Abstract
Most public communication in the ancient world was oral. Given that the first-century world of the Bible can be labeled as a period where people preferred the spoken word over the written word, and Jesus’ parables were shared by word of mouth, it seems crucial to analyze the oral traits found in the written text of the parables. Biblical performance criticism is a methodology which analyzes texts that were intended primarily for oral delivery. Utilizing performance criticism, this article will investigate the so-called banquet parable recounted in Luke 14:15–24, with the intent to discover its oral conventions. Finally, where important oral conventions are identified, we will offer a conceivable script or suggest dramatic elements that can be utilized to re-enact the parable to a modern audience.
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