Plutarch's Parallel Lives have frequently been employed as comparative texts for the Gospels of the New Testament. But how should such a comparison be methodologically and hermeneutically structured? In this study, David A. Staub develops a methodologically nuanced approach to comparative textual analysis, exemplified by a comparison between the Gospel of Luke and Plutarch's Life of Numa . Following a critical review of genre research, Staub outlines methodological foundations for intercultural textual comparisons. Central to his analysis is the narrative depiction of divine agency: while Luke presents Jesus' actions as a revelation of divine favor, Plutarch portrays Numa as a salvific self-revelation of the divine. The study concludes with reflections on the relationship between myth and history.