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Author Topic:   Why did Jesus kill the Pigs?
Nighttrain
Member (Idle past 3994 days)
Posts: 1512
From: brisbane,australia
Joined: 06-08-2004


Message 8 of 45 (176405)
01-12-2005 11:19 PM


I`ve always been fascinated by the hidden meaning of parables in the Bible. Even the disciples were pretty dense, needing Jesus to explain what they meant. With the discovery of the pesher technique among the Qumran Scrolls, It seems there are many attempts to disguise the true meanings of statements by inserting either a key number, word or contemporary meaning.
In a land ruled by both an overlord (Rome) and a political appointee (tetrarch Herod Antipas), and continual religious and nationalistic fervour,it seems logical that spying would be conducted on a grand scale. IOW, you watched what you spoke or got the chop. Though the Gadarene pigs` tale might seem straightforward, both the reference to 'Legion' and the number of two thousand may convey a less-than -subtle attempt to make fun of the rulers. Even the choice of an unclean animal in quantities might be another sly reference. Another oddity is that Matthew and Mark use 'sea' (KJV) while Luke uses 'lake'. If Jesus met the demon-possessed man when he landed,and the pigs ran into the 'sea', the nearest city was Gadara, approx. forty miles inland across the Yarmuk River. Long way for 'the whole city' to come to meet Jesus.
Finally, there is the oddity of two men possessed in Matthew, while only one each for Mark and Luke. Different cures?

  
Nighttrain
Member (Idle past 3994 days)
Posts: 1512
From: brisbane,australia
Joined: 06-08-2004


Message 12 of 45 (177130)
01-14-2005 8:19 PM
Reply to: Message 11 by Jon_the_Second
01-14-2005 3:10 AM


Re: Pagan connection
Dunno, Jon, to me the Mysteries seemed to involve ritual washing of both the participant AND the pig before sacrifice.
From http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/hymns/eleusis.php#sea
we have---(Purification and Sacrifice:
On the second day the participants walked to the sea near Athens and cleansed themselves and a small pig. Upon returning to the city, participants sacrificed the pig.)
While the Gadarene/Gerascene sacrifice didn`t involve the one/two men involved.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 11 by Jon_the_Second, posted 01-14-2005 3:10 AM Jon_the_Second has not replied

  
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