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TheBibleandInterpretation
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Themostfascinatingaspectoftheseprayers,however,isthatthey
testifytotheexistenceofavibrantGraeco-Jewishcultureinthe
centuriesafterthedestructionoftheSecondTemplein70CE.
Althoughwecannotstrictlyprovethatthephilosophicalelementswere
alreadypresentintheJewishoriginal(andwerenotfromthehandof
theChristiancompiler),itishighlyprobablethattheseelements
belongedtotheJewishGrundschrift.Inthatcasewewitnessherea
formofJewishHellenism,aculturethatcombinesintenseJewish
pietywithopennesstowardsGreekculture,especiallyitsphilosophical
aspects.
SeeAlso:StudiesinAncientJudaismandEarlyChristianity(Brill
AcademicPublishers;Lamedition,2014).
ByPieterW.vanderHorst
Professoremeritus
UtrechtUniversity,TheNetherlands
www.pietervanderhorst.com
June2015
1.Introduction
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th
book
oftheApostolicConstitutions(hereinafter:AC),alate-fourth-century
churchorder,mostprobablycompiledinSyrianAntiochinthe80sof
thatcentury(VanderHorst2008:3-93).InAC7:33-38wefindsix
prayersinGreekthatarenowgenerallyregardedaschristianized
versionsofsixoriginallyJewishprayertexts,namely,thefirstsixof
theSevenBenedictionsfortheSabbathmorningservice.The
existenceofthesebenedictionsisattestedalreadyintheearliest
rabbinicliterature(Mishnah,Roshha-Shana4.5;earlythirdcentury
CE)andtheyconsistofthefirstthreeandthelastthreebenedictions
oftheShemonehEsreh(theEighteen[Benedictions]),alsocalledthe
Tefillah(=thePrayerparexcellence),plusamiddlebenedictionfor
33)correspondsto
thesanctificationoftheday.Sothefirstprayer(
thefirstbenedictionoftheEighteenBenedictions(Avoth);thesecond
34)tothesecondbenediction(Gevuroth);thethirdprayer
prayer(
35)tothethirdbenediction(Qedushatha-Shem);thefourth(36)to
theextramiddlebenedictionforthesanctificationoftheday
37)totheseventeenthbenediction
(Qedushatha-Yom);thefifth(
38)totheeighteenthbenediction,(Hodaah);the
(Avodah);thesixth(
seventhprayerislackingforunknownreasons.
ScholarsareunanimousthatthesenowChristianprayerswere
originallytheJewishSevenBenedictionsfortheSabbathandthis
convictionisbasedonthefactthatnotonlyeverysingleoneofthese
GreekprayershassomeverbalcorrespondencewithitsHebrew
counterpart,butalsothattheirordercorrespondsexactly.Togivejust
oneclearinstance:thesecondprayer,inAC7:34,endswithaclausein
whichGodiscalledthereviverofthedead(hozopoiostnnekrn)
justasthecorrespondingHebrewbenediction(alsothesecondone,
Gevuroth)endswithpraiseofGodasthereviverofthedead
(mechayyehha-metim).Thesestrikingverbalsimilaritiesand
equivalents,comingastheydoinaprayercollectionandappearing
forthemostpartintheirproperorder,constituteaconvincingcorpus
ofevidencetosuggestthatAC7.3338isaGreekversionofthe
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theGreektranslationandChristianrevisionofthesebenedictions
wasundertaken,butaccordingtomostscholarsthatmusthavetaken
placebetween150and350CE,mostprobablyinthethirdcenturyCE.
Thereisnoconsensus,however,regardingthedegreeof
christianizationoftheseprayers:Someadvocateamaximalist
positionandseethehandoftheChristiancompileronlyinthefew
patentlyChristianpassages;othersadvocateaminimalistposition
andbelievethatonlyafewscrapsoftheJewishoriginalhavebeenleft
unalteredbytheChristiancompiler;andagainotherssteeramiddle
course.Sinceforthepurposesofthisarticleitisnotnecessaryto
distinguishbetweentheJewishVorlageandtheChristianredaction,
wewillleavethisproblematthat.Afterall,insomecasestobe
discusseditisalmostimpossibletomakethisdistinction.
