Wisdom As a Model for Jesus' Ministry: A Study on the Lament over Jerusalem in Matt 23, 37-39 Par. Luke 13, 34-35 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament 2.reihe, 513)

Eva Gunther traces the influence of the Jewish wisdom tradition on shaping the earliest Christology. While it is well known that Wisdom's role of a Schopfungsmittler was transferred to Jesus in early Christian sources such as 1 Cor 8:6 and John 1:1-3, there is another important function of Wisdom, which can be related to the ministry of the earthly Jesus. The author demonstrates that Wisdom had come to be seen as an agent in history in some prominent Second Temple texts, allowing for her function of saving and guiding the people of Israel to be transferred to Jesus in the Lament over Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37-39 par.). However, rather than being presented as an incarnation of pre-existent Wisdom, Jesus is portrayed in the saying as a representation of God like the divine Wisdom, who in turn had taken on features of an older divine representative, the Angel of the Lord, in Second Temple texts. In the Lament over Jerusalem Jesus is presented as the contemporary form of this mediator. Cover Titel Preface Table of Contents Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction: Wisdom Christology in the Jerusalem Word? 1.1 The Impact of the Jewish Wisdom on Christology 1.2 Aim and Structure of the Study Chapter 2: The “Lament over Jerusalem” 2.1 Introduction of the Jerusalem Word 2.1.1 The Text of the Jerusalem Word in Q and Its Context in the Gospels 2.1.2 Contents 2.1.3 Date and Author 2.1.4 Form and Integrity 2.2 Survey of Exegetical Approaches to the Jerusalem Word 2.2.1 Matt 23:37–39 Par. Understood as a Wisdom Word 2.2.1.1 Odil Hannes Steck: Matt 23:37-39 as a Quotation of a Jewish Tradition 2.2.1.2 M. Jack Suggs, François Bovon, Felix Christ and Celia Deutsch: Wisdom-Christology in the Gospels 2.2.1.3 Hartmut Gese: The Emergence of a Wisdom-Christology from Jewish Traditions 2.2.1.4 Ben Witherington: Sapiential Features of Jesus’ Earthly Life 2.2.2 Denial of a Wisdom-Christology in Matt 23:37–39 Par. 2.2.2.1 Ulrich Luz: Matt 23:37–39 Par. as a Prophecy of the Risen Jesus 2.2.2.2 Nicholas T. Wright and James D. G. Dunn: Matt 23:37-29 Par. as a Summary of Jesus’ Earthly Ministry 2.2.2.3 Simon J. Gathercole: Understanding the Supra-Historical Agent in Matt 23:37–39 Par. as God 2.3 Conclusion Chapter 3: Wisdom’s Functions in the Jewish Tradition 3.1 Proverbs and Job: Wisdom Involved in the Creation and Teaching the Fear of the Lord 3.2 Ben Sira: Wisdom Manifest in Israel’s Cult and Inspiring the Sages 3.3 Sapientia Solomonis: Wisdom Saves the Fathers of Israel in Critical Situations in Their Lives 3.4 1 Enoch: Wisdom Given to the Son of Man 3.5 The Personification of Wisdom 3.5.1 Hypostases, Divine Beings, Poetic Personification 3.5.2 Heavenly Beings in the Hebrew Scriptures Chapter 4: Wisdom as Sender of the Prophets 4.1 Prov 1:20–33: Is Wisdom a Messenger or a Sender of Prophets? Excursus: The Angel of the Lord 4.2 Other References to Wisdom Sending Out Prophets Chapter 5: Wisdom as Agent in Salvation History 5.1 General Introduction to Sapientia Solomonis 5.1.1 Date, Provenance and Intention of the Book 5.1.2 Contents, Theme and Structure 5.1.3 Formative Influences on Sapientia Salomonis 5.1.3.1 Jewish Roots 5.1.3.2 The Influence of Greek Philosophy 5.1.3.3 Influence of the Egyptian Isis Cult 5.1.4 The Text, Structure, Genre and Context of Sap 10 5.1.5 The End of the Encomium and Transition to Sap 11–19 5.2 Wisdom as Agent in Israel’s History 5.2.1 The Main Areas of Wisdom’s Activity in History 5.2.1.1 Wisdom as Saviour (σώζειν and ῥύεσθαι) 5.2.1.2 Other verbs describing Wisdom as saving one of the Patriarchs 5.2.1.3 Wisdom Leading People on Straight Ways 5.2.1.4 Wisdom Imparting Knowledge 5.2.1.5 Wisdom Prospers Righteous People 5.2.1.6 Other Verbs: Wisdom’s Miraculous Effects on Physical Nature 5.2.1.7 Summary: Wisdom’s Working in Sap 10 5.2.2 The Nature of Wisdom in Sapientia Salomonis 5.2.2.1 Wisdom as Divine Personage 5.2.2.2 Wisdom’s Function 5.2.2.3 Wisdom’s Ontological Classification 5.2.2.4 Wisdom and Spirit 5.2.2.5 Wisdom’s Nature in Sap 1–9 and Her Role in History in Sap 10 5.2.3 Is Wisdom a Divine Being? 