Yetzer Anthropologies In The Apocalypse Of Abraham

In this book, Andrei A. Orlov examines the imagery of "inclination" or yetzer found in the Apocalypse of Abraham. He argues that the text operates with several yetzer anthropologies, some of which are reminiscent of early biblical models, while others are similar to later rabbinic notions. Although the author focuses on the traditions found in the Apocalypse of Abraham, he also treats the evolution of the yetzer symbolism in its full historical and interpretive complexity through a broad variety of Jewish and Christian sources, from the creational narratives of the Hebrew Bible to later rabbinic testimonies. He further argues that a close analysis of the yetzer anthropologies found in the Apocalypse of Abraham challenges previous scholarly hypotheses that yetzer was only sexualized and gendered for the first time in post-Amoraic sources.

This book examines the multiple contexts for the pseudepigraphal Apocalypse of Abraham, including the ancient Jewish milieu in which it was originally written and its medieval Christian Slavic setting.

The annual Review of Biblical Literature presents a selection of reviews of the most recent books in biblical studies and related fields, including topical monographs, multi-author volumes, reference works, commentaries, and dictionaries. RBL reviews German, French, Italian, and English books and offers reviews in those languages.

Considered by many to be 'the last important product of the Apocalyptic movement', The Apocalypse of Abraham is an apocryphon, a work that belongs to a body of prophetic Abrahamic literature flourishing about the time of Christ. The text details the Destruction of the Temple and thus was written after 70 AD. It is considered part of the Apocalyptic literature but not regarded as authoritative scripture.

“What is desired in thine heart I will tell thee, because thou hast sought to see the ten plagues which I have prepared for the heathen. Hear what I divulge to thee, so shall it come to pass.” Considered by many to be 'the last important product of the Apocalyptic movement', 'The Apocalypse of Abraham' is an apocryphon, a work that belongs to a body of prophetic Abrahamic literature flourishing about the time of Christ. "The Book is essentially Jewish," writes George H. Box, with "features . . . which suggest Essene origin." From the Essenes it passed, he suggested, "to Ebionite circles . . . and thence, in some form, found its way into Gnostic circles." The text details the Destruction of the Temple and thus was written after 70 AD. It is considered part of the Apocalyptic literature but not regarded as authoritative scripture by Jews or any Christian group. This enhanced edition of 'The Apocalypse of Abraham' is fully annotated with notes and footnotes and features a newly revised version of the definitive George H. Box translation. Considered by many to be 'the last important product of the Apocalyptic movement', 'The Apocalypse of Abraham' is an apocryphon, a work that belongs to a body of prophetic Abrahamic literature flourishing about the time of Christ.

This volume sheds light on how Jews and Christians in Antiquity understood the nature and characteristics of demons. The contributions cover a wide range of corpora and explore aspects of continuity and change as ideas flowed between groups and cultures.

The Apocalypse of Abraham, which has been preserved in old Slavonic literature, falls into two distinct parts (cf. the somewhat similar case of The Ascension of Isaiah). The first part, contained in chaps. i.-viii., consists of a Midrashic narrative based upon the legend of Abraham's conversion from idolatry, which has several peculiar features.1 The second part (chaps. ix.-xxxii.) is purely apocalyptic in character, and contains a revelation made to Abraham about the future of his race, after his (temporary) ascent into the heavenly regions, under the guidance of the archangel Jaoel, who here seems to play the part of Metatron-Michael. It is based upon the account of Abraham's trance-vision described in Genesis xv.-a favorite theme for apocalyptic speculation. In the Book, as it lies before us, the two parts are organically connected. Thus in chap. x. the archangel says: I am the one who was commissioned to set on fire thy father's house together with him, because he displayed reverence for dead (idols)-an allusion to the narrative of chap. viii.; and the general plan of the Whole work seems to be based upon the idea that Abraham's dissatisfaction with the idol-worship by which he was surrounded, which found vent in his strong protest to his father Terah (chaps. i.-viii.), appealed so much to the divine favor, that the archangel Jaoel was specially sent by God to instruct him and initiate him into the knowledge of heavenly mysteries. Whether the apocalyptic portion ever existed in a shorter and independent form will be discussed below.