The Context of the Crux at Hebrews 5, 7-8 115 Philo’s Biblical Antiquities 32,3 and 40,2-3 68. Finally, Flavius Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities 1,232, from the end of the first century A.D., also rep- resents the tradition of Isaac’s free participation in Abraham’s sacrifice 69. Thus it is not impossible that the interpretation of Heb 5,7-8 proposed as a solution to the crux in these verses, involving as it does Jesus’ free offering of himself, can be situated in the same tradition as Isaac’s free offering of himself in the Aqedah. Consequently, at Heb 4,13, given the relevance of Ps 22 at Heb 5,7-8, there would seem to be no reason for not thinking that the author of Hebrews had Christ’s active offering of Himself in mind precisely as fulfillment of the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham presented in Heb 11,17-19 70. b) The Relation of Hebrews 5,1-10 to the Expiatory Priesthood of Christ In the interpretation of Heb 4,13 given above the clause pro;~ o} hJmi`n oJ lovgo~ is understood to mean ‘with whom is the Word on our behalf ’: the Word is taken to be Christ who is in God’s presence to intercede for Christians. This posture and function of Christ is taken up in the verses 4,14-16 which are a follow-up to 4,13 according to the interpretation being advanced here: in v. 16 the Christians are urged ‘to approach with boldness the throne of grace in order to receive mercy and find grace for time of need’ (prosercwvmeqa ou\n meta; parrhsiva~ tw`/ qrovnw/ th`~ cavrito", i{na lavbwmen e[leo~ kai; cavrin eu{rwmen eij~ eu[kairon bohvqeian). The implication is that the Christians are to approach Christ as high priest (cf. the preceding verse, ‘we have a high priest’—e[comen ajrciereva) in his present state, which can only be, in the context of the epistle, in His risen state. Thus 4,13 implicitly refers to two different states of Christ’s priesthood: 1) the earthly state in which He was subject to death (alluded to by the imagery of the outstretched neck); 2) the risen state in which He is no longer subject to death. 4,15 alludes to the 68 Levenson (Death and Resurrection, 189-190, dates Biblical Antiquities to ‘some time in the first century C.E.’ Cf. his comments on pp. 190-190. Also Swetnam, Jesus and Isaac, 53-56. And, most recently, B. N. Fish, «Offering Isaac Again and Again: Pseudo- Philo’s Use of the Aqedah as Intertext», CBQ 62 (2000), 494, n. 42. 69 Cf. Levenson, Death and Resurrection, 190-192. Levenson (190) even suggests that the tradition about Isaac’s willing participation in his sacrifice may have begun with The Book of Jubilees. Jubilees can be dated to the second century B.C. (cf. R. E. Brown–P. Perkins–A. J. Saldarini, «Apocrypha; Dead Sea Scrolls; Other Jewish Literature», Jerome Biblical Commentary, §67:17 [pp. 1058-1059]). 70 Cf. also Heb 2,18 where Christ is said to have been ‘tested’ (peiravzw), the same word used of Abraham at the Aqedah as described in Heb 11,17. This parallel use of a word implying conscious awareness of the challenge of faith in the face of death would seem to be another indication that the author of Hebrews was aware of the tradition that gave to Isaac an active role in the Aqedah.