Joshua Traditions and the Argument of Hebrews 3 and 4 (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der Alteren Kirche, 194)

This monograph examines the place of chapters 3 and 4 in the larger argument of Hebrews, particularly the relationship of the people of God in Heb 3:7–4:13 to the surrounding discussion of the high priest. The connection between the great high priest and the people of God proved a central question for twentieth-century scholars, including Ernst Käsemann. The first chapter of this work examines previous attempts to explain the flow of the argument and revisits the proposal of J. Rendel Harris, who thought attention to the two Joshuas of the Hebrew Bible was the key to connecting Heb 3:7–4:13 to its frame. The second chapter examines reading practices within Second Temple Judaism that shaped those of the author of Hebrews. Two subsequent chapters explore the history of Second Temple interpretation of the texts central to Harris’s proposal: Numbers 13–14 and Zechariah 3. The Levi-priestly tradition receives particular attention. The following chapter provides a careful study of the early chapters of Hebrews that explores allusions and echoes to Numbers and to Zechariah. The monograph concludes with a positive assessment of much of Harris’s proposal. Chapter 1: The Puzzle of Hebrews 15 One Puzzle Among Many 17 Appeals to the Structural Analysis of Hebrews 19 Topical Analyses 19 Earlier Examples 20 Contemporary Examples 21 Literary Analyses 22 F. Büchsel 22 Rafael Gyllenberg 23 F. Thien 23 Leon Vaganay 24 A. Descamps 26 Albert Vanhoye 26 Wolfgang Nauck 27 Rhetorical Analyses 28 Hermann Frhr. von Soden 29 Keijo Nissilä 29 Walter G. Übelacker 30 Craig R. Koester 30 Linguistic Analyses 31 Observations 34 Appeals to Conceptual Worlds 36 Gnosticism 37 Philo and Middle Platonism 41 Qumran 44 The Samaritans 47 Merkabah Mysticism 49 Observations 51 Appeals to Reading Practices 53 J. Rendel Harris and the Two Joshuas 53 F. C. Synge and Jesus–Joshua 55 Albert Vanhoye and Numbers 14 56 George Wesley Buchanan and Hebrews as Homiletical Midrash 58 David Flusser and Midrashic Fungi 59 Observations 60 The Way Forward 62 Chapter 2: A Wider Intertextuality: Excavating the Cave of Resonance with the History of Scriptural Interpretation 64 Lessons from Pauline Interpreters 65 Richard Hays’s Echoes of Scripture 66 Initial Responses to Echoes of Scripture 70 James A. Sanders 70 Craig A. Evans 72 William Scott Green 73 Christopher D. Stanley 74 Subsequent Modifications of Echoes of Scripture 75 Frank Thielman 75 James M. Scott 76 Sylvia C. Keesmaat 77 Andrew H. Wakefield 79 Observations 83 Lessons from Hebrew Bible Interpreters 86 Michael Fishbane 87 Aggadic Exegesis 88 Mantological Exegesis 91 James L. Kugel 92 Observations 97 Chapter 3: Reading Traditions for Num 13–14 99 Reading Traditions for Num 13–14 100 Numbers 101 The Scouts’ Expedition 101 The Scouts’ Report 103 The People’s Response 103 God’s Response 104 The People’s Expedition 104 Deuteronomy 105 The Scouts’ Expedition 105 The Scouts’ Report 105 The People’s Response 106 God’s Response 106 The People’s Expedition 106 Comparison of the Canonical Accounts 107 The Scouts’ Expedition 107 The Scouts’ Report 108 The People’s Response 109 God’s Response 110 The People’s Expedition 111 General Observations on the Canonical Accounts 111 Aaron 111 Caleb and Joshua 112 Moses 113 Second Temple Interpretation 116 Pseudo-Philo 117 The Scout’s Expedition 117 The Scouts’ Report 118 The People’s Response 119 God’s Response 120 Observations 121 Josephus 123 The Scouts’ Expedition 123 The Scouts’ Report 123 The People’s Response 124 God’s