Adam, Satan, and the King of Tyre: The reception of Ezekiel 28:11-19 in Judaism and Christianity in late antiquity

Abstract

The lament over the King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28:11-19 has presented scholars with a great many difficulties. This thesis is a fresh attempt to make sense of this extremely complex text through a detailed reassessment of the texts early transmission history and by analysing its reception among Jewish and Christian communities in Late Antiquity, a topic which has not previously been examined in full. The thesis re-examines the relationship between the Hebrew and Greek witnesses to Ezekiel in light of the manuscript data from Masada and Qumran. I conclude that the historical precedence of neither Hebrew nor Greek can be established and propose that two distinct recensions must have been in circulation concurrently. I then critically examine the Masoretic accentuation and vocalization of the Hebrew text as an interpretative layer and explore the possibilities for alternative meanings presented by a Gonsõnantal text. I then trace the evolution of the text in the Greek versions, asking how the Greek versions function as both translation and interpretation. The thesis then examines more explicitly interpretative material, beginning with the Targum and moving onto the classical rabbinic literature. The final chapter examines the contrasting interpretations of the early Church Fathers, particularly Origen and Jerome who interact polemically with Jewish traditions. In these different sources the central figure of the lament is variously understood to be a 'god' (consonantal Hebrew), the Israelite High Priest (Greek versions), a political exemplar (Targum), a mythical cherub (pointed Masoretic Hebrew), Adam or Hiram (Rabbis), and Satan (Church Fathers).Throughout I seek to ask not only how each community understood the text, but also why they understood it m that particular way. I seek to bring to light the methods of reading used, the results these produced, and the motivations underlying both of these. I conclude by making some preliminary suggestions as to how the historical study of reception history might inform contemporary discussions of hermeneutics.