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While some argue the tabernacle in Hebrews 9:6–10 represents limited access to God, this article argues the tabernacle represents both the old covenant's limitations and the new covenant's privileges. The holy place and tamid represent the old covenant era and its sacrifices, while the holy of holies and Yom Kippur represent the new covenant and Jesus' sacrifice. Further, Hebrews 9:8 alludes to Leviticus 16:17, which stipulates that the priests cannot perform tamid while the high priest performs Yom Kippur. Analogously, while Jesus ministers as the new covenant high priest, the old covenant sacrifices cannot be performed. In this way, the biblical author can illustrate the superiority of Jesus's sacrifice and the end of the old covenant's sacrifices by capitalizing on the logic of the old covenant's sacrificial system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some argue that Hebrews employs Psalm 8,6a—"You made him for a little while below the angels"—to serve the divergent ends of describing Jesus' degradation and humanity's exaltation. Against this view, this article argues that Hebrews applies these words more analogously to describe a temporary inferior status below angels for both Jesus and humanity, a status Jesus has already surpassed and humanity will rise above in the future. To make this argument, this article defends that Hebrews applies Psalm 8 to both Jesus and humanity. After examining the application to Jesus, it is argued that Hebrews presents humanity as presently lower than angels, but indicates they will attain a rank above them in the future. Finally, the article claims that the word ἐλαττόω means "to diminish," not "to create at a lesser status." Thus, Hebrews may understand the statement that God "diminished humanity below angels" as a reference to God's judgment on humanity's first sin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article will analyze an under-studied aspect of the Epistle to the Hebrews: human speech. In so doing, the author will show how the letter-writer creates an implicit comparison between the audience of the epistle and Moses, placing the audience in a position more privileged than Moses himself. The argument will proceed by justifying the scope of the material to be considered, Heb 12–13, then examining the few but significant instances of human discourse in the letter. The author will argue that the letter-writer's use of explicitly human discourse serves the epistle's overall argumentative purpose of encouraging the audience to continued adherence to Jesus through a comparison of the Mosaic and new covenants, particularly in reference to the events immediately after the exodus from Egypt. Then the author will conclude with reflections on the rhetorical use of human discourse and the potential implications for the structure and literary unity of Hebrews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Hebrew-Jewish tradition, there were strict prohibitions against certain practices and rites that were commonly observed by other Semitic peoples. These included Blood rites and rituals, which are recorded throughout Jewish history. The act of consuming blood was among the sins believed to have contributed to the destruction of Jerusalem. In fact, in one instance Moses took the blood from a sacrifice and threw it upon the people proclaiming, „Behold the blood of the covenant.‟ This idea of using a blood rite to cleanse a place where violence had occurred can be seen in various phases of Jewish History and Old Testament age. Unfortunately, these instances also seem to establish a foundation for violence and a warrior mentality among adherents which has been justified in many Biblical Versus and Books like of Judges and Deuteronomy. Biblical war often refers to "Yahweh war" meaning the war of God of Israel. In the Hebrew Bible, God may be referred to as the "man of war". The War laws are developed considerably later in Rabbinic interpretation. A great collection of War poetry is found in Hebrew scripture and much of it consists of hymns of praise and thanks for God‟s protection of Israel and victory over Israel‟s enemies. Book of Psalm contains fragments of a series of war songs or pieces of war poetry. The main focus of the article is to explore the instances of blood rituals, violence mentality, war appreciation poetry and war practices beginning from the era of ancient Hebrews in Palestine, its historical evolution untill the age of Old Testament and its contemporary relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of key Old Testament texts cited in the New Testament are surveyed to determine whether they are amenable to prosopological exegesis (e.g., Dan 7; Ps 45; Ps 110), but in none of these texts is more than one divine figure present, nor do they depict one divine person speaking to or about another divine person. The Christian reader is not required to find the three persons of the Trinity differentiated and assigned different speaking roles in Old Testament texts. However, another mode of Trinitarian reading is credible. The follower of Jesus is not to equate the God of the Old Testament simply