Support by evidence

① maker of stage properties (acc. to Pollux 7, 189 the Old Comedy used the word as a synonym for μηχανοποιός=either a ‘stagehand’ who moved stage properties [as Aristoph., Pax 174] or a ‘manufacturer of stage properties’. Associated terms include σκηνογράφος Diog. L. 2, 125 and σκηνογραφία Arist., Poet. 1449a and Polyb. 12, 28a, 1, in ref. to painting of stage scenery) Ac 18:3. But if one understands σκηνή not as ‘scene’ but as ‘tent’ and considers it improbable that Prisca, Aquila, and Paul would have practiced such a trade in the face of alleged religious objections (s. Schürer II 54–55 on Jewish attitudes towards theatrical productions), one would follow the traditional rendering

② tentmaker. This interpretation has long enjoyed favor (s. Lampe s.v.; REB, NRSV; Hemer, Acts 119, 233), but several considerations militate against it. The term σκηνοποιός is not used outside the Bible (and its influence), except for Pollux (above) and Herm. Wr. 516, 10f=Stob. I, 463, 7ff. There it appears as an adj. and in a figurative sense concerning production of a dwelling appropriate for the soul. The context therefore clearly indicates a structure as the primary component, but in the absence of such a qualifier in Ac 18:3 it is necessary to take account of words and expressions that similarly contain the terms σκηνή and ποιεῖν. A survey of usage indicates that σκηνή appears freq. as the obj. of ποιέω in the sense ‘pitch’ or ‘erect a tent’ (s. ποιέω 1a; act. σκηνοποιέω Is 13:20 Sym. οὐδὲ σκηνοποιήσει ἐκεῖ ῎ Αραψ; 22:15 Sym.; mid. σκηνοποιέομαι Aristot., Meteor. 348b, 35; Clearch., Fgm. 48 W.; Polyb. 14, 1, 7; Diod S 3, 27, 4; Ps.-Callisth. 2, 9, 8.—Cp. σκηνοποιί̈α Aeneas Tact. 8, 3; Polyb. 6, 28, 3; ins, RevArch 3, ’34, 40; and acc. to the text. trad. of Dt 31:10 as an alternate expr. for σκηνοπηγία.—Ex 26:1, it is granted, offers clear evidence of use of the non-compounded σκηνή + ποιέω in the sense ‘produce’ or ‘manufacture [not pitch] a tent’, but the context makes the meaning unmistakable; cp. Herodian 7, 2, 4 on the building of rude housing). Analogously σκηνοποιός would mean ‘one who pitches or erects tents’, linguistically a more probable option than that of ‘tentmaker’, but in the passages cited for σκηνοποιέω and σκηνοποιί̈α components in the context (cp. the case for provision of housing in the Hermetic pass.) clearly point to the denotation ‘pitching of tents’, whereas Ac 18:3 lacks such a clear qualifier. Moreover, it is questionable whether residents of nomadic areas would depend on specialists to assist in such a common task (s. Mt 17:4 par. where a related kind of independent enterprise is mentioned).—That Prisca, Aquila, and Paul might have been engaged in the preparation of parts for the production of a tent is also improbable, since such tasks would have been left to their hired help. That they might have been responsible for putting a tent together out of various pieces is ruled out by the availability of the term σκηνορράφος (Ael., VH 2, 1 et al.; Bull. Inst. Arch. Bulg. 8, 69) in the sense of stitching together (the verb ἐπιτελεῖν Hb 8:5 does not support such a view, for it is not an alternate expr. for ‘production’ of a tent but denotes ‘completion’ of a project, connoting a strong sense of religious commitment; see ἐπιτελέω 2) in which the component ῥαφ-provides an unmistakable qualifier.—In modern times more consideration has been given to identification of Paul’s trade as ‘leather-worker’, an interpretation favored by numerous versions and patristic writings (s. Zahn, AG, ad loc.; L-S-J-M Suppl., s.v., as replacement for their earlier ‘tentmaker’; Haenchen, ad loc., after JJeremias, ZNW 30, ’31; Hock, s. below). As such he would make tents and other products from leather (Hock [s. below] 21). But this and other efforts at more precise definition, such as weaver of tent-cloth (a view no longer in fashion) may transmit reflections of awareness of local practice in lieu of semantic precision.—In the absence of any use of the term σκηνοποιός, beyond the pass. in Pollux and the Herm. Wr., and the lack of specific qualifiers in the text of Ac 18:3, one is left with the strong probability that Luke’s publics in urban areas, where theatrical productions were in abundance, would think of σκηνοποιός in ref. to matters theatrical (s. 1). In addition, Ac 20:34; 1 Cor 4:12; 1 Th 2:9; 2 Th 3:8 indicate that Paul’s work was of a technical nature and was carried out in metropolitan areas, where there would be large demand for such kind of work. What publics in other areas might understand is subject to greater question, for the evidence is primarily anecdotal.—JWeiss, Das Urchristentum 1917, 135; FGrosheide, Παῦλος σκηνοποιός: TSt 35, 1917, 241f; Zahn, AG II 632, 10; 634; Billerb. II 745–47; Beginn. IV, 223; PLampe, BZ 31, ’87, 211–21; RHock, The Social Context of Paul’s Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship ’80.—M-M. TW.

