The purpose of this essay is to recover the interpretive tradition of figural reading depicted in the Syriac Book of the Cave of Treasures (c. late 6th–early 7th century). Throughout his extended fifty four chapter narrative that recounts... more
The purpose of this essay is to recover the interpretive tradition of figural reading depicted in the Syriac Book of the Cave of Treasures (c. late 6th–early 7th century). Throughout his extended fifty four chapter narrative that recounts the story of biblical history from creation to Pentecost, the author uses the interpretive approach of figural reading as a means to unite the biblical story and provide cohesion. This essay will be divided into two sections. First, the textual history, literary character, and theological message of The Cave of Treasures (CT) will be introduced. Second, a taxonomy representative of the author’s figural interpretations will be presented under five headings: 1) Adam-Christ Readings; 2) Soteriological Readings; 3) Christological Readings; 4) Ecclesiological Readings; and, 5) Cessation-Replacement Readings.
In Gal 3.16 Paul asserts that Abraham's seed is the messiah. While some have suggested that the rationale for this assertion is Paul's identification of Abraham's seed with David's seed, few have identified evidence for this rationale in... more
In Gal 3.16 Paul asserts that Abraham's seed is the messiah. While some have suggested that the rationale for this assertion is Paul's identification of Abraham's seed with David's seed, few have identified evidence for this rationale in the immediate context of Galatians 3, and none have genuinely argued for it. Noting that the reappropriation of scriptural idioms is a common feature of ancient messiah discourse, I demonstrate that Gal 3.19 entails a reappropriation of the wording of Gen 49.10, an oracle often interpreted as Davidic-messianic, and thereby I elucidate the scriptural reasoning undergirding Gal 3.16.
This article examines the background of the concept of Sabbath rest (σαββατισμός) in Heb 4.1–11. Special attention is given to the relation between God's rest and God's activity, which seemingly are in tension with each other: on the one... more
This article examines the background of the concept of Sabbath rest (σαββατισμός) in Heb 4.1–11. Special attention is given to the relation between God's rest and God's activity, which seemingly are in tension with each other: on the one hand, the author's argument is based on the assumption that God entered his rest at the seventh day of creation and stopped working forever (4.10); on the other hand, there is a clear reference to God's works after creation (3.9–10). A comparison with Philo's explanations of the seventh day of creation, however, reveals that for a Jewish Middle Platonist this tension does not appear to be a problem because rest and activity in God are two sides of the same coin. It is argued that this background helps to explain Hebrews’ concept of Sabbath rest. A concluding outlook shows that the suggested Middle Platonic understanding of Hebrews 4 fits well the context of the epistle as a whole, as the same coexistence of rest and activity can also be found in Hebrews 7 in relation to Jesus’ intercession in the heavenly tabernacle.
