Torrey Seland, «Saul of Tarsus and Early Zealotism. Reading Gal 1,13-14 in Light of Philo’s Writings», Vol. 83 (2002) 449-471
One of the most consistent features in the portraits of Saul of Tarsus in the Acts of the Apostles and in the letters accredited to Paul, is the fervent zeal of his youth. The zeal of the young Saul has been dealt with in several studies, drawing on the issue of zealotry in Palestine, but the conclusions reached are rather diverse. The present study suggests that the often overlooked phenomenon of zealotry in the writings of Philo of Alexandria should also be considered. The material from Philo does not support the view that the early zealots formed any consistent movement or party, but that they were vigilant individuals who took the Law in their own hands when observing cases of gross Torah transgressions.
The same use as found in Philo is thus also present in Josephus’ works. Here the term e!qoj in passages related to Jewish contexts seems to denote primarily the customs characteristic of the Jews, i.e., those that distinguish them from other peoples59. The term is also one of the several synonyms for the Law both in Josephus’ works60 as well as in the Lukan texts in the New Testament61. How is this in Paul? Scholars are somewhat divided with regard to the question if Paul here in Gal 1 means only the traditions of the elders, i.e., the oral Torah62, or if he means the Torah, both oral and written63. The Letter to the Galatians was written, however, to communities constituted by Gentiles. To them the phrase ‘ancestral traditions’ would most probably have connoted the Mosaic Law, possibly also oral legal traditions, but would not have excluded the Torah itself64. In light of the use of these terms in the Diaspora works of Philo and Josephus, this interpretation is strengthened. Furthermore, Paul himself is here using this expression as evidence for his great progression in ‘Judaism’65, even surpassing all others of his own age at that time. His zealotic persecution of the early Christians as evidence for his Law-observance is corroborated by Phil 3,6 too. Hence Paul’s expression probably denotes the Torah, both oral and written as handed over to him from his pharisaic fathers, i.e. his teachers.
The role of the early Maccabees in the history of the Phinehas-traditions of violent zeal for God/Torah is hardly to be denied66, and the similarity of the terminology of Gal 1,14 with both Ant. 12,217 and Spec. 2,253 is so great that it is hardly to be considered a coincidence.