with the Father; rather the God of the Old Testament is the triune God, which means that many more Old Testament texts than often thought directly connect to Jesus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses cultic studies to explicate the development of the earliest churches, using Hebrews as a case study. "Cult" is defined as a group that suppresses individuality and critical thinking, demands intense commitment and loyalty to an individual or ideology, and curtails or eliminates personal autonomy to be replaced by the cult's worldview. The cult-like attributes of the early ecclesia are summarized, followed by a brief introduction to cultic studies, with particular reference to the characteristics of contemporary cults, suggesting that an under-appreciated aspect of cultic appeal is the offer of utopian promises. Finally, the BITE (Behavior, Information, Thoughts, Emotions) model of coercive control is applied to the hortatory sections of Hebrews and the utopian hopes held out by the author. The article concludes that the community behind Hebrews shows many characteristics of a high demand cult as defined by cultic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the phrase, tosoutō kreittōn genomenos tōn angelōn (Heb 1:4a) (having become as much superior to the angels) in the exordium of the epistle to the Hebrews in the light of Ewe angelology. The article employs both comparative and mother tongue hermeneutical approaches as its methodologies. An exegetical analysis of the cosmic superiority of Christ over angels in Hebrews 1:4a was carried out to situate the text in its historical and literary contexts. This was followed by an excursus on angels to explore the angelic world of the text, and a comparative discussion with angelology motif in Ewe cosmology. Finally, the article assesses the cosmic supremacy of Christ over the angelic world of the Ewe against the backdrop of the continuous quest for spiritual protection in Ewe-Ghanaian spirituality today. The quest for spiritual protection in popular Ewe-Ghanaian Christianity today stems from the perception that Christ’s cosmic superiority over the cosmos he created and owns including angelic beings alone is not enough and that one would need to resort to other mediums to enhance access to God for quicker solutions to one’s predicaments. This has resulted in the introduction of syncretic elements in spirituality. To cure the syncretic elements in Ewe Christian spirituality, this article makes the following proposals: Firstly, the preaching (kerygma) and teaching (didache) of the gospel message must be given priority in the pulpit. Secondly, Christian educators must constantly emphasise Christ’s superiority and his exclusive mediatory function over Ewe cosmic beings to ensure that old and new converts to Christianity view him alone as sufficient for their spiritual development. Contribution: The article contributes to the academic knowledge of the priestly Christology in Hebrews situating it within the context of mother tongue biblical hermeneutics.

Over the past several years, there has been much debate on the nature of Christ's intercessory work in Hebrews. At present, the most recent arguments are in favor of understanding it in view of a continuing Yom Kippur atoning liturgy or an atoning tamid sacrifice. This article argues that a continuing sacrificial framework of any variety does not best explain the presentation in Hebrews of Jesus's ongoing work. Through an analysis of the passages in which Jesus's body and intercession are related and through recourse to patristic and medieval interpreters, this article argues that Jesus's intercession--and the role of his body and blood therein--is best understood through the frameworks of the ark and the paschal blood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the Harnack-Hoppin thesis that Priscilla is the primary author of Hebrews, examining (1) the historical evidence pertinent to Priscilla's candidacy for authorship; (2) the probability of a woman in antiquity composing a work of oratory, rhetoric, and philosophy of the caliber of the Epistle to the Hebrews; (3) the inductive argument that the text "feminizes" or otherwise contains internal evidence that it is the work of a feminine mind, and (4) the author's self-referential use of the participle διηγούμενον in 11:32. An examination of these four elements demonstrates that advocates of the Harnack-Hoppin thesis have not adequately addressed the difficulties posed by historical questions about Priscilla's candidacy, they have not refuted the apparent verdict of the masculine participle at 11:32, and their inductive argument for a feminine author is critically flawed and unsustainable. The article concludes that Priscilla is not a serious contender for primary authorship of Πρὸς Ἑβραίους. