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King and God : conceptions of rule and God in 3 Maccabees

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205149
  • 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 asIn 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.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Barbara Schmitz
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205149
Document Type:Book article / Book chapter
Faculties:Katholisch-Theologische Fakultät / Institut für Biblische Theologie
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Figures who shape scriptures, scriptures that shape figures
Year of Completion:2018
Pagenumber:211–230
Source:Géza G. Xeravits und Greg Schmidt Goering (eds.): Figures who Shape Scriptures, Scriptures that Shape Figures. - Berlin/Munich/Boston : Walter de Gruyter, 2018. S. 211–230. - https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110596373-014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110596373-014
Dewey Decimal Classification:2 Religion / 22 Bibel / 220 Bibel
Tag:Cyropaidia; God in 3 Macc; Hellenistic kingship; Isocrates; Maccabees; Xenophon
Release Date:2020/06/02
Licence (German):License LogoDeutsches Urheberrecht