DOCSLIB.ORG

New Perspectives on 2 Enoch: No Longer Slavonic Only

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
New Perspectives on 2 Enoch: No Longer Slavonic Only Studia Judaeoslavica Edited by Alexander Kulik (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Editorial Board Israel Bartal, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Lazar Fleishman, Stanford University Heinz-Dietrich Löwe, University of Heidelberg Alexei Miller, Russian Academy of the Sciences/Central European University, Budapest Benjamin Nathans, University of Pennsylvania Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, Northwestern University Moshe Taube, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem VOLUME 4 Department of German, Russian, and East European Studies The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/sjs New Perspectives on 2 Enoch No Longer Slavonic Only Edited by Andrei A. Orlov and Gabriele Boccaccini Associate Editor Jason M. Zurawski LEIDEN • BOSTON 2012 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data New perspectives on 2 Enoch : no longer Slavonic only / edited by Andrei Orlov and Gabriele Boccaccini ; associate editor, Jason Zurawski. p. cm.—(Studia Judaeoslavica, ISSN 1876–6153 ; v. 4) Collection of papers from the fifth conference of the Enoch Seminar in Naples, Italy (June 14–18, 2009) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-23013-2 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Slavonic book of Enoch—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—Congresses. I. Orlov, A. (Andrei) II. Boccaccini, Gabriele, 1958– III. Zurawski, Jason. BS1830.E81N49 2012 229’.913—dc23 2012006306 This publication has been typeset in the multilingual “Brill” typeface. With over 5,100 characters covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see www.brill.nl/brill-typeface. ISSN 1876-6153 ISBN 978 90 04 23013 2 (hardback) ISBN 978 90 04 23014 9 (e-book) Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Global Oriental, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers and Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Dedicated to the memory of our friend Hanan Eshel (1958–2010) CONTENTS Abbreviations ................................................................................................... xi Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 Andrei A. Orlov and Gabriele Boccaccini PART ONE 2 ENOCH No Longer “Slavonic” Only: 2 Enoch Attested in Coptic from Nubia ................................................................................................... 7 Joost L. Hagen TEXT AND DATING OF 2 ENOCH The “Book of the Secrets of Enoch” (2 En): Between Jewish Origin and Christian Transmission. An Overview ........................................ 37 Christfried Böttrich The Provenance of 2 Enoch: A Philological Perspective. A Response to C. Böttrich’s Paper “The ‘Book of the Secrets of Enoch’ (2 En): Between Jewish Origin and Christian Transmission. An Overview” .................................................................. 69 Liudmila Navtanovich 2 Enoch: Manuscripts, Recensions, and Original Language .............. 83 Grant Macaskill The Sacerdotal Traditions of 2 Enoch and the Date of the Text ..... 103 Andrei A. Orlov Excavating 2 Enoch: The Question of Dating and the Sacerdotal Traditions ..................................................................................................... 117 David W. Suter viii contents CONTENT AND CONTEXT OF 2 ENOCH 2 Enoch and the New Perspective on Apocalyptic .............................. 127 Crispin H. T. Fletcher-Louis The Watchers of Satanail: The Fallen Angels Traditions in 2 Enoch ......................................................................................................... 149 Andrei A. Orlov Patriarch, Prophet, Author, Angelic Rival: Exploring the Relationship of 1 Enoch to 2 Enoch in Light of the Figure of Enoch .......................................................................................... 181 Kelley Coblentz Bautch and Daniel Assefa Calendrical Elements in 2 Enoch ............................................................... 191 Basil Lourié 2 Enoch and Halakhah .................................................................................. 221 Lawrence H. Schiffman Halakha, Calendars, and the Provenances of 2 Enoch ........................ 229 Daniel Stökl Ben Ezra PART TWO ADAM, ENOCH, AND MELCHIZEDEK: MEDIATORIAL FIGURES IN SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM ADAMIC TRADITIONS Adam As a Mediatorial Figure in Second Temple Jewish Literature ...................................................................................................... 247 John R. Levison “Better Watch Your Back, Adam”: Another Adam and Eve Tradition in Second Temple Judaism .................................................. 273 Lester L. Grabbe contents ix Adamic Traditions in 2 Enoch and in the Books of Adam and Eve .......................................................................................................... 283 Johannes Magliano-Tromp Adamic Traditions in Early Christian and Rabbinic Literature ....... 305 Alexander Toepel Adamic Tradition in Slavonic Manuscripts (Vita Adae et Evae and Apocryphal Cycle about the Holy Tree) .................................... 325 Anissava Miltenova MELCHIZEDEK TRADITIONS Melchizedek Traditions in Second Temple Judaism ........................... 343 Eric F. Mason Melchizedek at Qumran and in Judaism: A Response ........................ 