- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Comparative Religion, Faculty Memberadd
- Dead Sea Scrolls Nag Hammadi Codices, Eschatology and Apocalypticism, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Jewish Messianism, Psalms of Solomon, Religous Minorities of the Middle East, and 10 moreArmenians in the Holy Land, Biblical & Apocryphal Traditions among the Armenians, Armenian Studies, Armenian Epigraphy and Paleography, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Bible, Codicology, Parchment conservation, Parchment, and Pilgrimage and travel to the Holy Landedit
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This work is available online at: http://unixware.mscc.huji.ac.il/~armenia/repertory.html
This tightly focused collection of essays, from an invited seminar of international specialists, centres on the question of the apocalyptic worldview around the time of the Maccabean revolt. What was the nature of apocalyptic at this... more
This tightly focused collection of essays, from an invited seminar of international specialists, centres on the question of the apocalyptic worldview around the time of the Maccabean revolt. What was the nature of apocalyptic at this time? Did the Maccabees themselves have a distinct apocalyptic worldview? These questions lead to other, more specific queries: who of the various groups held such a view? Certain of the essays analyse the characteristics of the apocalypses and related literature in this period, and whether the apocalyptic worldview itself gave rise to historical events or, at least, influenced them.
The collection begins with two introductory essays. Both the main and short papers have individual responses, and two considered responses by well-known experts address the entire collection. The volume finishes with a concluding chapter by the lead editor that gives a perspective on the main themes and conclusions arising from the papers and discussion.
The collection begins with two introductory essays. Both the main and short papers have individual responses, and two considered responses by well-known experts address the entire collection. The volume finishes with a concluding chapter by the lead editor that gives a perspective on the main themes and conclusions arising from the papers and discussion.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Jewish Law, Hebrew Literature, Jewish Studies, Hebrew Language, and 46 moreHebrew Bible, Early Judaism (2nd Temple, Greco-Roman), Apocalypticism, Dead Sea Scrolls (Religion), Qumranic Studies, Jewish History, Eschatology and Apocalypticism, Second Temple Judaism, Ancient Religion, Apocalypticism In Literature, Apocalyptic Eschatology, Jewish Thought, Ancient Philosophy, Ancient Hebrew, Ancient Near East, Ancient myth and religion, Jewish Philosophy, Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha, Ancient Greek History, Judaism, Second Temple Studies, Seleucid Empire, Jewish Cultural Studies, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East, Biblical Hebrew (Languages And Linguistics), Hebrew, Second Temple Judaism (Religion), Hellenistic Judaism, Jewish apocalyptic literature, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Ancient Judaism, History of the Hellenistic World (Focus: Seleucid Empire), Biblical Hebrew, Second Temple Period, Qumran, Dead Sea Scrolls, Pseudepigrapha, Early Judaism, Qumran, Dead Sea Scrolls, Second Temple Judaism, Rabbinic Judaism, Hasmonaean period, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, The Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish and Christian Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha, History of Judaism In Antiquity, and Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
My new book is finally out and I invite you to find it on Amazon
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https://www.amazon.com/Uncovering-Ancient-Footprints-Inscriptions-Pilgrimage/dp/1628371730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503170161&sr=8-1&keywords=uncovering+ancient+footprints
My new poetry book, ORANGE LIGHT, is now out and available at Amazon
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The third volume of my book is out and available on Peeters Publishers
http://www.peeters-leuven.be/boekoverz.asp?nr=9950
http://www.peeters-leuven.be/boekoverz.asp?nr=9950
My new books are out and are available on Amazon: 1.Orange Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2B6NXC/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 2.Uncovering Ancient Footprints: Armenian Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Routes of the... more
My new books are out and are available on Amazon:
1.Orange Light
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2B6NXC/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
2.Uncovering Ancient Footprints: Armenian Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Routes of the Sinai [Print Replica] Kindle Edition
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3.Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and Armenian Studies. Collected Papers: Volume III
http://www.peeters-leuven.be/boekoverz.asp?nr=9950
1.Orange Light
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2B6NXC/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
