In the pages that follow the symbols // are used to indicate parallel passages in the New Testament gospels, for example, Mark 2:13-17//Matt. 9:9-13, Luke 5:27-32. Unless otherwise noted, the scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA) and are used by permission with all rights reserved. Translations of other ancient writings are my own.

Dates in the ancient world are indicated by “BCE” (Before the Common Era) and “CE” (Common Era), for example, 136 BCE and 30 CE.

I treat Mark as the first New Testament gospel, and the authors of Matthew and Luke as working from Mark, though not necessarily our version of Mark. Some scholars place Matthew first chronologically, with the author of Mark shortening Matthew to give us what we know as the Gospel of Mark, and the author of Luke employing both Matthew and Mark in composing the gospel of Luke. Regardless of theories of origin, the distinctive natures of each of these three gospels, as pointed out in chapters 2 through 4, remain.

The word “pagan/7 commonly used in a negative sense in current usage, I employ in a neutral sense to mean, simply, non-Jewish and non-Christian.

The “Suggestions for further reading” at the end of the book offer information on how to find the various ancient writings and modern studies referred to in the book; other titles that may prove helpful in pursuing a particular subject are also included. The “Questions for further thought and discussion” may prove helpful in reflecting on the various chapters of the book.

I want to thank my one-time teacher, Howard Clark Kee, the invitation to write this book, which accords with various long-standing academic and personal interests of mine.

To Catherine Huggins, Administrative Assistant in the Department of Religion and Culture, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, I owe a large debt of gratitude for translating my sometimes barely decipherable script into laserprint. My colleagues in the Department and in the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies are also owed my thanks for encouragement and inspiration over the years of what might be termed the gestation of this little volume.