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OBSERVATION OF CELESTIAL PHENOMENA IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW HONGSUK UM DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH 2016 Signed Declaration I hereby affirm that I have composed this thesis and that the work is my own. The work has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. _______________________________ _____________ Hongsuk Um Date Acknowledgements The research and composition of the thesis could only have been possible through the support of learned scholars, many kind friends and a loving family. It is a genuine pleasure to express my deepest sense of thanks and gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Paul Foster, for his excellent oversight and generous patience throughout the entire process of this thesis. I could not have imagined having a better supervisor and mentor for my thesis. I also would like to thank the examiners of the thesis, Dr Thomas Bokedal and Dr Matthew Novenson, for their numerous insightful suggestions that I utilized. Family members as well as numerous friends helped in a diversity of thoughtful ways. My parents, Sewon and Moonja, and my brother, Jungseok, have been more supportive than I can express and have been always with me in prayers. The loving congregation at Greenbank Parish Church warmly embraced and helped my family immensely throughout our time in Edinburgh. Many thanks go to several friends who were generous with their time in proofreading my thesis: Donald MacLeod, Diana Bland and Kathleen Patrick. Finally, with the utmost gratitude and recognition, my wife Jaeyoung and my son Daniel are to be enormously thanked for the myriad of ways they lovingly supported, accommodated, and encouraged me. This thesis is affectionately and appreciatively dedicated to my parents Sewon and Moonja, and my wife and son, Jaeyoung and Daniel. November 2015 Hongsuk Um Hongsuk Um Abstract A close reading of the gospel of Matthew highlights the striking reports of the observation of distinct celestial phenomena in the narrative (e.g. 2.1-12; 3.16-17; 17.5; 24.29-31). However, the motif of celestial phenomena in Matthew lacks a full or even comprehensive investigation. These have been addressed only in part both in journal articles and in individual chapters of various books. Looking at these celestial phenomena as interrelated parts of the evangelist’s wide theological perspective in the gospel, this study explores Matthew’s description of these occurrences in relation to the contemporary perspective on celestial phenomena and astrological application. It seeks to assess what meaning and significance the Matthean representation of celestial phenomena was designed to have in the process of the gospel narrative and for the readership. In so doing, this study discusses the conception of heaven and the attitude towards celestial phenomena in the Graeco-Roman world in the Second Temple period, the Sitz im Leben of the Matthean community, and the significance of the heaven motif in the gospel narrative, as preliminaries to the investigation of Matthew’s portrayal of celestial phenomena. This study will show that the motif of celestial phenomena in Matthew carefully crafted and thoughtfully arranged plays a significant role in authenticating the identity of Jesus. Table of Contents Signed Declaration ii Acknowledgements iii Abstract iv Table of Contents v Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1. Thesis 1 2. Survey of Previous Approaches 5 3. Concept of Ancient Astrology 13 4. Method and Outline of the Present Study 19 Part I. Observation of Celestial Phenomena in the Ancient World Chapter 2. Observation of Celestial Phenomena in the Pagan Context 22 1. Pre-Hellenistic Observation of Celestial Phenomena 23 1.1. Mesopotamian Observation of Celestial Phenomena 23 1.1.1. Heaven as a Territory of Divine Beings 23 1.1.2. Divine Order of Deities in the Heavenly Realm 26 1.1.3. Celestial Phenomena as the Heavenly Writing 27 1.1.4. Reciprocal Relationship between Celestial Divination and Mathematical Astronomy 29 1.2. Egyptian Observation of