Biblical Prophets in Byzantine Palestine. Reassessing the Lives of the Prophets (Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha 11)

The "Lives of the Prophets" is a series of brief biographical sketches of the major and minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Generally held to be a Jewish document from the end of the period of the Second Temple, the "Lives" offers an abundance of geographical, genealogical and narrative detail which is not readily paralleled. This assessment of the work provides a survey of the textual state of the composition and its reception, followed by an examination of the literary structures which underlie the individual "vitae". It is argued that the "Lives" is an evolved, heavily redacted document whose present form cannot predate the fourth century AD. Only within the context of early Byzantine Christian concerns - holy men, sacred sites and the veneration of the saints - does the "Lives of the Prophets" become a comprehensible and vital text. The Lives of the Prophets, a series of brief biographical sketches of the major and minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible, is a unique composition. Generally held to be a Jewish document from the end of the period of the Second Temple, the Lives offers an abundance of geographical, genealogical, and narrative detail which is not readily paralleled. This study provides the first thorough assessment of the work in nearly a century. A survey of the textual state of the composition and its reception is followed by a detailed examination of the literary structures which underlie the individual vitae. It is argued that the Lives is an evolved, heavily redacted document whose present form cannot predate the fourth century C.E. Only within the context of early Byzantine Christian concerns — holy men, sacred sites, and the veneration of the saints — does the Lives of the Prophets become a comprehensible and vital text. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 3 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 9 References and Abbreviations......Page 11 Introduction......Page 13 1. Evidence, Consensus, and Context......Page 21 2. Structure, Content, and Composition......Page 46 3. The Vita of Daniel: An Early Byzantine Legend......Page 91 4. Context, Genre, and Meaning......Page 109 Conclusion......Page 130 Appendix: The Lives of the Prophets - an English translation......Page 133 Bibliography......Page 141 Biblical and Apocryphal Literature......Page 157 General Index......Page 159 The "Lives of the Prophets" is a series of biographical sketches of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. This analysis of the work provides a survey of the textual state of the composition and its reception, followed by an examination of the literary structures which underlie the individual "vitae". By David Satran. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [129]-144) And Indexes.