Mara bar Serapion on Jesus

The titulus above Jesus reads INRI which is the Latin abbreviation for *Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum*, which translates to "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.

Mara bar Serapion was a Stoic philosopher from the Roman province of Syria. He is noted for a letter he wrote in Aramaic to his son, who was named Serapion.^[1]^[2] The letter was composed sometime after 73 AD but before the 3rd century, and most scholars date it to shortly after 73 AD during the first century.^[3] The letter may be an early non-Christian reference to the crucifixion of Jesus.^[1]^[4]

The letter refers to the unjust treatment of "three wise men": the murder of Socrates, the burning of Pythagoras, and the execution of "the wise king" of the Jews.^[1]^[2] The author explains that in all three cases the wrongdoing resulted in the future punishment of those responsible by God and that when the wise are oppressed, not only does their wisdom triumph in the end, but God punishes their oppressors.^[5]

The letter has been claimed to include no Christian themes^[2]^[4] and many scholars consider Mara a pagan,^[2]^[4]^[6]^[7] although some suggest he may have been a monotheist.^[3] Some scholars see the reference to the execution of a "wise king" of the Jews as an early non-Christian reference to Jesus.^[1]^[2]^[4] Criteria that support the non-Christian origin of the letter include the observation that "king of the Jews" was not a Christian title, and that the letter's premise that Jesus lives on in his teachings he enacted is in contrast to the Christian concept that Jesus continues to live through his resurrection.^[4]^[5]

Scholars such as Robert Van Voorst see little doubt that the reference to the execution of the "king of the Jews" is about the death of Jesus.^[5] Others such as Craig A. Evans see less value in the letter, given its uncertain date, and the ambiguity in the reference.^[8]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 978-0-8054-4365-3 page 110
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Evidence of Greek Philosophical Concepts in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian by Ute Possekel 1999 ISBN 90-429-0759-2 pages 29-30
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference voorst53 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluations of the State of Current Research edited by Bruce Chilton, Craig A. Evans 1998 ISBN 90-04-11142-5 pages 455-457
^ ^a ^b ^c Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence by Robert E. Van Voorst 2000 ISBN 0-8028-4368-9 pages 53-55
^ Cite error: The named reference Averil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Fergus was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Evans41 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Cradle-1] The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum 2009 ISBN 978-0-8054-4365-3 page 110

[Ute-2] Evidence of Greek Philosophical Concepts in the Writings of Ephrem the Syrian by Ute Possekel 1999 ISBN 90-429-0759-2 pages 29-30

[voorst53-3] Cite error: The named reference voorst53 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Chilton455-4] Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluations of the State of Current Research edited by Bruce Chilton, Craig A. Evans 1998 ISBN 90-04-11142-5 pages 455-457

[VVoorst53-5] Jesus outside the New Testament: an introduction to the ancient evidence by Robert E. Van Voorst 2000 ISBN 0-8028-4368-9 pages 53-55

[Averil-6] Cite error: The named reference Averil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Fergus-7] Cite error: The named reference Fergus was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Evans41-8] Cite error: The named reference Evans41 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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