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Re: orion James and DSS
Orion Center wrote:
> From: David Goldman <davic@pop.erols.com>
>
> What do people make of Eisenman's thesis that James was the opponent
> of
> Paul, and that there was some connection to the Scrolls? Thanks.
>
I agree with Eisenman that Jesus' brother and Paul may not have been
as chummy and conciliatory to one another than the later Church
historians
claimed. A Hellenized Jew with Roman citizenship and a Nazirite are a
problematic mix. I was glad to see Eisenman's book and am in favor of
any scholarly effort to "rescue" James and the other siblings from the
deliberate obscurity which I believe was imposed by the Patristics.
Having said this, however, I believe Dr. Eisenman pushes the envelope
on some of his claims. Although it is possible that there was
communication
and discourse between the "Jesus people" and the Essenes, particularly
the
Jerusalem group, I see nothing "Christian" in the DSS texts other than
literature that both groups would have held dear. The Jesus people were
not
Christians so if they did write anything, those writings would be
indistinguishable from some of the Enochian/apocalyptic/messianic
style writings in the DSS corpus.
I do not believe that James was the "Teacher of Righteousness" nor
was
Paul the "man of the lie" both of whom, I am convinced, hail back to
Hasmonean times. If there was an association between *some* Essenes
and the Jesus people there might have been a "here we go again" type of
atmosphere but that's as far as I would speculate.
Jack Kilmon
jpman@accesscomm.net