361 Devorah Dimant Enoch and Melchizedek: The Concern for Supra-Human Priestly Mediators in 2 Enoch ............................................................................... 369 Charles A. Gieschen Melchizedek in Some Early Christian Texts and 2 Enoch ................. 387 Harold W. Attridge “Much to Say and Hard to Explain” Melchizedek in Early Christian Literature, Theology, and Controversy ............................. 411 Pierluigi Piovanelli On Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek, and Eve ................................................ 431 Daphna Arbel Bibliography on 2 Enoch .............................................................................. 455 Andrei A. Orlov Index of Modern Authors ............................................................................. 473 ABBREVIATIONS AAWG Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen AB Anchor Bible ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary AGJU Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchris- tentums AnBib Analecta biblica APOT The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. Edited by R. H. Charles. 2 vols. Oxford, 1913 BBB Bonner biblische Beiträge BBR Bulletin for Biblical Research BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium Bib Biblica BJS Brown Judaic Studies BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CBQMS Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series CEJL Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature CRINT Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum CSCO Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium DJD Discoveries in the Judaean Desert DSD Dead Sea Discoveries EDSS Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by L. H. Schiffman and J. C. VanderKam. Oxford, 2000 EJL Early Judaism and its Literature EvQ Evangelical Quarterly GCS Griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte Hen Henoch HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs HSS Harvard Semitic Studies HTR Harvard Theological Review HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JE The Jewish Encyclopedia. Edited by I. Singer. 12 vols. New York, 1925 xii abbreviations JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JJTP Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy JQR Jewish Quarterly Review JSHRZ Judische Schriften aus hellenistisch-römischer Zeit JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period JSJSup Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period: Supplement Series JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament: Supplement Series JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series JSP Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha JSPSup Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha: Supplement Series JSQ Jewish Studies Quarterly JSS Journal of Semitic Studies JTS Journal of Theological Studies LCL Loeb Classical Library MGWJ Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums NHS Nag Hammadi Studies NovTSup Supplements to Novum Testamentum NT Novum Testamentum NTS New Testament Studies Or Orientalia OrChr Oriens christianus OTP The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Edited by J. H. Charles- worth. 2 vols. Garden City, NY, 1983, 1985 PTS Patristische Texte und Studien PVTG Pseudepigrapha Veteris Testamenti Graece RB Revue biblique RÉJ Revue des études juives RevQ Revue de Qumran RHPR Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses RSR Recherches de science religieuse SBL.EJL Society of Biblical Literature Early Judaism and Its Literature SBLMS Society of Biblical Literature
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 4Q521 and What It Might Mean for Q 3–7
    Chapter 20 4Q521 and What It Might Mean for Q 3–7 Gaye Strathearn am personally grateful for S. Kent Brown. He was a commit- I tee member for my master’s thesis, in which I examined 4Q521. Since that time he has been a wonderful colleague who has always encouraged me in my academic pursuits. The relationship between the Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian- ity has fueled the imagination of both scholar and layperson since their discovery in 1947. Were the early Christians aware of the com- munity at Qumran and their texts? Did these groups interact in any way? Was the Qumran community the source for nascent Chris- tianity, as some popular and scholarly sources have intimated,¹ or was it simply a parallel community? One Qumran fragment that 1. For an example from the popular press, see Richard N. Ostling, “Is Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls?” Time Magazine, 21 September 1992, 56–57. See also the claim that the scrolls are “the earliest Christian records” in the popular novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New York: Doubleday, 2003), 245. For examples from the academic arena, see André Dupont-Sommer, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Preliminary Survey (New York: Mac- millan, 1952), 98–100; Robert Eisenman, James the Just in the Habakkuk Pesher (Leiden: Brill, 1986), 1–20; Barbara E. Thiering, The Gospels and Qumran: A New Hypothesis (Syd- ney: Theological Explorations, 1981), 3–11; Carsten P. Thiede, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish Origins of Christianity (New York: Palgrave, 2001), 152–81; José O’Callaghan, “Papiros neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrān?,” Biblica 53/1 (1972): 91–100.
