Tongues of Angels: Concept of Angelic Languages in Classical Jewish & Christian Texts

249 Pages·2010·3.89 MB·English

by  John C. Poirier

JOHN C. POIRIER
The Tongues of Angels
Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen
zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe
287
Mohr Siebeck
Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen
zum Neuen Testament • 2. Reihe
Herausgeber / Editor
Jorg Frey (Zurich)
Mitherausgeber / Associate Editors
Friedrich Avemarie (Marburg)
Markus Bockmuehl (Oxford)
Hans-Josef Klauck (Chicago, IL)
287

John C. Poirier
The Tongues of Angels
The Concept of Angelic Languages
in Classical Jewish and Christian Texts
Mohr Siebeck
JOHN C. POIRIER, born 1963; 1993 ThM in New Testament at Duke University; 2005 DHL
in Ancient Judaism at the Jewish Theological Seminary (NY); named Chair of Biblical
Studies at the newly forming Kingswell Theological Seminary (OH).
ISBN 978-3-16-150569-0
ISSN 0340-9570 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 2. Reihe)
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbiblio-
graphie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de.
© 2010 by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen, Germany.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted
by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to
reproductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems.
The book was printed by Laupp & Gobel in Nehren on non-aging paper and bound by
Buchbinderei Nadele in Nehren.
Printed in Germany.
For Nick and Natalie

Preface
I wish to thank the editors of WUNT, especially Professor Dr. Jorg Frey,
for accepting my manuscript and for including it in the second series. Their
enthusiasm for the project was inspiring. I particularly want to thank my
production editor, Ms. Tanja Mix, for always getting back to me so quick­
ly. Her guidance made the task of reformatting my study to WUNT style
much less of a chore.
Franklin, 25 May 2010 John C. Poirier

Table of Contents
Preface VII
Abbreviations XI
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
A. Purpose and Organization of this Study 2
B. Methodological Preface 3
1. Should Pseudepigrapha be Presumed Jewish or Christian? 3
2. Rabbinic Writings as Historiography 6
C. Conclusion 8
Chapter 2. Hebrew as the Language of the Angels 9
A. Jubilees (and 4Q464) 10
B. R. Yochanan's Dictum: 15
C. Christian Writings 24
l.The Vision of Paul 24
2. The Coptic Wizard's Hoard 24
Excursus: The Relative Lack of Hebrew-Speaking Angels in Early
Christian Sources 26
D. Conclusion 29
Chapter 3. Hebrew-speaking Angels and Linguistic Ideology
in Tannaitic Tradition 31
A. The Hebraic Setting of Rabbinic Piety 32
B. The Proscription of Extra-Synagogal Prayer 37
C. The Empowerment of the Hebraeophone Literati 41
D. Conclusion 46
Chapter 4. The Esoteric Heavenly Language:
Fairly Certain Cases 47
A. New Testament (1 Cor 13.1) 47