What is Deity in LXX Deuteronomy?

[maklelan]

I've had a second paper proposal accepted for presentation at this year's annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. I'm especially excited about this paper, given its relationship to the PhD dissertation I'd like to write and the fact that it will be the first session of the new Early Jewish Monotheisms program unit. I appreciate any comments, critiques, or questions.

What Is Deity in LXX Deuteronomy?

Daniel O. McClellan

The book of Deuteronomy provides a number of valuable and unique insights into early Israelite perspectives on the nature of God, his relationship to other divine beings, and the diachronic development of both. For example, Deut 32:8

[USU78]

Can you give us a hint on any new comparison/contrast Pre-/Post-Exilic tidbits you're going to treat?

[Ron Beron]

I've had a second paper proposal accepted for presentation at this year's annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. I'm especially excited about this paper, given its relationship to the PhD dissertation I'd like to write and the fact that it will be the first session of the new Early Jewish Monotheisms program unit. I appreciate any comments, critiques, or questions.

Sounds interesting. I've been reading some of Walter Burkett's book along a similar vein, "Babylon, Memphis, Persepolis: Eastern Contexts of Greek Culture" and "The Orientalizing Revolution: Near Eastern Influence on Greek Culture in the Early Archaic Age"

[maklelan]

Can you give us a hint on any new comparison/contrast Pre-/Post-Exilic tidbits you're going to treat?

I actually haven't written this paper yet, but I'm going to talk a lot about how angels become kind of a utility pseudo-deity that subsume the gods of the other nations. Deity becomes a much more exclusive taxonomy in Deuteronomy, even more so than in LXX Genesis and LXX Exodus. In my opinion, Deuteronomy is where modern ideas of monotheism begin.

[Brant Gardner]

In my opinion, Deuteronomy is where modern ideas of monotheism begin.

Which Deuteronomy, Hebrew of LXX? If the LXX, does that say that the direction of Hebrew monotheism was influenced by interaction with ideas from the outside (stopping short of using the full connotations of Hellenization)?

[maklelan]

Which Deuteronomy, Hebrew of LXX? If the LXX, does that say that the direction of Hebrew monotheism was influenced by interaction with ideas from the outside (stopping short of using the full connotations of Hellenization)?

Sorry, Greek Deuteronomy. I think internal developments and external influence converged on the idea of monotheism. God's universalization and transcendence had been catalyzing theological speculation and innovation in Judaism for centuries, but I believe Hellenism gave them the worldview and the lexicon to fully unpack what they were struggling to formulate.

[USU78]

Sorry, Greek Deuteronomy. I think internal developments and external influence converged on the idea of monotheism. God's universalization and transcendence had been catalyzing theological speculation and innovation in Judaism for centuries, but I believe Hellenism gave them the worldview and the lexicon to fully unpack what they were struggling to formulate.

How's about effects on Post-Exilic normative Judaism of Persian angelology?

[maklelan]

How's about effects on Post-Exilic normative Judaism of Persian angelology?

I will only very briefly discuss Persian religion. 20 minutes isn't a whole lot of time, and there's so little we know about it.

[Zakuska]

Any treatments or touching upon the 2 YHWYHs in Gen 19:24 or Pslams 110:1-5?

[maklelan]

Any treatments or touching upon the 2 YHWYHs in Gen 19:24 or Pslams 110:1-5?

Not in this paper.

[Brant Gardner]

Sorry, Greek Deuteronomy. I think internal developments and external influence converged on the idea of monotheism. God's universalization and transcendence had been catalyzing theological speculation and innovation in Judaism for centuries, but I believe Hellenism gave them the worldview and the lexicon to fully unpack what they were struggling to formulate.

Without knowing your specific data, that conclusion seems very reasonable. I'm looking forward to the paper.