1st Edition

The Book of Ezekiel and its Influence

Edited By Henk Jan de Jonge, Johannes Tromp Copyright 2007
    232 Pages
    by Routledge

    232 Pages
    by Routledge

    The Book of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel (6th century B.C.E.) is a book of forceful language and impressive images. Its message is often clear, sometimes mysterious. The book had great impact in Jewish and early Christian literature as well as in western art. This book deals with the intentions of the book of Ezekiel, but also focuses on its use by subsequent writers, editors or artists. It traces Ezekiel's influence in Jesus' teaching about the Kingdom of God, in Paul, the Gospels, and Revelation, and also shows that Ezekiel's imagery, via Jewish mysticism, influenced the visionary art of William Blake. Presenting contributions from leading biblical scholars in Oxford and Leiden, based on their unique collaborative research, this book will be of interest to a wide range of scholars working in the field of biblical studies, including those studying the Hebrew Bible, its early versions, 'inter-testamental' Judaism, New Testament and Early Christianity, and the reception of Biblical literature in later centuries.

    Contents: Introduction; Ezekiel as a literary figure and the quest for the historical prophet, Matthijs J. de Jong; Ezekiel 40-42: the earliest 'heavenly ascent' narrative?, Paul M. Joyce; The septuagint of Ezekiel and the profane leader, Arie van der Kooij; Moses' vision of the divine throne in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the tragedian, Pierluigi Lanfranchi; 'Can these bones live?' Ezekiel 37:1-14 and eschatological resurrection, Johannes Tromp; Sodom in Q 10:12 and Ezekiel 16:48-52, Henk Jan de Jonge; The parable of the mustard seed and the book of Ezekiel, Christopher M. Tuckett; 'A letter written on tablets of human hearts' Ezekiel's influence on 2 Corinthians 3:3, Harm W. Hollander; The influence of Ezekiel 37 on 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, Elizabeth R. Hayes; The so-called bridal bath at Ezekiel 16:9 and Ephesians 5:26, John Muddiman; Exile, prophet, visionary: Ezekiel's influence on the Book of Revelation, Ian K. Boxall; The Gog and Magog tradition in Revelation 20:8, Rieuwerd Buitenwerf; Ezekiel's Merkavah in the work of William Blake and Christian art, Christopher Rowland; Indexes.

    Biography

    Henk Jan de Jonge has taught New Testament exegesis in the University of Amsterdam and, as an ordinary Professor, in the University of Leiden. In addition, he has held a sponsored chair for the history of biblical exegesis in Leiden. He has been managing editor of Novum Testamentum, an international quarterly for New Testament and related studies, since 1979. He has widely published on the origin and history of early Christian ideas, such as the belief in Jesus' resurrection, the expectation of his second coming, and the belief in Jesus' death as a saving event. He has written studies on the origins of the Lord's Supper and on the Imperial Cult as reflected in the Apocalypse of John. Johannes Tromp is Lecturer for Ancient Judaism at the University of Leiden. His main interest is in the development and transformation of traditional Israelite religious concepts in the context of Greco-Roman culture, both in Judea and in Jewish communities throughout the Hellenistic and Roman empires. Furthermore, he is studying the question of how these concepts (and the writings in which they are recorded) came to function in early Christianity. For instance, he has published articles on eschatology and messianism. Apart from that, he is known for his editions of ancient texts, in particular the Assumption of Moses and the Life of Adam and Eve in Greek.

    ’... all the contributions to this carefully edited volume deal with the reception history of Ezekiel, and offer a valuable contribution to that topic.’ Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses ’The book provides a good overview of some key aspects of the book of Ezekiel and its Wirkungsgeschichte and will be an essential tool for Ezekiel specialists.’ Journal for the Study of the Old Testament ’This engaging and thought-provoking collection deserves reading not only by Ezekiel scholars but also by those more broadly interested in issues of inner-biblical exegesis and the history of interpretation.’ Catholic Biblical Quarterly