Early Judaism- A Comprehensive Overview

yloniaca,focuses on Abraham’s discovery of astrology and astronomy, a

science that he taught to the Phoenicians. He further refers to the war

Abraham waged to free his nephew Lot, to the way he was welcomed in the

sanctuary located on Mt. Gerizim (hence the identification of Pseudo-

Eupolemus as a Samaritan), and to his encounter with Melchizedek. Like

Artapanus, Pseudo-Eupolemus also mentions Abraham’s stay in Egypt and

says that he taught astrology and other sciences to the Egyptian priests.

The first discovery of astrology is said to go back to Enoch, whereas the

Babylonians attributed it to Belus and the Greeks to Atlas.

From a completely different perspective, the exegete and philosopher

Aristobulus treats the significance of the Sabbath, which he connects to the

creation account in Genesis 1 rather than to the liberation from Egypt, as

in Deuteronomy 5. The epic poet Philodeals with the Binding of Isaac in

Genesis 22 (frgs. 1 and 2), evidently construing it as a ritual that was pleas-

ing to God. He also mentions the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jo-

seph (frg. 3). The epic poet Theodotus focuses especially on the story of

Dinah and the vengeance against Shechem (Genesis 34), at least in the

forty-seven lines that have come down to us from Eusebius, who took his

excerpts from Alexander Polyhistor.

Philo of Alexandria deals at length with the book of Genesis in several

of his works, especially in the allegorical commentary and in hisQuestions

and Answers on Genesis.Josephus rewrites Genesis at the beginning of his

Jewish Antiquities.Finally, the anonymous work entitledJoseph and

Asenethtells the story of the conversion of Aseneth, the daughter of an

Egyptian priest, to Judaism, and of her marriage to the patriarch Joseph.

Other texts allude here and there to characters or episodes from the book

of Genesis — for instance, 4 Maccabees 13:12 and 16:20 refer to theAqedah

—but these matters do not constitute the main topic of the book.

Writings Based on Exodus

The book of Exodus is well represented too, sometimes in the same works.

Demetrius addresses chronological as well as exegetical issues concerning

the exodus (frgs. 3-5). Artapanus rewrites not only the story of Joseph but

also that of Moses, whom he presents as the teacher of Orpheus and the in-

ventor of several branches of learning, including philosophy. According to

Artapanus, Moses was a great cultural benefactor who gave Egypt its politi-

cal and religious institutions. Artapanus also retells the story of the exodus.

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EERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:04:05 PM