@incollection{Schmitz2018,
  author    = {Schmitz, Barbara},
  title     = {King and God : conceptions of rule and God in 3 Maccabees},
  series = {Figures who shape scriptures, scriptures that shape figures},
  booktitle = {Figures who shape scriptures, scriptures that shape figures},
  doi       = {10.1515/9783110596373-014},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205149},
  publisher      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  pages     = {211-230},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {In 3 Maccabees, kingship as a form of rule is addressed on two levels: On the political level the question about a good king is addressed against the background of Hellenistic understandings of kingship, using the example of Ptolemy IV Philopator. This king is portrayed at the beginning of 3 Maccabees as a successful, positive, Hellenistic ruler, but one whose good rule goes off the rails. This analysis of the ideal of Hellenistic rule (cf. 3 Macc. 3:12-29; 6:24-28; 7:1-9) is then taken to a theological level: the God of Israel is portrayed as the true good king, the Soter who saves his people in their time of greatest trial (6:29, 32; 7:16). By these means the many divine epithets that are a striking feature of 3 Maccabees are incorporated into the narrative (cf. 2:2-3). Thereby 3 Maccabees not only thematises the conflict with a Hellenistic king who exploits his power in diverse ways but also focuses in a concentrated way the notion of a good (Hellenistic) king into the notion of God as king and ruler.},
  language  = {en}
}