Bescending Spivil and Bescending Oods A OveeI Inlevpvelalion oJ lIe Spivil's Bescenl as a

Bove in MavI 110

AulIov|s) Edvavd F. Bixon
Souvce JouvnaI oJ BiIIicaI Lilevaluve, VoI. 128, No. 4 |Winlev, 2009), pp. 759-780
FuIIisIed I The Society of Biblical Literature
SlaIIe UBL http://www.jstor.org/stable/25610218 .
Accessed 10/09/2013 1701
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
.
The Society of Biblical Literature is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to
Journal of Biblical Literature.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
JBL 128,
no. 4
|2009)
759-780
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods
A OveeI
Inlevpvelalion
oJ lIe
Spivil's
Bescenl
as a
Bove
in MavI 110
EBWABB F. BI7ON
epdixonOenov.edu
1022 Anslevdan
Ave., N.E., AlIanla,
OA 30306
a e a
a?a
a e e a
a e a e e a a
a?a
e a
.
|MavI 110)
And vIen Ie cane
up
Jvon lIe
valev,
Ie sav lIe Ieavens lovn
apavl
and lIe
Spivil descending
inlo Iin as a dove
Il is veII Inovn lIal lIe MavIan accounl oJ
Jesus'
Iaplisn
incIudes sevevaI
ecIoes oJ IsvaeIs
Scvipluves.
TIe
vending
oJ lIe
Ieavens,
lIe
IeavenI
voice,
and lIe
voice's vovds lo
Jesus
cevlainI
luvn lIe veadev
s
nind lo lIe OT. Fov
decades,
scIoI
avs
Iave
connonI pvoposed
lIal lIe
Spivils
descenl as a
dove in MavI 110 is
aIso an
inage
dvavn Jvon
JevisI
Iilevaluve.
Hovevev,
lIovougI
seavcIes oJ canon
icaI and noncanonicaI
JevisI
lexls Iave
el
lo
ieId
an
indispulaIIe
anlecedenl.1
FevIaps
one
oJ lIe veasons lIe noliJ's
ovigin
venains
puzzIing
is lIal scIoIavs Iave
Ieen
seavcIing
in lIe
vvong
IocaIe.
SinpI
Iecause
nan
oJ lIe aIIusions in MavI
19-11
oviginale
Jvon lIe OT does nol
necessaviI
nean
lIal aII do. Oiven lIal
Jesus
lvadilions avose in a
lIovougII
IeIIenized
vovId,
exegeles ougIl
lo considev
1
W. B. Bavies and BaIe C. AIIison
Jv.s
connenlav
on MallIev Iisls sixleen diJJevenl inlev
pvelalions
oJ lIe
pIvase
|A
CvilicaI and
ExegelicaI Connenlav
on
lIe
OospeI accovding
lo Sainl
MallIev
[3 voIs.: ICC:
EdinIuvgI
T&T
CIavI, 1997], 1331-34).
Fov a nove delaiIed veviev oJ
scIoIavsIip,
see Leandev
KecI,
TIe
Spivil
and lIe
Bovev
NTS 17
|1970) 41-67:
and
SlepIen
Oevo,
TIe
Spivil
as a Bove al lIe
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus,
NovT 18
|1976)
17-35. IndividuaI
posilions
viII Ie ciled IeIov in lIe seclion on lIe
Iislov
oJ veseavcI.
759
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
760
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
a
divevsil
oJ cuIluvaI and
Iilevav
inJIuences vIen
anaIzing OospeI
slovies. Sev
evaI
pevicopes
in MavIs
OospeI,
sucI as
Jesus
vaIIing
on valev and lIe
lvansJig
uvalion,
Iave Ieen idenliJied as scenes lIal exIiIil a
conJIuence oJ
JevisI
and OveeI
Iilevav
lvadilions.2 A IooI inlo lIe vovId oJ OveeI
nlIoIog na suggesl
lIal lIe
sane is lvue oJ MavIs
Iaplisn
accounl. In lIe couvse oJ lIis
avlicIe,
I
Iope
lo sIov
lIal lIe
Spivil
s descenl as a dove is a noliJ lIal vesonales
cIoseI
vilI OveeI
nlIoIogicaI
lvadilions. In ovdev lo
Iving
lo
IigIl
lIe OveeI vesonances oJ lIe
Spivil
s
descenl, Iovevev,
il is
necessav
lo sIiJl Jocus
ava
Jvon lIe
dove,
vIicI Ias
veceived
a
pvepondevance
oJ
scIoIavI
allenlion,
lo lIe vevses use oJ
a
Iivd siniIe
in ils
depiclion
oJ lIe
Spivil
s descenl.
