68 Thomas Hobson In his description of the Essenes (B. J. 2.8.1 §121), Josephus says that they protect themselves against women’s “wantonness” (ἀσέλγεια), because they are persuaded that no woman remains faithful to one man. And in his comments on pagan religion, Josephus (C. Ap. 2.1.34 §244) condemns the licentious unions of the Greek deities as “the utmost in outrageous- ness” (ἀσελγεστάτον). Whatever it is, one can see why ἀσέλγεια appears on Jesus’ sin list. Ἀσέλγεια is used ten times in the NT. In Rom 13,13, Paul urges his readers to conduct themselves “not in promiscuity (κοίται) or licen- tiousness (ἀσέλγεια).” Paul includes this term among the deeds of sinful human nature in Gal 5,19, sandwiched in between illicit sex (πορνεία), impurity, idolatry, and witchcraft. In 2 Cor 12,21, Paul laments those who “have not repented of the impurity, πορνεία, and ἀσέλγεια they have practiced.” And in his des- cription of the Gentiles in Eph 4,19, Paul says, “They have become callous and have given themselves up to ἀσέλγεια, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness.” Likewise, ἀσέλγεια tops the list of objectionable Gentile behaviors in 1 Pet 4,3, followed by “passions, drunkenness, revels, ca- rousing, and lawless idolatry”. Second Peter uses ἀσέλγεια more than any other NT document. It links ἀσέλγεια explicitly with the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, picturing Lot (2 Pet 2,7) as “greatly distressed by the licentiousness (ἀσέλγεια) of the wicked” around him (probably not referring to their failure to show hospitality). The author likens the men of Sodom to the false teachers of his day: “uttering loud boasts of folly, they entice with licentious passions (ἀσέλγειαι) people who have barely escaped from those who live in error” (2 Pet 2,18). He warns that “many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled” (2 Pet 2,2). Among the earliest Christian writers, ἀσέλγεια is used only by the author of The Shepherd of Hermas, who uses it four times. In Vis. 6,2, Hermas makes reference to “licentious acts” (ἀσελγείας) in parallel to “lawless deeds” (ἀνομίαι), with no contextual clues as to his meaning. The context in Vis 15,2 is equally vague. In Man. 47,6, Hermas says that the commandments of the devil are “hard, bitter, wild, and licentious” (ἀσελγέσι). Finally, in Sim. 92,3, Hermas sees women in black garments named Disbelief, Lack of Self-Control, Disobedience, Deceit, Sorrow, Wickedness (Πονερία), Licentiousness (Ἀσέλγεια), Short Temper, Lying, Foolishness, Slander, and Hatred. In his use of the word, Hermas seems to have returned to the word’s earlier classical Greek usage: shocking behavior of any kind that transcends the bounds of decency. In a search of patristic works, ἀσέλγεια and its cognates is used three times by Justin Martyr (Apol. 2.3.2; 4.9.2; 9.4.1), twice by Melito (see