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of union with Christ has been well explored in NT scholarship, particularly in the works of Paul. But such a theme has been underexplored in the book of Hebrews, despite the significant amount of relevant material therein. With focus on Hebrews 2-5, I argue that the author exemplifies a particular expression of union with Christ through his references to the narrative of Jesus, including but not limited to the major gospel events, which uphold what I call "narrative christological solidarity." Through an investigation of Hebrews 2-5, particularly 2:5-18 and 4:14-5:10, I show how the author conveys union with Christ through references to the narrative of Jesus's life and highlight theological-ethical connections to union of the faithful with Christ made in these narrative-based references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proceeds from a discourse analytical perspective and asks what we can learn from Hebrews 1-2 concerning the relationship of humanity to creation through Christ. First, the exordium is examined to reveal a descent–ascent motif for the incarnate Son who is the one through whom God creates (1:2) and who sustains everything by his powerful word (1:3). The paper then explains how the Son's sacrificial activity is subsumed within this theology as we look at the catena of scriptural citations found in the rest of chapter 1, where the catena deepens the theology of the exordium by presenting the same events in reverse order. However, towards the end of the catena, when we would expect a reference to the Son and his having inherited a name greater than the angels (1:4), we instead hear about how the angels are sent to serve humanity who inherit salvation. This enables the discourse to move on to chapter 2 and the purpose of Christ's descent to lead humanity heavenward to glory (2:10). This paper uncovers how that glory is the Son's own glory and posits a process of theosis by which humanity shares in the Son's sustaining role over creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of Hebrews accuses Esau of sexual immorality in Heb 12:16. This essay argues Esau's sexual immorality is his marriage to foreign women, which sowed seeds of discord in the family and led ultimately to his unredeemable exclusion from the community. Esau's exogamous marriage, as such, is not the concern in Hebrews, but rather how his mixed marriage introduced bitterness into the family and led ultimately to him abandoning the group. Like the wilderness generation in Num 13–14, Esau lost his inheritance by failing to persevere with the community. Tested against recent studies of conversion and deconversion, we see how Esau becomes a paradigmatic community-abandoning apostate and a warning against similar abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the issue of the collection and formation of the Corpus Paulinum. It argues that a collection of Pauline letters to seven churches was crucial to this development. This collection possibly also included Hebrews in conjunction with Romans, but not Philemon. Another parallel collection was made of four letters to individuals, but was not popularised until later. When the two collections were merged into the present Corpus Paulinum , their respective order based on decreasing length was preserved, and they were placed alongside each other. As for Hebrews, it was relegated to the end due to the controversy regarding its authorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author to the Hebrews makes the seemingly strange choice to introduce two quotations from the LXX with indefinite markers (Heb 2.6; 4.4). While some commentators do not consider these introductions, others have argued that they function either rhetorically to engage the audience or theologically to highlight the divine speaker. This article argues that a hermeneutical function better explains the author's choices: the author uses the indefiniteness to guide his audience in how to interpret each quoted passage. The author uses the indefinite marker of place (που) to remove both Gen 2.2 and Ps 8.5–7 LXX from their salvation-historical context; this results in the rest of God (Heb 3–4) and the role of humanity within creation (Heb 2) applying equally to the present and the coming ages. He pairs this with the indefinite marker of person (τις) in his introduction to Ps 8 to indicate that the audience should not interpret it prosopologically as the speech of the Son to the Father; rather the Psalm testifies to the role of humanity within the present and the coming worlds, a role which the Son incarnate fulfils. This hermeneutical explanation aligns with other instances of indefinite citation markers in Second Temple Judaism, most notably in Philo. This argument, therefore, both adds depth to the characterisation of the author as a careful reader of Scripture and brings out the intended meaning and function of Ps 8 and Gen 2 in the discourse of Hebrews more clearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theological argumentation and exhortation for endurance in Heb 6:13–20 involves a notion of divine simplicity in which God's being is God's own perfections. In Heb 6:13–20 the Lord's self-oath from Gen 22:16 means that God is God's own faithfulness, swearing an oath "by himself," having "none greater by whom to swear" in order to guarantee an "unchangeable" promise to Abraham that has been eschatologically realized in the heavenly priesthood of the risen Messiah. The first part of this article sketches