Contents

List of Abbreviations

Preface

1. Introduction

1.1. Hypothesis Statement

1.2. Line of Argumentation

1.3. Socio-Rhetorical Methodology

1.4. Brief Outline of the Chapters

1.5. Presuppositions

1.5.1. Gospel of John

1.5.2. Identity

1.6. Contribution

2. The State of the Question

2.1. Sociological Importance of Meals in Identity and Community Formation

2.2. Communal Meals in New Testament Scholarship

2.3. Food Issues in Johannine Scholarship

2.4. Conclusion: Demonstration of Gap and Definition of Question

PART I: NARRATIVE

3. Role of Meal Scenes and Discourses on Food and Drink in the Narrative of the Fourth Gospel

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Meal Scenes Punctuate the Johannine Narrative

3.3. Brief Discussion of Each Meal Scene

3.3.1. The Wedding at Cana, John 2:1-12

3.3.2. Jesus and the Woman of Samaria, John 4:1–42

3.3.3. The Feeding of the Five Thousand, John 6:1–15

3.3.4. The Bread of Life Discourse, John 6:22–71

3.3.5. Rivers of Living Water, John 7:37–39

3.3.6. The Meal in Bethany, John 12:1-11

3.3.7. Jesus’ Last Meal with His Disciples, John 13–17

3.3.8. Jesus’ Drink on the Cross, John 19:28

3.3.9. The Meal on the Shore of the Sea of Tiberias, John 21

3.4. Meanings and Motifs

3.4.1. The Johannine Meal-Inclusio

3.4.2. Symbolism around What Is Consumed

3.4.3. Jesus’ “Guests”: Group Identity of Jesus and His Disciples

3.4.4. Community Experiences Tied to Meal Scenes

3.4.5. Theological or Spiritual

3.5. Conclusion

PART II: MEAL ACCOUNTS AND DISCOURSES ABOUT FOOD AND DRINK IN THE LIFE OF THE JOHANNINE COMMUNITY

4. Meals as Construction Sites for Identity in the Hellenistic Mediterranean: Comparison with Other Groups

4.1. Introduction

4.2. Qumran Community/Essene Community

4.2.1. Introduction

4.2.2. Meals in the Community behind the Dead Sea Scrolls

4.2.3. Meals in the Essene Community/Communities

4.2.4. Conclusion

4.3. Therapeutae

4.3.1. Introduction

4.3.2. Philo’s “De Vita Contemplativa”

4.3.3. Conclusion

4.4. Haburoth

4.4.1. Introduction

4.4.2. Mishna Demai 2 and Tosefta Demai 2

4.4.3. Further Rabbinic Sources on Haburoth

4.4.4. Passover Haburah

4.4.5. Conclusion

4.5. Pauline Communities

4.5.1. Introduction

4.5.2. Corinth

4.5.3. Galatia

4.5.4. Rome

4.5.5. Conclusion

4.6. Communal Meals in the Acts of the Apostles

4.6.1. Introduction

4.6.2. Acts 2:42-47; 6:1-7; 9:9, 18-19

4.6.3. Acts 10:1–11:18

4.6.4. Acts 15

4.6.5. Acts 16:14–15, 26–34; 20:7–12; 27:33–38

4.6.6. Conclusion

4.7. Didache Community

4.7.1. Introduction

4.7.2. The Meal in Didache 9–10

4.7.3. The Meal in Didache 14

4.7.4. Fasting, Didache 1:3; 7:4; 8:1

4.7.5. Sustenance of Prophets and the Giving of First-Fruits, Didache 11–13

4.7.6. Eschatological Gatherings, Didache 16

4.7.7. Conclusion

4.8. Conclusion

5. Discursive I: John and “the Eucharist”

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Eucharistic Allusions in Jn 6: The Feeding of the 5000 and the Bread of Life Discourse

5.2.1. John 6:1–14

5.2.2. John 6:15–24

5.2.3. John 6:25–51a

5.2.4. John 6:51b–58

5.2.5. John 6:60–71

5.3. Excursus: Reading John 6 against Jewish Traditions

5.3.1. Traces of Rabbinic Traditions

5.3.2. Traces of Wisdom Tradition

5.4. Footwashing as a Replacement of the Eucharist in Jesus’ Last Meal (John 13)

5.4.1. Footwashing in Antiquity

5.4.2. Meaning of the Footwashing in John 13

5.5. Further Eucharistic Allusions in the Gospel of John

5.5.1. John 2

5.5.2. John 4

5.5.3. John 15

5.5.4. John 19:34

5.5.5. John 20

5.5.6. John 21

5.6. Conclusion

6. Discursive II: Mystery Cults

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Demeter Traditions

6.2.1. Sources and Introductory Notes

6.2.2. Parallels between John 6 and the Myth of Demeter

6.3. Demeter and Dionysus

6.4. Dionysus Traditions

6.4.1. Sources and Introductory Notes

6.4.2. Previous Scholarship on Relations between the Dionysian and Johannine Traditions

6.4.3. Dionysus’ Attributes

6.4.4. Sparagmos and Omophagy

6.4.5. Dionysian Theophagy

6.4.6. Johannine “Jesuphagy”

6.4.7. Epiphanies and the Interplay between Divinity and Humanity

6.4.8. Eschatology

6.4.9. Experiences of Followers

6.5. Conclusion

6.6. Excursus: Satanophagy

7. Discursive III: Chewing the Flesh of Jesus

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Cannibalism and Immorality in Connection with Meals among Early Christ-Believers

7.2.1. Accusations against Christ-Believers

7.2.2. Anthropological Considerations about “Cannibalism”

7.2.3. Reproach of Anthropophagy Reflected in John 6?

7.3. Bonding over Blood and Body

7.3.1. The Topos in Enclaves in the Greco-Roman World

7.3.2. Johannine Bonding over Flesh and Blood

7.3.3. A Case of Johannine Irony?

7.4. Conclusion

8. Historical Context: Betrayal at Table

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Jewish Persecution of Christ-Believers?

8.3. Roman Persecution of Christ-Believers?

8.3.1. The Nature of Gatherings in the Greco-Roman World

8.3.2. Roman Prohibition of Voluntary Associations

8.3.3. Johannine Fear against the Backdrop of Roman Prohibition of Associations

8.3.4. The Gospel of John against Roman Imperial Ideology

8.4. Conclusion

9. Conclusion

10. Appendix: Jesus on a Diet? The Abstemious Jesus

10.1. Introduction

10.1.1. Jesus’ Behaviour around Food and Drink

10.2. Comparing the Johannine Jesus’ Eating Behaviours to the Synoptics

10.3. Food Consumption and Avoidance by Supra-Humans in Jewish Scripture

10.3.1. Angels’ Food

10.3.2. Angels’ Abstemiousness

10.4. Corporeality and Christology

10.5. Conclusion

Bibliography

Index of Passages

Index of Subjects