Mitch Lewis

Jupiter Column - Ladenburg

Jupiter Column - Ladenburg

According to N. T. Wright, "In Paul's day, the cult of Caesar was the fastest-growing religion in the Mediterranean world." Perhaps so, but there was still plenty of plain-old-paganism to go around. I stumbled across evidence of that in the little city of Ladenburg this weekend.

Ladenburg was the Roman frontier town of Lopodunum, but its Roman foundations were buried for centuries. Pictured at left is a Jupitergigantensäule. The original was discovered in 1963 in a well where Alamanni invaders had tossed it 1800 years ago. I was fascinated by the monument, and so I did a little research.

Jupiter columns like this one are among the most prevalent Roman religious artifacts found in the Upper Rhine. The Ladenburg column follows the standard pattern almost exactly. The column is about 4 meters high. A Latin inscription dedicates the monument to the god Jupiter Optimus Maximus (Jupiter Best and Greatest) and Juno Reginae (Juno the queen). Atop the column, Jupiter rides a horse and carries a lightning bolt in his right hand. The horse treads on a giant. The capital is adorned with the images of four women. The column is carved with patterns to look like scales. The base of the column is a Viergötterstein (four god stone) with images of Juno, Minerva, Mercury and Hercules. These characteristics are common to hundreds of relics found in the territory of Germania Superior (but, surprisingly, not outside the region).

Juno Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg Juno Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg

Minerva Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg Minerva Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg

I immediately recognized the triad of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Juno and Minerva. These are often referred to as the Capitoline triad. The temple to Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline hill contained shrines to all three deities. Roman colonies often built similar temples dedicated to the Capitoline triad. The worship of the triad was the most important part of the Roman public cult, and every Roman city would recognize these central Roman gods in some way.

Mercury Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg Mercury Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg

Hercules Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg Hercules Detail - Jupiter Column - Ladenburg

Ladenburg began as a Celtic town. By the time the Romans arrived, the Celts had been replaced by Swabians (a Germanic tribe) as the predominant power in the area. The Romans established a small outpost guarding the trade routes along the Neckar in 74 AD. In 98 AD, the emperor Trajan removed the military garrison but elevated the town to the status of civitas. He named it Civitas Ulpia Sueborum Nicrensium. Ulpius was Trajan's family nomen. Sueborum Nicrensium means something like "Swabians on the Neckar."

(more...)

Ancient Israel often suffered at the hands of the major imperial powers of its day. It's amazing, then, Israel's sacred texts portray the descendents of Jacob serving in positions of some authority and influence within these ancient empires. Among the faithful Israelites are Joseph, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah Nehemiah, Ezra, Mordecai and Esther. Each of the empires in which they served ultimately fell under God's perfect judgment. The Biblical narrative, however, also tells us how these children of Abraham served the cause of good in the service of empire.

Joseph in Genesis and Exodus

Sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly imprisoned by his Egyptian masters, Joseph eventually became a senior administrator in Pharaoh's government. He enabled his master's household to prosper and later supervised Egypt's entire agricultural industry. His efforts as an officer of Pharaoh saved countless lives in during a severe famine. His work in Pharaoh's court also enabled the entire family of Jacob to endure the famine, insuring the continued existence of God's chosen family. (See Joseph the Dreamer.)

But Genesis and Exodus are two volumes in the same literary stream. In Exodus we find that "a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt." (Exodus 1:8) The same Egyptian empire in which Joseph served - and which saved the Israelites from extinction - now enslaved and mistreated God's people. Egypt earned God's judgment. The plagues which Egypt suffered revealed the LORD's verdict on Egyptian gods. In the destruction of the Egyptian army, God executed his righteous sentence on the empire that had kept Israel in bondage.

