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Good and Bad Angels in the Vitae Prophetarum

  • József Zsengellér
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Understanding Texts in Early Judaism
This chapter is in the book Understanding Texts in Early Judaism

Abstract

The collection of the short biographies of the Old Testament prophets, Vitae Prophetarum (Life of the Prophets) has different thematic threads recognized by scholars. This article reveals one more aspect of these general topics, not mentioned before, but contributes to the thematic coherence of the book: angels. Both good and bad angels occur in the booklet. The appearance of the good angels follows a line of development in relation to the status of the prophets. The more activities the angels do, the less role the prophets have. The Vitae Prophetarum displays the process of the angelification of the prophets, which closes the time of the prophets.

Abstract

The collection of the short biographies of the Old Testament prophets, Vitae Prophetarum (Life of the Prophets) has different thematic threads recognized by scholars. This article reveals one more aspect of these general topics, not mentioned before, but contributes to the thematic coherence of the book: angels. Both good and bad angels occur in the booklet. The appearance of the good angels follows a line of development in relation to the status of the prophets. The more activities the angels do, the less role the prophets have. The Vitae Prophetarum displays the process of the angelification of the prophets, which closes the time of the prophets.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface: In memoriam Géza G. Xeravits (1971–2019) VII
  3. Contents IX
  4. Part 1: Old Testament and Early Judaism
  5. “From the Heavens, From the Earth” 1
  6. Different Texts and Different Interpretations of “Exile” 29
  7. Effaced and Naturalized Modes of Jewish Reading: The Judah and Tamar Story (Genesis 38), the Book of Jubilees, and Robert Alter 45
  8. Part 2: Qumran
  9. The Two Spirits and the Origin of Evil 63
  10. Reading Instruction as a Sectarian Composition 75
  11. Thoughts on the Way towards “Prolegomena” to an Introduction to the Writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls 93
  12. Levi, Levites and Worship in Qumran 107
  13. Children Confined in the House of Darkness 119
  14. Part 3: Deuterocanonica
  15. “Narrate omnia mirabilia eius” (Tob 12:20 Vg) 153
  16. The Rhetorical Function of Burying the Dead in the Book of Tobit 161
  17. Das Wortfeld „Sterben“ im 2. Makkabäerbuch 177
  18. The Topic of Intercession in Second Temple Judaism 189
  19. What’s in a Name? 207
  20. Des Menschen Wohltat und Gottes Wohlwollen 223
  21. “Better”–Proverbs in the Book of Ben Sira 241
  22. “When the Lord created his works from the beginning” (Sir 16:26a) 255
  23. “Pillars of Gold on Plinths of Silver. . .” (Sir 26:18) 265
  24. Ben Sira 36:18–37:15: the Art of Choosing 283
  25. The Enigma of the Judges in Ben Sira 46: 11–12 315
  26. Bethesda in Sirach 50 revised 335
  27. Is Wisdom in Baruch 3:9–4:4 Combined with Torah? 351
  28. Part 4: Cognate Literature
  29. Good and Bad Angels in the Vitae Prophetarum 371
  30. “All Is Vanity, Saith the Preacher” 389
  31. Part 5: Antique Synagogue
  32. An Evolutionary Perspective on Temple, Synagogue, and Ekklēsia with Special Focus on Paul 401
  33. Bibliography of Géza G. Xeravits 433
  34. List of Contributors 441
  35. Index of Modern Authors 443
  36. Index of Sources 451
  37. Index of Subjects 477
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110768534-022

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface: In memoriam Géza G. Xeravits (1971–2019) VII
  3. Contents IX
  4. Part 1: Old Testament and Early Judaism
  5. “From the Heavens, From the Earth” 1
  6. Different Texts and Different Interpretations of “Exile” 29
  7. Effaced and Naturalized Modes of Jewish Reading: The Judah and Tamar Story (Genesis 38), the Book of Jubilees, and Robert Alter 45
  8. Part 2: Qumran
  9. The Two Spirits and the Origin of Evil 63
  10. Reading Instruction as a Sectarian Composition 75
  11. Thoughts on the Way towards “Prolegomena” to an Introduction to the Writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls 93
  12. Levi, Levites and Worship in Qumran 107
  13. Children Confined in the House of Darkness 119
  14. Part 3: Deuterocanonica
  15. “Narrate omnia mirabilia eius” (Tob 12:20 Vg) 153
  16. The Rhetorical Function of Burying the Dead in the Book of Tobit 161
  17. Das Wortfeld „Sterben“ im 2. Makkabäerbuch 177
  18. The Topic of Intercession in Second Temple Judaism 189
  19. What’s in a Name? 207
  20. Des Menschen Wohltat und Gottes Wohlwollen 223
  21. “Better”–Proverbs in the Book of Ben Sira 241
  22. “When the Lord created his works from the beginning” (Sir 16:26a) 255
  23. “Pillars of Gold on Plinths of Silver. . .” (Sir 26:18) 265
  24. Ben Sira 36:18–37:15: the Art of Choosing 283
  25. The Enigma of the Judges in Ben Sira 46: 11–12 315
  26. Bethesda in Sirach 50 revised 335
  27. Is Wisdom in Baruch 3:9–4:4 Combined with Torah? 351
  28. Part 4: Cognate Literature
  29. Good and Bad Angels in the Vitae Prophetarum 371
  30. “All Is Vanity, Saith the Preacher” 389
  31. Part 5: Antique Synagogue
  32. An Evolutionary Perspective on Temple, Synagogue, and Ekklēsia with Special Focus on Paul 401
  33. Bibliography of Géza G. Xeravits 433
  34. List of Contributors 441
  35. Index of Modern Authors 443
  36. Index of Sources 451
  37. Index of Subjects 477
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