Bibliography
| Title: The birth of Moses in Jewish literature of the Second Temple Period Type: Generic Year: 1996 Abstract: "This thesis examines six Jewish tests from the Second Temple period which relate the story of the birth of Moses (Exod. 1:15-2:10). The aims of this study are two: (1) to investigate how traditions concerning Moses' birth arose from the biblical text and (2) to examine the context and setting of these exegetical developments. The texts which are the focus of this examination are Artapanus, On the Jews; Philo, Life of Moses; Book of Jubilees; Pseudo-Philo, Book of Biblical Antiquities; and Josephus, Jewish Antiquities. The first section examines the Septuagint, comparing it to the Masoretic Text. Subsequent chapters deal first with the Egyptian Jewish texts and then with the Palestinian text, in chronological order. Sources such as the New Testament, rabbinic midrashim, Samaritan texts, the Dura-Europos frescos and medieval compositions are noted in the discussion where relevant. In each chapter, questions of date, provenance and genre are raised, followed by a discussion and detailed commentary on the text itself. The conclusion presents the results of this study in five categories: (1) the context and function of the story of Moses' birth in the larger setting of the work; (2) the portrait of Moses which emerges from the story of his birth or from the work as a whole; (3) the multivalenced portrait of Pharaoh's daughter; (4) Moses' education at the Egyptian court; and (5) Moses' parents and the degree to which they are transformed into ideal figures. The characterizations of Moses, his parents and Pharaoh's daughter frequently reflect how an individual author interprets the Bible in the light of his own political and social milieu and his attitudes towards Gentiles. The account of Moses' adoption by Pharaoh's dauhter is especially intriguing, as it forces each author to resolve a potentially embarassing situation, that is, to explain how Moses, the lawgiver of the Jews and the champion of monotheism, was raised (and even educated) among idolatrous pagans at the Egyptian court." Keywords: Interpretation of the Bible in Ancient Judaism |