B pIacing enpIasis
on
lIe Iivd
siniIe,
valIev
lIan
on lIe
dove,
one
discevns lIal lIe
Spivil
s descenl as a dove Ias no cIeav
anlecedenl in
JevisI
Iilevaluve
pveciseI
Iecause lIe Iivd siniIe is a
Iilevav
device
lIal Jinds a naluvaI Ione in OveeI
nlIoIog?vIeve
sucI siniIes ave used lo
descviIe avvivaIs and
depavluves
oJ
gods.
AJlev
naIing
lIe case lIal OveeI
nlIoIog pvovides
a
IogicaI Iilevav
Ione
Jov lIe
siniIe,
I viII
expIove vas
in vIicI lIe
oviginaI
aulIov|s), lvadenls,
and
Ieavevs oJ lIe MavIan
pevicope nigIl
Iave conslvued lIe noliJ in levns oJ
Jesus
idenlil.
IJ,
as is
IiIeI,
lIose vIo Ianded
on
and veceived slovies aIoul
Jesus
Iad
diJJeving degvees
oJ
JaniIiavil
vilI
JevisI
and OveeI cuIluvaI
lvadilions,
lIe
inages
and
snIoIs
in lIose slovies vouId Iave Ieen
vaviousI
undevslood.3
AccovdingI,
lIose vIo veve JaniIiav vilI OveeI lvadilions vouId Iave Ieen
incIined lo veIale
inages
and
snIoIs
in lIe
OospeI
slovies lo veII-Inovn lIenes
and
lopoi
Jvon lIose lvadilions. I
suggesl
lIal cevlain eIenenls in lIe
Iaplisn,
aIong
vilI olIev
scenes in MavIs
OospeI,
vouId Iave inviled sucI individuaIs lo
associale lIe dove siniIe in MavI 110 vilI lIe connon
nlIoIogicaI lopos
oJ
gods
in Iunan Jovn.
2
E.g.,
AdeIa YavIvo
CoIIins, BuIevs,
Bivine
Men,
and
WaIIing
on lIe Walev
|MavI
645
52),
in
BeIigious Fvopaganda
and
Missionav Conpelilion
in lIe Nev Teslanenl WovId
Essas
Honoving
Bielev
Oeovgi
|ed.
LuIas
Bovnann,
KeII
BeI
Tvedici,
and
AngeIa SlandIavlingev:
NovTSup
74:
Leiden
BviII, 1994),
207-27:
and Candida Moss,
TIe
TvansJiguvalion
An Exevcise
in MavIan
Acconnodalion,
BiIInl 12
|2004)
69-89.
TIvougIoul
lIe
avlicIe,
I use vavialions oJ
lIe levns
JevisI
lvadilions and OveeI lvadilions. TIis deIinealion does nol inlend lo
suggesl
lIal
JevisI
and OveeI cuIluves veve unloucIed
I
one anolIev in lIe Jivsl
cenluv
c.e. HeIIenisn
Iad
slvongI inpacled
JevisI
lIougIl I
lIe line oJ
Jesus.
TIe levns viII Ie used
as a
va
lo
deIineale Ielveen Iilevaluve lIal is
lvadilionaII lIougIl
oJ
as
JevisI
|e.g.,
lIe
OT,
OT
ApocvpIa,
Qunvan,
vaIIinic
Iilevaluve, elc.)
and lIal vIicI is
lvadilionaII
OveeI
|e.g.,
OveeI
nlIoIog).
3
Il is veasonaIIe lo
suppose
lIal
eavI
JoIIovevs oJ
Jesus
vouId Iave Iad
vaving degvees
oJ
JaniIiavil
vilI
JevisI
and OveeI Iilevaluve and cuIluve. Sone vouId Iave Iad
gvealev exposuve
lo OT
slovies,
vIiIe olIevs
na
Iave Ieen nove JaniIiav vilI OveeI
nlIoIogicaI
lvadilions.
