Robert L. Mowery, «Son of God in Roman Imperial Titles and Matthew», Vol. 83 (2002) 100-110

The christological formula qeou= ui(o/j, which appears in the NT only in three Matthean passages (14,33; 27,43.54), exactly parallels the two-word Roman imperial son of god formula found in the titulature of Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Titus, and Domitian. This formula occurred more widely in first century imperial titulature than has previously been reported; in addition, various three-word imperial son of god formulas also deserve notice. The Matthean formula qeou= ui(o/j would have evoked Roman imperial usage for at least some members of Matthew’s community.

Augustus is demonstrated by coins issued in his honor by Tiberius, Gaius, and other emperors⁵⁴.

        Augustus was not the only emperor who received a cult. The cult of Tiberius, Livia, and the Senate was established at Smyrna during Tiberius’ lifetime⁵⁵, and priests of Tiberius were eventually found in at least eleven cities in Asia Minor alone⁵⁶. Gaius ordered the province of Asia to establish a temple for him at Miletus⁵⁷, and he even decreed that his statue be placed in the temple in Jerusalem, though this decree was never carried out. But two factors suggest that the Flavians and their cult should receive our special attention. Given the probability that the Gospel of Matthew was composed sometime after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, it is likely that this gospel was composed during the reign of one of the Flavians⁵⁸. And since the cults of the Julio-Claudian emperors (with the notable exception of Augustus) may not have survived long after the deaths of these emperors⁵⁹, it is questionable whether some of these earlier cults would have still been vital at the time when the First Gospel was being composed.

        The power and authority of the Flavians would have been well-known in both Palestine and Syria. After being appointed governor of Judea during the Jewish war of independence, Vespasian subjugated Galilee and most of Judea before being acclaimed emperor in 69 CE. His son Titus captured Jerusalem in 70 CE and visited Antioch in triumph during the following year. Christians in Antioch would have walked by Vespasian’s statue, and they would have seen the bronze figures that had been conspicuously located on two city gates by Titus to commemorate his triumph over Jerusalem and to celebrate Roman sovereignty⁶⁰.

        We have seen that various Greek sources not only hail the Flavians as divinities but also bestow the titles qeou= ui(o/j and qeou= Ou)espasianou= ui(o/j on Titus and Domitian. The Flavian cult, which would have celebrated these claims, has left its mark on various sites throughout the empire, including several sites in Asia Minor. A cult for Vespasian was established at Pisidian Antioch⁶¹, and dedications to Vespasian were erected in Pamphylia, Bithynia, and Cilicia⁶². A colossal statue of one of the Flavians, probably Titus or Domitian, stood in an imperial temple at Ephesus; in addition, this temple had thirteen dedications to Domitian that had been erected by thirteen different cities⁶³. Temples to Domitian were also established at Laodicea