Heavenly Priesthood in the Apocalypse of Abraham

228 Pages·2013·1.3 MB·English

by  Andrei A. Orlov

more information – www.cambridge.org/9781107039070

HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD IN THE
APOCALYPSE OF ABRAHAM
The Apocalypse of Abraham is a vital source for understanding
both Jewish apocalypticism and mysticism. Written anonymously
soon after the destruction of the Second Jerusalem Temple, the
text envisions heaven as the true place of worship and depicts
Abrahamasaninitiateofthecelestialpriesthood.AndreiA.Orlovfocuses
on the central rite of the Abraham story – the scapegoat ritual that
receives a striking eschatological reinterpretation in the text. He
demonstrates that the development of the sacerdotal traditions in
the Apocalypse of Abraham, along with a cluster of Jewish mystical
motifs, represents an important transition from Jewish apocalypticism
to the symbols of early Jewish mysticism. In this way, Orlov offers
uniqueinsightintothecomplexworldoftheJewishsacerdotaldebates
intheearlycenturiesoftheCommonEra.Thebookwillbeofinterest
to scholars of early Judaism and Christianity, Old Testament studies,
andJewishmysticismandmagic.
ANDREIA.ORLOVisProfessorofJudaismandChristianityinAntiquity
at Marquette University. His recent publications include Divine
Manifestations in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2009), Selected Studies
in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2009), Concealed Writings: Jewish
Mysticism in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (2011), and Dark Mirrors:
AzazelandSatanaelinEarlyJewishDemonology(2011).

HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD IN
THE APOCALYPSE OF
ABRAHAM
ANDREI A. ORLOV
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Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107039070
©AndreiA.Orlov,2013
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
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permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2013
PrintedandboundintheUnitedKingdombyClays,StIvesplc
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloguinginPublicationdata
Orlov,AndreiA.,1960–
HeavenlypriesthoodintheApocalypseofAbraham/AndreiA.Orlov.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn978-1-107-03907-0
1. ApocalypseofAbraham–Criticism,interpretation,etc. I. Title.
BS1830.A62074 2013
2290.913–dc23
2012049261
isbn978-1-107-03907-0Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyof
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For Fr. Alexander Golitzin
[A]ndasthepriestcastslotsbelowsothePriestcastslotsabove;and
justasbelowoneisleftfortheHolyOneandoneisthrustouttothe
wilderness,soaboveoneremainswiththeHolyOne,blessedbeHe,
andonegoesforthintothesupernalwilderness.
TheZohar3.63a
Contents
Preface pageix
Abbreviations x
Introduction 1
part i sanctuaries 9
1 TheanthropomorphismoftheearthlyTemple:theidols
ofTerah’sfamily 11
2 TheaniconismofthecelestialTemple:theabodeofthe
divineVoice 45
3 ThecorporealismofthedemonicTemple:theKavodofAzazel 73
part ii rituals 93
4 Thepriestlysettingsofthetext:theYomKippurceremony 95
5 Thetransformationofthecelebrants 119
6 Themysteriesofthethroneroom 154
Conclusion 190
Bibliography 194
Subjectindex 208
Indexofmodernauthors 212
vii