The Greatest Mirror

Andrei A. Orlov

Description

The idea of a heavenly double—an angelic twin of an earthbound human—can be found in Christian, Manichaean, Islamic, and Kabbalistic traditions. Scholars have long traced the lineage of these ideas to Greco-Roman and Iranian sources. In The Greatest Mirror, Andrei A. Orlov shows that heavenly twin imagery drew in large part from early Jewish writings. The Jewish pseudepigrapha—books from the Second Temple period that were attributed to biblical figures but excluded from the Hebrew Bible—contain accounts of heavenly twins in the form of spirits, images, faces, children, mirrors, and angels of the Presence. Orlov provides a comprehensive analysis of these traditions in their full historical and interpretive complexity. He focuses on heavenly alter egos of Enoch, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, and Aseneth in often neglected books, including Animal Apocalypse, Book of the Watchers, 2 Enoch, Ladder of Jacob, and Joseph and Aseneth, some of which are preserved solely in the Slavonic language.
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction

1. The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in the Enochic Pseudepigrapha

2. The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in the Mosaic Pseudepigrapha

3. The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in the Pseudepigrapha about Jacob

4. The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in Joseph and Aseneth

Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Christianity
• Judaism

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 19 septembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438466927
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Greatest Mirror
The Greatest Mirror
Heavenly Counterparts in the Jewish Pseudepigrapha
Andrei A. Orlov
On the cover: The Baleful Head , by Edward Burne-Jones. Oil on canvas, dated 1886–1887. Photo credit: Art Resource, NY.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2017 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Production, Dana Foote
Marketing, Fran Keneston
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Orlov, Andrei A., 1960– author.
Title: The greatest mirror : heavenly counterparts in the Jewish Pseudepigrapha / Andrei A. Orlov.
Description: Albany, New York : State University of New York Press, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016052228 (print) | LCCN 2016053193 (ebook) | ISBN 9781438466910 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438466927 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Apocryphal books (Old Testament)—Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Classification: LCC BS1700 .O775 2017 (print) | LCC BS1700 (ebook) | DDC 229/.9106—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016052228
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For April DeConick
… in the season when my body was completed in its maturity, there immediately flew down and appeared before me that most beautiful and greatest mirror-image of myself.
— Cologne Mani Codex 17
Contents
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Chapter One: The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in the Enochic Pseudepigrapha
Chapter Two: The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in the Mosaic Pseudepigrapha
Chapter Three: The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in the Pseudepigrapha about Jacob
Chapter Four: The Heavenly Counterpart Traditions in Joseph and Aseneth
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Preface
This study represents the culmination of several years of work. My initial interest in the heavenly counterpart imagery was developed in the late 1990s, when I started working on my doctoral dissertation devoted to the development of the Enoch-Metatron tradition. Part of my dissertation dealt with the exploration of heavenly doubles found in such Jewish works as the Book of the Similitudes , 2 Enoch , the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian, the Prayer of Joseph , and the Ladder of Jacob . 1 Many of these initial probes into doppelganger lore were subsequently reported in several articles published in various journals and edited volumes. 2 In the last decade, I also extended the scope of my study to Jewish demonological reinterpretations of otherworldly counterparts, which resulted in the publication of several articles and two books devoted to the symmetrical correspondences between heavenly and demonic realities. 3 In 2011, during my sabbatical in Jerusalem, as a fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I began to work systematically on a monograph concerning heavenly counterpart traditions in the Jewish pseudepigrapha, which I was able to finish only now, six years later.
Several people helped me in my work on this project. I would like to express my appreciation to Paul Pasquesi, who helped to improve the manuscript’s grammar. I am especially grateful to my research assistant, Caroline Redick, who worked very hard through different versions of the manuscript to help improve the text in both style and substance. I also extend my gratitude to Michael Cover, who read the manuscript at its various stages of evolution and offered numerous constructive ideas.
