Canoncity, Setting, Wisdom in the Deuterocanonicals

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1 Canoncity, Setting, Wisdom in the Deuterocanonicals Unauthenticated Download Date 9/16/14 2:41 PM

2 Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies Edited by Friedrich V. Reiterer, Beate Ego, Tobias Nicklas Volume 22 De Gruyter Unauthenticated Download Date 9/16/14 2:41 PM

3 Canoncity, Setting, Wisdom in the Deuterocanonicals Papers of the Jubilee Meeting of the International Conference on the Deuterocanonical Books Edited by Géza G. Xeravits, József Zsengellér and Xavér Szabó De Gruyter Unauthenticated Download Date 9/16/14 2:41 PM

4 ISBN e-isbn ISSN Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck Printed on acid-free paper Printed in Germany Unauthenticated Download Date 9/16/14 2:41 PM

5 This volume is dedicated to our colleague PROF. DR. FRIEDRICH V. REITERER enthusiastic promoter of the study of Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature and constant and faithful supporter of our conference series Unauthenticated Download Date 9/16/14 2:41 PM

6 Table of Contents Preface... vii MAIN PAPERS JOHN J. COLLINS The Penumbra of the Canon: What Do the Deuterocanonical Books Represent?... 1 GABRIELE BOCCACCINI Some Brief Notes on the Early History of the Deuterocanonici: A Response to John Collins BENJAMIN G. WRIGHT Hellenization and Jewish Identity in the Deuterocanonical Literature. 29 KATELL BERTHELOT Hellenization and Jewish Identity in the Deuterocanonical Literature: A Response to Ben Wright JÓZSEF ZSENGELLÉR Short Notes on Ben Wright s Hellenization and Jewish Identity in the Deuterocanonical Literature JOHN KAMPEN Wisdom in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literatures GREG SCHMIDT GOERING Creation, Torah, and Revealed Wisdom in Some Second Temple Sapiential Texts (Sirach, 4QInstruction, 4Q185, and 4Q525): A Response to John Kampen THEMATIC STUDIES PANCRATIUS C. BEENTJES Philo of Alexandria and Greek Ben Sira IBOLYA BALLA Images of Imparting Knowledge in Ben Sira and Proverbs LUCA MAZZINGHI The Figure of Moses in the Book of Wisdom FRANCIS M. MACATANGAY Apocalypticism and Narration in the Book of Tobit Authenticated xeravitsabris@yahoo.com Download Date 9/16/14 2:43 PM

7 xii Table of Contents NAOMI S. S. JACOBS What About the Dog? Tobit s Mysterious Canine Revisited IDA FRÖHLLICH Wisdom in the Book of Tobit APPENDIX GREG SCHMIDT GOERING Mr. Deuterocanonical Literature ( ): A Brief Vita of a Controversial Religious Figure Index of Modern Authors Index of Passages Authenticated xeravitsabris@yahoo.com Download Date 9/16/14 2:43 PM

8 Preface GÉZA G. XERAVITS When the first international conference on the Deuterocanonical books has been convened to Pápa, Hungary in 2004, together with my coorganiser József Zsengellér, we had two principal ideas. First, we hoped we could establish a useful and accessible meeting place where Hungarian scholars working in this field could engage leading international representatives of research. Furthermore, we hoped also to be able to give a fresh impetus to the study of Deuterocanonical books in some sense a stepchild then of Biblical scholarship. That this idea has been a valid and legitimate one was proved by the simple fact that many other colleagues worldwide felt responsibility in re-energizing the organized study of the Deuterocanonicals at the beginning of the twenty-first century. At the same time the first meeting in Pápa was announced, information arrived about the founding of the International Society of Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature through the initiative of Prof. Friedrich V. Reiterer (2002), and the organisation of its first conference in Salzburg, July It was obvious for us that a yearly series of narrowly focused scholarly meetings would effectively contribute to this resurgent development. And indeed, this volume celebrates now the decennial anniversary of the beginning of our initiative none of us, I suppose, would have envisioned such a duration of this project, a programme which has been organized far from the current scholarly centres and without considerable material funding. The fact that the jubilee conference on which the present volume is based has been realized, testifies to the worth and value of this project. In the followings, I highlight some facts about the past decade of the meetings. The first five conferences were held at the Reformed Theological Academy of Pápa, and were co-organized by Géza Xeravits and József Zsengellér under the auspices of the Shime on Centre for the Study of 1 The Function and Relevance of Prayer in Deuterocanonical Literature (July 5-9, 2003), published in Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Yearbook 2004.

