The song of Abraham
Chapter 17 of the Apocalypse of Abraham reproduces the contents of a song uttered by Abraham as he ascends towards heaven to view its mysteries. Although the genre and purpose of this song have by no means been ignored by students of apocalyptic and early Jewish mystical literature, it is not yet cl...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
College
1994
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| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 1994, Volume: 65, Pages: 21-33 |
| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Apocalypticism
B Apocalypse of Abraham B Abraham Biblical person |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | Chapter 17 of the Apocalypse of Abraham reproduces the contents of a song uttered by Abraham as he ascends towards heaven to view its mysteries. Although the genre and purpose of this song have by no means been ignored by students of apocalyptic and early Jewish mystical literature, it is not yet clear why the song was incorporated into the Apocalypse of Abraham in the first place, or why it was placed in its present position within the text. To shed light on these questions, the present study attempts to show that the incorporation of the song of Abraham within the Apocalypse of Abraham has been determined by the logic of Scriptural exegesis, reflecting an interpretive tradition that can be traced back via rabbinic sources and the writings of Philo of Alexandria to the Second Temple Period. If this argument is correct, the patriarch's song in the Apocalypse of Abraham offers yet another piece of evidence of the crucial role played by biblical interpretation in the formation of early Jewish apocalyptic literature. |
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| ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
| Contains: | In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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