    [Show full text]
  • Texas Co-Op Power • March 2017
    LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION MARCH 2017 Blizzard of ’57 Spring Vegetable Salads Palo Duro Pageant 35 35on Brake-worthy stops on highway through co-op country THE TRACTOR THAT STARTED IT ALL. IS CHANGING IT ALL. Metal Hood, Fenders New Deluxe Seat** New Swift-TTaach Loader** New Grille Guard New Dash Panel & Operator Platform & Tilt Steering Wheel & Swift-Connect Backhoe & Front Hitch & Display ALL-NEWW KUBOTTAA BX80 SERIES Low-Rate, Long-TTeerm Financing 6 YYeear Goingg On Noww! Limited Powertrain Warrantyy* kubota.com *Only terms and conditions of Kubota’s standard Limited Warranty applyy.. For warranty terms, see Kubota’s Limited Warranty at www.kubota.com or authorized Kubota Dealers. **Only avvaailable on certain models. Optional equipment may be shown. © Kubota TTrractor Corporation, 2017 Since 1944 March 2017 FAVORITES 5 Letters 6 Currents 18 Local Co-op News Get the latest information plus energy and safety tips from your cooperative. 29 Texas History Panhandle Blizzard of 1957 By Dawn Stephens 31 Recipes Spring Vegetable Salads 35 Focus on Texas Photo Contest: In Motion 36 Around Texas List of Local Events 38 Hit the Road Texas on a Grand Stage in Palo Duro By Sheryl Smith-Rodgers Marker near the northern end ONLINE of Interstate 35 in Texas, just TexasCoopPower.com south of the Red River Find these stories online if they don’t appear in your edition of the magazine. FEATURE Texas USA Odessa Meteor Crater 35 on 35 8 Stops with fascinating food, history and popular By E.R. Bills culture lure travelers from the interstate as it weaves Observations through Texas from Mexico to Oklahoma Another Roadside Attraction Story and photos by Julia Robinson By Ryann Ford ROAD TRIP! See video and photos at TexasCoopPower.com NEXT MONTH Drones: An Overview Texas inno- vators, including electric co-ops, hone drones as tools of today.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyrighted Material
    Index Abulfeda crater chain (Moon), 97 Aphrodite Terra (Venus), 142, 143, 144, 145, 146 Acheron Fossae (Mars), 165 Apohele asteroids, 353–354 Achilles asteroids, 351 Apollinaris Patera (Mars), 168 achondrite meteorites, 360 Apollo asteroids, 346, 353, 354, 361, 371 Acidalia Planitia (Mars), 164 Apollo program, 86, 96, 97, 101, 102, 108–109, 110, 361 Adams, John Couch, 298 Apollo 8, 96 Adonis, 371 Apollo 11, 94, 110 Adrastea, 238, 241 Apollo 12, 96, 110 Aegaeon, 263 Apollo 14, 93, 110 Africa, 63, 73, 143 Apollo 15, 100, 103, 104, 110 Akatsuki spacecraft (see Venus Climate Orbiter) Apollo 16, 59, 96, 102, 103, 110 Akna Montes (Venus), 142 Apollo 17, 95, 99, 100, 102, 103, 110 Alabama, 62 Apollodorus crater (Mercury), 127 Alba Patera (Mars), 167 Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), 110 Aldrin, Edwin (Buzz), 94 Apophis, 354, 355 Alexandria, 69 Appalachian mountains (Earth), 74, 270 Alfvén, Hannes, 35 Aqua, 56 Alfvén waves, 35–36, 43, 49 Arabia Terra (Mars), 177, 191, 200 Algeria, 358 arachnoids (see Venus) ALH 84001, 201, 204–205 Archimedes crater (Moon), 93, 106 Allan Hills, 109, 201 Arctic, 62, 67, 84, 186, 229 Allende meteorite, 359, 360 Arden Corona (Miranda), 291 Allen Telescope Array, 409 Arecibo Observatory, 114, 144, 341, 379, 380, 408, 409 Alpha Regio (Venus), 144, 148, 149 Ares Vallis (Mars), 179, 180, 199 Alphonsus crater (Moon), 99, 102 Argentina, 408 Alps (Moon), 93 Argyre Basin (Mars), 161, 162, 163, 166, 186 Amalthea, 236–237, 238, 239, 241 Ariadaeus Rille (Moon), 100, 102 Amazonis Planitia (Mars), 161 COPYRIGHTED
    [Show full text]
  • Lithuanian Religious and Ceremonial Terms of Semitic Origin: the Phenomenon of Azazel
    Etnolingwistyka 29 Lublin 2017 I. Rozprawy i analizy DOI: 10.17951/et.2017.29.257 Rolandas K r e g ž d y s (Vilnius, Lithuanian Culture Research Institute) Lithuanian religious and ceremonial terms of semitic origin: the phenomenon of Azazel The article deals with the so-called phenomenon of Azazel, i.e. the scape- goat icon, examples of which can be found in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language and in dialectal sources. Its relics are also traced in three-day Shro- vetide rites before the Lenten fast, which begins on Ash Wednesday (Shrove Tuesday in Lithuania), and in the Easter feast from Piev˙enaiin Samogitia (the histrionic so-called “Easter Jews” vigil on the night before Easter). Using