2.Uncovering Ancient Footprints: Armenian Inscriptions and the Pilgrimage Routes of the Sinai [Print Replica] Kindle Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Uncovering-Ancient-Footprints-Inscriptions-Pilgrimage/dp/1628371730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503170161&sr=8-1&keywords=uncovering+ancient+footprints
3.Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and Armenian Studies. Collected Papers: Volume III
http://www.peeters-leuven.be/boekoverz.asp?nr=9950
From the late 1970s through 1982, Michael E. Stone conducted a number of expeditions to the Sinai peninsula searching for ancient inscriptions. In this book Stone describes his search, crowned by the discovery of the most ancient Armenian... more
From the late 1970s through 1982, Michael E. Stone conducted a number of expeditions to the Sinai peninsula searching for ancient inscriptions. In this book Stone describes his search, crowned by the discovery of the most ancient Armenian inscriptions known. Here Stone describes not only the inscriptions discovered along his journeys but also the Sinai, its past and present, its human inhabitants, its flora and fauna, and its history. Though once common, well-informed travel books to the Middle East with a broad academic interest and a specific focus have become rare. Stone’s diary of his expeditions in the Sinai fill this gap with vivid descriptions, poetry, and illustrations.
°An account of five expeditions into the Sinai
°Thirteen poems written by Stone
°Twenty-six figures and five maps
°An account of five expeditions into the Sinai
°Thirteen poems written by Stone
°Twenty-six figures and five maps
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New Book
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Michael Stone, Dickran Kouymjian, Henning Lehmann, Album of Armenian Paleography, with Michael Stone and Henning Lehmann, sponsored by the Armenian Academy of Sciences (Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2002), in-folio, 556 pages, 220... more
Michael Stone, Dickran Kouymjian, Henning Lehmann, Album of Armenian Paleography, with Michael Stone and Henning Lehmann, sponsored by the Armenian Academy of Sciences (Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 2002), in-folio, 556 pages, 220 color plates; Armenian translation by Aram Topchyan and Gohar Muradyan, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (Yerevan: Tigran Medzn Press, 2006).
Research Interests: Cultural History, Armenian Studies, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, History of the Book, Rare Books and Manuscripts, and 27 moreManuscript Studies, Digitization, Paleography, Codicology, Illumination (Manuscripts, Books), Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Manuscript digitization, Medieval Art, Visual Arts, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Codicology of medieval manuscripts, Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Palaeography, Philology, Codicology, Critical Edition, Medieval Manuscripts, Armenian Art, Manuscripts, Armenian Linguistics, Paleography and Codicology, Manuscript studies, codicology, palaeography, medieval paper, Chaucer, circulation of texts and books, history of the book, electronic editing and digital humanities, Print Culture, Book History and the History of Reading, Armenian medieval art, Medieval Armenian Literature, Codicology and Palaeography of Medieval Hebrew Manuscripts, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, and Medieval Armenian Culture
Research Interests: Armenian Studies, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscript Studies, Codicology, and 16 moreIllumination (Manuscripts, Books), Armenian History, Armenian Culture, Manuscript digitization, Byzantine Paleography and codicology, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Codicology of medieval manuscripts, Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Armenian Art, Medieval manuscripts & early printed books; history of libraries; visual arts & digital media, Manuscripts, Paleography and Codicology, Manuscript studies, codicology, palaeography, medieval paper, Chaucer, circulation of texts and books, history of the book, electronic editing and digital humanities, Armenian medieval art, Armenian art history, and History, Art History, Paleography, Codicology, Near East, Armenian studies, codicology
The book includes 32 Armenian extra-canonical texts, reflecting rewritten Biblical stories, canon, etc. This work is not a translation of any existing book of mine. Published by Nairi Press, Yerevan, 2014 for the Matenadaran, 52 Mashotz... more
The book includes 32 Armenian extra-canonical texts, reflecting rewritten Biblical stories, canon, etc. This work is not a translation of any existing book of mine. Published by Nairi Press, Yerevan, 2014 for the Matenadaran, 52 Mashotz Avenue, Yerevan, Armenia
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Published by Divinity School of Chung Chi College, CUHK,
Shahtin, Hong Kong. [email protected]
Shahtin, Hong Kong. [email protected]
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The book presents the authors' translations of 2 Baruch (Henze) and 4 Ezra (Stone).