EavI
CIvislians and
polenliaI
convevls sIouId Ie
lIougIl
oJ as
vepvesenling
a
speclvun
oJ
JaniIiavil
vilI lIe vavious lvadilions.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 761
I. Spivil Bescending as a
Bove
TvadilionaI Inlevpvelalions
TIe eavIiesl
OospeI vepovls
lIal,
as
Jesus
cane
up
oul oJ lIe
valev,
Ie sav
lIe
Ieavens
Ieing
lovn
open
and lIe
Spivil descending
IiIe a dove
|
e e
a
)
inlo Iin
|MavI 110).4
ScIoIavs Iave
Iong sougIl
lIe
Iilevav
anlecedenl oJ lIe
Spivils
IivdIiIe descenl.
Hugo
Ovessnann,
Hevnann
OunIeI,
and BudoIJ BuIlnann
avgued
lIal lIe dove noliJ devives Jvon
non-JevisI
lvadilions. Ovessnann and
OunIeI
poinled
lo ancienl Neav Easlevn CaII lo
KingsIip Sagas,
and BuIlnann lo
Fevsian
nlIoIog.5
Mosl
exegeles,
Iovevev,
considev lIese lvadilions lo Ie loo Jav
aJieId and
suggesl
lIal
a
pvecedenl
can Ie Jound in
JevisI
Iilevaluve.6 Sone
pveJev
lo
idenliJ
MavIs dove vilI
NoaIs,
ciling
as
suppovl
1 Fel
320-21,
vIicI con
paves
NoaIs deIivevance lo
Iaplisn.7
A Jev scIoIavs cile
passages
in lIe OT vIeve
IsvaeI is
conpaved
lo a
dove.
TIe
inJev Jvon lIis lIal
Jesus
is lo Ie idenliJied vilI
a
veneved IsvaeI
as
Ie
enevges
Jvon lIe
IaplisnaI
valevs.8
Hovevev,
a
najovil
oJ
connenlalovs see an
aIIusion lo Oen
12,
vIeve lIe
Spivil
oJ Ood Iovevs ovev lIe
Jace oJ lIe valevs.9 WIiIe lIe
scope
oJ lIis avlicIe does nol
pevnil
a
delaiIed exan
4
AII NT and L77 lvansIalions ave
nine,
unIess olIevvise noled.
5
Hugo
Ovessnann,
Bie
Sage
von dev TauJe
Jesu
und die vovdevovienlaIiscIe
TauIeng?l
lin,
AB 20
|1920-21) 1-40, 323-59:
Hevnann
OunIeI,
Bas M?vcIen in AIlen Teslanenl
|BeIi
gionsgescIicIlIicIe
VoIIsI?cIev J?v die deulscIe cIvislIicIe
Oegenvavl
2/23:
T?Iingen
MoIv,
1921),
147-51. Fov a
sunnav
oJ Ovessnann and OunIeIs
posilion,
as veII as
BuIlnanns ovn,
see
BudoIJ
BuIlnann,
TIe
Hislov oJ
lIe
Snoplic
Tvadilion
|lvans. JoIn MavsI:
vev.
ed.:
Nev YovI
Havpev
&
Bov, 1968),
248-50. Oevo
|Spivil
as a
Bove, 17-35)
adapls
lIe vovI oJ
Ovessnann,
pvoposing
lIal lIe dove-eIeclion noliJ Iecones connecled lo lIe
Iaplisn lIvougI
Odes
oJ
SoIonon 24. WIiIe Odes
oJ
SoIonon Ias lIe
dove,
il naIes
no nenlion oJ lIe
Spivil.
In
conlvasl,
lIe
OospeI oJ
lIe HeIvevs leIIs oJ lIe
Spivil
al lIe
Iaplisn,
Iul nol oJ lIe dove. Oevo
pvoposes
lIal
MavI, lIen,
conJIaled lIe lvo accounls. His assessnenl is
IigII specuIalive, especiaII
since
MavI
appeavs
lo
pvecede
IolI lIe Odes
oJ
SoIonon and lIe
OospeI oJ
lIe HeIvevs.