ἀπολογ-έομαι, [tense] aor.

A

ἀπελογησάμην E.Ba.41

, Antipho 5.13, but f.l. in Pl.Sph. 261c, X.An.5.6.3; also [tense] aor. [voice] Pass.

ἀπελογήθην Antipho 2.3.1

, al., Alex.12 (prob. suprious in X.HG1.4.13): [tense] pf.

ἀπολελόγημαι And.1.33

, Isoc.12.218 (in pass. sense, Pl.R. 607b):—speak in defence, defend oneself, opp. κατηγορεῖν, περί τινος about a thing, Antipho 5.7, Th.1.72; πρὸς τὴν μαρτυρίαν in reference or answer to the evidence, Antipho 2.4.3, cf. Th.6.29;

πρός τινας

before..,

Eup.357

, cf. Plb. 22.6.4: later, c. dat.,

κατηγορίαις Plu. Them.23

; ἀ. ὑπέρ τινος speak in another's behalf, Hdt.7.161, E.Ba.41, Pl.R. 488a, etc.; ἀ. ὑπέρ τινος speak in support of a fact, Antipho 3.2.1;

ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀδικίας Pl. Grg. 480b

; πρὸς Μέλητον in answer to him, Id.Ap. 24b: abs.,

παρὼν ἀ. Hdt.6.136

, Ar.Th. 188;

ὁ ἀπολογούμενος

the defendant,

Id.V. 778

, And.1.6.

2 c. acc. rei, defend oneself against,

ἀ. τὰς διαβολάς Th. 8.109

; τὰς πράξεις defend what one has done, Aeschin.1.92.

3 ἀ. τι ἔς τι allege in one's defence against a charge, Th.3.63;

ἀ. πρὸς τὰ κατηγορημένα μηδέν Lys.12.38

;

τί ποτε ἀπολογήσεσθαι μέλλει μοι; Antipho 1.7

codd.;

ταῦτα ἀ. ὡς.. Pl.Phd. 69d

;

ἔργοις καλλίστοις ἀ. ὡς.. Lys.2.65

;

ἀ. ὅτι οὐδένα ἀδικῶ X.Oec.11.22

;

ἀ. ἀπολογίαν Luc.

Hes.6.

4 ἀ. δίκην θανάτου speak against sentence of death passing on one, Th.8.68.—Prose word, used once in Trag., v. supr.—The Prep. ἀπό implies the remoual of a charge.