5.2.3.1 Wisdom as Pattern or Instrument of God’s Agency 5.2.3.2 The Personification of Wisdom 5.2.3.3 Wisdom’s Real Impact on the Alexandrian Jewish Community in the Experience of the Sage 5.2.3.4 Conclusion: The Nature of Wisdom Remains Ambiguous 5.3 Conclusion: Wisdom as Agent in History in Sapientia and Matt 23:37–39 Par Chapter 6: Wisdom as Manifestation of God’s Presence in Sir 24 6.1 The Book of Ben Sira 6.1.1 Date, Author, Greek Translation, Manuscripts 6.1.2 Contents: Themes and Wisdom Poems 6.2 Wisdom’s Role as Divine Presence in the Temple (Sir 24:1–12) 6.2.1 Survey of Scholarly Contributions to the Exegesis 6.2.1.1 Johannes Marböck: Wisdom Chooses Israel as Her Specific Domain in the Historical Sphere 6.2.1.2 Gerald T. Sheppard: Wisdom’s Journey Representing the Giving of the Law 6.2.1.3 Patrick W. Skehan and Alexander A. Di Lella: Focus on Prov 8 and Jessie Rogers: Wisdom as a Spirit or Angelic Being 6.2.1.4 Bernd Janowski: Wisdom as inhabitatio dei 6.2.2 Exegesis of Sir 24:1–12 6.2.2.1 Sir 24:1–2 6.2.2.2 Sir 24:3–7 6.2.2.3 Sir 24:8–12 6.2.3 Conclusions: Wisdom’s Role as Divine Presence 6.3 The Nature of Wisdom’s Ministry in the Temple (Sir 24:13–17) 6.3.1 General Comments on Wisdom’s Role in the Temple Cult 6.3.2 Wisdom’s Ministry as Anointing Oil and Incense 6.3.3 Wisdom’s Ministry Symbolised by Luscious Tree Growth 6.3.3.1 Wisdom Manifested in the Priesthood 6.3.3.2 Day of Atonement or Tamid Offering in Sir 50? 6.3.4 Summary: Wisdom’s Function in the Cult in Ben Sira 6.3.5 Wisdom’s Role in the Temple Cult in the Wider Jewish Community 6.3.5.1 Wisdom as the Temple of the Mind in the Work of Philo of Alexandria 6.3.5.2 Wisdom as the Cosmic Order in Israel’s Cult 6.3.6 Conclusions: Wisdom’s Function in the Cult 6.4 Wisdom’s Personal Address to Her Followers (Sir 24: 19-22) 6.4.1 Sir 24:19–22 6.4.2 Is Wisdom a Hypostasis? 6.5 Wisdom and the Law (Sir 24:23–30) 6.5.1 Is Sir 24:23 the Hermeneutical Key to Ben Sira’s Wisdom Hymn? 6.5.2 The Meaning of the ταῦτα πάντα in V. 23 6.6 Conclusions: Ben Sira Chapter 7: Wisdom Withdrawing from the Earth and United with the Heavenly Son of Man in the Similitudes of Enoch (1 En. 37–71) 7.1 Date and Possible Influence on the NT 7.2 Wisdom in 1 Enoch 7.3 Significance for the “Lament over Jerusalem” 7.4 Conclusions: 1 Enoch Chapter 8: Conclusions: Jesus’ Exalted Role in the Jerusalem Word 8.1 Jesus’ Ministry Related to a Divine Agency in the Jerusalem Word 8.2 Is the Divine Agent Jesus Is Related to in the Jerusalem Word Wisdom or God? 8.3 Wisdom as a Representative of God Like the Angel of the Lord 8.4 Jesus as the Divine Mediator Bibliography Index of References Index of Names Subject Index Eva Günther traces the influence of the Jewish wisdom tradition on shaping the earliest Christology. While it is well known that Wisdom's role of a Schöpfungsmittler was transferred to Jesus in early Christian sources such as 1 Cor 8:6 and John 1:1-3, there is another important function of Wisdom, which can be related to the ministry of the earthly Jesus. The author demonstrates that Wisdom had come to be seen as an agent in history in some prominent Second Temple texts, allowing for her function of saving and guiding the people of Israel to be transferred to Jesus in the'Lament over Jerusalem'(Matt. 23:37-39 par.). However, rather than being presented as an incarnation of pre-existent Wisdom, Jesus is portrayed in the saying as a representation of God like the divine Wisdom, who in turn had taken on features of an'older'divine representative, the Angel of the Lord, in Second Temple texts. In the'Lament over Jerusalem'Jesus is presented as the contemporary form of this mediator. "In this study on the influence of the Jewish wisdom tradition on the shaping of early Christology traces parallels between the function of Wisdom in various writings of Second Temple literature and the ministry of the earthly Jesus according to Matt 23:37-39 par., which portray Jesus as a representative of God like Wisdom."-- Publisher, page four of cover