Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature. Yearbook 2007: The Concept of Celestial Beings - Origins, Development and Reception

In our present-day society Angels are being talked about more frequently again. But where are the roots of these discourses to be found? How have they developed? The present volume concentrates on a study of important sources for the ideas about angels in oriental antiquity, the Old Testament and early Jewish and Christian thinking. In this, the deuterocanonical writings of the Old Testament provide a special focus. In addition, the study examines significant further developments in Judaism, Christianity or Islam, in iconography and the history of piety. Angels Or Demons? Divine Messengers In Ancient Egypt / Bernd Schipper -- Demons And Benevolent Spirits In The Ancient Near East: A Phenomenological Overview / Manfred Hutter -- The Divine Messenger In Ancient Greece, Etruria And Rome / Wolfgang Speyer -- Divine Messengers And Mysterious Men In The Patriarchal Narratives Of The Book Of Genesis / Matthias Köchert -- Moses And The Exodus-angel / Alexander A. Fischer -- The Angel As One Form Of Divine Communication In The Balaam Narrative / Erasmus Gass -- The Angel In Samson's Birth Narrative: Judg 13 / Erik Eynikel -- Yhwh/s Agents Of Doom. The Punishing Function Of Angels In Post-exilic Writings Of The Old Testament / Karin Schöpflin -- Satan, God, And The Angel(s) In 1 Chronicles 21 / Pancratius Beentjes -- Cherubim And Seraphim In The Bible And In The Light Of Ancient Near Eastern Sources / Friedhelm Hartenstein -- God's Interpreter. The Interpreting Angel In Post-exilic Prophetic Visions Of The Old Testament / Karen Schöpflin -- Angelic Revelation In Jewish Apocalyptic Literature / Stefan Beyerle. The Work Of Archangel Raphael / Irene Nowell -- The Figure Of The Angel Raphael According To His Farewell Address In Tob 12:6-20 / Beate Eco -- An Archangel's Theology. Raphael's Speaking About God And The Concept Of God In The Book Of Tobit / Friedrich V. Reiterer -- Asmodeus: A Less Than Minor Character In The Book Of Tobit. A Narrative-critical Study / J. Edward Owens -- Angels In Early Christian Narratives On The Resurrection Of Jesus: Canonical And Apocryphal Texts / Tobias Nicklas -- The Angel Gabriel According To Luke 1 / Hans Klein -- Guardians Of The Old At The Dawn Of The New. The Role Of Angels According To The Pauline Letters / Dominika A. Kurek-chomycz And Reimund Bieringer -- Rivals In Heaven: Angels In The Epistle To The Hebrews / Georg Gäbel -- Angels, The Final Age And 1-2 Corinthians In Light Of The Dead Sea Scrolls / Albert L.a. Hogeterp -- The Four (or Seven) Archangels In The First Book Of Enoch And Early Jewish Writings Of The Second Temple Period / Christoph Berner -- Guardian Angels And Angelic National Patrons In Second Temple Judaism And Early Christianity / Darrell D. Hannah. The Great Opponent. The Devil In Early Jewish And Formative Christian Literature / Stefan Schreiber -- Heavenly Beings Brought Low: A Study Of Angels And The Netherworld / Kelley Coblentz Bautch -- The Motif Of The Angels' Fall In Early Judaism / Jan Dochhorn -- Angels In The Dead Sea Scrolls / Cecilia Wassen -- Angels In The Work Of Flavius Josephus / Christopher Begg -- Angels In Pseudo-philo / Christopher Begg -- The Conception Of Angels In Jewish Biblical Translations / Ramon Kasher -- Angels And Demons In The Book Of Jubilees / Jacques Van Ruiten -- Angels In The Magical Papyri: The Classic Example Of Micheal, The Archangel / Thomas J. Kraus -- Angels In Rabbinic Literature / Bill Rebiger -- Nothing Can Be Known Or Done Without The Involvement Of Angels: Angels And Angelology In Islam And Islamic Literature / Husain Kassim -- Angels In Early Christian Grave Inscriptions / Jutta Dresken-weiland -- Angels In Orthodox Religious Practice And Art / Michael Ernst -- The Angels' Comeback: A Retrospect At The Turn Of The Millenium / Uwe Wolff. Edited By Friedrich V. Reiterer, Tobias Nicklas, Karin Schöpflin. Includes Bibliographical References.