Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

So the Odes of Solomon preserves the tradition of the crucifixion as an old rite: the Odist assumes clearly a cruciform posture.

Ode 27

I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord,
For the expansion of my hands is His sign.
And my extension is the upright cross.

Do you know other evidence like this of the crucifixion as ritual?

Giuseppe wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:55 am So the Odes of Solomon preserves the tradition of the crucifixion as an old rite: the Odist assumes clearly a cruciform posture.

Ode 27

I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord,
For the expansion of my hands is His sign.
And my extension is the upright cross.

Do you know other evidence like this of the crucifixion as ritual?

Possibly relevant: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3149.

There may be some truth to this.

One such ritual was done in Egypt. Osiris (a representation of the deceased) was ritually placed upon the dd-pillar to ensure resurrection and to awaken in the afterlife. This was later used as an initiation ritual for membership in the mystery school, and to awaken into the mysteries.

Dionysus, also, was ritually placed upon a cross during the Lenaia festival, which was celebrated in winter. The effigy was believed to allow Dionysus to participate in the festival.

Ok, but do you have Jewish (and/or Christian) evidence of this old ritual?

Note that Paul wasn't interested to Jesus's details ''according to flesh'', we are said. But the detail of the crucifixion is a detail ''according to flesh''.

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified."

Tim Claason has proposed that Paul was speaking of a ritual, or performance scene.

Joseph D. L. wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:21 am "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified."

Tim Claason has proposed that Paul was speaking of a ritual, or performance scene.

Dujardin thought the same thing. And he adds that the phrase of 2 cor :

Therefore from now on we know no one according to the flesh: and even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him no longer

...was another evidence of the same 'performance scene', where the ''Christ according to the flesh'' was the same human actor (playing the role of 'Christ' crucified) known really by the Corinthians and by Paul during the sacred drama done in Corinth.

Clearly I am aware that Carrier and the consensus think that the construct ''according to the flesh'' refers to the way of knowledge of Christ, and not to Christ himself. But can we expect so much precision by Paul? Neil has observed that the so strict precision of reading is not so necessary when you read Revelation 13:8.

Giuseppe wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:11 am Ok, but do you have Jewish (and/or Christian) evidence of this old ritual?

I'm not sure you need Jewish (and/or Christian) evidence of any non-Jewish ritual for that ritual to have influenced or have been modified for use by early Christians (whether for a short period or for longer).

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified."

This may or may not be relevant, but the Acta Pauli et Antonini does speak of a mock performance by the Alexandrians satirizing Jewish messianic expectations, wherein which an effigy or actor representing the Jewish king would be paraded around, sustaining abuse both verbal and physical. These performances were so frequent that Hadrian ordered them to cease. And while it is not mentioned in the papyrus, it's not too much of a stretch to assume that it culminated in a mock crucifixion, similar to the Dionysus effigy shown above.