Celestial Phenomena 31 1.2.1. Ancient Egypt and the Osiris Myth 31 1.2.2. Ptolemaic Egypt and the Hermetic Treatises 33 2. Observation of Celestial Phenomena in the Graeco-Roman World 35 2.1. Greek Observation of Celestial Phenomena 35 2.2. Graeco-Roman Astrology 37 3. Astral Religion and Astrological Symbolism in Syria 41 3.1. Edessa and Harran 43 3.2. Palmyra 45 3.3. Baalbek 47 3.4. Khirbet Tannur 49 4. Conclusion 50 Chapter 3. Observation of Celestial Phenomena in the Jewish Context 53 1. Celestial Phenomena in the Old Testament 53 1.1. Concept of Heaven 54 1.1.1. The Sky, Atmosphere, and Outer Space 54 1.1.2. Habitation of God 55 1.1.3. More than One Heaven? 56 1.2. Heavenly Realm 58 1.2.1. Divine Council 58 1.2.2. Divine Government of the Earthly World 60 1.2.3. The Host of Heaven 63 1.3. Celestial Phenomena as Divine Signs 66 1.3.1. Heaven as a Source of Divine Revelation 67 1.3.2. Astronomical Phenomena as a Divine Communication 69 2. Celestial Phenomena in the Second Temple Jewish Literature 79 2.1. Concept of Heaven 79 2.2. Attitude towards Celestial phenomena 82 2.2.1. Qumran Documents 82 2.2.2. Pseudepigrapha Documents 87 2.2.3. Philo of Alexandria and Josephus Flavius 92 3. Conclusion 95 Part II. Observation of Celestial Phenomena in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4. The Sitz im Leben of the Matthean Community 98 1. Authorship 98 2. Intended Readership 102 2.1. Antagonistic Judaism 104 2.2. Intra Muros of Judaism 105 2.3. Transition from Judaism to Christianity 110 2.4. Evaluation 112 3. Provenance 116 3.1. Jerusalem or a Palestinian Birth 117 3.2. Pella in Transjordan 119 3.3. Antioch in Syria 120 3.4. Alexandria or Phoenicia 124 4. Conclusion 125 Chapter 5. Significance of the Heaven Motif in Matthew 127 1. Concept of Heaven 127 2. Heaven as a Reverential Circumlocution? 133 3. Significance of the Heaven Motif in Matthew 138 4. Conclusion 145 Chapter 6. Significance of the Celestial Phenomena in Matthew 147 1. The Star of Bethlehem in Matthew 2.1-12 147 1.1. Import and Structure of the Matthean Prologue 148 1.2. Theological Significance of Matthew 1 149 1.3. Implication of Matthew 2.1-12 152 vi 1.3.1. The Magi’s Interpretation of the Celestial Phenomenon 153 1.3.2. The Validation by the Scriptural Justification 156 1.3.3. The Magi’s Witness to Jesus 157 1.4. Significance of the Celestial Phenomenon in Matthew 2.1-12 159 1.4.1. Astrological Interpretation of the Star of Bethlehem 159 1.4.2. The Star of Bethlehem in Association with Jewish Background 165 1.5. Summary 168 2. Celestial Phenomena in Matthew 3.16-17 and 17.5 171 2.1. The Context of 3.16-17 and Its Reading 171 2.2. Authentication of Jesus from the Heavenly Realm 174 2.2.1. The Opening of Heaven 174 2.2.2. Descent of the Spirit of God as a Dove 176 2.2.3. The Voice from Heaven 181 2.3. Significance of the Heavenly Phenomena in 3.16-17 and 17.5 184 3. Request for a Sign from Heaven in Matthew 16.1 186 3.1. Concepts of a Sign in the Graeco-Roman World 186 3.2. Sign as a Means of Authentication 188 3.3. A Sign from Heaven 189 3.4. Significance of a Sign from Heaven 191 4. Astral Prediction in Matthew 24.29-31 191 4.1. The Context of Matthew 24.29-31 and Its Unity 192 4.2. The Readings of Matthew 24.1-28 and 32-35 194 4.2.1. Matthew 24.1-3 194 4.2.2. Matthew 24.4-28 196 4.2.3. Matthew 24.32-35 198 4.3. Astral Prediction in Matthew 24.29-31 199 4.4. Summary 203 5. Celestial Phenomena in Matthew 27.45 and 28.2 204 5.1. Darkness as a Divine Intervention 205 5.2. Meaning and Significance of the Darkness in Graeco-Roman Context 206 5.3. Meaning and Significance of the Darkness in Jewish Context 207 5.3.1. Darkness as a Sign of Divine Wrath 207 5.3.2. Darkness as a Sign of the Judgment Day of the Lord 208 5.3.3. Darkness as a Sign of the Inauguration of the New Creation 210 5.4. Meaning and Significance of the Descent of an Angel of the Lord 213 5.4.1. The Dawning of Light 213 5.4.2. Descent of an Angel of the Lord from Heaven 214 5.5. Summary 216 6. Conclusion 217 Chapter 7. Conclusion 219 1. Summary 219 2. Conclusion 225 Bibliography 226 vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1.