Anders Runesson

Birger Olsson

Donald D. Binder

This volume gathers for the first time all of the primary source material on the early synagogues up through the Second Century C. E. Each entry contains bibliographic citations and interpretative comments. An Introduction frames the current state of synagogue research, while extensive indices allow for easy location of specific allusions.

A Source Book

The Ancient Synagogue from Its Origins to 200 C.E.

Magnus Zetterholm

"The renewed intensity during the first part of the 90's of the debate concerning the ancient synagogue was a major influence on the decision to start the synagogue project in Lund: ""The Ancient Synagogue: Birthplace of Two World Religions"". On the basis o"

Papers Presented at an International Conference at Lund University, October 14-17, 2001

The Ancient Synagogue from Its Origins Until 200 C.E.

The long history of interpretation of the three Johannine letters has been largely characterized, at least since Irenaeus in the late second century, by the assumption that the Elder was addressing the Gnostic heresy. In recent years, particularly with the work of Raymond Brown, attention has been focused on the internal schism within the Johannine (or Beloved Disciple's) community, thus taking the first epistle as a corrective to secessionists' misguided attempts to read the Gospel of John in an "advanced," spiritualizing manner.Birger Olsson returns to a less common perspective, one that views the crisis facing the Elder as a wholly "intra-Jewish" problem. The Johannine community comprised Jewish believers who regarded Jesus as the long-promised Messiah of Israel, but at some point in the community's life, under the leadership of one Diotrephes, some members of the community chose to reject this conviction and to entice other members to do likewise. Olsson anchors his thoroughgoing interpretation of the three letters in this conflict among Jewish Christians over the nature of the Messiah and the renewal of Israel's ancient covenant. Among other things, this implies that the letters were written in reverse order of their numbering.

Birger Olsson

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