The “Non-Biblical” Writings of Early Judaism

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses the traditions regarding human or creaturely deification in writings of Early Judaism that are often categorized as “non-biblical,” “non-canonical,” or “intertestamental.” These categories are highlighted as problematic, reflecting a distinctly Christian viewpoint, and the difficulties involved in reconstructing the true extent of early Jewish literature are considered. Focusing on demonstrably Jewish literature, particularly the Dead Sea Scrolls and the writings of Philo of Alexandria, the chapter examines various points of equivalence in the early Jewish representations of exalted humans with the theological traditions of deification. A central claim is that the traditions about exalted humans and their relationship to both God and the angels have been widely misread because of a problematic understanding of “monotheism” in Early Judaism. The possibility that Early Judaism affirmed the realities of other gods, while maintaining the categorical uniqueness of Israel’s God, reframes the significance of both exalted humans and angelic figures.