6
Fov a
cvilique
oJ
Ovessnann, OunIeI,
and
BuIlnann,
see
KecI,
Spivil
and lIe
Bove,
54-63.
7
E.g., OeoJJve
W H.
Lanpe, |iBaplisna
in lIe Nev Teslanenl
SJT
5
|1952) 167: Janes
B. O.
Bunn,
Baplisn
in lIe
HoI Spivil
A Be-exaninalion
oJ
lIe Nev Teslanenl
TeacIing
on lIe
OiJl oJ
lIe
Spivil
in BeIalion lo
FenlecoslaIisn
Toda
|London SCM,
1970), 27:
and FauI
Oavnel,
TIe
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus
and lIe Son oJ Man Idea
JSNT9 |1980)
49-65.
8
E.g.,
T. AIec
BuvIiII,
Mslevious
BeveIalion An Exaninalion
oJ
lIe
FIiIosopI oJ
Sl MavIs
OospeI
|IlIaca,
NY CovneII
Univevsil
Fvess,
1963),
18-19.
9
E.g.,
C. K.
Bavvell,
TIe
HoI Spivil
and lIe
OospeI
Tvadilion
|London SFCK, 1947), 38-39:
C. E. B.
CvanJieId,
TIe
OospeI accovding
lo Sainl MavI An Inlvoduclion and
Connenlav
|COTC:
CanIvidge CanIvidge Univevsil
Fvess,
1959), 54:
Vincenl
TaIov,
TIe
OospeI accovding
lo Sl
MavI TIe OveeI Texl vilI
Inlvoduclion, Noles,
and Indexes
|Nev
YovI Sl. Mavlins
Fvess,
1966),
161:
IsvaeI
AIvaIans,
Sludies in FIavisaisn and lIe
OospeIs
|2 voIs.:
CanIvidge CanIvidge
Uni
vevsil
Fvess, 1917-24:
vepv.,
2 voIs. in
1:
LiIvav
oJ BiIIicaI
Sludies:
Nev YovI
Klav,
1967),
149
50: KecI,
Spivil
and lIe
Bove, 41-67:
Bavies and
AIIison, MallIev, 1334:
and
JoeI Mavcus,
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
762
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
inalion oJ eacI oJ lIese
inlevpvelalions,
lIis Iasl-nenlioned
posilion
nevils allen
lion as il is
pvesenlI
a doninanl
opinion.
Advocales oJ lIe Oenesis
posilion lpicaII
cile Oen 12 as lIe ecIoed lexl in
MavI 110
|and
pavaIIeIs)
Iecause il sIaves lIvee eIenenls vilI lIe
Iaplisn
lIe
Spivil,
valev,
and lIe
inage
oJ a Iivd
|inpIied
in Oen 12
I
lIe
Ioveving
oJ lIe
Spivil
ovev lIe
valevs).
TIese scIoIavs
suggesl
lIal a
passage
in lIe
BaIIonian
TaI
nud
|I.
Hag.
15a)
suppovls
sucI
a
veading
Iecause il slales lIal lIe
Spivil
al cvealion
Ioveved
ovev
lIe Jace oJ lIe valevs?IiIe
a
dove vIicI Iovevs
ovev
Iev
oung
vilIoul
loucIing
[lIen].10 Suppovlevs
oJ Oen 12 aIso nole lIal
a Oenesis inlev
pvelalion
oJ lIe
Iaplisn
is al Ione vilI lIe
eavI
cIuvcI's
conceplion
oJ lIe escIa
loIogicaI age
as a nev cvealion.
B
lIe line
CIvislianil Iegan
lo
deveIop,
il vas
connon lo associale lIe
coning
oJ lIe
MessiaI,
and lIe
acconpaning
escIalo
IogicaI age,
vilI
inages
oJ cvealion.
AccovdingI,
lIe avvivaI oJ
Jesus,
as
lIe
MessiaI,
vas oJlen connecled vilI lIe
Ieginning
oJ Oenesis.11
BaIe C.
