Ancient Tales of Giants from Qumran and Turfan: Contexts, Traditions, and Influences (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament, 360)

While there has been much scholarly attention devoted to the Enochic Book of the Watchers, much less has been paid to the Book of Giants from Qumran. This volume is the proceedings of a conference that convened in Munich, Germany, in June 2014, which was devoted to the giants of Enochic tradition and in particular the Qumran Book of Giants. It engages the topic of the giants in relation to various ancient contexts, including the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient Mesopotamia. The authors of this volume give particular attention to Manichaeism, especially the Manichaean Book of Giants, fragments of which were found in Turfan (western China). They make an important contribution to our understanding of the range of stories Jews told in antiquity about the sons of the watchers who descended to earth and their vibrant Nachleben in Manichaeism. Contributors: Joseph L. Angel, Amanda M. Davis Bledsoe, Brian R. Doak, Ida Fröhlich, Matthew Goff, Gábor Kósa, Enrico Morano, Samantha Newington, John C. Reeves, Loren T. Stuckenbruck, Michael Tuval, Jens Wilkens Cover Preface Table of Contents Matthew Goff: Introduction Part One: Gibborim and Gigantes. Antecedents, Reception, and Comparative Contextsfrom the Hebrew Bible and Greek Literature Brian R. Doak: The Giant in a Thousand Years: Tracing Narratives of Gigantism in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond I. The Embarrassing and Alluring Giant II. Five Categories of Giant Thinking in the Hebrew Bible 1. The giant as divine or semi-divine figure 2. The giant as anti-law and anti-king 3. The giant as elite adversary and elite animal 4. The giant as unruly or overgrown vegetation 5. The giant as the defeated past III. A Transition to the Early Jewish Giant IV. Conclusion Samantha Newington: Greek Titans and Biblical Giants Michael Tuval: “Συναγωγὴ γιγάντων” (Prov 21:16): The Giants in the Jewish Literature in Greek I. The Giants in the LXX II. The Wisdom of Solomon, 3 Maccabees, Baruch, 3 Baruch, Ben Sira, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs III. Pseudo-Eupolemus IV. The Sibylline Oracles V. Philo of Alexandria VI. Flavius Josephus VII. Summary and Conclusions Part Two:Tales of Giants in their Ancient Jewish Context. The Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Watchers, and Daniel Joseph L. Angel: The Humbling of the Arrogant and the “Wild Man” and “Tree Stump” Traditions in the Book of Giants and Daniel 4 I. Introduction II. Parallels in Daniel 4 and the Book of Giants III. Explanations and Implications Amanda M. Davis Bledsoe: Throne Theophanies, Dream Visions, and Righteous(?) Seers: Daniel, the Book of Giants, and 1 Enoch Reconsidered I. Introduction II. The Throne Theophanies of Daniel 7, 4Q530, and 1 Enoch 14 1. The Deity 2. The Throne(s) 3. The Attendants III. The Relationship between the Visions of Daniel 7, 4Q530, and 1 Enoch 14 IV. Dream Visions and the Role of the Seer in Daniel 7, 4Q530, and 1 Enoch 14 V. Conclusion Ida Fröhlich: Giants and Demons I. Demonic Traits of the Watchers II. Demonic Traits of the Giants III. Naming the Sons of the Watchers: Gibbōrîm IV. Genesis 6:1–4 and the Book of Watchers Matthew Goff: The Sons of the Watchers in the Book of Watchers and the Qumran Book of Giants: Contexts and Prospects I. Introduction: Questions, Contexts and Prospects II. The Giants in the Book of Watchers III. The Giants in the Qumran Book of Giants IV. The Fate of the Giants V. Conclusion Loren T. Stuckenbruck: The Book of Giants among the Dead Sea Scrolls: Considerations of Method and a New Proposal on the Reconstruction of 4Q530 I. Introduction II. Methodological Considerations in Reconstructing the Qumran Book of Giants III. A Sequenced Outline Derived from Extant Dead Sea Fragments IV. A Proposal for Reconstructing the Remaining Length of 4Q530 V. Conclusion Part Three: Enochic Traditions in Central Asia and China. Exploring Connections and Affinities betweenGiants in Ancient Judaism and Manichaeism Gábor Kósa: The Book of Giants Tradition in the Chinese Manichaica I. The Major Figure of Interface between the Book of Giants and Manichaeism 1. The Motif of Rex Honoris and the Rebelling Angels in a Xiapu Text a) Rebellions in the Manichaean Universe b) The Names of the Four Punishing Angels 2. Rex Honoris and the Imprisoned Demons in the Chinese Manichaean Cosmology Painting a) Rex Honoris in the CP aa) Rex Honoris as Surveyor of the Evil Forces and the Magical Mirror bb) The Two Groups of Four Angels on Either Side of Rex Honoris b) Imprisoned and Rebelling Demons in the Firmaments c) Four Angels at Mount Sumeru d) Imprisoned Demons in the Earths II. Thirty-Two Palaces on Mount Sumeru III. Different Fates for Different Kinds of Giants? 