2.BibleandPhilosophy
Insomeoftheseprayerswefindafascinatingblendofbiblicalideas
andphraseologyontheonehand(Newman1999)andelementsand
conceptsthathavetheiroriginintheGreekphilosophicaltraditionon
theother(VanderHorst2014).Letustake,forinstance,AC7.34.6
whichsays:You[God]presentedhim[man]asanornamentofthe
world,youshapedabodyforhimfromthefourbodies,youcreatedfor
himasouloutofnothing,youbestoweduponhimfivefoldsense
perception,butoverthesensesyouplacedthecharioteerofthesoul,
thespirit.Inthisbriefaccountofthecreationofthehumanbeingwe
findseveralGreekphilosophicalmotifs.Inthephraseabodyfromthe
fourbodiesweseetheuseofthewordbodies(smata)inthesense
ofelementswhichistypicallyphilosophical;see,e.g.,Pseudo-
Philolaus,fragment44B12;Aetius,Placita1.3.22;Julian,Oratio4,
132c.Thetheoryofthefourelements(earth,water,air,andfire)hasa
Greekphilosophicaloriginaswell.Theconceptoffourelements(or
roots)astheconstituantpartsofallthatexistswasprobably
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(Guthrie1965:140-43).ThephraseYoucreatedforhimasouloutof
nothingismostprobablyareferencetobothGen2:7andthe
(Christian?)doctrineofcreatioexnihilo.InatypicallyGreek
philosophicalwaytheauthordrawsacontrastbetweenthematerial
originofthebodyandtheimmaterialoriginofthesoul.Thiswealso
findintheJewishphilosopher-exegetePhiloofAlexandria,e.g.,inhis
OntheCreationoftheCosmos135:He[Moses]saysthatthesense-
perceptibleandindividualhumanbeinghasastructurewhichis
composedofearthlysubstanceanddivinespirit,forthebodycame
intobeingwhenthecreatortookclayandmouldedahumanshapeout
ofit(Genesis2:7),whereasthesoulobtaineditsoriginfromnothing
whichhascomeintoexistenceatallbutfromtheFatherandDirector
ofallthings.NotethatinbothPhiloandourprayerthesoulissaidto
havebeencreatedoutofnothing,stressingitsincorporealityor
immateriality.Youbestoweduponhimfivefoldsenseperception,
namelysight,hearing,smell,taste,touch.Theideaofthefivesenses,
too,hasaGreekphilosophicalorigin,butitwaswell-knowntoJewish
andChristianintellectualsaswell.Butoverthesensesyouplaced
thecharioteerofthesoul,thespirit:Theimageofthecharioteerof
thesoulderivesfromafamouspassageinPlato,Phaedrus246a-b:Let
[thesoul]belikenedtotheunionofpowersinateamofwingedsteeds
andtheirwingedcharioteer.Nowallthegodssteedsandalltheir
charioteersaregood,andofgoodstock,butwithotherbeingsthisis
notwhollyso.Withusmen,inthefirstplace,itisapairofsteedsthat
thecharioteercontrols;moreoveroneofthemisnobleandgood,and
ofgoodstock,whiletheotherhastheoppositecharacter,andhis
stockisopposite.Hencethetaskofourcharioteerisdifficultand
troublesome.Philo,too,refersfrequentlytothisPlatonicimage(e.g.,
inSacr.45,Agr.72-73,Migr.67,Leg.1.73;3.118,128,134,136,and
elsewhere).Theideahereisthattherationalpartofthesoul,namely
thespirit,enableshumankindtotakecontroloveritsirrationalparts,
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sin.SohereweseeawholeclusterofmotifsthathadaGreek
philosophicalorigin.
AnotherinterestingcaseisthethirdbenedictioninAC7.35,theGreek
versionoftheQedushah,becausetherewefindasmoothtransition
fromGreekphilosophicalterminologytoanalmostmysticallanguage
1,itisstatedthatGodisgoodby
ofbiblicalsignatureandflavor.In
nature.GodsgoodnessismentionedfrequentlyintheBibleandoften
inJewishprayers(Daniel3:89LXX;PsalmsofSolomon5.2;Prayerof
Manasseh11).Butthereitisnotaninherentoressentialqualityof
God;evil,too,maycomefromGod.ThatitisGodsverynature
(physis)tobegoodis,however,atypicallyGreekidea.Abeliefinthe
inherentgoodnessofgodorthegodswaswidelysharedbytheGreek
philosophers;see,e.g.,Plato,Republic379b1,Timaeus29e1-2.This
GreekideawasalsoadoptedbyJewishandChristianphilosophers
suchasPhilo,ClementofAlexandria,andOrigen,buttherabbisand
otherJewsretainedthebiblicalideathatbothgoodandevilcome
fromGodshand.
2,thetextsays,Yourpowerisproclaimedbytheheavensandyour
In
steadfastnessbytheearth,eventhoughitisshakenbecauseitis
hanginguponnothing(orperhaps,Yourpowerisproclaimedbythe
heavensandyoursteadfastnessbytheearth,eventhoughitishanging
uponnothing[onthistextualproblemseeVanderHorst2008:63-4]).