conversations past and present on the doctrine of divine simplicity, from historically influential traditions to recent proposals to retrieve, revise, or abandon simplicity. The second part develops a theological interpretation of Heb 6:13–20, comparing its reading of the Akedah with Philo of Alexandria's On Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis 3.203–208. The third part indicates how a doctrine of simplicity informed by theological interpretation of Heb 6:13–20 contributes constructive resources for Christian hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple symbols occupy a unique position within the semiosphere, constituting the symbolic core of culture with their ability to condense cultural memory into nimble, economic forms. This simplicity facilitates persistence, allowing these elementary symbols to recur diachronically, penetrating multiple layers of cultural strata to emerge and flourish in new contexts and variations. A novel example of a symbol which illustrates these attributes is Znak Polski Walczącej – the Fighting Poland symbol. Created in 1942 by the Polish Underground State as a propaganda tool, this straightforward monogram, consisting of interconnected letters P and W, became the official hallmark of Polish resistance and is now a controversial de facto national symbol. This article employs the symbol as a case study to explore two Lotmanian symbolic concepts: the vast semantic capacity of simple symbols, and their dual nature as invariable/variable entities. Born out of a utilitarian need for simplicity in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, the efficient form of the Fighting Poland symbol was a pragmatic matter of life or death. However, further examination of its simple design also reveals an underlying archaic depth. This article argues that the Fighting Poland symbol, metonymically known as the kotwica (‘anchor’) owing to its distinct shape, can also be viewed as an “emissary” from earlier cultural epochs, namely ante-Nicene Christianity, which made use of anchor symbology during an era of persecution and upheaval. Ultimately, this article provides a new semiotic perspective on a historically active yet understudied symbol with past and present relevance.

The near consensus opinion that the author of Hebrews was not directly influenced by Philo needs to be reevaluated. Even though there are no obvious cases of borrowing, the cumulative weight of the evidence indicates a more linear relationship than what may be accounted for by situating them both within Hellenistic Judaism. A number of parallels are sufficiently detailed to suggest direct dependence. These parallels are of a formal character, such as the metaphor of the dagger and the particular use of the terms ὑπόστασις, ἀρχηγός, τελειόω, ἄθλησις, τεχνίτης , and δημιουργός , as well of a material nature, concerning the development of key ideas, such as the eternal nature of the Son, his Melchizedekian high-priesthood, and the perception of the heavenly sanctuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doctrine of the atonement faces apparently insurmountable complex contemporary challenges around the diversity of scriptural images, variety of postbiblical accounts and disagreements over what ought to be permissible in theological discourse. This article reviews these challenges, develops how three recent works attempt to overcome them and evaluates why these attempts at reconstructing atonement should be cautiously welcomed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Word of God" plays an important role in Hebrews. The author of Hebrews uses spoken quotations to recontextualize Scripture for the contemporary age (e.g., Heb. 2.12–13) and appeals to divine speech acts that alter the course of history (e.g., Heb. 6.14; 8.5). One such speech act is his creation of the world by the word of God, which the author claims we understand "by faith" (Heb. 11.3). But what claim is the author making with respect to creation? This article will argue that the identification of the "Word of God" in Hebrews as the Son in Hebrews 11.3 is a viable reading and then show that this reading affects other passages in Hebrews. To accomplish this, I will (1) provide an overview of some relevant interpretive issues with Hebrews 11.3; (2) discuss how intermediaries (e.g., Word; Wisdom) related to creation in early Jewish literature; (3) demonstrate how the presentation of creation in Hebrews relates to those concepts in early Jewish literature; (4) provide a reading of Heb. 11.3 in light of that synthesis; and (5) offer some suggestions regarding how other passages in Hebrews might be read to highlight Christ as the Word. