Jewish apocalyptic mysticism and the epistle to the Hebrews

Abstract

The significant role of Jewish apocalyptic traditions in early Christianity has long been acknowledged, albeit sporadically appreciated. Although the study of apocalypticism, and its role in early Christianity, has greatly progressed in recent decades, eschatology has been at the forefront of this discussion, often at the expense of the more mystical elements. These trends are also reflected, perhaps more acutely so, in the scholarship on Hebrews, which has tended to emphasise (and often exaggerate) the author's place within a Middle Platonic matrix as a kind of Christian Philo of Alexandria. As a result, the role of Jewish apocalyptic traditions in Hebrews have been vastly underappreciated, and the role of Jewish
apocalyptic mysticism, even more so. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of Jewish apocalyptic mysticism in the epistle to the Hebrews. This is achieved by carefully defining the contours of Jewish apocalyptic mysticism through a discussion of the pertinent primary sources followed by a detailed study of Hebrews 1 in the light of Jewish apocalyptic mysticism, paying particular attention to the cosmology and Christology of Hebrews, and exploring the possibility that Hebrews 1 reflects the author's own mystical experiences.

Date of Award	Apr 2011
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University
Supervisor	Catrin Williams (Supervisor)