The Tongues of Angels: The Concept of Angelic Languages in Classical Jewish and Christian Texts

Description

The Apostle Paul's reference to the "tongues of angels" (1 Cor 13.1) has always aroused curiosity, but it has rarely been the object of a history-of-traditions investigation. Few readers of Paul's words are aware of the numerous references and allusions to angelic languages in Jewish and Christian texts. John C. Poirier presents the first full-length study of the concept of angelic languages, and the most exhaustive attempt to assemble the evidence for that concept in ancient Jewish and early Christian texts. He discusses possible references to angelic languages in the New Testament, pseudepigraphic writings (both Jewish and Christian), the Dead Sea scrolls, rabbinic texts, patristic references, magical writings, and epigraphy. The discussion is divided between those witnesses that understand angels to speak Hebrew, and those that understand angels to speak an esoteric heavenly language. Cover Dedication Preface Table of Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1. Introduction A. Purpose and Organization of this Study B. Methodological Preface 1. Should Pseudepigrapha be Presumed Jewish or Christian? 2 Rabbinic Writings as Historiography C. Conclusion Chapter 2. Hebrew as the Language of the Angel A. Jubilees (and 4Q464) B. R. Yochanan’s Dictum: “The Ministering Angels do not Understand Aramaic” (b. Sot.ah 33a b. Šabb. 12b) C. Christian Writings 1. The Vision of Paul 2. The Coptic Wizard’s Hoard D. Conclusion Chapter 3. Hebrew-speaking Angels and Linguistic Ideology in Tannaitic Tradition A. The Hebraic Setting of Rabbinic Piety B. The Proscription of Extra-Synagogal Prayer C. The Empowerment of the Hebraeophone Literati D. Conclusion Chapter 4. The Esoteric Heavenly Language: Fairly Certain Cases A. New Testament (1 Cor 13.1) B. New Testament Continued (2 Cor 12.1–7) C. The Testament of Job D. The Apocalypse of Zephaniah E. The Ascension of Isaiah F. The Apocalypse of Abraham G. The Rabbinic Evidence (Gen. Rab. 74.7) H. Ephrem Syrus, Hymn 11 I. The Book of the Resurrection (attributed to Bartholomew the Apostle) J. Conclusion Chapter 5. The Esoteric Heavenly Language Continued: Less Certain Cases A. The Qumran Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice B. The Rabbinic Evidence Continued (b. B. Bat. 134a || b. Sukkah 28a) C. The Nanas Inscription D. The Liturgical Jubilus E. Conclusion Chapter 6. Conclusion Appendix 1. Two Additional Solutions for “the Speech of Palm Trees” (b. B. Bat. 134a || b. Sukkah 28a) A. The Palmgeister in T.-S. K 1.56 and 1.147 B. Palm Trees as Neoplatonic Heliotropes Appendix 2. A Partial Response to Christopher Forbes on the Nature of New Testament Glossolalia Bibliography A. Primary Literature B. Secondary Literature Index of Ancient Sources A. Hebrew Scriptures and Septuagint B. New Testament C. Josephus D. Philo E. Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphic Sources F. Dead Sea Scrolls G. Rabbinic Sources H. Magical Texts and Hekhalot I. Patristic Sources J. Greco-Roman Sources K. Other Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects