Jerusalem in Lukasevangelium und Apostelgeschichte

Abstract

Undoubtedly the city Jerusalem (with its temple) is accentuated in Luke-Acts. This is indicated by the high frequency of the name(s) (Luke-Acts presents ca. 65% of the NT-instances!) Ἰερουσαλήμ and Ἱεροσόλυμα and also by the important role of the town within the structure, i.e. within the composition of the two books (cf. only Lk 1–2; 9:51; Acts 1:8; 19:21). But what does this emphasis mean? Differences in the understanding of the relevant data are obvious (and this matter resembles [not without cause] the intense discussions in the area of Pauline studies during the last decades). Older perspectives (advocated amongst others by F. C. Overbeck, E. Haenchen and H. Conzelmann) try to conceive for instance the Stephanus episode (Acts 6–7) and the last scene of Acts in an „anti-Judaic“ manner. But Acts 7:55–56 (cf. Lk 1:11) could hint at the celestial sanctuary, and Acts 28:20 (cf. v. 26–27, esp. v. 27b) names the „hope of Israel“. So a „New(er) Perspective“ could or should be preferable, paying attention to certain features of Luke-Acts, which possibly point to salvation-historical aims of the author.