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The ‘Ghost’ of Jesus: Luke 24 in Light of Ancient Narratives of Post-Mortem Apparitions

210 W. Napier, Benton Harbor, MI 49022, USA, drdebnd{at}yahoo.com

Scholarly discussion of Luke 24 often focuses on the physical demonstration of Jesus’ bodily presence at the time of his post-resurrection appearances. Based upon ancient beliefs regarding the dead, the palpability of Jesus’ hands and feet and his ability to eat during his appearance to the eleven in Jerusalem (24.36-43) are often thought to oppose any conception of Jesus as less than fully alive and physically present. It has been argued recently, however, that these attributes were not absolute proof of one’s living status. So, why does Luke employ them? To answer this question, the literary characteristics of Greco-Roman narratives of post-mortem apparitions will be examined and compared to the characteristics applied to the appearances of Jesus in Luke 24. This comparative approach reveals the Lukan text’s engagement with these diverse literary traditions, without being limited by any one of them. The picture of Jesus that emerges surpasses all expected modes of post-mortem appearances by virtue of the fact that it incorporates them all.

Key Words: Apparition • literary appropriation • Hellenism • pneuma • resurrection

Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 29, No. 3, 287-301 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0142064X07076309


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