Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 64:2 (Jun 2021)
Article: Luke’s Journeying-Up-To-Jerusalem Motif And Xenophon’s "Anabasis"
Author: Ben Witherington III

JETS 64:2 (June 2021) p. 303

Luke’s Journeying-Up-To-Jerusalem Motif
And Xenophon’s Anabasis

Ben Witherington III*

^* Ben Witherington III is Jean R. Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, 204 N. Lexington Ave., Wilmore, KY 40390. He may be contacted at [email protected].

In other contexts, I have written at length on why Luke-Acts should be seen as a single two-part work, two volumes of a historical monograph, as is shown by many features in both volumes (chronological synchronisms, the preface in Luke 1:1–4, and much more).1 Especially noteworthy is how Luke models a good bit of what he does on previous works of Hellenistic historiography, such as those by Thucydides and Polybius. For example, he handles his speech material following the principles that Thucydides laid out for his own account of the Peloponnesian Wars.2 This is not in any way to deny the influence of Jewish history writing or the LXX (upon which he draws again and again) on Luke’s work, but this brief essay explores a particular possible influence on Luke—Xenophon’s Anabasis.

For those unfamiliar with Xenophon’s work, a few points and a precis are in order. The title Ἀνάβασις means “expedition up from” or “ascent,” in this case up from the coastal regions of Asia Minor to the capital city of the Persian Empire, and the work involves Cyrus the Younger,3 who has recruited Greek mercenaries and is marching from the coast to take the throne from his brother Artaxerxes. Xenophon is the commander of the Greek mercenaries.

This march from the coast of Asia Minor across Mesopotamia provided Xenophon with an opportunity to write one of the most famous military march accounts ever. It focuses on Cyrus’s efforts to gain the throne in 401 BC, and it was written not long thereafter in 371 BC by Xenophon, who was an eyewitness and participant in the entire journey. Xenophon himself was not merely a historian. As already noted, he was a military man, and he was credited with some of the success that Cyrus had in fighting his way east towards the head-on collision with his brother. Not only so, but Xenophon was a friend and student of Socrates. He was a man of many parts.

JETS 64:2 (June 2021) p. 304

Like the most famous of all Greek works, Homer’s Odyssey, which seems to have influenced the way Luke tells the story of Paul’s sea journey to Rome, the Anabasis was also a widely kno...