Nazarene Gospel
The Gospel of the Nazarenes or Nazoräerevangelium (to ancient Greek Ναζωραῖοι Nazōraioi , the Syrian Jewish Christians ) is a apocryphal gospel , one of three Jewish Christian Gospels (together with Hebrew Gospel and Ebionitenevangelium ) extending closely to the canonical Matthew followed and was used in the Syrian Christians (Nazarenes) - hence its name. The evangelist Matthew , who is said to have written the gospel in the Hebrew language , was previously assumed to be the author .
It is not preserved as a whole, but only in 36 smaller fragments as quotations from church fathers.
Quotes
One of the sections that are particularly informative, because they are formulated differently from the text of the canonical Gospels , is the description of the visit by wise men from the Orient , where the Nazarene Gospel says:
- "... that not only three men, but a multitude of hikers came to the Lord, even if the most distinguished leaders of this group are named after some of them with specific names Melchus , Kaspar , Phadizarda " ( Sedulius Scottus , Mt-Kom).
- “In the Gospel of the Nazarene the reason is given from which John was acquainted with the high priest (cf. Joh 18,15ff). Since he was the son of the poor fisherman Zebedee (cf. Mk 1:19 f.), He had often brought fish to the palace of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas. But John went out to the doorkeeper and managed from her that his companion Peter, who stood crying loudly in front of the gate, was let in ”(Sedulius Scottus, Mt-Kom).
Also in the Gospel of the Nazarene we read that the temple threshold of infinite size split at the death of Christ. Josephus tells a similar incident from the time before the outbreak of the Jewish War and interprets it as a portent of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Historical testimony
The existence of the Gospel is first attested by Hegesipp , then by Eusebius of Caesarea , Epiphanius and Hieronymus ; thus it was certainly made before 180 AD, probably in the first half of the 2nd century. The place of origin cannot be definitely determined. One thinks of areas in which there were Aramaic-speaking Jewish Christian communities at that time.
Jerome found this apparently Aramaic Gospel among the Nazarene of Beroea in Koilesyria (near Aleppo) in Chaldean and Syrian languages, but with Hebrew letters. He thought it was original Matthew. After writing his Matthew commentary, he seems to have revised his mind:
- “At Bethlehem in Judea… that is a mistake of the copyists. We believe that the evangelist originally wrote 'Judah', as we read it in Hebrew, and not 'Judea' ”(Hieron., Mt-Kom. On Mt. 2,5)
The Gospel of Hebrews is to be distinguished from the Gospel of Nazarenes. This is supported by Eusebius' lecture from Hegesipp's Memorabilia:
- “He quotes a few words from the Gospel according to the Hebrews as well as from the Syriac (Gospel) and especially in the Hebrew language, whereby he shows that he came to believe from the Hebrews" (Church history of Eusebius IV 22.8).
literature
- FF Bruce Extra-biblical evidence about Jesus and early Christianity Brunnen Verlag Gießen ISBN 3-7655-9366-4 , pp. 95–99.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Werner Kleine: Fragments, Quotes and Logies Jewish Christian Gospels, the Thomas Gospel and a Jewish Anti-Gospel. January 28, 2011, www.pastoralservice.de, accessed on April 14, 2018 [1]
- ↑ Cf. Flavius Josephus: Juedischer Krieg / Buch VI, 293-300 .
- ^ Edgar Hennecke , Wilhelm Schneemelcher : New Testament Apocrypha in German translation . Volume I: Gospels . JCB Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 4th edition Tübingen 1968, p. 94.