ἐπιμαρτῠρ-έω,

A bear witness to a thing, depose to, ἐ. ἡμῖν τὰ ὀνόματα

μὴ.. κεῖσθαι Pl.Cra. 397a

;

ἐ. τι πρός τινας Plu.Lys.22

; τὰ χρήματα ἅ κα ἐπιμαρτυρήσωντι of which they admit the possession, Tab.Heracl. 1.156: c. inf.,

τῶν πραγμάτων -ούντων τὴν δύναμιν αὐξάνεσθαι Plu. Sert.12

, cf. 1 Ep.Pet.5.12;

ὅτι.. Luc.Alex.42

: abs., Plu.Nic.6:— [voice] Pass., to be confirmed by evidence, S.E.M.7.211, Polystr.p.31 W.

Κανά, ἡ (also Κανᾶ, e.g. Tdf.) indecl. Cana, name of a city in Galilee (cp. Jos., Vi. 86), the location of which can no longer be determined. Among the possibilities are the sites now known as Khirbet Qana, c. 14 km. north of Nazareth (RMackowski, ‘Scholars’ Qanah.’ A Re-examination of the Evidence in Favor of Khirbet Qanah: BZ 23, ’79, 278–84; Dalman, Orte³ 108–14 [Eng. tr. 112f]); Kafr Kanna, a.k.a. Kefr Kenna, c. 5 km. northeast of Naz. (TSoiron, D. Evangelium u. d. hl. Stätten in Palästina 1929), easily available to ancient pilgrims; and even ˓Ain Qana, 1½ km. north of Naz. near Reina (s. WSanday, Sacred Sites of the Gospels 1903, 24, n.)—the first receives the most scholarly support. Place of Jesus’ first miracle in J 2:1, 11 (lit. in Hdb. exc. after J 2:12; CKopp, The Holy Places of the Gospels, tr. RWalls, ’63, 143–54; RRiesner, Bibel u. Kirche 43, ’88, 69–71); 4:46. Home of Nathanael 21:2; according to many, also of Simon Mt 10:4 (s. Καναναῖος).—Heinz Noetzel, Christus und Dionysus ’60.—EDNT. BHHW II 926. M-M.

συμμαρτυρέω (Soph., Thu. et al.) ‘to testify’ or ‘bear witness with’ (Plut., Thes. et Romul. 6, 5, Mor. 64c; BGU 86, 40 [II A.D.] al.), then also gener. to provide supporting evidence by testifying, confirm, support by testimony (as early as Solon 24, 3 D.² the prefix συν-has in the highest degree the effect of strengthening. Likewise Trag. et al.; Pla., Hipp. Major 282b συμμαρτυρῆσαι δέ σοι ἔχω ὅτι ἀληθῆ λέγεις; X., Hell. 7, 1, 35 συνεμαρτύρει αὐτῷ ταῦτα πάντα; 3, 3, 2; Jos., Ant. 19, 154. Without dat. and w. ὅτι foll. Plut., Mor. 724d) συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως Ro 2:15. συμμαρτυρούσης μοι τῆς συνειδήσεώς μου … ὅτι 9:1 (on the witness of the conscience Jos., C. Ap. 2, 218). τὸ πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν ὅτι 8:16.—The mid. Rv 22:18 t.r. (Erasmian rdg.).—DELG s.v. μάρτυς. M-M. s.v. συνμαρτυρέω. TW.

Ἰουνία, ας, ἡ (SEG XVIII, 143 [c. 43 A.D.]; on the form s. Mlt-H. 155) Junia, compatriot or relative of Paul, one who like Paul suffered imprisonment, and distinguished among the apostles Ro 16:7 v.l. Ancient commentators took Andr. and Junia as a married couple. Some patristic identification (JFitzmyer, Anchor Bible: Romans, ’93, 737f) favors the reading of her name in the text (so NRSV, REB; RCervin, NTS 40, ’94, 464–70); in opposition to this identification Ltzm. (Hdb. ad loc.), who offers no evidence to support his statement that the context appears to exclude her from consideration. Moreover, unlike Ἰουνιᾶν (s. next entry), the form Ἰουνίαν is actually found so accented in some mss. (s. N. app.). For apostolic prestige accorded a woman s. Aa I, 235 app. ln. 2: ἰσαπόστολος of Thecla.