Vorkosigan

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385474571/internetinfidelsA/" target="_blank">The Scepter and the Star: The Messiahs of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Other Ancient Literature</a>
John J. Collins
The Anchor Bible Reference Library

This is a useful reference work covering the major Messianic figures and ideas of Jewish Messianism in the pre-Christian era. John J. Collins is a respected expert on Jewish Messianic writings and the author of the major text on the Book of Daniel.

The Scepter and the Star is characterized by a thorough and methodical approach to the subject of the work that a less sensitive age would have labeled “Tuetonic.” Each chapter is a self-contained tour of a particular topic, with introductory remarks, detailed reviews of specific issues, and a conclusion that provides a handy reference. The book opens with a review of possible messianic thinking in the period from 500-200 BCE, and then follows a roughly chronological order through the Maccabean period, the DSS, down to the messianic figures of the first and early second century, closing with a discussion of the anomalous case of Jesus. Major topics covered include the Davidic Messiah, the issue of one or two Messiahs, the problem of the Teacher of Righteousness, heavenly ascension, the Messiah as “Son of God,” the Book of Daniel and the “Son of Man” language, and then Messiahs. Numerous excursions are conducted to look into the diversity of Messianic titles, specific writings from the DSS, and specific controversial claims.

The Scepter and the Star contains two types of information: what the ancient ideas were, and what modern academics have said about them. Collins is careful to trim his sails to catch the mainstream wind, and almost never comes down on the side of a minority position even when he acknowledges its power, as with Norman Golb’s arguments on the function of Qumran. It is thus no accident that The Scepter and the Star comes recommended by conservatives Raymond Brown and John P. Meier. An abundance of sources are used, but they are almost entirely of Jewish or Christian origin. Collins does refer to Messianic-like writings in other Near Eastern cultures, including Egypt and Babylonia, but not in any depth, comparisons probably being beyond the scope of the book, not to mention anathema to New Testament scholars.

While every major text and idea is reviewed, one significant lack is discussion of the process by which ancient Jewish thinkers worked out their Messianic ideas. Nor, outside of the religious aspect, are the beliefs placed in any kind of broad social context, stray comments like “The early second century was a period of great upheaval…”(p. 34) notwithstanding. Collins is tightly focused on the texts, and there is no discussion of why Messianism emerged in the c. 200 BCE period, and not at some other time. However, in his always careful manner, he observes:

• In all, then, we have very little evidence of messianism in Judaism in the period 500-200 BCE, but our evidence for Judaism in this period is scanty in any case.(p. 33)

The discussion of Jesus is useful if short, though tentative and uncertain. As many commentators have noted, Jesus does not appear at first glance to fit any Messianic paradigm. Read carefully, however, The Scepter and the Star appears to contain a surprising number of Messianic concepts that can comport with the Jesus stories, though Collins does not return to his earlier remarks to excavate these. Collins does make an interesting connection between Qumran 4Q521 and the legends about Jesus, arguing that it is possible Jesus was given the title “Messiah” because of his healing and prophetic abilities. 4Q521 discusses similar activities undertaken by an agent of god. The text also refers to a Messiah whom heaven and earth obey, and contains a “remarkable parallel” to Jesus’ answer to the Baptist in Q (Luke 7:18-23). Collins also discusses Jesus as a Davidic claimant but can come to no firm conclusions, even after confidently opening: “That he was crucified as ‘King of the Jews’ cannot be doubted” and following this up with Paul’s description of Jesus as of Davidic descent in Romans 1:3-4. Yet in a footnote on p. 213 he does an aboutface, admitting that he does not believe Jesus was known to be of the Davidic line. “In the end,” he notes after discussing the historicity of Zech 9:9 and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “any explanation must allow Jesus his historic individuality,” an approach he had rejected elsewhere in the book as weak.

For this reader, the biggest disappointment is that, the discussion of Jesus aside, there is no a chapter-length review of the relationship between Christian and Jewish Messianism. Collins is solely concerned with pre-Christian Jewish Messianic concepts, and a topic of that complexity is probably beyond the scope of the book.

As a review and reference work The Scepter and the Star is outstanding. To date, I have read the book twice and do not count the time wasted at all. However, those seeking a guide to the "why" of Jewish Messianism will have to seek elsewhere, as Collins is very tightly focused on the "what." I highly recommend this book.

Vorkosigan

PS: A week of playing Civilization III left-handed gave me the rest to write this. I just got The Jesus Puzzle and Udo Schnelle's History and Theology of the NT writings today in the mail! Can't wait to write about them here!

[ September 11, 2002: Message edited by: Vorkosigan ]</p>

godfry n. glad

Thanks, Vork. I tried _Sceptre and the Star_ at one time and lost interest part way through. I shall have to give it another go, thanks to your encouragment.

If you haven't already had the opportunity to peruse it, I'd like to recommend _Judaisms and Their Messiahs at the Turn of the Christian Era_, edited by Jacob Neusner, William S. Green and Ernest Frerichs as a companion volume to Collins' tome. Neusner is an eminent scholar of Judaeica, cited by Meier, amongst others.

Best,

godfry n. glad