different methods of investigating cultural realia, i.e. cross-cultural comparison and linguistic analysis (based on the inner and external reconstruction (or historical) methodology), two main types of religious terms of Semitic origin registered in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language and dialectal sources are identified: (i) Hebraisms with neutral or hereditary connotation; and (ii) pejoratives or semantically modified words with an anti-Semitic background. The paper also explains the origin of the xenophobic elements of the Easter feast, the way it has been celebrated in Piev˙enaiuntil today. Key words: Azazel/scapegoat phenomenon; religious terms; ceremonial terms; Hebraism; pejorative; semantically modified words Introduction: a short prehistory of the origin and purport of the scapegoat or Azazel icon The mythonym of Azazel or Hazazel (Azael, Azozel)1 is traditionally explained as an appellative of one of the chiefs of the 200 fallen angels 1 The exact meaning of the proper name is ambiguous: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The City: the New Jerusalem
    Chapter 1 The City: The New Jerusalem “I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem” (Revelation 21:2). These words from the final book of the Bible set out a vision of heaven that has captivated the Christian imagina- tion. To speak of heaven is to affirm that the human long- ing to see God will one day be fulfilled – that we shall finally be able to gaze upon the face of what Christianity affirms to be the most wondrous sight anyone can hope to behold. One of Israel’s greatest Psalms asks to be granted the privilege of being able to gaze upon “the beauty of the Lord” in the land of the living (Psalm 27:4) – to be able to catch a glimpse of the face of God in the midst of the ambiguities and sorrows of this life. We see God but dimly in this life; yet, as Paul argued in his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, we shall one day see God “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). To see God; to see heaven. From a Christian perspective, the horizons defined by the parameters of our human ex- istence merely limit what we can see; they do not define what there is to be seen. Imprisoned by its history and mortality, humanity has had to content itself with pressing its boundaries to their absolute limits, longing to know what lies beyond them. Can we break through the limits of time and space, and glimpse another realm – another dimension, hidden from us at present, yet which one day we shall encounter, and even enter? Images and the Christian Faith It has often been observed that humanity has the capacity to think.
    [Show full text]
  • The Identification of “The Righteous” in the Psalms of Solomon(Psssol1))
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.28977/jbtr.2011.10.29.149 The Identification of “the Righteous” in the Psalms of Solomon / Unha Chai 149 The Identification of “the Righteous” in the Psalms of Solomon(PssSol1)) Unha Chai* 1. The Problem The frequent references to “the righteous” and to a number of other terms and phrases2) variously used to indicate them have constantly raised the most controversial issue studied so far in the Psalms of Solomon3) (PssSol). No question has received more attention than that of the ideas and identity of the righteous in the PssSol. Different views on the identification of the righteous have been proposed until now. As early as 1874 Wellhausen proposed that the righteous in the PssSol refer to the Pharisees and the sinners to the Sadducees.4) * Hanil Uni. & Theological Seminary. 1) There is wide agreement on the following points about the PssSol: the PssSol were composed in Hebrew and very soon afterwards translated into Greek(11MSS), then at some time into Syriac(4MSS). There is no Hebrew version extant. They are generally to be dated from 70 BCE to Herodian time. There is little doubt that the PssSol were written in Jerusalem. The English translation for this study is from “the Psalms of Solomon” by R. Wright in The OT Pseudepigrapha 2 (J. Charlesworth, ed.), 639-670. The Greek version is from Septuaginta II (A. Rahlfs, ed.), 471-489; G. W. E. Nickelsburg, Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah, 203-204; K. Atkinson, “On the Herodian Origin of Militant Davidic Messianism at Qumran: New Light From Psalm of Solomon 17”, JBL 118 (1999), 440-444.
