Chapter Two
Hellenistic Influences on First Century Palestine and the Ambivalent Response of Jewish Writers


Answers Questions
022 To understand the situation of the gospel writers would you need to understand what was going on in 1st century Palestine??
023 Did Greek Philosophy (with its culture of “Hellenism”) have an impact on 1st century Palestine?
024 Have Biblical Scholars always recognised the impact of Greek Philosophy on 1st century Palestine?
025 Is there any evidence of the impact of Hellenism (based on Greek philosophy) in 1st century Palestine?
026 Is there further evidence of Hellenistic influence?
027 Could many people in Palestine speak Greek?
028 If there were so many similarities in buildings, dress and even language was there any difference between Jews and the rest of the Roman Empire?
029 Did the Jews try to reject all of the influences of the Hellenism of the Roman Empire?
030 Did the Jews deliberately use some aspects of Hellenism?
031 Did Herod the Great (leading into 1st century Palestine) approve of Hellenism?
032 The Roman Empire approved of blood sports. What about the Jews?
033 Did Jews use Hellenistic literary forms?
034 Do some of the books in the Bible show the challenges of Hellenism to Judaism?
035 Did Jews try to understand their Scriptures in terms of the challenges made by Hellenistic influence?
036 How did Old Testament writers dealing with Hellenism view the difference between Jewish law and Greek Philosophy?
037 Did the Jews try to learn from Hellenism?
038 Was there any Greek learning in Jerusalem in the 1st Century CE?
039 Were there 1st Century CE Jews who were highly educated in Greek Philosophy?
040 Do you think any of the Apostles could speak Greek?
041 Do you think Jesus would have had contact with Greek influences?
042 Do you think there were Greek Philosophers teaching around Palestine at the time of Jesus?
043 Cynics were non-conventional. Does Paul show any influence from them?
044 What do you know of the Greek poet Homer (who lived in roughly 8th century BCE)?
045 Do any Gospel writers show an obvious education in Greek Learning
046 Do the gospel writers accept all of the ideas of Greek philosophy?
047 What can happen if gospel interpreters avoid considering circular literary structures in Mark’s gospel?
Workshops - one gospel at a time, on Mark. Matthew, Luke, Luke's Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel of John

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