AIIison, Jv.,
Ias
suggesled
lIal a Bead Sea
lexl,
4Q521
|4QMessAp),
slvenglIens
lIe nev cvealion
inlevpvelalion
oJ lIe
Iaplisn.12
He
avgues
lIal lIe
Jvagnenl
Ieavs
on
lIe
Iaplisn
and lIe dove siniIe Iecause il aIIudes lo Oen 12 in
an
escIaloIogicaI
conlexl. SevevaI Jealuves oJ lIe lexl inlevesl Iin.
Fivsl,
lIe docu
nenl
speciJicaII
veJevs lo a
singIe
nessiaI vIon lIe Ieavens and eavlI viII
oIe
in a
nessianic Juluve.13
Second,
and
nove
signiJicanl,
Iine 6 oJ lIe Jivsl veadaIIe
coIunn slales,
And ovev lIe Foov viII His
Spivil
Iovev and lIe FailIJuI viII He
suppovl
vilI Iis
slvenglI.14
AIIison
poinls
oul lIal lIe aulIov oJ
4Q521
is
using
lIe
Ianguage
oJ Oen 12 as Ie
conlenpIales escIaloIogicaI vedenplion.
AIIison undev
scoves
lIe
inpovlance
oJ lIis
Jvagnenl
Iecause il is lIe
onI
Inovn
pve-CIvislian
lexl lIal
appIies
Oen 12 lo lIe
escIaloIogicaI
Juluve and lIe
onI
Inovn lexl in
vIicI lIe
Spivil
Iovevs ovev Iunans inslead oJ IiJeIess naleviaI.15
FuvlIevnove,
Ie
noles lIal IeJove lIe
puIIicalion
oJ
4Q521
lIose vIo
inlevpveled
lIe dove in levns
oJ Oen 12 couId nol cile
an
speciJic
JevisI
pvecedenl.
Fov
AIIison,
lIis lexl
pvo
vides lIe
nissing
IinI lIal a nev cvealion
inlevpvelalion
oJ lIe
Spivils
doveIiIe
descenl needs. He
concIudes, lIeveJove,
lIal lIis lexl aII Iul conJivns lIal lIe
Spivils
descenl
as a dove is an aIIusion lo Oen 12.16
MavI A Nev TvansIalion vilI Inlvoduclion and
Connenlav
|2 voIs.:
AB
27:
Nev YovI BouIIe
da,
2000, 2009),
1159.
10
Tvans. BaIe C. AIIison
Jv.,
TIe
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus
and
a Nev Bead Sea
ScvoII,
BAB
18,
no.
2
|MavcI-ApviI
1992)
58.
11
IIid., 59:
and
Mavcus, MavI,
1164-66. Fov a
genevaI
discussion oJ lIe
eavI
cIuvcIs
con
neclion oJ cvealion and CIvisl's
coning,
see NiIs
BaII, Jesus
in lIe
Menov oJ
lIe
EavI
CIuvcI
|MinneapoIis AugsIuvg,
1976),
120-40.
12
AIIison,
Baplisn
58-60. TIe
Jvagnenl
vas
puIIisIed
in 1991.
13
IIid.,
59.
14
Tvans.
AIIison,
Baplisn,
59.
15
IIid.,
60.
16
IIid.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 763
Bespile
AIIisons conJidenl
assevlions,
lIeve is veason lo
queslion
Iis cIains
and lIe Oen 12
posilion
in
genevaI.
WIiIe advocales oJ lIis
posilion avgue
lIal lIe
Iivd
inagev
connon lo Oen 12
|Ioveving),
I.
Hag.
15a
|Ioveving
dove),
and
4Q521
|Ioveving) pvovides slvong
lexluaI
suppovl
Jov lIeiv
inlevpvelalion
oJ MavI
110,
lIe
pvoIIen
is lIal lIe
poinl
oJ conneclion Ielveen lIese lexls is lIe
Spivils
Ioveving
valIev lIan ils
conpavison
lo a
dove. TIe associalion oJ lIe
Ioveving
Spivil
vilI a
dove is nol allesled unliI I.
Hag.
15a,
vIicI vas
conpIeled
sevevaI
cenluvies aJlev MavI.17
FuvlIevnove,
I.
Hag.
15a seens lo Ie lIe
onI
canonicaI,
deulevocanonicaI,
ov ancienl vaIIinic lexl lIal IiIens Oods
Spivil
al cvealion lo a
dove.18 In
Jacl,
lIvee olIev vaIIinic lexls
|Oen.