    [Show full text]
  • Premillennialism in the New Testament: Five Biblically Doctrinal Truths
    MSJ 29/2 (Fall 2018) 177–205 PREMILLENNIALISM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: FIVE BIBLICALLY DOCTRINAL TRUTHS Gregory H. Harris Professor of Bible Exposition The Master’s Seminary Many scholars hold that premillennial statements are found only in Revelation 20:1–10. Although these verses are extremely important in supporting the premillen- nial doctrine, many other verses throughout the New Testament also offer support for premillennialism. Our study limits itself to five biblically doctrinal premillennial truths from the New Testament that seamlessly blend throughout the Bible with the person and work—and reign—of Jesus the Messiah on earth after His Second Com- ing. * * * * * Introduction Whenever discussions between premillennialists and amillennialists occur, Revelation 19 and 20 is usually the section of Scripture on which many base their argumentation, especially Revelation 20:1–10. Before we examine these specific pas- sages, we know that God has already made several prophecies elsewhere. And how one interprets these passages has been determined long before by how those other related futuristic biblical texts have already been interpreted, before ever approaching certain crucial biblical passages such as Revelation 20:1–10. So, as we shall see, one should actually end the argumentation for this important component of eschatological theology in Revelation 19–20, not start there. In setting forth the New Testament case for premillennialism we will present the following: (1) a presentation of three of the five premillennial biblical truths
    [Show full text]
  • NB 377 Transcript
    Naked Bible Podcast Episode 377: Revelation 9 Naked Bible Podcast Transcript Episode 377 Revelation 9 May 22, 2021 Teacher: Dr. Michael S. Heiser (MH) Host: Trey Stricklin (TS) Episode Summary Revelation 9 reveals John’s vision of the fifth and six trumpet judgments. Several interpretive issues are immediately apparent. What is the nature of the angel with the key to the bottomless pit (Rev 9:1)? Is this angel the same or different than that in Rev 9:11 or Abbadon/Apollyon? Who or what is being released from the bottomless pit (Rev 9:3-11)? These questions take the reader into the wider question of whether Revelation’s apocalyptic descriptions should be read in terms of modern analogies. In this episode we discern how the release of evil supernatural beings from the bottomless pit has clear connections to how Second Temple Jewish texts and 2 Peter describe the imprisoned Watchers, the sons of God of Genesis 6:1-4 infamy, and how the odd descriptions of those beings in insect and animal form have clear, abundant antecedents in the Old Testament. Transcript TS: Welcome to the Naked Bible Podcast, Episode 377: Revelation 9. I’m the layman, Trey Stricklin, and he’s the scholar, Dr. Michael Heiser. Hey, Mike! What's going on? MH: Well, I have a pug update. The pugs have now been introduced to the pool properly. TS: With life jackets? MH: With life jackets, of course. And their attitude toward the pool has moved from hysteria to mild hysteria. [laughter] They didn’t like it.
    [Show full text]
  • Azazel Historically, the Word Azazel Is an Idea and Rarely an Incarnate Demon
    Azazel Historically, the word azazel is an idea and rarely an incarnate demon. Figure 1 Possible sigil of Azazel. Modern writings use the sigil for the planet Saturn as well. Vayikra (Leviticus) The earliest known mention of the word Azazel in Jewish texts appears in the late seventh century B.C. which is the third of the five books of the Torah. To modern American ( וַיִּקְרָ א ) book called the Vayikra Christians, this books is Leviticus because of its discussion of the Levites. In Leviticus 16, two goats are placed before the temple for selection in an offering. A lot is cast. One Goat is then sacrificed to Yahweh and the other goats is said to outwardly bear all the sends of those making the sacrifice. The text The general translation .( לַעֲזָאזֵל ) specifically says one goat was chosen for Yahweh and the for Az azel of the words is “absolute removal.” Another set of Hebrew scholars translate Azazel in old Hebrew translates as "az" (strong/rough) and "el" (strong/God). The azazel goat, often called the scapegoat then is taken away. A number of scholars have concluded that “azazel” refers to a series of mountains near Jerusalem with steep cliffs. Fragmentary records suggest that bizarre Yahweh ritual was carried out on the goat. According to research, a red rope was tied to the goat and to an altar next to jagged cliff. The goat is pushed over the cliff’s edge and torn to pieces by the cliff walls as it falls. The bottom of the cliff was a desert that was considered the realm of the “se'irim” class of demons.
