Re: Luke 5.29 - Levi's party

From: Jim West (jwest@Highland.Net)
Date: Tue Jan 05 1999 - 09:37:50 EST


At 06:43 PM 1/5/99 +0000, you wrote:

>Do we know exactly what a DOCH in Palestine in the first century might have
>involved? And were TELWNAI the sleazy social outcasts my
>Sunday school teachers suggested? I'd be most grateful for any help.
>
>Margaret Wilkins
>Walsall, UK

first, I would recommend that you take a look at Mark 2:15. Luke changes
Mark's "tax collectors and sinners" to "tax collectors and others"! seems
like Luke is not so upset by the members of the celebration as Mark.

Moulton and Milligan suggest that "doch" may mean "entertainment".
Immediately the dance of Herodias' daughter on Herod's birthday comes to
mind.... and it seems that the crowd there is a bit "dodgier" in character
than the "tax collectors and others" of Levi's party.

Finally, the "tax collectors", like the "scribes and pharisees" have been
demonized by Church tradition- but there simply is no evidence at all that
they were somehow viewed by their contemporaries as particularly evil or
wretched. The purpose of this demonization, it seems to me, is to paint
Jesus in technicolor- i.e., as one who accepts EVERYONE! Beyond this it is
very unlikely that those groups (scribes, pharisees, tax collectors) were
any worse than anyone else as far as their contemporaries were concerned).

Best,

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jim West, ThD
Quartz Hill School of Theology

jwest@highland.net

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