The Exodus Story in the Wisdom of Solomon: A Study in Biblical InterpretationThis exemplary study presents the hermeneutical principles and theological tendencies of Pseudo-Solomon's biblical interpretation of the Exodus story in the Wisdom of Solomon. Why and how did the author interpret the Exodus story? What is the socio-historical function of his interpretation? Through a comparison with corresponding biblical and extra-biblical texts, the text's dominant interpretative technique is seen to be the reshaping of the biblical story, as the author freely handles the biblical material, ignoring the literary intention or flow of the biblical accounts. Cheon argues that this interpretation was intended to provide hope and consolation for the Alexandrian Jewish community soon after a severe persecution during the reign of Gaius Caligula (37-41 CE). |
Contents
Acknowledgments 78 | 7 |
Chapter 2 | 24 |
Chapter 5 | 45 |
Chapter 3 | 68 |
Chapter 4 | 108 |
THE FUNCTION OF THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON 11 114 | 125 |
Chapter 6 | 150 |
| 168 | |
Common terms and phrases
Aaron According Alexandria Alexandrian Jews alludes animal plagues anti-Semitic argues Artapanus Bible biblical account biblical narrative biblical text Book of Wisdom bronze serpent contrast creation darkness plague death Dehoniane describes destroyed Destroyer Deut Deuteronomist Egypt Egyptians enemies Exod Exodus narrative Exodus story Exodus Tradition fire firstborn Flaccus gerousia God's judgment God's punishment Greek Gregg healed heaven Hellenistic holy Israel Israelite infants Israelites Jews Jews under Roman Josephus land of Goshen Larcher literary unit Loewenstamm Lord LXX Exod LXX Psalm manna event marked by italics means mentions midrash Moses motif Nickelsburg Numbers passage Passover persecution Pharaoh Philo plague of hail presents Pseudo Pseudo-Solomon interprets Pseudo-Solomon's biblical interpretation quail event Red Sea event Reese Reider retaliation righteous riot in 38 Sapientia Salomonis Schwenk-Bressler Secondly serpent event slaying Smallwood Sodomites suffering ten plagues tenth plague Thirdly verse wicked Winston Wisdom Literature Wisdom of Solomon Wright καὶ