"The Judeans" for οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι? Contested Ethnicity in the Fourth Gospel

Despite its apparent geographical restriction, the translation "the Judeans" for the Johannine expression οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι has gained many supporters in the past decade. This trend may have been influenced by the view of Steve Mason (2007) that the translation "the Judeans" is not limited to a geographical meaning but is inclusive of religious and political connotations as well. Subsequently, he posits that the term οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι should be translated "the Judeans" as it captures best the ethnic centrality of Judea in the lives of concurrent Ἰουδαῖοι as evinced, for example, in the writings of Flavius Josephus. This proposal calls our attention since we know that the Fourth Gospel was composed in the same generation, prompting us to ask whether we should also consider the rendition "the Judeans" for οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι or not. To answer this question, this article explores John’s ethnic portrayal of the Ἰουδαῖοι in his narrative and juxtaposes it with the Josephan understanding. Recognising the ambiguous and fluid nature of ethnic identification in the writings of John and Josephus, this article argues that the translation "the Judeans"—within Mason’s reasoning—does not match the contested ethnic context of the Johannine narrative.