Titus 1,12: Epimenides, Ancient Christian Scholars, Zeus's Death, and the Cretan Paradox

Many logicians and exegetes have read Titus 1,12 as an example of the Liar's Paradox without paying sufficient attention to the nature of ancient oracular utterance. Instead of reading the verse as a logical puzzle, it should be read from its ancient context in the history of religions - a cont...

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Dettagli Bibliografici
Autore principale: Cook, John Granger 1955- (Autore)
Tipo di documento: Elettronico Articolo
Lingua:Inglese
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Pubblicazione: De Gruyter 2021
In: Zeitschrift für antikes Christentum
Anno: 2021, Volume: 25, Fascicolo: 3, Pagine: 367-394
(sequenze di) soggetti normati:B Bibel. Titusbrief 1,12 / Epimenides, Cretensis 6 a.C.. Jh. / Išoʿdad, Hdatta, Bischof / Hieronymus, Sophronius Eusebius 345-420 / Zeus, Dio / Morte
Notazioni IxTheo:BE Religioni greco-romane
CC Cristianesimo; religione non cristiana; relazioni interreligiose
HC Nuovo Testamento
KAA Chiesa; storia
KAB Cristianesimo delle origini
Altre parole chiave:B 12
B Cretan Paradox
B Death of Zeus
B Epimenides
B Titus 1
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Riepilogo:Many logicians and exegetes have read Titus 1,12 as an example of the Liar's Paradox without paying sufficient attention to the nature of ancient oracular utterance. Instead of reading the verse as a logical puzzle, it should be read from its ancient context in the history of religions - a context of which ancient Christian scholars were aware. The Syriac scholars preserved a shocking Cretan tradition about Zeus's death that probably goes back to Theodore of Mopsuestia. The god responsible for Epimenides' oracle presumably rejected the Cretan tradition of Zeus's death and tomb. The truth value of 1,12 consequently depends on the oracle and not the human being (i.e., Epimenides) who delivers the oracle. A reading sensitive to the history of religions preserves the Pauline author's perspective in Titus 1,13: ἡ μαρτυρία αὕτη ἐστὶν ἀληθής. There is, consequently, a strong analogy between Caiaphas's words in John 11:49-50 and those of Epimenides in Titus 1,12.
ISSN:1612-961X
Comprende:Enthalten in: Zeitschrift für antikes Christentum
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1515/zac-2021-0032