9 viii G.G. Xeravits Hellenistic and Roman Age Judaism and Christianity. One of the main aims of this Centre was to coordinate these conferences, and it is a pity that after the successive moves of the organizers from Pápa to Budapest, it rapidly became inactive. In 2009, the series got a new home, the Sapientia College of Theology, Budapest, and was restarted under the direction of Géza Xeravits. Now, for the jubilee meeting, the original organisers have joined again in cooperation at this memorable occasion. 2 The first six conferences ( ) dealt with individual writings of the Deuterocanonicals (Tobit, the Maccabbes, Ben Sira, Wisdom of Solomon, the Additions, and Judith), and most of them made pioneering work in the history of research. These were followed by three meetings focusing on important themes in early Jewish literature, with a special emphasis, again, on the Deuterocanonical books. These latter conferences researched questions first of the concept of authority, with particular attention to aspects of Scriptural authority (2010); then the problems of political power and ideology (2011); finally the exciting inter-relations between religion and female body (2012). The language of the conferences is English; however, papers are occasionally read in French and in German, too. During the past decade, 64 scholars have read 124 papers at the successive meetings. 18 contributors were from Hungary; 13 arrived from Germany or Austria; 11 from the American continent; 4 from Israel; and the rest from various countries of Europe. From the international side, there are sixteen scholars who attended more than two conferences; among them are eight who contributed on more than four occasions, which testifies that they judged this series scientifically significant. The organizers have always considered it an important goal to involve young, developing colleagues in the scholarly discussion. Ten predocs have read their papers in course of the years: most of them were from Hungary, but several international PhD students have also contributed. Among the participants, we regrettably have lost two colleagues. The pre-eminent Israeli scholar of early Jewish history and literature Hanan Eshel, who participated in the Wisdom of Solomon meeting in Pápa, 2007, unexpectedly passed away in 2010, at the age of 52. The doyen of the Hungarian New Testament scholars János Bolyki, who 2 For a detailed history, see Conference_on_the_Deuterocanonical_Books_% %29,_learned_society

10 Preface ix was an active contributor at the first two conferences, died in 2011, at the age of 80. The publication of the acta of the successive conferences is a preeminent goal for the organizers, in order to communicate our results to the widest scholarly public possible. The first four volumes were incorporated into the Journal for the Study of Judaism Supplements series of Brill (Leiden). 3 From the fifth meeting, the volumes have moved to the Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature Studies series of de Gruyter (Berlin), because it soon became clear that this series has effectively covered the core topic of these meetings. 4 The volumes have obtained generally positive reviews in scholarly journals. Along with the conferences, a Hungarian book series entitled Deuterocanonica has also been inaugurated. Five volumes appeared in it, the first is the acta of the preparatory meeting for Hungarian colleagues, which was held in 2003, the second is a selection from the papers read at the Tobit conference. The following volumes consist of introductions to the Dead Sea Scrolls, to the Deuterocanonical literature, and to the writings of Philo, respectively. 5 Due to an unstable financial background, however, the prospect of this series is not as optimistic as planned. Finally, a word of thanks for the leaders of the ISDCL: at the Berlin meeting of the Society, in 2013, decision was made that the next International Meeting of the Society will be organised in Budapest. The meeting will be held in 28 June 1 July, G.G. XERAVITS / J. ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), The Book of Tobit: Text, Tradition, Theology (JSJSup 98), Leiden 2005; IDEM (eds.), The Books of the Maccabees: History, Theology, Ideology (JSJSup 118), Leiden 2007; IDEM (eds.), Studies in the Book of Ben Sira (JSJSup 127), Leiden 2008; IDEM (eds.), Studies in the Book of Wisdom (JSJS 142), Leiden G.G. XERAVITS / J. ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), Deuterocanonical additions of the Old Testament Books (DCLSt 5), Berlin 2010; G.G. XERAVITS (ed.), A Pious Seductress: Studies in the Book of Judith (DCLSt 14), Berlin 2012; G.G. XERAVITS / T. NICKLAS / I. KALIMI (eds.), Scriptural Authority in Early Judaism and Ancient Christianity (DCLSt 16), Berlin G.G. XERAVITS / J. ZSENGELLÉR (eds.), Szövetségek erőterében (DtCan 1), Budapest 2004; IDEM (eds.), Tobit/Tóbiás könyve (DtCan 2), Budapest 2005; G.G. XERAVITS, Könyvtár a pusztában (DtCan 3), Budapest 2008; IDEM, A deuterokanonikus könyvek (DtCan 4), Budapest 2008; K. SCHENCK, Bevezetés Philón életéhez és írásaihoz (DtCan 5, transl. X. Szabó), Budapest 2010.