The Book of Daniel

The first part of the Book of Daniel tells the stories of four Judean exiles living first in Babylon, and then in Persia. The four Judeans were  from royal families and exceptionally well qualified to serve in the Babylonian court. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. For three years they studied Chaldean (i.e. Babylonian) writings and language. They even received new Babylonian names: Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they served as advisors to the king of Babylon and administrators of the province. When Babylon fell to Persia, Daniel then served the king of the Persian Empire in a similar fashion. "O king, live forever," Daniel said to Darius. (Daniel 6:21)

Overall, these four faithful Judeans refused to violate the dietary laws given through Moses, to worship idols or neglect the worship of Israel's God. Otherwise, they sought the well-being and success of the empires they served.

(more...)

For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? (1 Corinthians 8:10 ESV)

Lectionary Epiphany 4B 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

This passage - along with its continuation in 10:14-33 - touches on Christian theology, ecclesiology, ethical freedom and responsibility as it discusses, of all things, steaks, roasts and barbecue. As is the case with so many issues in the real world, the ethical reasoning here requires a complicated, multifaceted balancing act. Corinth was filled with temples to idols. One segment of the Corinthian Church consisted of former idolaters. One aspect of worship in the temples was the sacrifice of animals. The meat from these sacrificed animals was available for consumption - in the temple itself, in the public markets or served at meals in private homes. If you were an urban dweller who ate meat, it didn't come from your own flock. It may well have come from a pagan temple. (Were there, in fact, butcher shops with "secular" meat supplies?)

Some Corinthian Christians claimed that there was nothing wrong with eating idol-meat. Idols aren't real and meat is just meat. The flesh of dead animals can't be contaminated with the spiritual intent of the butcher. Other Christians took the opposite view. Christians should not participate in, benefit in any way from or indirectly encourage idolatrous practices.

This became a highly contentious issue in Corinth. The partisans called each other names. The meat-eaters considered themselves strong in the faith, while their opponents they called "weak." One can imagine what the meat-abstainers called the meat eaters.

Should Christians eat this meat? Is eating this meat somehow an act of idolatry? If so, how scrupulous should Christians be in determining just where there meat came from? Does it matter where the meat is consumed, or what the intent or understanding of others present might be?

As Paul discusses this matter, several things become clear:

• There is only one God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ.
• While idols are not real, many people worship what they believe to be gods. In 10:19-20, Paul states that real demons hide behind the unreal idols. Idolatrous practices, then are harmful to the participants and an affront to the true God.
• Meat is just meat. The intent of the butcher is irrelevant and meat sacrificed to idols is not contaminated. All food is the good gift of God for which we can give thanks.
• There is a social dimension to this question. The intent and understanding of those eating meat is relevant. Do they think they're just eating meat, or do they think that they are involved in the worship of idols? Is the meal a part of pagan ritual? Is it held at the temple, in the home of another or in your own home?
• Our influence and impact on others is a significant dimension of the ethical questions. Paul's major concern seems to be that the "strong" might tempt the "weak" to take actions that they cannot in good conscience take in faith.
• Living in peace within the church and within the wider community is a relevant concern.
• Maintaining Christian liberty in those areas which don't strike at the heart of the gospel is also a relevant concern. An overbearing preoccupation with one's own rights is not.
• Arrogance is wrong, even if you've got theology on your side. It is inconsistent with the law of love and it's not the attitude of those who understand salvation by grace through faith.

Here, Paul strongly suggests that the Corinthian Christians abstain from meat sacrificed to idols for the sake of their brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul returns to the issue in 10:14-33. There he differentiates based on context: don't participate in pagan worship even if there is a good roast involved - shop at the market without worrying - eat as a guest without raising questions, but if someone else raises the issue, abstain. In Romans 14, Paul's position is more abstract and neutral: use your faith-informed judgment, do as you see best, always act in faith and don't judge those who see things differently. Perhaps the context explains the difference between Corinthians and Romans. In Romans, Paul wrote more abstractly to Christians he didn't personally know and with whom he did not have a pre-existing relationship. Here, Paul writes to a church he founded and to Christians with whom he has broken bread. 1 Corinthians is a more personal correspondence, so the directions are more specifically tailored to the situation and the people involved.

Our public arguments about ethical issues are different today, but just as contentious. While other biblical passages might more fully address the content of our theological and ethical disagreements, this passage directly addresses the manner in which we are to conduct our arguments.