The Holy Spirit, Inspiration, and the Cultures of Antiquity

Multidisciplinary Perspectives

Jörg Frey, John Levison, Jörg Frey, John Levison

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9783110388305
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

Early Christian claims to the Holy Spirit arose in a vibrant cultural matrix that included Stoicism, Jewish mysticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Greco-Roman medicine, and the perspectives of Plutarch. In a range of articles, this multidisciplinary volume discovers in these texts rich cultural connections related to inspiration and the Holy Spirit. Essential reading for scholars of Judaism and the New Testament, as well as classicists and theologians.

Soham Al-Suadi²⁴⁹

“Even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit”—Luke 1:15 in the Spectrum of Theological and Medical Discoursesof Early Christianity

1 Introduction

When discussing the New Testament and ancient medical texts, the Gospel of Luke is often the starting point.²⁵⁰ This is not surprising, since the New Testament refers to Luke as a doctor (Col 4:14) and since both the Gospel of Luke and Acts incorporate details about illness into the narrative. The detailed description of the human physique, which is a feature of the Gospel of Luke, gives the Gospel a medical flair. Exegetical studies of the New Testament have begun looking to ancient medical texts in order to gain background information about the various understandings of health and disease. A broad consensus within New Testament scholarship has evolved, claiming that Luke had basic knowledge of medical texts and general medical practices. These medical and biblical texts, however, diverge in content and purpose so that the overlap between them needs to be more accurately assessed. When this is done, the question naturally arises as to whether medical texts are relevant for the interpretation of the Lucan stories, which only indirectly describe healings of the sick. Because the characters experiencing healing in Luke’s narratives are not described within the classical framework of miracles and healings, it is necessary to broaden the scope of investigation by examining how physical inadequacy in general was overcome in medical texts. Luke 1:5 – 80, when referring to the physical inadequacy of Elisabeth, points significantly to

during both pregnancy and birth. Therefore, this paper will ask whether medical texts can be profitable for an interpretation of the birth narrative in Luke 1.²⁵¹

In Luke 1:5 – 80 it is striking that the references to the physical condition of the protagonists and the influence of the Spirit increasingly occur and are by no means meant metaphorically. In other words, medical knowledge and theological themes are connected throughout the discussion of the

and birth. Therefore, Luke’s medical knowledge about

in connection with pregnancy and childbirth should be examined, as well as the medical context behind these relationships. This paper gives particular attention to Luke 1:15. Luke 1:15 plays a key role in the text, since in this verse

is mentioned for the first time in the Gospel and since in the course of the chapter it is continuously related to medical overtones. Because medical sources about pregnancy and childbirth are numerous in antiquity, only those that overlap in terminology or theme with Luke 1:5 – 80 are taken into consideration. Notable among these are texts from the Corpus Hippocraticum and Aretaeus of Cappadocia, where the authors mention

as it relates to pregnancy and childbirth and emphasize several themes, including fulfillment (

), the (women’s) body

, ), and pregnancy (

). Thus, as we compare these texts our focus will be on discussing

and pregnancy as well as

in a woman’s body.²⁵²

Our analysis will unfold as follows: we will begin with an analysis of Luke 1:15 with the goal of understanding the extent to which this verse served as the basis for Luke’s medical references to the Spirit. We will then look at medical texts dealing with

in general and with pregnancy and childbirth in particular, asking which of these share similarities with Luke. Particular attention will be given to investigating how

was understood in the Corpus Hippocraticum and Aretaeus, especially as

related to pregnancy and childbirth. This will bring up the question about Luke’s familiarity with medical texts, which he may have incorporated or could have at least provided a background for his own argument. Debating that Luke 1 shows familiari...

Table of contents

• Ekstasis
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Table of Contents
• Abbreviations
• The Origins of Early Christian Pneumatology: On the Rediscovery and Reshaping of the Historyof Religions Quest
• The Spirit of Stoicism
• Plutarch and Pentecost: An Exploration in Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• “Even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit”—Luke 1:15 in the Spectrum of Theological and Medical Discoursesof Early Christianity
• The Infusion of the Spirit: The Meaning of in John 20:22 – 23
• Ruaḥ and the Beholding of God— From Ezekiel’s Vision of the Divine Chariot to Merkaba Mysticism
• Historical Origins of the Early Christian Concept of the Holy Spirit - Perspectives from the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Speech and Spirit: Paul and the Maskil as Inspired Interpreters of Scripture
• Philo of Alexandria’s Understanding of in Deus 33 – 50
• Pneuma and the Beholding of God: Reading Paul in the Context of Philonic Mystical Traditions
• Spirit in Relationship—Pneumatology in the Gospel of John
• How did the Spirit become a Person?
• Index: Ancient Texts
• Index: Modern Authors
• Index of Subjects and Ancient Names