Imperial Cults and the Apocalypse of John: Reading Revelation in the Ruins

300 Pages·2001·3.85 MB·English

by  Steven J. Friesen

Imperial Cults and the
Apocalypse of John:
Reading Revelation
in the Ruins
Steven J. Friesen
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
IMPERIAL CULTS AND THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN
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IMPERIAL CULTS AND THE
APOCALYPSE OF JOHN
Reading Revelation in the Ruins
Steven J. Friesen
1
2001
1
Oxford New York
Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogotá Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town
Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi
Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai
Nairobi Paris Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw
and associated companies in
Berlin Ibadan
Copyright © 2001 by Steven J. Friesen
Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.,
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Friesen, Steven J.
Imperial cults and the Apocalypse of John : reading Revelation in the ruins /
Steven J. Friesen.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-19-513153-3
1. Bible. N.T. Revelation—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Emperor worship—Rome.
3. Christianity and other religions—Roman. I. Title.
BS2825.6.E46 2000
228'.067—dc21 00-026806
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
To John and Anne Friesen
in honor of their lives of service
on their 56th anniversary
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acknowledgments
This book is beginning to seem like a group project, for I have relied on many friends
at every stage of the process. My thanks go out to those who helped me formulate
my ideas early on: David Barr, Jill Raitt, Leonard Thompson, Mike White, and my
colleagues in the Society of Biblical Literature Seminar “Reading the Apocalypse:
The Intersection of Literary and Social Methods.” Their input enriched my think-
ing and enhanced this study. Several people helped me better understand the ar-
chaeological materials relevant to this study, especially Dieter Knibbe, Ulrike
Outschar, Peter Scherrer, and Hilke Thür from the Austrian Archaeological Insti-
tute; Çengiz Itçen from the Efes Müzezi, Selçuk; Wolfgang Radt of the German
Archaeological Institute; Bert Smith and Chris Rattee of Aphrodisias; and Crawford
H. Greenewalt, Jr., and Marcus Rautman from the joint excavations at Sardis. Their
hospitality is exceeded only by their knowledge of the sites and by their patience
with inquisitive visitors. Long before this project ever started, Helmut Koester and
David Mitten piqued my interest in the interpretation of archaeological materials.
Even now, several years later, I see their influence in my research.
Some friends read parts or all of the manuscript, and thereby saved me from
many problems: Paul Johnson, Leonard Thompson, Sharon Welch, Chris Wilson,
and the anonymous readers from Oxford University Press. Theirs was not an envi-
able task, and I appreciate their gracious methods of correction. Thanks also go to
Theo Calderera, Peter Ohlin, and Cynthia Read for editorial assistance.
viii Acknowledgments
Funding for the research came from several sources: the Research Board of the
University of Missouri, the Office of the Provost of the University of Missouri-
Columbia, the Research Council of the University of Missouri-Columbia, and the
Society of Biblical Literature Research and Publications Committee. Their gener-
osity made it possible for me to set aside the time necessary to complete this project.
Thanks are also due to my fellow faculty members in the Department of Religious
Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia for their commitment to research
and teaching and for their collegial advice and support.
My wife, Janice, and our sons, David and Dan, endured a great deal with this
project, especially in absences (physical and otherwise). Thanks for your faithfulness.
Finally, it is an honor for me to dedicate this book to my parents, John and
Anne Friesen, for there is no one I admire more.
Columbia, Missouri S. J. F.
December 31, 1999
contents
Abbreviations xi
Introduction 3
1 Religious Criticism 5
part i the logic of participation 23
2 Provincial Imperial Cults of Asia Under Augustus and Tiberius 25
3 Provincial Cults from Gaius to Domitian 39
4 Municipal Imperial Cults: A Survey 56
5 Muncipal Imperial Cults: Two Case Studies 77
6 Groups and Individuals 104
7 Imperial Cults as Religion 122
part ii revelation, resistance 133
8 Revelation in Space and Time 135
9 Centering Reality: Space and Time in Revelation 152