
Angels Associated with Israel in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Description
A well-known characteristic of the sectarian Dead Sea Scrolls are their assertions that membership in the Qumran movement included present and eschatological fellowship with the angels, but scholars disagree as to the precise meaning of these claims. To gain a better understanding of angelic fellowship at Qumran, Matthew L. Walsh utilizes the early Jewish concept that certain angels were closely associated with Israel. Moreover, these angels, which included guardians and priests, were envisioned within apocalyptic worldviews that assumed that realities on earth corresponded to those of the heavenly realm. A comparison of non-sectarian texts with sectarian compositions reveals that the Qumran movement's lofty assertions of communion with the guardians and priests of heavenly Israel would have made a significant contribution to their identity as the true Israel.
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Content
- Cover
- Titel
- Preface
- Table of Contents
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1: General Introduction, History of Research, and Objectives and Plan of Study
- A. General Introduction
- B. History of Research
- I. Angelology and Christology
- II. Angelology and Anthropology
- III. Angelology and Mysticism
- IV. Studies Focused on Angels
- V. "Non-Sectarian" and "Sectarian" Texts
- VI. Sectarian Identity at Qumran
- VII. Summary and Points of Departure
- C. Objectives and Plan of Study
- Chapter 2: Angels Associated with Israel: Conceptual Foundations
- A. Introduction
- B. The Canaanite Divine Assembly
- I. Who Is the High God of the Canaanite Assembly?
- II. The Organization of the Divine Assembly
- C. The Biblical Background of Angels Associated with Israel Part I: Angelic Guardians
- I. Deuteronomy 32:8-9
- II. Psalm 82:1-8
- III. Isaiah 24:21-23
- IV. Summary, A Curious Tension, and Israel's Guardians
- D. The Biblical Background of Angels Associated with Israel Part II: Angelic Priests
- I. Archetypal Celestial Sanctuary: Original Intention or Later Interpretation?
- II. Hints of an Angelic Priesthood?
- III. Summary
- Chapter 3: Angels Associated with Israel in Second Temple Period Qumran Texts of a Non-Sectarian Provenance
- A. Introduction
- B. Daniel 7-12
- I. The History, Structure, and Languages of Daniel 7-12
- II. Daniel 7
- Excursus: The Mythological Imagery of Daniel 7
- III. Daniel 8
- IV. Daniel 9
- V. Daniel 10-12
- VI. Summary
- C. 1 Enoch
- I. The Book of Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36)
- II. The Animal Apocalypse (1 Enoch 85-90)
- III. The Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 91-108)
- D. Aramaic Levi Document
- E. Visions of Amram
- F. Tobit
- G. Jubilees
- H. 4QInstruction
- I. The Son of God Text
- J. Summary
- Chapter 4: Angels Associated with Israel in the Sectarian Texts Part I: Angelic Guardians
- A. Introduction
- B. Setting the Stage for Martial Angelic Fellowship
- I. The Treatise on the Two Spirits (1QS III, 13-IV, 26)
- Excursus: The Qumran Movement as the True Israel
- II. 11QMelchizedek (11Q13)
- C. The War Scroll and Related Texts
- I. Passages Presupposing a Close Human-Angel Relationship
- II. Humans and Angels: Comrades at the Eschatological War
- III. The Sons of Light: The Identity of the Human Warriors
- D. Summary
- Chapter 5: Angels Associated with Israel in the Sectarian Texts Part II: Angelic Priests
- A. Introduction
- B. The Hodayot and Related Texts
- I. Angelic Fellowship in the Hodayot: Present and Liturgical
- II. Angelic Fellowship as a Defining Sectarian Characteristic
- C. Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice
- I. The Heavenly Temple and Angelic Priesthood of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice
- II. The Use and Significance of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice: An Ideal Text for the True Israel
- D. 4Q181, 4Q511, 1QSb, and the Self-Glorification Hymn
- I. Pesher on the Periods B/Ages of Creation B (4Q181)
- II. Songs of the Sage (4Q511)
- III. The Rule of Blessings (1QSb)
- IV. The Self-Glorification Hymn
- E. Summary
- Chapter 6: Conclusions and Expanding the Scope
- A. Conclusions
- I. Overview
- II. Conceptual Foundations of Angels Associated with Israel
- III. Affinities between Non-Sectarian and Sectarian Texts
- IV. The Uniqueness of the Sectarian Outlook
- B. Expanding the Scope
- Bibliography
- Index of Ancient Sources
- Index of Modern Authors
- Index of Subjects