Springtime for Tiberius
Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 5:29 am
Just wondering if anyone can find the original for this particular passage in the Clementine Homilies because I wonder whether it provides a timetable for (a) the ministry of Jesus and (b) the ministry of Peter in Rome relative to the entire reign of Tiberius:
Tiberius's reign 18 September 14 CE –; 16 March 37 CE or 22 1/2 years. Divided by four = a little less than six years. The Roman calendar, like our own, began in January which was a winter month: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar. If we presume that the 'Tiberian year calendar' began in 'winter' which lasted almost six years, the seventh year would be the first full month of 'spring' (roughly lasting until the 11th year of Tiberius's reign, 'summer' from the 11th to the 16th or 17th year of Tiberius's reign and then presumably autumn would round out the last 5 1/2 year period - i.e. 32 - 37 CE. Isn't that exactly the period we imagine that Peter would have appeared in Rome? In other words, in the period leading up to Claudius's reign when we get all these reports of Simon Magus in Rome? Albeit ignoring the existence of Caligula which I think was fairly common.
But interestingly if the 'springtime' reference for the beginning of Jesus's reign holds in this Roman calendar construct relating to the reign of Tiberius doesn't that confirm the dating of the Acts of Pilate i.e. the 7th year of Tiberius for the ministry of Jesus? Surely it can't be the author's point that Peter left Jesus while Jesus was still alive and traveled to Rome. That rules out a literal rendering of the material. The only other possibility as I see it is a metaphorical interpretation of the concept of 'year' applying 'year' to the entire rule of Tiberius. What do you think?
How can it be that Jesus preached six months earlier in the same year as Peter's appearance in Rome? Mustn't this be metaphorical perhaps mistranslated?[Chapter VI] And, not to discuss such matters to you in a long speech, while I was occupied with such reasonings and doings, a certain report, taking its rise in the spring-time, in the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, gradually grew everywhere, and ran through the world as truly the good tidings of God, being unable to stifle the counsel of God in silence. Therefore it everywhere became greater and louder, saying that a certain One in Judæa, beginning in the spring season, was preaching to the Jews the kingdom of the invisible God, and saying that whoever of them would reform his manner of living should enjoy it. And in order that He might be believed that He uttered these things full of the Godhead, He wrought many wonderful miracles and signs by His mere command, as having received power from God. For He made the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, raised up the bowed down, drove away every disease, put to flight every demon; and even scabbed lepers, by only looking on Him from a distance, were sent away cured by Him; and the dead being brought to Him, were raised; and there was nothing which He could not do. And as time advanced, so much the greater, through the arrival of more persons, and the stronger grew—I say not now the report, but—the truth of the thing; for now at length there were meetings in various places for consultation and inquiry as to who He might be that had appeared, and what was His purpose.
[Chapter VII] And then in the same year, in the autumn season, a certain one, standing in a public place, cried and said, Men of Rome, hearken. The Son of God has come in Judæa, proclaiming eternal life to all who will, if they shall live according to the counsel of the Father, who has sent Him. Wherefore change your manner of life from the worse to the better, from things temporal to things eternal; for know ye that there is one God, who is in heaven, whose world ye unrighteously dwell in before His righteous eyes.
Tiberius's reign 18 September 14 CE –; 16 March 37 CE or 22 1/2 years. Divided by four = a little less than six years. The Roman calendar, like our own, began in January which was a winter month: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_calendar. If we presume that the 'Tiberian year calendar' began in 'winter' which lasted almost six years, the seventh year would be the first full month of 'spring' (roughly lasting until the 11th year of Tiberius's reign, 'summer' from the 11th to the 16th or 17th year of Tiberius's reign and then presumably autumn would round out the last 5 1/2 year period - i.e. 32 - 37 CE. Isn't that exactly the period we imagine that Peter would have appeared in Rome? In other words, in the period leading up to Claudius's reign when we get all these reports of Simon Magus in Rome? Albeit ignoring the existence of Caligula which I think was fairly common.
But interestingly if the 'springtime' reference for the beginning of Jesus's reign holds in this Roman calendar construct relating to the reign of Tiberius doesn't that confirm the dating of the Acts of Pilate i.e. the 7th year of Tiberius for the ministry of Jesus? Surely it can't be the author's point that Peter left Jesus while Jesus was still alive and traveled to Rome. That rules out a literal rendering of the material. The only other possibility as I see it is a metaphorical interpretation of the concept of 'year' applying 'year' to the entire rule of Tiberius. What do you think?