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Inductive Bible Study method is a hermeneutical approach and process for studying the Bible. Focusing on the final form of the text and trying to minimize or eliminate presuppositions, it takes into consideration all relevant sources of evidence, observing and examining the text, asking questions from the observations, and answering them, primarily from the text itself, but with the flexibility to incorporate other types of evidence from outside the text if the text itself demands it for clearer understanding. The inductive method (IBS), as described and demonstrated in this article, emphasizes both the form and content of the text, focusing on the various contexts of the text. Matthew 16:13–28 is used to illustrate certain aspects of the method, and the telic benediction in Hebrews 13:20–21 serves as the main example of a text to which the IBS method is applied to yield text-centered results over against an emphasis on foreground or background matters. The results are often profound and always come straight from the context of the text being studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epistle to the Hebrews contains several so-called "warning passages". In these texts, the author of Hebrews warns the addressees that they may not tarnish their Christ-given identity through apostasy and leaving the Christ-believing community. One of the literary motifs the author uses is the motif of divine vengeance in Hebrews 10:30. This paper will show how the author uses this motif as a way to prevent the addressees, as children of God's household, from apostatizing, while at the same time defining the boundaries and the consequences when boundaries are crossed. Social-scientific insights into the mechanisms of honor and reciprocity will be used to clarify why the author of Hebrews employs the motif of divine vengeance. The addressees of Hebrews, in fact, will slight the honor of God and reject the gift that God has given in Christ through their apostasy. Divine vengeance is portrayed as the reaction of God to this slight and rejection. In that way, the addressees of Hebrews are deterred from becoming outsiders and urged to remain insiders, merging their particular identity with their given theological identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epistle to the Hebrews contains one of the most unique Greek lexicology and syntax of all the New Testament writings. Behind syntax, however, there lies a very profound theological vision on topics such as Christ, Temple, holiness, perseverance and salvation. Studying Hebrews against the background of Graeco-Roman culture, the source that most contemporary scholars mention as being closest to the world of Hebrews in this context is Philo of Alexandria. Not only on philological grounds, but also in matters of methods of interpreting the Old Testament cult and in theology, Hebrews and Philo share a very common background. Analyzing the Epistle to the Hebrews comparatively, we are bound to ask whether or not comparsions such as these are warranted. In the following study we will state the state of the problem and then will examine the two sources that seem to have served as a source of inspiration for the author of Hebrews: the Old Testament and Philo of Alexandria. We will focus exclusively on the issues of the method of allegory and the spiritualization/reinterpretation of Old Testament cultic entities, since both Philo and Hebrews are characterized by these concerns. In essence, we will want to know who or what served as the most plausible source of inspiration for the author of Hebrews in the particular area of the reinterpretation of the Old Testament cult.

The Seventh-day Adventist doctrine of pre-advent investigative judgment has faced skepticism since the late 19th century, largely due to perceived conflicts with the Epistle to the Hebrews. This study endeavors to establish the doctrine's biblical foundation, predominantly found in the book of Daniel, while scrutinizing its compatibility with the New Testament. By analyzing texts in Daniel 7, 8, 9, and the explicit sequence in Revelation 14, this research provides compelling evidence for the concept of pre-advent judgment in the Bible. However, questions arise concerning the location of Jesus' post-ascension ministry in heaven, particularly in the context of "seated at the right hand of God". Despite potential conflicts suggested by this phrase, aspects such as intercessory ministry and High priest Christology appear to harmonize with the doctrine. While this article offers substantial support, a more detailed examination of their compatibility awaits part two of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the question of authorship was the most significant factor related to the canonical reception of Hebrews, the role that theological disputes played in its early reception was also consequential. This essay considers the close association between Hebrews and movements such as Montanism, Novatianism, and Donatism and why some early Christians appear to have been troubled about its content. After exploring notable theological controversies facing the church of the second, third, and fourth centuries, this essay concludes that reluctance to embrace the canonical status and authority of Hebrews was partly the result of its treatment of controversial subjects and its close association with aberrant movements. Once Christianity became widely established throughout the Roman world and persecution become less frequent, concerns relating to both the authorship and the theological content of Hebrews began to subside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay