Book of Matthew

bite me

Here's a question that came up in a bible study..

Why would matthew include a lineage at the very begining of his book?

yknot

My understanding is because Matthew was written to the Jews, and the lineage is showing proof that Jesus and David are the same line, as fortold the Messiah would come from.

the dreamer dreaming

the lineage pretends that Jersus is of david, which of course cannot be as his father was not human according to the myth and his mother was a levite sister of elizabeth

Shawn10538

And let us not forget that the list was sheer invention, as Jesus and David are both mythological characters... not real people.

BurnTheShips

Hi Shawn,

The consensus among experts in the field is that Jesus was a historical figure the view that he was a myth is in the minority:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historicity_of_Jesus

There is also archeological evidence that David was a real person:

The "House of David" on the Tel Dan Stela.

The Mesha Stela mentions King Omri, who ruled in the northern kingdom of Israel after the united kingdom split.

The Shishak Reliefdepicts Egypt's victory over King Rehoboam, David's grandson, when Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was sacked.

Just because we want the figures to be mythological does not make them so.

Burn

Even better John provided the lineage going further back than Adam as it was missing in the other accounts. You know the one that says: 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. . .10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. This lineage was used to introduce Jesus when He was still known as the Word. John did fills like this and they are very visible in his Gospel account.

Joseph

Narkissos

his mother was a levite sister of elizabeth

According to Luke 1:36 (yet another story!) Mary is a relative (suggenis) of Elisabeth, which may but does not strictly imply that she was a Levite. A part of Christian tradition as early as Justin Martyr ascribes Davidic lineage to Mary too...

BurnTheShips:

The phrase "House of David" only confirms the common self-designation of the Judean dynasty. It doesn't of itself solve the issue whether its eponym is a legendary or a historical character.

BurnTheShips

The phrase "House of David" only confirms the common self-designation of the Judean dynasty. It doesn't of itself solve the issue whether its eponym is a legendary or a historical character.

But it is highly suggestive especially when regarding the antiquity of the records and their temporal proximity to the supposed figure, don't you think?

Burn

serotonin_wraith

Here's a more comedic view of the family line found in the gospels here-

http://syncretism.net/snd/FoF/richard-herring-christ-on-a-bike-edinburgh-pleasance-2000.mp3

Skip to about 44 minutes in.

JosephMalik

the lineage pretends that Jersus is of david, which of course cannot be as his father was not human according to the myth and his mother was a levite sister of elizabeth thedreamer, Good point. This could be why John went so far back. Jesus was the Father of the entire human race, Adam included. So an argument like this one would not make any difference. He had the qualifications for redeeming it regardless. Joseph

Book of Matthew

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