Babylon Reference

Bryce Anderson bryce_anderson@yahoo.com
Thu, 29 Oct 1998 18:56:27 -0800 (PST) (00909737787, 19981030025627.12487.rocketmail@send104.yahoomail.com) 

---Dave Gaban <drrod@slip.net> wrote:

>

> matt hogan wrote:

> > 

> >    I can't decide whether the passage in 1 Peter 5:13 is a

reference to the literal city of Babylon on the Euphrates or if
Peter's reference to "Babylon" is a figurative reference to Rome.     
   What is your opinion?                                   --Matt  

> 

> Dave G.

> Why would the writer have meant anything other than the literal city

of

> Babylon?  That would be kinda stretching it to insist he was speaking

> figuratively of Rome.  Why not just say "Rome"?


BRYCE
     Babylon the city was probably the most famous of Israel's ancient
enemies, and one which most Jews would have a passing familiarity
with.  Many of the books of the New Testament were written during the
Roman occupation, when referring to Rome as "Rome" would have set the
author up for crucifixion.  Instead, writers would speak symbolically,
so that those who were familiar with the "code" would understand the
message, while maintaining plausible deniability if the author was
caught.  Isaac Asimov's Guide to the Bible uses basically this concept
to explain both Revelations and Daniel.

     As for the 1 Peter 5:13 quote, it doesn't really appear to fit
the same mold as Revelations.  While Revelations was filled with
symbolic predictions of the fall of Rome,  "Peter" seems to be using
it as a straightforward place name.  My theory is that as the author
was writing to the locations listed in 1 Peter 1:1, he wanted to brag
that the new Christian church had members in as distant and exotic
location as Babylon.  It's sort of like how the LDS Church keeps
harping on the fact that they now have a foothold in Russia.  Anyone
object to this interpretation?

==
Bryce Anderson
http://members.tripod.com/~Idafab/index.html

How can it be tourist season if we can't shoot them?



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