discusses the main topics of 'Augustine and the Jews.' It opens with the question where, according to Augustine, the name 'Jew' comes from. It then proceeds to his use of the designations 'Hebrew' and 'Israelite' parallel (and partly in contrast) to 'Jew.' Mainly according to The City of God a brief biblical history of the Jews is outlined. Augustine's theological valuation of the Jews turns out to be partly positive, but mainly negative. The same applies to the (rather often discussed, but frequently misunderstood) 'sign of Cain.' The analysis of Aduersus Iudaeos shows Augustine's 'provocation' of the Jews. By and then in the course of the overview, the question of Augustine's (likely) 'anti-Judaism' is briefly dealt with. Finally, the essay discusses Augustine's acquaintance with 'real' i.e. contemporary Jews, draws some conclusions, and presents a concise overview of subjects requiring further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of συντɛλέω to speak of God's 'completion' of the new covenant (Heb 8.8) has generated various explanations. Yet none of them factor in an important clue in Hebrews, namely, the rest discourse. By establishing literary and theological connections between Heb 3.7–4.13 and 8.8–12, this study argues that the promise of the completion of the new covenant evokes the completion of creation and its ensuing sabbath rest. Such an evocation brings to surface a logic of Christology and new creation embedded in Hebrews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly all agree that the ‘better resurrection’ (κρείττων ἀνάστασις) of Heb. 11.35 refers to the eschatological, general resurrection, but the majority view that it is to be compared merely with the resuscitations of the women’s sons by Elijah and Elisha stands on weaker foundations than is usually recognized. Building on Jon Levenson’s work on ancient, scriptural notions of death and resurrection (2006), the article shows through a close reading of Heb. 11.35 in context that the ‘better resurrection’ is compared most immediately with the ‘redemption’ from captivity the verse’s Maccabean martyrs reject, i.e., a temporary return to life understood as a kind of resurrection, but also with the resuscitations of the faithful women’s sons. Together with the resurrection of Isaac ‘in a symbol’ (ἐν παραβολῇ, 11.19), this conclusion suggests that Hebrews’ catalogue of Israel’s heroes is marked throughout by the proleptic experience of resurrection from the invasive realm of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some have suggested that the recipients of Hebrews were tempted to revert to Judaism. The theory is problematic as they would have considered themselves faithful Israelites, not having converted from one religion (Judaism) to another (Christianity). This theory appeared in Britain in the seventeenth century, flourished in the nineteenth and into the twentieth, and since then has declined. The emergence of Jewish congregations in seventeenth-century England and the work of the London Jews Society in the nineteenth century are suggested as possible reasons for its prominence then. A variety of factors have led to its decline in the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hebrews 13:20 contains one of the few clear references to Jesus's resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The reference is often viewed as indeterminate with respect to Jesus's postmortem ontological state, or even as referring to a nonphysical, spiritual resurrection, particularly in view of the author's curious use of the verb άνάγω. In this study, I challenge this widespread reading by exploring allusions to Greek Ezekiel in Hebrews. In Greek Ezekiel 37, the key verb άνάγω appears several times in the context of God's radical, physical reconstitution of human bodies, the establishment of an "eternal covenant," and the installation of a Davidic "shepherd" over Israel. Greek Ezekiel 37 appears to form one of the primary scriptural back-grounds of 13:20 and suggests that physical resurrection is the intended referent in the author's benediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Prior to the publication of P 46 (P.Beatty II; LDAB 3011), at Heb. 11.37 the earlier critical editions printed one of the longer readings, though from Erasmus onwards the passage was subject to a considerable number of conjectural emendations. With P 46, the evidence for the reading ἐπρίσθησαν gained significant early manuscript support, thus impacting subsequent editorial practice and textual analysis. This study offers a reinvestigation of this textual problem and brings a new proposal based on a fresh evaluation of external and internal criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview of the appendices in NA28 and UBS5 reveals that the editors agreed regarding the number of quotations in Hebrews on 37 occasions. They disagreed, however, as to whether an intertext was a quotation or an allusion on nine occasions. The compilers of these lists did not provide a basis for their conclusions, and inability to agree on the number of intertexts could be due to multiple reasons. