Before Jerusalem Fell
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Before Jerusalem Fell

by Kenneth L. Gentry by Kenneth L. Gentry

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264 BEFORE JERUSALEM FELL The Pre-Neronkm History of the Emperor Cult We should not only notice the slight hesitancy regarding the emperor cult in these scholars, but also the rationale for such: (1) Emperor worship is traceable as far back as Julius Caesar, almost a century before Nero’s death. (2) Formal temples erected for the worship of the emperor are known to exist as far back as Augustus’s reign (c. 29 B.C.). 10 (3) The method for the enforcement of emperor worship under Domitian is unknown, despite the claims that only beginning with Domitian could the slaying of non-participants have existed (as per the Revelation evidence).’ 1 (4) The first ofjcial imperial evidence of the enforcement of emperor worship is after both Nero and Domitian, in the reign of Trajan. These are serious problems besetting any confident employment of emperor worship in the argument. Especially are these problematic in light of the quite precise chronological observations supportive of the early date in Revelation 17 (the enumeration of the “kings”) and the existence of the Temple, which is known to have perished in A.D. 70. The emperor cult argument is slippery, as we shall see. At this juncture a brief survey of the history of the emperor cult will prove helpful in illustration of the fact that Revelation’s evidence is not incompatible with a pre-Domitianic date. 1 2 Julius Apparently, Julius Caesar learned from Cleopatra “the political advantage of the deifications of royalty – the Pharaohs of Egypt having been accepted by their subjects as incarnate deities.”’3 Earlier 10. Edward C. Selwyn, i% Christian PropMs and th Proplsdic Apoca~pse (London: Macmillan, 1900), p. 122. 11. As will be noted in the next major section, there is a great deal more substantial evidence for a Neronic persecution of Christianity than for a Domitianic. 12. For fuller discussion of the development of the imperial cult see the following Adolf Harnack, Th Mi.rsion and Expansion of Chri.strianip in the First Three Centuti (New York: Putnam’s, 1908) 1:2:9. B. W. Hendemon, 77se Lt~e and Prim”pak of th Em@or NeYo (London: Methuen, 1903), pp. 347ff., 434fT Herbert B. Workman, Perwcutwn of the Ear~ Church (Oxford: 0x60rd University Press, [1906] 1980), pp. 94ff. Kenneth Scott, “The Identification of Augustus with Romulus-Quinnus,” Transactions and Proceedings of the Ametian Philologs”ca! Association %82-105. Lily Ros Taylor, The Diuinity of h Roman Emperor (Middletown, Corm.: American Philological Association, 1931), passim. Kurt Aland, A Htitory of Christian@, vol. 1: From the Beginnings to & 77sreshold of the R@matwn, trans. James L. Schaaf (Philadelphia Fortress, 1985), pp. 18-22. 13. Arthur Weigall, Nero: Emperor oj_Rams (London: Butterworth, 1933), p. 110.

The Role of Emperor Worship 265 in Roman history Roman generals had been worshiped in their lifetime by “the effusive Oriental” and “the excitable Greek,” but Roman countrymen “laughed and left such follies to the conquered races .“ 14 It was with “Julius Caesar [that] there came a change” 15 in this regard. Caesar’s “statue was placed in the temple of Quinnus (deified Romulus), another near those of the kings of Rome, and yet another showed him with a globe beneath his feet; his chariot was set up opposite the temple of Juppiter [sic]. As a triumphator he was granted the right to a gilded chair.” 16 Indeed, Caesar was granted the title “Juppiter Julius.”17 Beckwith notes that “Julius Caesar boldly claimed divine honor.”18 In fact, he was described in an inscription at Ephesus (one of the cities to which Revelation is addressed) as “god manifest and common saviour of the life of man” 19 and “To the goddess Roma and the divine Julius .’ > * o Suetonius notes in this regard that “he allowed honours to be bestowed on him which were too great for mortal man: . . . temples, altars, and statues beside those of the gods; a special priest, an additional college of the Superci, and the calling of one of the months by his name.”21 After Julius’s death the Roman Senate “decreed his con.secratio, apotheosis, and the appearance of a comet was regarded as a sign of his reception into the company of the superior divinities.”2 2 From that time forth he began to be called “Divw luliu.s.”23 In addition, a formal cult of Divw lulius was established24 and “an altar to him was erected in the forum.” Ratton notes that “his statue was put up in the 14. B. W. Henderson, FicIe Roman Emperors (Cambridge University Press, 1927), p. 27. 15. Ibid. 16. H. H. Scullard, From the Gracchi to Nero, 2nd ed. (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1963), p. 152. 17. Ibid., p. 152. See also M. Cary, A Hi.stoT of Rome Down to the Reign of Constantine, 2nd ed. (New York: St. Martin’s, 1967), p. 421. J. L. Ratton, The Apoca~pse of St. John (London: R.& T. Washbourne, 1912), p. 48. See Dio Cassius, Roman Histoiy 47:18:33. 18. Beckwith, Apoca~pse, p. 198. 19. Scullard, Gratchi to Nero, p. 152. 20. Beckwith, Apoca~pse, p. 199. 21. Suetonius, Julius 76. 22. Beckwith, Apoca~pse, p. 198. See Cicero, Philippt 2:110. Suetonius, Julius 38. Dio Cassius, Roman Hirtory 446:4. Lactantius, Divine Imtituta 1:15. 23. Cicero, Philipfi” 2:110. Suetonius, Dwus Iulius. 24. Scullard, Gracchi to Nero, p. 152.

