To reconstruct 2nd century cultural literature context of Roman satire in Early Christian texts, it is useful to consider a hypothetical origin backed up by evidence.
This origin hypothesis is that Early Christianity does not originate with a single character in oral tradition, but with a scribal tradition using multiple sources of savior figures in a polytheistic setting, that starts in Alexandria.
Main goal: Explain where the savior figure "Logos" of Christianity comes from
Sub goal: Explain how Christianity became associated with Jesus, a Judean preacher
With other words, the emphasis is to try understand why people converting to Christianity believe what they believe, why they perform the rituals they performed and how people changed their own perception of their religion over time.
Secondly, but not most important, why people converged on a narrative about a historical Jesus, a Judean preacher. Whether Christianity originated with a historical Jesus is less important, since Simonians, considered a Christian sect by Celcus, did not regard Jesus as their savior figure. Simon might have been important in use of Roman satire that can help explain why both Simon and Jesus are critical toward Jewish law.
- Pre-Christianity: Sibylline oracles
- Mystery cults: Baptism, the secret mystery and savior figure
- Savior narrative: Roman satire is used to create dramas of the savior figures
- Advertisement: Schools use the savior figures as brands
- Historical origin myth: Josephus and John the Baptist
- Theology: Theodotion's translation of the old Hebrew bible and Pauline epistles
- Competition: Sects competing with each other producing texts claiming apostolic authority
- Politics: Christianity is adopted by the Roman elite
Period: 150 BCE - 200 AD
Location: Alexandria
- Evidence 1.1: Use of "Logos" in the texts of Sybillyne oracles
- Evidence 1.2: Possible ritual singing hymns to the planet Venus before dawn, reported by Pliny the Younger in 110 AD
- Evidence 1.3: Early Christian texts in Greek, Latin and Syriac that requires a scribal community
- Evidence 1.4: Use of Horus in "heretical doctrines", reported by Irenaeus in "Against Heresies", Book 1
- Evidence 1.5: Celcus mentions Sibyllists as a Christian sect in "The True Word"
From wikipedia:
The oldest of the surviving Sibylline oracles seem to be books 3–5, which were composed partly by Jews in Alexandria. The third oracle seems to have been composed in the reign of Ptolemy VI Philometor. Books 1–2 may have been written by Christians, though again there may have been a Jewish original that was adapted to Christian purposes.
There is a continuous tradition of composing texts based on Sibylline oracles, which pre-dates Christianity, composed by Jews and continues under Christian influence.
Period: 600 BCE - 500 AD
- Evidence 2.1: Performed baptism rituals cleansing the initiated of sin or impurity
- Evidence 2.2: Taught about death and resurrection of a savior figure
- Evidence 2.3: Used rituals of a meal with bread and wine
- Evidence 2.4: Use of parables and secret teachings to initiated
- Evidence 2.5: Belief in transfiguration and accused of cannibalism
- Evidence 2.6: Jesus is compared to Dionysus
- Evidence 2.7: Jesus' words to Paul in Acts of the Apostles are from a story about Dionysus
Mystery cults is the spiritual tradition that most closely reflects the rituals and doctrine of Early Christianity.
Period: 50 AD - 100 AD
- Evidence 3.1: Roman satire was regarded prestige literature
- Evidence 3.2: Roman poets risked persecution by the Roman elite by criticizing the emperor or laws
- Evidence 3.3: Roman poets might have used other cultures as metaphor for Roman law to avoid persecution
- Evidence 3.4: Simon and Jesus are critical toward Jewish law
- Evidence 3.5: Consort of Simon, Helen of Tyre, is a satirical play on Helen of Troy
- Evidence 3.6: Simonians believed Helen of Tyre was a reincarnated goddess who previously lived as Helen of Troy
- Evidence 3.7: Tyre and Magdala are located at western geographical local extremes
- Evidence 3.8: Thecla in Acts of Paul is brought nude into an arena
- Evidence 3.9: Milk spills from Paul's head after beheading in "Acts of Paul"
- Evidence 3.10: Judas' head grows extremely large in story by Papias of Hierapolis
- Evidence 3.11: A boy sneaks into women's bath in "Acts of Andrew"
- Evidence 3.12: An incesteous mother in "Acts of Andrew"
- Evidence 3.13: Andrew speaks from the cross in "Acts of Andrew"
The secrety mystery of mystery cults is fashion driven. Nobody can agree on what the secret mystery is, simply because the priests and priestesses keeps changing them.
An important part of the rituals in mystery cults is drama performed for or by the initiated that tells the story of the savior figure.
