The Origins and Evolution of the Moses Nativity Story /
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This book traces the development of the Moses nativity story from pre-Biblical sources through its Biblical formulation, and continues to trace its evolution in post-Biblical literature, from the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and Jewish Hellenistic writings, through Rabbinic literature, and up to Medieval Jewish exegesis. Influence of the Moses nativity story is also detected in Christian writings: hence this book also traces the evolution of the story in the New Testament and early Christian works. This study uses a literary-typological approach, similar to that of the Gunkel-Gressmann school and the method used by Loewenstamm. However, unlike these scholars and their disciples, who focused primarily on the biblical stage, this book gives equal attention to all stages of the evolution of the birth story pattern; and, while providing a detailed analysis of each work, also focuses on continuity, tracing the path along which the literary pattern of the Moses nativity story developed.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [191]-196) and indexes. :
9789004378810 :
0169-8834 ;
From a virgin womb : the Apocalypse of Adam and the virgin birth /
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Scholarly researches on the virgin birth have often focussed rather narrowly on the theological and historical difficulties it tends to raise. The Nag Hammadi Apocalypse of Adam, however, provides for the first time a glimpse into the wider background of ideas and myths to which it belonged. Prophecies there concerning a universal 'Illuminator' mention his birth 'from a virgin womb'. Several of the stories, drawn from Iranian and other sources , also appear in apocalyptic and testamental literature contemporary with Christian origins. The book centrally analyses a body of extraordinarily detailed narrative parallels between a cluster of stories in the Apocalypse and the infancy narratives of Mt. 1-2, concluding that these stories serve to identify Jesus as the True Prophet who is the fulfilment of history - though not as Son of God. The question of Mt.'s special tradition and its relation to Lk. is also cast in a new light.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-217) and index. :
9789047423577 :
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