Response 125 Observations 125 Philo 128 The Scouts’ Expedition 128 The Scouts’ Report 129 The People’s Response 131 God’s Response 132 Observations 132 Conclusions 134 Chapter 4: Reading Traditions for Zech 3 141 Recent Scholarship about the Levi-Priestly Tradition 142 James C. VanderKam 142 Robert A. Kugler 143 James Kugel 144 Kathryn Lopez 147 Zechariah 3 149 Zechariah 3 (MT) 149 Initial Description of the Divine Council Vision 151 Deliberations of the Divine Council 154 Excursus: Zechariah 3 and Joshua’s Ordination 162 A Concluding Oracle 164 Zechariah 3 (LXX) 177 Second Temple Texts and Exegetical Motifs 181 Introducing the Texts 181 An Overview of the Specific Motifs to be Explored 187 The Motif of a Priest in the Divine Council 187 Aramaic Levi 188 Jubiliees 190 Testament of Levi 191 Joseph and Aseneth 194 Pirqe Rabbi Eleizer 195 Conclusions 195 The Motif of Rebuking the Accuser 196 Aramaic Levi and Qumran Texts 196 The Apocalypse of Abraham 199 The Motif of Purification and New Clothing 200 Aramaic Levi 202 Jubilees 206 The Testament of Levi 207 Tg. Zechariah 208 The Apocalypse of Abraham 210 The Motif of Continual Access 212 Observations 215 Chapter 5: The Joshuas of the Epistle to the Hebrews 219 Hebrews as a Priestly Writing 220 Hebrews 4:14-10:19 221 Hebrews 10:19-13:25 228 Sacerdotal Language 230 Pilgrimage as Cultic Journey 232 The Hieratic Ground and Goal of Faithfulness 233 Hebrews 1:1-2:18 234 Rationales for the Flow of the Argument in Hebrews 3 and 4 239 Harold W. Attridge 239 William L. Lane 240 David A. deSilva 242 Craig R. Koester 243 Assessing the Survey 244 The Shape of Hebrews 3 and 4 246 Hebrews 3:12-19 247 Hebrews 4:1-5 250 Hebrews 4:6-11 257 Considering the Two Joshuas 260 The Joshua of Numbers 261 If Joshua Had Given Them Rest 261 Jesus as άρχηγός 262 The Word They Heard 264 United by Faith with Those Who Heard 265 For Whoever Enters God’s Rest 266 The Use of Num 13-14 and Joshua’s Faithfulness 267 Two Objections 269 The Joshua of Zechariah 271 The Motif of a Priest in the Divine Council 271 The Motif of Rebuking the Accuser 273 The Motif of Purification 275 The Motif of Continual Access 276 The Three Joshuas 278 Chapter 6: Implications and Directions for Future Research 280 Bibliography 286 Primary Texts 286 Biblical Commentaries 287 Studies 290 Index of Ancient Sources 309 Index of Modern Authors 323 Index of Subjects 329 The connection between the great high priest and the people of God in Hebrews has proved a central question for many scholars, including Ernst Käsemann. This book examines previous attempts to explain the flow of the argument in Hebrews 3 and 4 and revisits the proposal of J. Rendel Harris, who thought attention to the two Joshuas of the Hebrew Bible was the key to connecting Heb 3:7-4:13 to its frame. It examines Second Temple interpretations of two texts central to the two Joshuas (Numbers 13-14 and Zechariah 3) and concludes with a positive assessment of much of Harris's proposal. The Puzzle Of Hebrews -- A Wider Intertextuality : Excavating The Cave Of Resonance With The History Of Scriptural Interpretation -- Reading Traditions For Num 13-14 -- Reading Traditions For Zech 3 -- The Joshuas Of The Epistle To The Hebrews -- Implications And Directions For Future Research. Bryan J. Whitfield. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 272-293) And Indexes. The connection between the great high priest and the people of God in Hebrews has proved a central question for many scholars, including Ernst Kasemann. This book examines previous attempts to explain the flow of the argument in Hebrews 3 and 4 and revisits the proposal of J.