Abstract
The story of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness originated as a Palestinian Christian response to persecution under Agrippa I during the aftermath of the Caligula crisis (c. 42 CE). Jesus, in isolation from human society, is challenged by Satan but repudiates incitement to idolatry and betrayal of God. In so doing he serves as an antitype to Agrippa, from the perspective of those whom he persecuted. The story is preserved and developed in diverse strands of the Gospel tradition, of which the most elaborate is the triple temptation story in Q.
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