The work is provided with cross references to similar passages in the two works.
The work is provided with cross references to similar passages in the two works.
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Armenian Apocrypha Relating to Abraham Michael E. Stone This volume introduces a cycle of stories about Abraham as preserved in fifteen unpublished, late medieval manuscripts in Armenian, published here in English for the first time... more
Armenian Apocrypha Relating to Abraham
Michael E. Stone
This volume introduces a cycle of stories about Abraham as preserved in fifteen unpublished, late medieval manuscripts in Armenian, published here in English for the first time with commentaries, annotations, and critical apparatus. The texts present embroidered Abraham stories dealing with his youth, his life in Egypt, the binding of Isaac, the story of Melchizedek, and other tales. Embedding Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and other ancient traditions, these texts demonstrate mutual borrowing and influence over centuries.
Paper $38.95 • 290 pages • ISBN 9781589837157 • Early Judaism and Its Literature 37
Michael E. Stone
This volume introduces a cycle of stories about Abraham as preserved in fifteen unpublished, late medieval manuscripts in Armenian, published here in English for the first time with commentaries, annotations, and critical apparatus. The texts present embroidered Abraham stories dealing with his youth, his life in Egypt, the binding of Isaac, the story of Melchizedek, and other tales. Embedding Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and other ancient traditions, these texts demonstrate mutual borrowing and influence over centuries.
Paper $38.95 • 290 pages • ISBN 9781589837157 • Early Judaism and Its Literature 37
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The T.Patriarchs edition is the fruit of labour started in 1969. Finally, after 3 years in the Press, it is out! It is a fully critical editio minor. It contains also an Index of Repetitive Variants, which will be of use to all Armenian... more
The T.Patriarchs edition is the fruit of labour started in 1969. Finally, after 3 years in the Press, it is out! It is a fully critical editio minor. It contains also an Index of Repetitive Variants, which will be of use to all Armenian text editors.
The Armenian T. Patr. text also provides an older witness than any of the known Greek manuscripts, since its oldest witness is of the year 981, and that witness already shows a developed form of the Armenian text.
This edition, with Christoph Burchard's edition of JosAs, and mine of 4 Ezra concludes the critical editions of the apocrypha most closely associated with the Armenian Biblical Canon,.
The Armenian T. Patr. text also provides an older witness than any of the known Greek manuscripts, since its oldest witness is of the year 981, and that witness already shows a developed form of the Armenian text.
This edition, with Christoph Burchard's edition of JosAs, and mine of 4 Ezra concludes the critical editions of the apocrypha most closely associated with the Armenian Biblical Canon,.
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The Dorot (Generations) series, published by Mosad B ialik, has as its aim the presentation of works of Jewish literature and thought from the period of the Second Temple up to the time of the rebirth of the Hebrew language, with... more
The Dorot (Generations) series, published by Mosad B ialik, has as its aim the presentation of works of Jewish literature and thought from the period of the Second Temple up to the time of the rebirth of the Hebrew language, with contemporary commentary and explanation. It contains, at present, some thirty volumes, many edited by the chief Israeli authorities on their respective topics.
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The Rock Inscriptions and Graffiti project at the Institute of Asian and African Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is approaching the end of an extended process of digitization.
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Analyse d'inscriptions armeniennes provenant du Sinai et mises au jour a Vale of Ejilah, en Israel. Gravees sur des rochers de granite, elles datent du Ier millenaire ap. J.-C. Etude paleographique, proposition d'interpretation de... more
Analyse d'inscriptions armeniennes provenant du Sinai et mises au jour a Vale of Ejilah, en Israel. Gravees sur des rochers de granite, elles datent du Ier millenaire ap. J.-C. Etude paleographique, proposition d'interpretation de ces inscriptions.