    [Show full text]
  • Ford-Judgment in 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, and Apocalypse of Abraham FINAL
    Abstract Judgment in 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, and Apocalypse of Abraham By: Jason Ford When the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem’s temple in 70 CE, it altered Jewish imagination and compelled religious and community leaders to devise messages of consolation. These messages needed to address both the contemporary situation and maintain continuity with Israel’s religious history. 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, and Apocalypse of Abraham are three important witnesses to these new messages hope in the face of devastation. In this dissertation I focus on how these three authors used and explored the important religious theme of judgment. Regarding 4 Ezra, I argue that by focusing our reading on judgment and its role in the text’s message we uncover 4 Ezra’s essential meaning. 4 Ezra’s main character misunderstands the implications of the destroyed Temple and, despite rounds of dialogue with and angelic interlocutor, he only comes to see God’s justice for Israel in light of the end-time judgment God shows him in two visions. Woven deeply into the fabric of his story, the author of 2 Baruch utilizes judgment for different purposes. With the community’s stability and guidance in question, 2 Baruch promises the coming of God’s judgment on the wicked nations, as well as the heavenly reward for Israel itself. In that way, judgment serves a pedagogical purpose in 2 Baruch–to stabilize and inspire the community through its teaching. Of the three texts, Apocalypse of Abraham explores the meaning of judgment must directly. It also offers the most radical portrayal of judgment.
    [Show full text]
  • Heavenly Priesthood in the Apocalypse of Abraham
    HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD IN THE APOCALYPSE OF ABRAHAM The Apocalypse of Abraham is a vital source for understanding both Jewish apocalypticism and mysticism. Written anonymously soon after the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple, the text envisions heaven as the true place of worship and depicts Abraham as an initiate of the celestial priesthood. Andrei A. Orlov focuses on the central rite of the Abraham story – the scapegoat ritual that receives a striking eschatological reinterpretation in the text. He demonstrates that the development of the sacerdotal traditions in the Apocalypse of Abraham, along with a cluster of Jewish mystical motifs, represents an important transition from Jewish apocalypticism to the symbols of early Jewish mysticism. In this way, Orlov offers unique insight into the complex world of the Jewish sacerdotal debates in the early centuries of the Common Era. The book will be of interest to scholars of early Judaism and Christianity, Old Testament studies, and Jewish mysticism and magic. ANDREI A. ORLOV is Professor of Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity at Marquette University. His recent publications include Divine Manifestations in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2009), Selected Studies in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2009), Concealed Writings: Jewish Mysticism in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2011), and Dark Mirrors: Azazel and Satanael in Early Jewish Demonology (2011). Downloaded from Cambridge Books Online by IP 130.209.6.50 on Thu Aug 08 23:36:19 WEST 2013. http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9781139856430 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2013 HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD IN THE APOCALYPSE OF ABRAHAM ANDREI A. ORLOV Downloaded from Cambridge Books Online by IP 130.209.6.50 on Thu Aug 08 23:36:19 WEST 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • From the Garden of Eden to the New Creation in Christ : a Theological Investigation Into the Significance and Function of the Ol
    The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theses 2017 From the Garden of Eden to the new creation in Christ : A theological investigation into the significance and function of the Old estamentT imagery of Eden within the New Testament James Cregan The University of Notre Dame Australia Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses Part of the Religion Commons COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further copying or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. Do not remove this notice. Publication Details Cregan, J. (2017). From the Garden of Eden to the new creation in Christ : A theological investigation into the significance and function of the Old Testament imagery of Eden within the New Testament (Doctor of Philosophy (College of Philosophy and Theology)). University of Notre Dame Australia. https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/181 This dissertation/thesis is brought to you by ResearchOnline@ND. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of ResearchOnline@ND. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO THE NEW CREATION IN CHRIST: A THEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE SIGNIFICANCE AND FUNCTION OF OLD TESTAMENT IMAGERY OF EDEN WITHIN THE NEW TESTAMENT. James M. Cregan A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. School of Philosophy and Theology, Fremantle. November 2017 “It is thus that the bridge of eternity does its spanning for us: from the starry heaven of the promise which arches over that moment of revelation whence sprang the river of our eternal life, into the limitless sands of the promise washed by the sea into which that river empties, the sea out of which will rise the Star of Redemption when once the earth froths over, like its flood tides, with the knowledge of the Lord.
    [Show full text]