I owe special thanks to my colleagues at the Department of Theology of Marquette University for their continued human and scholarly support and encouragement.
I am grateful to Art Resource, New York, for permission to use a digital reproduction of Edward Burne-Jones’ painting, The Baleful Head , as the cover image.
Sincere thanks are also due to Rafael Chaiken, Dana Foote, and the editorial team of SUNY Press for their help, patience, and professionalism during the preparation of the book for publication.
—Andrei Orlov
Milwaukee
The Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, 2017
Abbreviations ÄAT
Ägypten und Altes Testament AAWG
Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen AB
Anchor Bible AC
Anthropology of Consciousness ACF
Annuaire du Collège de France AGAJU
Arbeiten zur Geschichte des antiken Judentums und des Urchristentums AnBib
Analecta Biblica ANRW
Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt AOASH
Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae ArBib
Aramaic Bible ASOR
American Schools of Oriental Research Series ASTI
Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute BEATAJ
Beiträge zur Erforschung des Alten Testaments und des antiken Judentums BI
Beiträge zur Iranistik BIS
Biblical Interpretation Series BJS
Brown Judaic Studies BKP
Beiträge zur klassischen Philologie BSJS
Brill’s Series in Jewish 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 CEUSH
Central European University Studies in Humanities CMC
Cologne Mani Codex COIDR
Chtenija v Obschestve Istorii i Drevnostej Rossijskih Corp. Herm.
Corpus Hermeticum CRINT
Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum CSCO
Corpus scriptorum christianorum orientalium DSD
Dead Sea Discoveries EB
Eichstätter Beiträge ECLS
Early Christian Literature Series EJL
Early Judaism and Its Literature EPRO
Études préliminaires aux religions orientales dans l’Empire romain EvQ
Evangelical Quarterly ExpTim
Expository Times Frag. Targ.
Fragmentary Targum FRLANT
Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments FSBP
Fontes et Subsidia ad Bibliam Pertinentes GAP
Guides to Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha GCS
Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte Gen. Rab.
Genesis Rabbah Gos. Phil.
Gospel of Philip Gos. Thom.
Gospel of Thomas HAR
Hebrew Annual Review HNT
Handbuch zum Neuen Testament HR
History of Religions HSM
Harvard Semitic Monographs HTR
Harvard Theological Review HUAS
Hebrew University Armenian Studies ICS
Illinois Classical Studies Imm
Immanuel IORJS
Izvestija Otdelenija Russkago Jazyka i Slovesnosti JAOS
Journal of the American Oriental Society JBL
Journal of Biblical Literature JCS
Journal of Cuneiform Studies JJS
Journal of Jewish Studies JNES
Journal of Near Eastern Studies Jos. Asen.
Joseph and Aseneth JPsJ
Journal of Psychology and Judaism JQR
Jewish Quarterly Review JR
Journal of Religion JRelS
Journal of Religious Studies JSHRZ
Jüdische Schriften aus hellenistisch-römischer Zeit JSJ
Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period JSJSS
Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period: Supplement Series JSNT
Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSS
Journal for the Study of the New Testament. Supplement Series JSOR
Journal of the Society of Oriental Research JSOTSS
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament. Supplement Series JSP
Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha JSPSS
Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha. Supplement Series JSQ
Jewish Studies Quarterly JTS
Journal of Theological Studies KEK
Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar über das Neue Testament Keph.
Kephalaia LCJP
Library of Contemporary Jewish Philosophers LCL
Loeb Classical Library LIS
Literatura Intertestamentària Supplementa LSAAR
Lund Studies in African and Asian Religions MAS
Mitteilungen aus der Ägyptischen Sammlung MH
Museum Helveticum NedTT
Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift NHC
Nag Hammadi Codex NHMS
Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies NHS
Nag Hammadi Studies NovT
Novum Testamentum NovTSup
Supplements to Novum Testamentum NPAJ
New Perspectives on Ancient Judaism NSBT
New Studies in Biblical Theology NTOA
Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus NTS
New Testament Studies OBO
Orbis biblicus et orientalis PPS
Popular Patristic Series PRE
Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer PTS
Patristische Texte und Studien PVTG
Pseudepigrapha Veteris Testamenti Graece QM
Qumranica Mogilanensia REJ
Revue des études juives RevQ
Revue de Qumrân RHR
Revue de l’Histoire des Religions SAALT
State Archives of Assyria Literary Texts SANE
Sources from the Ancient Near East SBLSCS
Society of Biblical Literature Septuagint and Cognate Studies SBLSP
Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers SBLSS
Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series SBLTT
Society of Biblical Literature Texts an