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[squf ] Hebrew Names of Biblical Books in the Margins of Matenadaran, Ms 1500 The question whether medieval Armenian scholars knew Hebrew has been raised a number of times in the past.See F. Macler, “Les traducteurs arméniens, ont-ils... more
[squf ] Hebrew Names of Biblical Books in the Margins of Matenadaran, Ms 1500 The question whether medieval Armenian scholars knew Hebrew has been raised a number of times in the past.See F. Macler, “Les traducteurs arméniens, ont-ils utilisé l’hébreu,” Handes Amsorya 41 (1927) 606–16; see also M. E. Stone, “The Armenian Apocryphal Literature: Translation and Creation,” in Il Caucaso: Cerniera fra culture dal Mediterraneo alla Persia (Secoli IV–XI) (Spoleto: Centro italiano di studi sull'alto Medioevo, 1996) 614 n. 9. A more detailed discussion is to be found in idem, “The Reception of Jewish and Biblical Traditions among the Armenians,” in From Ararat to Jerusalem: Montpellier Conference Volume (ed. C. Iancu and G. Dédéyan, forthcoming). There are certainly odds and ends of Hebrew, transliterated into Armenian, in different sources.One such is the Armenian version of Epiphanius's De mensuris et ponderibus: see M. E. Stone and R. R. Ervine, The Armenian Fragments of Epiphanius De Mensuris et Ponderibus (Subsidia of CSCO; Leuven: Peeters, 2000). See also M. E. Stone, “Concerning the Seventy-Two Translators: Armenian Fragments of Epiphanius, On Weights and Measures,” HTR 73 (1980) 331–36. In the Matenadaran manuscript M1500, the famous Miscellany of Mexit‘ar of Ayrivank‘ dated 1271-1285, we observed Hebrew names of the biblical books written in the margins. Unfortunately, these have not been published in full, but the following examples were recorded many years ago in the course of an autopsy examination of the manuscript. It is not certain that at that time we copied all the names, but this list is significant since it can be set into relationship with the Hebrew names in the translation of Jerome given below. We decided, therefore, to list even this partial evidence here. The names are clearly corrupted at a number of points, but some of the transliterations resemble those of the Armenian translation of Jerome, cited next. Note, for example, the shared corruption sost‘im for Judges in both lists, derived from *sop‘t‘im or the like, reflecting Hebrew. Other examples can easily be listed. This means that there was a literary relationship between the two lists, but it cannot be determined in which direction it flowed.
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This chapter examines the relationship between naming and creation, focusing particularly on Adam's naming of the animals. Jewish thought has assigned a major role in creation to speech and language. There are numerous statements in... more
This chapter examines the relationship between naming and creation, focusing particularly on Adam's naming of the animals. Jewish thought has assigned a major role in creation to speech and language. There are numerous statements in later Jewish thought about how God creates through speech, and equally, since the Torah is divine speech, about how and why he created with the particular words and letters actually used in Genesis 1. The oldest theological treatise in Armenian is entitled Teaching of St. Gregory , and it is embedded in a history of the conversion of Armenia attributed to Agathangelos. Keywords: Adam's naming; creation; God; Jewish thought
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In this chapter, the author argues that the tripartite Hebrew Bible, while the collections of Torah and Nevi'im were firmly established in the first century BCE and CE, the collection of Ketubim was not yet closed, though its central... more
In this chapter, the author argues that the tripartite Hebrew Bible, while the collections of Torah and Nevi'im were firmly established in the first century BCE and CE, the collection of Ketubim was not yet closed, though its central works had come together. His remarks are relevant only to the Second Temple period; that is, before the destruction of the Temple and the use of the terms "canon" and "Bible" is inappropriate in the Second Temple period in apocryphal works. Yet, the collections that eventually constituted the Hebrew Bible were in the process of coming into being and had gained a special status. It is not certain that the attitude to authoritative writings discernable at Qumran was held universally in Second Temple Judaism. But it seems that the Essenes, and perhaps other groups, regarded certain "nonbiblical" works as authoritative. They also did not think that "biblical" and "inspired" were identical. Keywords:Apocrypha; Bible; Dead Sea Scrolls; Hebrew Bible; Qumran; Second Temple Judaism; Torah
Research Interests: Art, Literature, Hebrew Bible, Judaism, Second Temple Period, and 4 moreDead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha, Torah, and Brill