1. A Watcher Placed Upon a Demon 2. Repenting Demons at Mount Sumeru 3. Imprisoned Giants? IV. Conclusion Enrico Morano: Some New Sogdian Fragments Related to Mani’s Book of Giants and the Problem of the Influence of Jewish Enochic Literature I. New Texts from the Sogdian Version of Mani’s Book of Giants (?) 1. “Res Gestae Gigantis Sāhm”: So10701a (T I D) + So20193b (TM363) and So10700a (T I D) + So20193a (TM363) a) So10701a [T I D] + So20193b (Fig. 1) b) So10700a [T I D] + So20193a [TM363] (Fig. 2) 2. The Fall of the Demons’ Abortions: So14255 and So14256 II. New Sogdian Texts related to Enochic Literature a) “Lament of the Bound Rebel Stars” (So20220/II/) (Figs. 3–4) III. Conclusion John C. Reeves: Jacob of Edessa and the Manichaean Book of Giants? Jens Wilkens: Remarks on the Manichaean Book of Giants: Once Again on Mahaway’s Mission to Enoch I. Introduction II. The Old Uyghur Fragment Mainz 317 III. Preliminary Textual Remarks 1. The verb ašr(u)l‐ ~ ašr(ı)l‐ 2. The Gates and the Window Openings 3. The Movement of the Sun 4. Parallels to the Book of Giants in a Cosmological Text 5. The Giant Mahaway and His Mission IV. Translation of Mainz 317 V. The Old Uyghur Original Text in Transcription102 Index of Citations of Ancient Texts 1. Hebrew Bible / Old Testament 2. New Testament 3. Apocrypha 4. Pseudepigrapha 5. The Dead Sea Scrolls 6. Philo And Josephus 7. Classical Greek And Latin Sources 8. Rabbinic Literature 9. Christian Literature 10. Other Ancient Near Eastern Sources 11. Manichaean Texts 12. Other Asian Sources Modern Author Index Während das henochische Buch der Wächter in der Wissenschaft viel Aufmerksamkeit erhält, findet das Gigantenbuch von Qumran viel weniger Beachtung. Dieser Band ist das Ergebnis einer Tagung in München im Juni 2014, die sich mit Riesen in der henochischen Tradition und vor allem im qumranischen Gigantenbuch beschäftigte. Die Beiträge befassen sich mit dem Thema der Riesen in verschiedenen antiken Kontexten, einschließlich der hebräischen Bibel, den Schriftrollen vom Toten Meer und dem antiken Mesopotamien. Die Verfasser richten ihr Augenmerk vor allem auf den Manichäismus, besonders auf das manichäische Gigantenbuch, dessen Fragmente in Turfan, in Westchina, gefunden wurden. Sie liefern einen wichtigen Beitrag zum Verständnis der Bandbreite der Geschichten, die die Juden einander in der Antike über die Söhne der Wächter erzählten, die auf die Erde herabstiegen, und deren reges Nachleben im Manichäismus.InhaltsübersichtMatthew Goff: Introduction Part One: Gibborim and Gigantes: Antecedents, Reception, and Comparative Contexts from the Hebrew Bible and Greek Literature Brian R. Doak: The Giant in a Thousand Years: Tracing Narratives of Gigantism in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond - Samantha Newington: Greek Titans and Biblical Giants - Michael Tuval: 'Συναγωγὴ γιγάντων' (Prov 21:16): The Giants in the Jewish Literature in Greek Part Two: Tales of Giants in their Ancient Jewish Context: the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Book of Watchers, and Daniel Joseph L. Angel: The Humbling of the Arrogant and the 'Wild Man' and 'Tree Stump' Traditions in the Book of Giants and Daniel 4 - Amanda M. Davis Bledsoe: Throne Theophanies, Dream Visions, and Righteous(?) Seers: Daniel, the Book of Giants, and 1 Enoch Reconsidered - Ida Fröhlich: Giants and Demons - Matthew Goff: The Sons of the Watchers in the Book of Watchers and the Qumran Book of Giants: Contexts and Prospects - Loren T. Stuckenbruck: The Book of Giants among the Dead Sea Scrolls: Considerations of Method and a New Proposal on the Reconstruction of 4Q530 Part Three: Enochic Traditions in Central Asia and China: Exploring Connections and Affinities between Giants in Ancient Judaism and Manichaeism Gábor Kósa: The Book of Giants Tradition in the Chinese Manichaica - Enrico Morano: Some New Sogdian Fragments Related to Mani's Book of Giants and the Problem of the Influence of Jewish Enochic Literature - John C. Reeves: Jacob of Edessa and the Manichaean Book of Giants? - Jens Wilkens: Remarks on the Manichaean Book of Giants: Once Again on Mahaway's Mission to Enoch While there has been much scholarly attention devoted to the Enochic Book of the Watchers, much less has been paid to the Book of Giants from Qumran. This volume is the proceedings of a conference that convened in Munich, Germany, in June 2014, which was devoted to the giants of Enochic tradition and in particular the Qumran Book of Giants. It engages the topic of the giants in relation to various ancient contexts, including the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient Mesopotamia. The authors of this volume give particular attention to Manichaeism, especially the Manichaean Book of Giants, fragments of which were found in Turfan (western China). They contribute to our understanding of the range of stories Jews told in antiquity about the sons of the watchers who descended to earth and their vibrant Nachleben in Manichaeism.