TheideathattheearthishanginguponnothinghasaGreek
cosmologicalbackground(Wright1995:39-41).See,forinstance,the
PresocraticphilosopherAnaximander,fragment12A11:Theearth
staysaloft,notsupportedbyanythingbutstayingwhereitisbecause
itisatthesamedistancefromanything.AndAnaximenes,fragment
13A7,saysthattheearthisaflatbodyridingupontheair.Cf.also
Plato,Phaedo108e-109a;Aristotle,Decaelo294b13-21.Theideais
thatofadisk-shapedordrum-shapedearthheldinplacebyfree
suspensionintheair.Inbiblicalcosmology,however,theideais
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waterorrestinguponpillars.Afterthispassage,philosophyrecedes
intothebackgroundandbiblicalmotifscometothefore.
3heangelsarecalledafieryarmybecauseinearlyJudaism
In
angelswereoftenthoughttohaveabodyoffireonthebasisofPs
103[104]:4whomakesspiritshismessengersandflamingfirehis
ministers(seeOlyan1993:71-73).Thenitissaidabouttheseangels:
Theholyseraphim,whotogetherwiththesix-wingedcherubimsing
foryouthesongofvictory,cryoutwithnever-silentvoices:Holy,
holy,holyistheLordSabaoth,heavenandeartharefullofyour
glory!Thatseraphimandcherubimarementionedherein
combinationhastodowiththefactthatseraphimarementionedin
Isaiah6asthesix-wingedangelswhosingtheTrishagion(Holy,holy,
holy)quotedhere,andthattheangelswhoarementionedinthe
contextofEzekiel3:12,quotedimmediatelyhereafter,areidentified
ascherubiminEzekiel10.ThequoteofIsaiah6:3isnotexact,forthe
HebrewandalsotheGreekversionsofthebiblicaltexthaveonlythe
earthisfullofyourglory(not:heavenandearth),butmostearly
Christianliturgieshavetheformulawithheavenandeartharefullof
yourglory(Werner1959:282-287)Soheavenandmaybeanaddition
bytheChristiancompiler.Yetitcancertainlynotbeexcludedthatthe
formulaheavenandearthdoesderivefromaJewishsourcesince
oneoftheThanksgivingHymns(Hodayot)fromQumranclearly
alludestoIsaiah6:3withthewords,Yourholyspirit()thefullness
ofheavenandearth()yourglory,thefullnessof(1QHVIII12).
Thenthetextgoeson:Andthemultitudesoftheotherorders-angels,
archangels,thrones,dominions,principalities,authorities,and
powers-saywithaloudvoice:BlessedbethegloryoftheLordfrom
hisplace(Ezekiel3:12).Itispreciselythiscombinationofquotes
fromIsaiah6:3andEzekiel3:12(andtheirdistributionovertwo
differentgroupsofangels)thatisthecharacteristiccoreofthe
Qedushah(theHebrewcounterpartofthisprayer)andistobefound
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Jewishmysticaltexts,theso-calledHekhalottreatises,suchas3
2,HekhalotRabbati197,andMaaseh
Enoch(SeferHekhalot)
555(Swartz1992:129).Further,thereisthestrikingfact
Merkavah
that,whereasthebiblicaltextofEzekiel3:12doesnotexplicitlystate
thatitistheangelicbeingswhorecitetheblessing,thisismade
explicitintheAramaictranslation(Targum)ofthisversebyadding
andtheysay,exactlyasisdonehereinourtext.Theconceptofan
angelicliturgyhasancientrootsandisattestedinmanyearlyJewish
sources,especiallyinawidevarietyofJewishapocalypticand
mysticaldocuments(2Enoch8.8,17.1,20.3;4QShirotOlatha-
Shabbat;11Q5xxvi[HymntotheCreator];andfrequentlyinthe
Hekhalotliterature).