In 4 Ezra's fourth vision and its interpretation, the visionary sees a mourning woman who is transformed into "an established city, and a place of huge foundations" (10:27). The city is Zion (10:44). Because you mourned Zion... more
In 4 Ezra's fourth vision and its interpretation, the visionary sees a mourning woman who is transformed into "an established city, and a place of huge foundations" (10:27). The city is Zion (10:44). Because you mourned Zion sincerely, the angel says to Ezra, "the Most High... has shown you the brilliance of her glory, and the loveliness of her beauty" (10:50). The city that Ezra has seen is the city of the Most High, glorious and beautiful, and not just the earthly Jerusalem. This is clear since the angel told Ezra to go to an unbuilt field "for no work of mans building could endure in a place where the city of the Most High was to be revealed" (10:54). Next, in 4 Ezra 10:55-56 the angel commands Ezra to enter the wondrous city, into which the-mourning woman has changed. He is to hear and see as much as he, a human being, can see and hear. He is granted this experience because he "has been named before the Most High, as but few have been" (10:57). This command is the end of the incident and its fulfillment is not related. The thesis of this study is that in this passage the heavenly city is a metaphor for the environs of God. In this respect, it functions like the metaphors of the heavenly temple and the chariot in such works as 1 Enoch and in the Hekhalot books. The distinctive formulation of the commandment in 4 Ezra clearly indicates that entry into the city means experience of the Godhead. Indeed, Ezra can experience the divine only in partial, human measure, yet this very command indicates that Ezra has achieved a new level of revelation, the experience of the divine presence. The author of 4 Ezra is ambiguous in his attitude to the revelation of heavenly secrets, as can be shown from other places in the book (4:4-11,20; 5:38-39; etc.). He certainly does not regard them as information to be made known to ordinary people (see 8:61). His reticence is not, however, a denial of the mystic apprehension of God or of heavenly mysteries, but reflects an unwillingness to speak of them except in allusive language and terms. Such an attitude can be observed in other Jewish works of the period. I. 4 EZRA 10:51-56 AND ITS MEANING 51 Therefore I told you to remain in the field where no house had been built, 52 for I knew that the Most High would reveal all these things to you. 53 Therefore I told you to go into the place where there was no foundation of any building,54 for no work of man's building could endure in a place where the city of the Most High was to be revealed. 55 Therefore do not be afraid and do not let your heart be terrified; but go in and see the splendor and vastness of the building, as far as it is possible for your eyes to see it,56 and afterwards you will hear as much as your ears can hear. 57 For you are more blessed than many, and you have been named before the Most High, as but few have been.1 This passage, at the end of the fourth vision of 4 Ezra, is followed by the angel's injunctions to Ezra, which form the bridge to the next, fifth vision (10:58-60). Several points mark the cited passage as worthy of attention: 1. The apparent doublet of w. 51-52 and w. 53-54. Each of the three sections of the cited passage is marked by the opening word "Therefore," but these first two sections also repeat the same information. 2. The preceding angelic interpretation of the vision is completed by 10:51-52 and every element of the vision has been interpreted by the end of v. 52. A codicil is added comprising (a) the rehearsal of w. 51-52 in w. 53-54 and then (b) a new commandment in w. 55-56, with (c) a conclusion in v. 57. 3. The additional commandment of w. 55-56 is given, but its fulfillment is not related. II. THE PRESENT PROPOSAL This article is not the first time that the doublet in 10:51-52 and 10:53-55 has been noticed. In 1912, George Herbert Box remarked: "It is obvious that w. 53-54 repeat the substance of w. …
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This short work was published by S. Hovsepceancc, and the present translation is made from that text. The only previous English translation is that of J. Issaverdens, from which this rendering differs at a number of points. A German... more
This short work was published by S. Hovsepceancc, and the present translation is made from that text. The only previous English translation is that of J. Issaverdens, from which this rendering differs at a number of points. A German translation based on three MSS was published by E. Preuschen. Since he offers neither an Armenian text nor any information at all about his MSS or their location, use has been made as far as possible of his translation and notes. Significant variants reflected in his translation have been recorded in the notes on the translation offered here. For convenience a system of verse numbering was introduced.