264 BEFORE JERUSALEM FELL<br />

The Pre-Neronkm History of the Emperor Cult<br />

We should not only notice the slight hesitancy regarding the<br />

emperor cult in these scholars, but also the rationale for such: (1)<br />

Emperor worship is traceable as far back as Julius Caesar, almost a<br />

century before Nero’s death. (2) Formal temples erected for the<br />

worship of the emperor are known to exist as far back as Augustus’s<br />

reign (c. 29 B.C.). 10 (3) The method for the enforcement of emperor<br />

worship under Domitian is unknown, despite the claims that only<br />

beginning with Domitian could the slaying of non-participants have<br />

existed (as per the Revelation evidence).’ 1 (4) The first ofjcial imperial<br />

evidence of the enforcement of emperor worship is after both<br />

Nero and Domitian, in the reign of Trajan. These are serious problems<br />

besetting any confident employment of emperor worship in the<br />

argument. Especially are these problematic in light of the quite<br />

precise chronological observations supportive of the early date in<br />

Revelation 17 (the enumeration of the “kings”) and the existence of<br />

the Temple, which is known to have perished in A.D. 70. The<br />

emperor cult argument is slippery, as we shall see. At this juncture<br />

a brief survey of the history of the emperor cult will prove helpful in<br />

illustration of the fact that Revelation’s evidence is not incompatible<br />

with a pre-Domitianic date. 1<br />

2<br />

Julius<br />

Apparently, Julius Caesar learned from Cleopatra “the political<br />

advantage of the deifications of royalty – the Pharaohs of Egypt<br />

having been accepted by their subjects as incarnate deities.”’3 Earlier<br />

10. Edward C. Selwyn, i% Christian PropMs and th Proplsdic Apoca~pse (London:<br />

Macmillan, 1900), p. 122.<br />

11. As will be noted in the next major section, there is a great deal more substantial<br />

evidence for a Neronic persecution of Christianity than for a Domitianic.<br />

12. For fuller discussion of the development of the imperial cult see the following<br />

Adolf Harnack, Th Mi.rsion and Expansion of Chri.strianip in the First Three Centuti (New<br />

York: Putnam’s, 1908) 1:2:9. B. W. Hendemon, 77se Lt~e and Prim”pak of th Em@or NeYo<br />

(London: Methuen, 1903), pp. 347ff., 434fT Herbert B. Workman, Perwcutwn of the Ear~<br />

Church (Oxford: 0x60rd University Press, [1906] 1980), pp. 94ff. Kenneth Scott, “The<br />

Identification of Augustus with Romulus-Quinnus,” Transactions and Proceedings of the<br />

Ametian Philologs”ca! Association %82-105. Lily Ros Taylor, The Diuinity of h Roman<br />

Emperor (Middletown, Corm.: American Philological Association, 1931), passim. Kurt<br />

Aland, A Htitory of Christian@, vol. 1: From the Beginnings to & 77sreshold of the R@matwn,<br />

trans. James L. Schaaf (Philadelphia Fortress, 1985), pp. 18-22.<br />

13. Arthur Weigall, Nero: Emperor oj_Rams (London: Butterworth, 1933), p. 110.

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