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to develop a set of criteria by which to identify quotations in Hebrews. Auctor's quotations were determined to possess four characteristics: (1) introductory formula, (2) a recognizable source, (3) verbal correspondence with the hypotext and (4) syntactical tension. These four characteristics were then utilized to assess the nine disputed intertexts between NA28 and UBS5. By assessing the nine intertexts for the presence of the criteria, four out of the nine were determined to be quotations, whereas five were deemed to be allusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calvin's significance in the development of federal theology has received much attention. Scholars have often neglected, however, the role that his exegesis played in his own construal of covenant ideas. More specifically, Calvin's reading of covenant in the book of Hebrews has played a negligible part in reconstructing Calvin's broader understanding of covenant. By looking closely at Calvin's exegesis and the terminological diversity in his commentaries on Hebrews 8–10, a more complex picture emerges. The federal terminology employed in these sections of his commentaries evidences exegetical sensitivity and doctrinal complexity. Calvin not only stands in the stream of Reformed covenant doctrine, but his exegesis represents an early instinct that noticed the tension at work in passages like Hebrews 8–10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jesus’ high priesthood and its superiority over the Levite priesthood is a unique and important theme of Hebrews. The central argument in the discussion about the superiority of Jesus’ high priesthood is the Melchizedekian argument of chapter 7. In this chapter the author uses Gen 14:18–20, Ps 110, and some Jewish traditions about Melchizedek. Some of these texts portray him as a historical figure, while others depict him as an eschatological image. This article investigates the Jewish traditions about Melchizedek from the Second Temple period and explores how they are used in Hebrews. Then, the article shows how Melchizedek’s figure works in the author’s argument about the superiority of Jesus’ high priesthood. It demonstrates that the author of Hebrews is interested in Melchizedek’s figure not only as a real person of the past or the future, but rather more as the likeness of Christ and the unique biblical image of a person who is simultaneously both a king and a high priest. Such a typology plays an important role in the author’s theological chain, which also includes other Old Testament images and characters, working metaphorically and shaping a multifaceted image of Christ as both God and human, priest and sacrifice, messianic king and perfect high priest. Further study of these metaphors in the context of modern metaphor theories can be a productive continuation of this research and can help us better understand the interpretive method of the author of Hebrews.

The paper considers the works by S.Ya. Lurye (also known as Salomo Luria in his publications outside the USSR) and some of the archive materials that reflect his treatment of the Ancient Egyptian and Bible traditions in the 1920s. His methodology was based on the theory of rudimentary motifs introduced by F.F. Zelinskiy (T. Zieliński) and the ethnological theories of J.J. Frazer. S.Ya. Lurye challenged the historicity of “Admonitions of Ipuver” and “Prophesy of Neferty” and considered them as an adaptation of ritual and mythological motives connected with the cult of resurrecting god, rather than as reflections of a “social revolution” in Egypt. This was also a base for a myth about the domination of evil foreigners in Egypt: an inversion of this myth emerged in the Jewish diaspora during ca. the 8th century BC as the stories of Joseph, Moses, and Exodus (“the Egyptian Bible”). S.Ya. Lurye’s methodology is obviously opposed to the foundations of the pre-revolutionary research (first of all, to its highly cultivated factuality); his intention was undoubtedly to use the post-revolutionary situation so as to introduce innovative ideas in the Russian humanities. S.Ya. Lurye’s works were met by the established Russian scholars with a strong reservation; they are consonant with the global historiographic trends of the second half of the 20th century, but still fall outside the interest of Russian researchers.

The Sahidic Coptic is one of the earliest and most important versions of the New Testament. Thus, it is essential that its witness be related to the Greek tradition with adequate methodological precision. This article attempts to pave the way for such an undertaking in the Epistle to the Hebrews, a New Testament book which, currently, lacks a major critical edition of its Greek text or an edition of its Sahidic version. Firstly, the present study offers methodological reflections on citing the Sahidic version, with a particular focus on transmissional, editorial, linguistic and translation-technical issues. And secondly, a selection of the most significant variant units in Hebrews is examined with a view to relating the Sahidic evidence to the Greek variant spectrum at each point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]