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... Hyacinth :36 it is red; it is found around Babylon; it is Issachar and Simeon. 23usuJ*uLntuJ "Mattathias"-See "Linguistic Features" above. In ANB, Acatyan noted a number of by-forms of umLnznu and U%UJUXUJRIUJ, but... more
... Hyacinth :36 it is red; it is found around Babylon; it is Issachar and Simeon. 23usuJ*uLntuJ "Mattathias"-See "Linguistic Features" above. In ANB, Acatyan noted a number of by-forms of umLnznu and U%UJUXUJRIUJ, but none of them is identical to that found here. 24So Blake. ...
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E. Stone Michael. The Album of Armenian Palaeography. In: Gazette du livre médiéval, n°26. Printemps 1995. pp. 8-17
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... Michael E. Stone Jerusalem Erev Yom Kippur, 5770 x ... these later orthodoxies were established, of necessity they viewed the earlier ages through the prism or spectacles of ... At least, Mesopotamian libraries like... more
... Michael E. Stone Jerusalem Erev Yom Kippur, 5770 x ... these later orthodoxies were established, of necessity they viewed the earlier ages through the prism or spectacles of ... At least, Mesopotamian libraries like Ashurbanipal's and ap-parently the great library of Alexandria were ...
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Depuis la publication du Testament de Nephtali, 4Q215, de M. E. Stone, celui-ci a pu ameliorer la lecture physique du manuscrit sur un nombre de points et cela a l'aide d'ordinateurs. Bien qu'il n'y ait pas de nouvelle... more
Depuis la publication du Testament de Nephtali, 4Q215, de M. E. Stone, celui-ci a pu ameliorer la lecture physique du manuscrit sur un nombre de points et cela a l'aide d'ordinateurs. Bien qu'il n'y ait pas de nouvelle lecture majeure, Stone presente ici les ameliorations apportees qui concernent le ligne 9, le debut de la ligne 10 ainsi que la ligne 11.
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This chapter publishes a previously unknown Armenian text about the four rivers. The text, or something very like it, was at the disposal of the well-known medieval Armenian lyric poet, Yovhannēs T‘lkuranc‘i. Yovhannēs T‘lkuranc‘i... more
This chapter publishes a previously unknown Armenian text about the four rivers. The text, or something very like it, was at the disposal of the well-known medieval Armenian lyric poet, Yovhannēs T‘lkuranc‘i. Yovhannēs T‘lkuranc‘i (1450-1535) wrote a long poem on the acts of creation, a sort of poetic Hexaemeron called "On the Creation of the World." The chapter gives translation of the relevant stanzas of T‘lkuranc‘i’s composition, with some brief notes focused on their geographical features. Following, an appendix is added in which two further versions of it are copied and published, both from manuscripts in the Mastoc‘ Matenadaran, Institute of Ancient Manuscripts in Yerevan. All three texts are published here for the first time. Doubtless further delving into medieval Armenian manuscripts and sources will uncover additional versions of this material, which seems to have undergone a dynamic process of updating of its geographical elements. Keywords:Armenian lyric poet; Armenian manuscripts; four rivers; Hexaemeron; Yovhannēs T‘lkuranc‘i
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This volume describes that part of the rich literary production of ancient Judaism which was not contained in the Hebrew Bible nor in rabbinic literature. These writings originated in the Second Temple period, which proved highly creative... more
This volume describes that part of the rich literary production of ancient Judaism which was not contained in the Hebrew Bible nor in rabbinic literature. These writings originated in the Second Temple period, which proved highly creative in the midst of strong external ...
