The Emperor\u27s Translation, Ezekiel\u27s Vision, and Luke\u27s Flesh and Bones: Mapping Early Resurrection Meaning

Early Jesus believers hoped for a general resurrection at which the righteous would be recompensed for the lives stolen from them. This lecture addresses the somewhat puzzling fact that the narrative of the resurrected Jesus in Luke 24 has little to say about this general resurrection. Instead, it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus as a “stand alone” event, which compares quite closely to ancient narratives of Roman emperors who are understood to be divinized at their deaths. This presentation looks at the distinctly Lukan assertion that Jesus is resurrected in flesh and bone, and asks whether this allusion to Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones reflects Luke’s knowledge of “more populist” understandings of resurrection in which justice for the suffering righteous are central