4,thetextsays:Israel,yourearthlyassemblythatwastakenoutof
In
thenations,emulatesthepowersinheavendayandnightwhenit
singswithanoverflowingheartandawillingsoul:Thechariotofthe
Lordistenthousand-foldthousandsofthrivingones;theLordis
amongthematSinai,attheholyplace(Psalm67[68]:18).Theepithet
earthlyisaddedhereinordertostressthatthepeopleofIsraelforms
theearthlycounterpartoftheheavenlypowers(=theangelicorders)
intheircommonliturgywhichisconductedinunisonbyangelsabove
andthepeopleofIsraelbelow.Thephraseemulatingthepowersin
heavenreferstotheideathatIsraelstrivestojoininandkeepin
harmonywiththeangelicchoirsintheirheavenlyliturgy.Thismotif
ofthecoordinationofheavenlyandearthlyliturgy,oftheunited
praisebetweentheearthlyandheavenlycommunities,iswell-known
intheearlyhistoryofJewishworship.Itoccursalreadyinthe
QumranHodayothandtheSongsoftheSabbathSacrifice(4QShirot
Olatha-Shabbat).See,e.g.,1QHXI21-23He[apurifiedhuman
being]cantakeaplacewiththehostoftheholyones[=angels]and
canenterincommunionwiththecongregationofthesonsofheaven
[=angels].Youcasteternaldestinyformanwiththespiritsof
knowledge[=angels],sothathepraisesyournameinthecommunity
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7topraiseyourglorywondrouslywiththegodsofofknowledge
[=angels]andthepraiseworthinessofyourkingshipwiththeholiest
oftheholyones[=angels](Chazon2003:42-3).ThequotefromPsalm
67[68]:18(ThechariotoftheLordistenthousand-foldthousandsof
thrivingones;theLordisamongthematSinai,attheholyplace)also
playsanimportantroleinearlyJewishangelologicalandmystical
speculations,ifonlybecauseGodschariot(=throne)isprominentin
thisverse,whichwasacentralmotifinthesespeculations.Allthis
makesabundantlycleartowhatdegreewearedealingherewitha
thoroughlyJewishtext.
BywayofconclusionIwishtoaddressbrieflythequestionofwhether
whatwehavehereisamysticalprayer.Therecanbelittledoubtafter
thepreviousparagraphsthatseveralofthemotifsfoundinthis
synagogalprayerplayaprominentroleinthemysticaltextsoflate
antiqueJudaism.Butotherwiseourprayerdoesnotgiveusanycause
tothinkthatthisGreekformoftheQedushahhaditsSitzimLebenin
mysticalcircles.NotonlythefactthattheotherJewishprayersinAC
7.33-38donotdisplayanymysticalelementsmilitatesagainstthis
conclusion,theprayeritselfseemstogiveindicationsthatthe
mysticalmotifsdidnotfunctioninamysticalSitzimLeben.The
4says,Israel,yourearthly
mostimportantindicationisthat
assembly,emulatesthepowersinheavendayandnightwhenit
sings.ThefactthatthetextsoemphaticallystatesthatitisIsraelon
earththatcoordinatesitspraisewiththeliturgyoftheangelsin
heavenseemstoprecludeanynotionofamysticalascenttoheaven
wherethebelieversjointheangelsintheirheavenlyliturgy.Our
prayerisdevoidofanymysticalform,content,orfunction.The
mysticalelementsinourprayerareofaliterarynature:Theytakeup
motifsfromabiblicalandpostbiblicalprayertraditionthatinsomeof
itsphasesmayhavehadamysticalring.Butinthesynagoguesof
SyrianAntioch,wheretheseprayersfunctionedontheSabbathinthe
periodwhenthecompileroftheApostolicConstitionsadoptedand
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parishioners(VanderHorst2000),thesemysticalphraseswere
probablynomorethanliteraryremnantsorechoesofamystical
traditionthathaditsearliestattestationsintheDeadSeaScrollsand
laterresurfacedwithnewpotentialinmysticalMerkavahcircles.
Themostfascinatingaspectoftheseprayers,however,isthatthey
testifytotheexistenceofavibrantGraeco-Jewishcultureinthe
centuriesafterthedestructionoftheSecondTemplein70CE.
Althoughwecannotstrictlyprovethatthephilosophicalelements
werealreadypresentintheJewishoriginal(andwerenotfromthe
handoftheChristiancompiler),itishighlyprobablethatthese
elementsbelongedtotheJewishGrundschrift.Inthatcasewe
witnesshereaformofJewishHellenism,aculturethatcombines
intenseJewishpietywithopennesstowardsGreekculture,especially
itsphilosophicalaspects.Itisoneofthetestimoniestotheeffectthat
thesynthesisofGreekwisdomandJewishfaiththatweseeinPhilo
andotherJewishauthorsoftheSecondTempleperiod(Sterling
2005)didnotdisappearaftertheriseofrabbinism(notethatanother
importanttestimonytothecontinuityofJudaeo-Greekcultureafter
70CEcanbefoundintheca.3.000Graeco-Jewishinscriptionsfrom
nd
the2
th
centuriesCE,onwhichseeVanderHorst2014b).
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Fiensy,D.A.PrayersAllegedtoBeJewish.AnExaminationofthe
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