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In this chapter, the author gathers three short Armenian fragments, unidentified by source but intriguing, and provided them with brief introductions and translations. The study of the pseudepigrapha has come to a point where the... more
In this chapter, the author gathers three short Armenian fragments, unidentified by source but intriguing, and provided them with brief introductions and translations. The study of the pseudepigrapha has come to a point where the reception history and influence of this literature interest scholar not only concerned with placing such texts in the first centuries B.C.E. and C.E. Medievalists have known of aspects of this reception history for many years but usually without intimate familiarity with the antique context. Now the time is ripe to combine the expertise that has grown about the pseudepigrapha of late antiquity with medieval interests. The chapter provides answer for the question What reason is there that the angels sinned God saved the man and not the angel?. Keywords:Apocryphal fragments; Armenian manuscripts
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The figure of Enoch and the books associated with him are among the most fascinating products of Judaism during the period of the Second Temple. Revealer of heavenly secrets, regulator of the calendar, inventor of books and learning,... more
The figure of Enoch and the books associated with him are among the most fascinating products of Judaism during the period of the Second Temple. Revealer of heavenly secrets, regulator of the calendar, inventor of books and learning, Enoch is a multi-faceted and rich figure. The study of the literature of Enoch has been greatly enhanced in recent years by the publications of J. T. Milik. To him were entrusted the fragmentary manuscripts of the books of Enoch discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, and he has published the results of his studies of them in two important articles and most recently in The Books of Enoch (Oxford 1976). 1 The first publication of the Ethiopic version of the Book of Enoch by the Englishman Richard Laurence in 1821, was followed by a series of discoveries of fragments of the text in various Greek versions and in Syriac. 2 Up to the discovery of Cave 4 at Qumran, no fragments of the original were known. The publication of the Ethiopic version of this work in the last century was a major factor in arousing interest in the Jewish background against which Christianity arose. In its length, diversity and richness it is unparalleled among the Jewish apocalypses and it forms a cyclopaedia of Jewish religious thought and speculation in a very crucial period. The timeliness of Milik's publication is enhanced by the concern with the Jewish apocalypses which has come to the fore again in recent years.3
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Scholarly interest in these writings from the Second Temple period is again on the rise.
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... 4 (1972), 165-17 (in Hebrew) published an Aramaic Piyyut which describes Moses' ascent. Our interest here, however, is not focused on the development of this theme of angelic opposition, but on a very specific relationship... more
... 4 (1972), 165-17 (in Hebrew) published an Aramaic Piyyut which describes Moses' ascent. Our interest here, however, is not focused on the development of this theme of angelic opposition, but on a very specific relationship between the primary Adam books and 2 Enoch. ...
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The Jewish culture of the Hellenistic and early Roman periods established a basis for all monotheistic religions, but its main sources have been preserved to a great degree through Christian transmission. This Guide is devoted to problems... more
The Jewish culture of the Hellenistic and early Roman periods established a basis for all monotheistic religions, but its main sources have been preserved to a great degree through Christian transmission. This Guide is devoted to problems of preservation, reception, and transformation of Jewish texts and traditions of the Second Temple period in the many Christian milieus from the ancient world to the late medieval era. It approaches this corpus not as an artificial collection of reconstructed texts—a body of hypothetical originals—but rather from the perspective of the preserved materials, examined in their religious, social, and political contexts. It also considers the other, non-Christian, channels of the survival of early Jewish materials, including Rabbinic, Gnostic, Manichaean, and Islamic. This unique project brings together scholars from many different fields in order to map the trajectories of early Jewish texts and traditions among diverse later cultures. It also provides a comprehensive and comparative introduction to this new field of study while bridging the gap between scholars of early Judaism and of medieval Christianity.