From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Sat Jul 12 1997 - 16:19:07 EDT
On Fri 11 Jul 97 (16:14:32), dfjmdbdpuk@aol.com wrote:
> Matthew 24.16 "...flee to the mountains." Does anyone know of a
> variant reading where "mountains" is singular? Are there any editors
> or commentators who would find advantage in either a singular reading
> or singular translation? Are their any versions or commentators who
> would concede the plural number but render it singular in sense? Are
> there any of you who would apply it in the singular? Thanx.
David: It seems from my BFBS Gk NT that the /TA/ you refer to is not the
/TA/ of verse 16, TA ORH, but the TA EK THS OIKIAS of verse 17.
In verse 17, the original MS Aleph* has TO; the corrected Alephc has TA,
supported by B (Vaticanus) and W (Washington Freerianus), f13, etc. Westcott
and Hort's RV renders "take out the things that are in his house"; whereas
the King James prefers "take any thing out of his house". I don't see any
exegetical advantage of one over the other; W & H's well-known penchant for
"(Aleph+B) where they agree" is most likely the reason for the RV preference.
But to verse 16. There is no comment on this (TA ORH) in the App Crit., nor
any indication that TO OROS could be an alternative.
If EN TOPWi hAGIWi (verse 15) means the Temple site, then TA ORH would be the
mountains of Judaea; but if EN TOPWi hAGIWi means Judaea, then the mountains
would be the hill-country of Peraea. There is a precedent in 1 Maccabees 2:28
where Mattathias and his sons took to the hills after the slaughter at Modein. He shouted to all the inhabitants to abandon everything and follow him. Jesus' warning PROSEUCESQE DE hINA MH GENHTAI hH FUGH hUMWN CEIMWNOS MHDE SABBATWi
(verse 20) may also hark back to the agonies and atrocities of 1 Maccabees
2:29-38.
Josephus describes for us the campaign of Vespasian and Titus against Judaea
on the orders of Nero, 66-70 AD. The victory of the Zealots over Cestius in
66 sparked this punitive expedition. Cestius had marched up with his army and
surrounded Jerusalem. Then "for no reason in the world" Cestius withdrew,
hotly pursued by the triumphany Zealots. The Christians however knew that
retribution would surely follow; heeding Jesus' warning in Luke 21:20, they
fled all of Judaea and Galilee to the safety of the mountains of Peraea, east
of Jordan. (Josephus, /Wars/, II.XIX.7-9).
Sure enough, Vespasian and Titus commenced the devastation of Judaea. They
levelled to the ground town after town, village after village. Finally in
autumn 69 they reached Jerusalem. Suddenly Nero died; Vespasian was recalled
to Rome to be made Emperor. So the flight did not take place in winter! It
took place the following Spring. Millions were gathered in Jerusalem for the
Passover, including many Christians. Just before the Romans closed in, the
Zealots committed sacrilege in the Temple and sacrificed pigs on the altar.
The whole Temple area was polluted with the blood of slaughtered priests and
Levites (Josephus, /Wars/, V.I.3).
The Christians recognised Jesus' warning in Matthew 24:15 hOTAN OUN IDHTE TO
BDELUGMA THS ERHMWSEWS TO HRHQEN DIA DANIHL. THey fled, jumping from housetop
to housetop, without going downstairs for their things. The streets were too
thronged for quick escape; the rooftop route was their only option, and they
took it. This is history. They made it ˜ just in time!
There you have it, David. I'm afraid I've incurred the wrath of b-greek for
straying outside of the FAQ; if so, my apologies in advance. Just use your
delete key.
-- Revd Ben Crick, BA Bristol, 1963 (hons in Theology) <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk> 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
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