From a modern point of view, the mixture of Hellenism and Judaism in Sibylline Oracles 3 might appear paradoxical, but not so for the author. It is possible to analyze Jewish religious identity and Hellenization in the Third Sibyl with precision utilizing Ninian Smart's seven marks of religion. In most respects the sibyllist synthesizes the two cultural contexts easily, but the Jerusalem cult is normative for all, and certain Jewish ethics and rituals are prioritized. This helps us understand not only Sibylline Oracles 3 better, but also Second Temple Judaism.

Since the early 1990s, ‘the parting of the ways’ has become academic shorthand, especially in anglophone scholarship, for the separation of Jews and Christians in antiquity. Often it is associated with a onetime, global break that occurred by the end of the second century, particularly over one or more theological issues. This model has been challenged as being too tidy. Other images have been offered, most notably that of ‘rival siblings’, but the ‘parting’ model remains supreme. Consensus has shifted in other ways, however. The ‘parting’, or better, ‘partings’, is now understood to be a localized, protracted, and multifaceted process that likely began in the second century and continued into or past the fourth century. It is also suggested here that the current debate covers five distinguishable topics: (1) mutual religious recognition, (2) the continued existence of ‘Jewish Christians’, (3) religious interaction, (4) social concourse, and (5) outsider classification.

The letter of James remains an enigma in many ways, including its immediate reception. Another enigmatic work, 2 Enoch, though vastly different in temperament and form, contains numerous ethical parallels with the epistle. Most prominent among the ten detailed here are the use of the imago Dei to prohibit slander, an absolute ban on taking oaths and a warning to wealthy landowners not to exploit day laborers. Utilizing criteria developed by Luke Timothy Johnson, a strong case can be made that 2 Enoch is to be numbered among the earliest readers of James. If so, there are implications for the date, geography and social context of both works. This proposal also sheds light on the relationship between the oath-formulas in Jas 5.12 and Mt. 5.33-37.

The style of James’s epistle receives much acclaim. Among other techniques like alliteration and rhythm, James enjoys a play on words. I propose that James puns on the concept of “filling” with three words in Jas 2.20-23: κενέ (“empty,” v. 20), ἐτελειώϑη (“be complete,” v. 22), and ἐπληρώϑη (“be fulfilled,” v. 23), to the effect that an “empty” person is told to learn from the “filled out” faith of Abraham whose willingness to sacrifice Isaac “fulfilled” the earlier pronouncement about his righteousness. This suggestion builds on discussions concerning the relationship between vv. 20, 22, and vv. 22-23. It also draws out often neglected connotations of τελειόω. This wordplay fits into a wider “completion” theme in James and may even have been picked up by the Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache.

No abstract