Professor Peter Oakes releases new publication

Professor Peter Oakes has a new publication: ‘The Christians and their Politeuma in Heaven: Philippians 3:20 and the Herakleopolis Papyri’, In the Crucible of Empire: The Impact of Roman Citizenship upon Greeks, Jews and Christians. Katell Berthelot and Jonathan Price, eds. (Leuven: Peeters, 2019), 141-63.

Professor Peter Oakes from the Centre for Biblical Studies has contributed to a book produced by the recent European Research Council funded project, ‘Re-thinking Judaism’s Encounter with the Roman Empire: Rome’s Political and Religious Challenge to Israel and its Impact on Judaism (2nd Century BCE – 4th Century CE)’.

As well as Professor Oakes’ involvement, one of the full-time project researchers was Dr Kimberley Fowler, who completed her BA, MA and PhD at The University of Manchester and is currently lecturing in New Testament at the University of Durham.

Professor Oakes’ article argues that politeumain Philippians 3:20, usually translated ‘citizenship’, can instead be usefully likened to a Jewish governing body in a city (outside Israel) which oversees smaller Jewish communities in surrounding villages.

The article includes the first English translations of key papyri that show this in action for Jews in Egypt.