Andrei Orlov, «Moses’ Heavenly Counterpart in the Book of Jubilees and the
Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian», Vol. 88 (2007) 153-173
The paper provides conceptual background for the idea of the angel of the presence as the heavenly counterpart of Moses in the Book of Jubilees and the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian. The identity of the celestial scribe in the form
of the angel of the presence found in the Book of Jubilees and some other Second Temple materials might further our understanding of the enigmatic process of
mystical and literary emulation of the exemplary figure, the cryptic mechanics of which often remains beyond the grasp of our post/modern sensibilities. It is possible that in the traditions of heavenly counterparts where the two characters
of the story, one of which is represented by a biblical exemplar, become eventually unified and acquire a single identity, we are able to draw nearer to the very heart of the pseudepigraphical enterprise. In this respect, it does not appear to be coincidental that these transformational accounts dealing with the heavenly doubles of their adepts are permeated with the aesthetics of penmanship and the
imagery of the literary enterprise. In the course of these mystical and literary metamorphoses, the heavenly figure surrenders his scribal seat, the library of the celestial books and even personal writing tools to the other, earthly identity who now becomes the new guardian of the literary tradition.
Moses’ Heavenly Counterpart 163
II. The Heavenly Counterpart of Moses
1. The Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian
After our excursus into the background of the traditions about the
heavenly counterpart found in the Enoch and the Jacob materials, we
will proceed to some Mosaic accounts that may also attest to the idea
of the celestial double of the son of Amram. One of such early Mosaic
testimonies has survived as a part of the drama Exagoge (38), a writing
(38) On the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian, see R. BAUCKHAM, “The
Throne of God and the Worship of Jesusâ€, The Jewish Roots of Christological
Monotheism (eds. C.C. NEWMAN ET AL; Leiden 1999) 43-69. S.N. BUNTA, Moses,
Adam and the Glory of the Lord in Ezekiel the Tragedian. On the Roots of a
Merkabah Text (Ph.D. diss.; Marquette University 2005); J.J. COLLINS, Between
Athens and Jerusalem (Grand Rapids 22000) 224-225; M. GASTER, The
Samaritans. Their History, Doctrines and Literature (London 1925); I.
GRUENWALD, Apocalyptic and Merkavah Mysticism (AGJU 14; Leiden 1980); Y.
GUTMAN, The Beginnings of Jewish-Hellenistic Literature (Jerusalem 1958-1963)
[in Hebrew]; C.R. HOLLADAY, “The Portrait of Moses in Ezekiel the Tragedianâ€,
SBLSP 10 (1976) 447-452; IDEM, Fragments from Hellenistic Jewish Authors
(SBLTT 30; Pseudepigrapha Series 12; Atlanta 1989) II, 439-449; P.W. VAN DER
HORST, “De Joodse toneelschrijver Ezechielâ€, Nederlands Theologisch Tijdschrift
36 (1982) 97-112; IDEM, “Moses’ Throne Vision in Ezekiel the Dramatistâ€, JJS
34 (1983) 21-29; IDEM, “Some Notes on the Exagoge of Ezekielâ€, Mnemosyne 37
(1984) 364-365; L. HURTADO, One God, One Lord. Early Christian Devotion and
Ancient Jewish Monotheism (Philadelphia 1988) 58-59; H. JACOBSON,
“Mysticism and Apocalyptic in Ezekiel’s Exagogeâ€, ICS 6 (1981) 273-293; IDEM,
The Exagoge of Ezekiel (Cambridge 1983); K. KUIPER, “De Ezekiele Poeta
Iudaeoâ€, Mnemosyne 28 (1900) 237-280; IDEM, “Le poète juif Ezéchielâ€, Revue
des études juives 46 (1903) 48-73, 161-177; P. LANFRANCHI, L’Exagoge
d’Ezéchiel le Tragique. Introduction, texte, traduction et commentaire (SVTP 21;
Leiden 2006); W.A. MEEKS, “Moses as God and Kingâ€, Religions in Antiquity.
Essays in Memory of Erwin Ramsdell Goodenough (ed. J. NEUSNER) (Leiden
1968) 354-371; IDEM, The Prophet-King. Moses Traditions and the Johannine
Christology (SNT 14; Leiden 1967); A. ORLOV, “Ex 33 on God’s Face: A Lesson
from the Enochic Traditionâ€, SBLSP 39 (2000) 130-147; IDEM, The Enoch-
Metatron Tradition (TSAJ 107; Tübingen 2005) 262-268; R.G. ROBERTSON,
“Ezekiel the Tragedianâ€, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, II, 803-819; K.
RUFFATTO, “Raguel as Interpreter of Moses’ Throne Vision: The Transcendent
Identity of Raguel in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian†(paper presented at
the annual meeting of the SBL, Philadelphia, 22 November 2005); IDEM,
“Polemics with Enochic Traditions in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedianâ€, JSP
15 (2006) 195-210; E. STAROBINSKI-SAFRAN, “Un poète judéo-hellénistique:
Ezéchiel le Tragiqueâ€, MH 3 (1974) 216-224; E. VOGT, Tragiker Ezechiel
(JSHRZ 4/3; Gütersloh 1983); M. WIENCKE, Ezechielis Judaei poetae
Alexandrini fabulae quae inscribitur Exagoge fragmenta (Mümster 1931); R.
VAN DE WATER, “Moses’ Exaltation: Pre–Christian?â€, JSP 21 (2000) 59-69.
FOLLOW US