525\u201334.<\/p>\n
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1989 Natural History 2.<\/i> Trans. Harris Rackham. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
Reger, Gary<\/b><\/p>\n
1994 Regionalism and Change in the Economy of Independent Delos, 314-167 B.C.<\/i> Berkeley CA: University of California.<\/p>\n
Shanks, Hershel<\/b><\/p>\n
1979 Judaism in Stone. The Archaeology of Ancient Synagogues.<\/i> New York: Harper and Row.<\/p>\n
Strabo<\/b><\/p>\n
1988 The Geography of Strabo<\/i> 5. Trans. Horace L. Jones. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
1989 The Geography of Strabo<\/i> 6. Trans. Horace L. Jones. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University.<\/p>\n
Sukenik, Eleazar L.<\/b><\/p>\n
1934 Ancient Synagogues in Palestine and Greece.<\/i> London: Oxford University.<\/b><\/p>\n
1949 The Present State of Ancient Synagogue Studies. Louis M. Rabinowitz Fund for the Exploration of Ancient Synagogues Bulletin<\/i> 1: 8\u201323.<\/p>\n
Trumper, Monika<\/b><\/p>\n
2004 The Oldest Original Synagogue Building in the Diaspora: The Delos Synagogue Reconsidered. Hesperia<\/i> 73: 513\u201398.<\/p>\n
White, L. Michael<\/b><\/p>\n
1987 The Delos Synagogue Revisited: Recent Fieldwork in the Graeco-Roman Diaspora. Harvard Theological Review<\/i> 80: 133\u201360.<\/p>\n
Yadin, Yigael<\/b><\/p>\n
1969 Tefillin from Qumran.<\/i> Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society.<\/p>\n
Zaphiropoulou, Photini<\/b><\/p>\n
1993 Delos Monuments and Museum.<\/i> Athens: Krene.<\/p>\n
Gordon Franz is a Bible teacher who has engaged in extensive archaeological research in Israel and the Mediterranean world. He is a former field trip instructor at the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem and presently team-teaches the Talbot School of Theology\u2019s Bible Lands Program.<\/b><\/p>\n
BSpade<\/i> 18:3 (Summer 2005) p. 95<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gordon Franz Introduction Sefar Ya\u2019akov (book of James), written by Ya\u2019akov Ben-Zavdai (James son of Zebedee), was addressed to Messianic Jews residing in the Diaspora, outside of Eretz Yis-rael (Land of Israel). This small epistle, only five chapters long, has a distinct Jewish flavor based on the teachings of Yeshua ha-Mashiach (Jesus the Messiah). I … Continue reading “THE
\nSYNAGOGUE ON THE ISLAND OF DELOS
\nAND THE EPISTLE OF JAMES”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15417\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}