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.
164 Andrei Orlov
attributed to Ezekiel the Tragedian, that depicts the prophet’s
experience at Sinai as his celestial enthronement. Preserved in
fragmentary form in Eusebius of Caesarea’s (39) Praeparatio
evangelica (40), Exagoge 67–90 reads:
Moses: I had a vision of a great throne on the top of Mount Sinai and
it reached till the folds of heaven. A noble man was sitting on it, with
a crown and a large scepter in his left hand. He beckoned to me with
his right hand, so I approached and stood before the throne. He gave
me the scepter and instructed me to sit on the great throne. Then he
gave me a royal crown and got up from the throne. I beheld the whole
earth all around and saw beneath the earth and above the heavens. A
multitude of stars fell before my knees and I counted them all. They
paraded past me like a battalion of men. Then I awoke from my sleep
in fear.
Raguel: My friend, this is a good sign from God. May I live to see the
day when these things are fulfilled. You will establish a great throne,
become a judge and leader of men. As for your vision of the whole
earth, the world below and that above the heavens – this signifies that
you will see what is, what has been and what shall be (41).
Scholars argue that, given its quotation by Alexander Polyhistor
(ca. 80-40 B.C.E.), this Mosaic account can be taken as a witness to
traditions of the second century B.C.E. (42). Such dating puts this
account in close chronological proximity to the Book of Jubilees. It is
also noteworthy that both texts (Jubilees and Exagoge) also exhibit a
common tendency to adapt some Enochic motifs and themes into the
framework of the Mosaic tradition (43).
(39) Eusebius preserves the seventeen fragments containing 269 iambic
trimeter verses. Unfortunately, the limited scope of our investigation does not
allow us to reflect on the broader context of Moses’ dream in the Exagoge.
(40) The Greek text of the passage was published in several editions including:
A.-M. DENIS, Fragmenta pseudepigraphorum quae supersunt graeca (Leiden
1970) 210; B. SNELL, Tragicorum graecorum fragmenta I (Göttingen 1971) 288-
301; JACOBSON, The Exagoge of Ezekiel, 54; HOLLADAY, Fragments, 362-366.
(41) JACOBSON, The Exagoge of Ezekiel, 54–55.
(42) MEEKS, The Prophet-King, 149. See also HOLLADAY, Fragments from
Hellenistic Jewish Authors, II, 308-312.
(43) On the Enochic motifs in the Exagoge, see VAN DER HORST, “Moses’
Throne Vision in Ezekiel the Dramatistâ€, 21-29; ORLOV, “Ex 33 on God’s Face:
A Lesson from the Enochic Traditionâ€, 130-147; IDEM, The Enoch-Metatron
Tradition, 262-268; RUFFATTO, “Raguel as Interpreter of Moses’ Throne Vision:
The Transcendent Identity of Raguel in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedianâ€;
IDEM, “Polemics with Enochic Traditions in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the
Tragedianâ€, 195-210.
FOLLOW US