Episode 38: The Souring of the Ways with John Dunne

It Means What It Means

In this conversation, John Dunne discusses his recent article “The Souring of the Ways: Anti-Jewish Readings of Psalm 69 and the Wine Offerings to Jesus.” He explores the texts in the gospels and the Hebrew Bible, highlighting the differences and inconsistencies in the details of the wine offerings. Dunne argues that the simplification of these details in later tradition is influenced by the intertext of Psalm 69. This simplification leads to an anti-Jewish reading, where the Jewish people are blamed for offering sour wine and gall to Jesus. Dunne also examines the commentaries on Psalm 69 and how they contribute to this anti-Jewish interpretation. The conversation explores the use of intertextuality in the Gospels, specifically focusing on the references to Psalm 69. John argues that the Gospel authors are not intentionally drawing from the Septuagint or consciously using biblical language, but rather they are leveraging the psalm intertext and it became a ubiquitous way of thinking about the events. The conversation also touches on the variations in the Gospel accounts and the subsequent development of the tradition that implicates the Jewish people. John emphasizes the importance of reading each Gospel on its own and understanding its unique theological interests. John Dunne is one of a team of contributors to the blog/podcast The Two Cities.