The Mountain of Jericho in the Nag Hammadi "Apocalypse of Paul": A Suggestion
In the Nag Hammadi Apocalypse of Paul, Paul is said to “trample upon the Mountain of Jericho” immediately prior to his out-of-body ascent through the heavens. The historical Paul never mentions Jericho. Further, there is no such mountain as the “Mountain of Jericho”. It is a metaphor which has been...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Brill
2015
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In: |
Vigiliae Christianae
Year: 2015, Volume: 69, Issue: 4, Pages: 422-442 |
IxTheo Classification: | BF Gnosticism HB Old Testament HC New Testament KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity |
Further subjects: | B
Paul
Valentinianism
Jericho
divine Name
good Samaritan
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Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
Summary: | In the Nag Hammadi Apocalypse of Paul, Paul is said to “trample upon the Mountain of Jericho” immediately prior to his out-of-body ascent through the heavens. The historical Paul never mentions Jericho. Further, there is no such mountain as the “Mountain of Jericho”. It is a metaphor which has been fabricated by the author of Apoc.Paul. This article suggests that the metaphor has an exegetical basis which, once grasped, sheds light on the broader narrative of the text. The metaphor is divided into three parts: 1) Jericho; 2) the “Mountain”; and 3) Paul’s “trampling” upon it. Once the exegetical background of each element has been analysed individually, the metaphor is reassembled in order to demonstrate that the underlying meaning of the image is that to “trample upon the Mountain of Jericho” is in fact to “overcome the hostile forces of the material world”, perhaps even the devil himself. |
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ISSN: | 1570-0720 |
Contains: | In: Vigiliae Christianae
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700720-12341219 |