From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed Nov 11 1998 - 09:48:08 EST
<x-flowed>I think this may be of sufficient interest to the list that I am forwarding
my response there.
At 12:19 AM -0800 11/11/98, Byron P. Knutson wrote:
>Carl:
>
>I was hesitant to post this question because of the recent problem with
>PRWTOTOKOS.
>
>My question is related only in that in looking at Col. 1:15 I noticed that
>in 1 Pet. 2:13 KTISIS is used of a governmental authority. Is this word
>used in this way outside of the Bible?
Yes, it is. And I think it's interesting to note the etymological elements
at play here: KTIZW and its cognates seem to have been used originally and
most fundamentally of the process of establishing a colony and its
fundamental sacral and administrative structures, beginning back in the 7th
century period in which colonies were being sent out in great numbers by
mainland Greek as far as the Crimea on the Black Sea, the Orontes in Syria,
the Nile valley in Egypt, the coast of North Africa, and even the French
Riviera. Applied to the process of world-creation this is a metaphor. There
is in fact a fascinating passage at the very beginning of Philo's treatise
on Genesis 1-3 (DE OPIFICIO MUNDI) wherein he lays out a grand analogy of
the establishment of a new city such as Alexandria and the creation of the
world and legislating for it.
KTISIS is therefore a political term in origin, and only by metaphorical
extension does it become a cosmological term.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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