When Roman satire grows in popularity, it is used to create drama of multiple savior figures in mystery cults, among them are:
- Simon from Samaria and Helen of Tyre
- Jesus from Judea and Mary of Magdala
Period: 50 AD - 150 AD
- Evidence 4.1: Saturninus of Antioch breaks away from Simonianism and starts a school teaching about Jesus
- Evidence 4.2: Marcion of Sinope joins a Simonian school by Cerdo when arriving in Rome
- Evidence 4.3: The greek word "heresia" which became associated with herecy, can mean "school"
- Evidence 4.4: To produce the texts of Early Christians, higher education was likely needed
- Evidence 4.5: Justin Martyr does not like to pay for education and is taught about Christianity from an old teacher he meets by the shore
In some cases when people convert to Christianity, it is described as if they switch from one school to another, e.g. from Platonism to Christianity by switching from a Platonistic school to a school teaching about Jesus.
Period: 150 AD - 200 AD
- Evidence 5.1: Simonians claimed Simon was a disciple of John the Baptist
- Evidence 5.2: Christians claimed Jesus was a disciple of John the Baptist
- Evidence 5.3: Josephus writes about the execution of John the Baptist
- Evidence 5.4: Two savior figures from same master implies attempt to historicize savior figures
When Early Christians were met with criticism, e.g. by Celcus, they might have sought historical sources to defend their doctrine. Josephus was considered the historical authority at the time, so it makes sense for Early Christians to refer to Josephus.
The criticism against Early Christians is part of criticism against mystery cults in general, since Romans regarded Christianity as a mystery cult and make similar accusations e.g. of cannibalism due to belief in transfiguration.
One savior figure originating historically as a disciple of John the Baptist is possible, but two savior figures originating historically with the same master shows an attempt to historicize savior figures. This is not conclusive evidence that one or both of Simon and Jesus are origin myths, but it is evidence that Early Christians intend to present the origin as myths, since these are savior figures, claiming historicity through use of sources that are considered authorative at the time.
The motivation of using John the Baptist is to both disprove claims of the savior figure as myth, and to present the sect as persecuted by authorities, explaining why people accuse them of making up a mythical savior figure.
Period: 140 AD - 400 AD
- Evidence 6.1: Popularity of Theodotion's translation of the old Hebrew bible in Early Christian writings
- Evidence 6.2: Marcionism establishing Pauline Christology as canon
The theology of Early Christianity might have originally been focused on philosophical debates about the creation of the universe, grounded in Sibylline oracles that uses "Logos", a Greek philosophical concept attributed to Jesus.
In the mid 2nd century, Theodotion translates the old Hebrew bible into Greek and this translation becomes popular among Early Christians. At the same time, Marcion of Sinope published a canon where Paul claims apostolic authority using arguments from the old Hebrew bible.
It is unknown whether Paul's epistles were written around the mid 2nd century or handed down from the 1st century. If Paul was writing in the 1st century, then he would need either access to a Hebrew translation or an older version of the Septuagint. Quotations from Theodotion's translation might explain either Paul's epistles as 2nd century texts, or as being updated to use the new Theodotion's translation for the sake of the readers.
When Marcionism spreads, Early Christians use the Pauline Christology to explain the resurrection of Jesus as salvation evident by prophecies in the old Hebrew bible, instead of salvation by a mystical secret taught in mystery cults. This could be a response to criticism of making up a mythical savior figure.
Period: 160 AD - 400 AD
- Evidence 7.1: Inconsistent bishop chronology
- Evidence 7.2: Forgeries of texts attributed to Paul or other disciples of Jesus
- Evidence 7.3: Accusations of other's sects' doctrines as herecy
There is no recorded historical realistic and consistent bishop chronology that goes back to Jesus.
Early Christians write texts in the 2nd century which claims authorship of disciples of Jesus. In these texts, they warn the readers against deception, implying they were writing against other competing sects.
In the Sibylline oracles, "Logos" is regarded as a cross-cultural, mystical and secret, higher deity. This means, different religious views were not regarded as herecy, but explained as cultural manifestation of a "true" underlying religion. The problem was that mystery cults disagreed about what this "true" underlying religion was.
When the competition between Early Christian sects increases, the sects accuse each other of herecy, changing the rethoric from tolerance of other people's beliefs, into intolerance and condemnation.
Period: 325 AD - ...
- Evidence 8.1: First Council of Nicaea
- Evidence 8.2: Constantine I pillages and tears down Roman temples
Representatives of Christian denominations gathers to settle Christology disputes.
From wikipedia:
The major impetus for the calling of the Council of Nicaea arose in a theological dispute among the Christian clergy of Alexandria concerning the nature of Jesus, his origin, and relation to God the Father.
The issue of Christology reflects disagreements about the interpretation of Jesus' nature from a philosophical perspective, in line with the tradition of such debates surrounding the texts of Sibylline oracles.
In the beginning of Constantine I's reign, there was no persecution of pagan religions. At first, Constantine encouraged the construction of new temples and tolerated traditional sacrifices. By the end of his reign, he had begun to order the pillaging and tearing down of Roman temples.