BaI.
24:
. Hag.
77I:
and l.
Hag.
2.6),
vIicI cile lIe sane lvadilion as I.
Hag.
15a,
indicale lIal lIe
Spivil
oJ Ood
Ioveved al
cvealion,
Iul
lIe
JaiI lo
conpave
lIe
Spivils Ioveving
lo a
dove.19 TIe
Jacl lIal I.
Hag.
15a,
4Q521,
and lIvee addilionaI vaIIinic lexls sIave lIe noliJ oJ
Ioveving,
Iul nol lIe
dove,
suggesls
lIal
Ioveving
vas lIe novnalive aIIusion lo
Oen 12 valIev lIan lIe dove. TIis oIsevvalion
pvesenls
a
pvoIIen
Jov lIe Oen 12
posilion.
IJ MavI inlended lo
conve
an
unqueslionaIIe
aIIusion lo Oen
12,
il
seens lIal Ie vouId Iave Iad lIe
Spivil
Iovev ovev
Jesus
valIev lIan
enpIo
lIe
sonevIal
vague descviplion
oJ lIe
Spivil
s avian descenl inlo Iin.20
An addilionaI
diJJicuIl
Jov AIIisons case is lIal in
4Q521
lIe
Spivil
Iovevs
ovev lIe Foov
|i.e.,
lIe
sainls),
valIev lIan ovev
lIe
nessiaI,
as a
sign
oJ escIalo
17
TIe
saing
is allviIuled lo Ben Zona.
TIus,
even iJ lIe allviIulion is
covvecl, lIe eavIiesl
possiIIe
dale Jov lIis veJevence is lIe Iale Jivsl lo
eavI
second
cenluv.
18
AIvaIans
|Sludies, 47-50) avgues
lIal I.
Hag.
15a Iecones nove
signiJicanl
vIen il is
vead in
conjunclion
vilI vaIIinic
passages
lIal associale lIe
BalI-QoI
vilI lIe
cIivping
oJ
a
Iivd,
Jov
exanpIe,
I. Bev.
3a,
I Ieavd a
BalI-QoI
noaning
as a dove and
saing
Woe lo lIe cIiIdven
lIvougI
vIose
iniquilies
I Iaid vasle
M TenpIe
|lvans. AIvaIans, Sludies, 47). Hovevev,
aside
Jvon lIe Iale
daling
oJ lIis
lexl,
MavIs
OospeI
does nol
sa
lIal lIe dove
spoIe
ov lIal lIe Ieav
enI
voice sounded IiIe a
doves
|KecI,
Spivil
and lIe
Bove, 52).
TIe dove and lIe voice
sinpI
ave nol lIe sane noliJ in lIe
OospeI
accounls.
FuvlIev,
as Movna HooIev
noles,
il is
unIiIeI
lIal
lIe
BalI-QoI
vas
signiJicanl
Jov MavIs
undevslanding
oJ lIe
Iaplisn.
TIe
BalI-QoI
is an
inJeviov
voice,
a suIslilule Jov lIe divecl
giJl
oJ Oods
Spivil,
vIiIe lIe voice in MavI is lIe divecl vovd oJ
Ood
|Movna HooIev,
TIe
OospeI accovding
lo Sl MavI
[BNTC 2:
FeaIod,
MA
HendvicIson,
1991:
vepv.,
London A. & C.
BIacI,
1995], 46-47).
SiniIavI,
lIe
lavgun
on
Song
212 IiIens lIe
voice oJ a
luvlIedove lo lIe voice oJ lIe
HoI Spivil.
TIe canonicaI lexl conlains lIe
Iine,
And lIe
voice oJ lIe luvlIedove is Ieavd in ouv
Iand,
and is
inlevpveled
as lIe voice oJ lIe
HoI Spivil
oJ
SaIvalion
|lvans. AIvaIans, Sludies, 49: aIso ciled
I
HooIev, MavI, 46).
KecI
vigIlI
ciles lIe
pas
sage unJavovaII
Iecause oJ lIe
lavguns
Iale dale
|sevenlI
ov
eigIlI cenluv
c.e.)
|Spivil
and
lIe
Bove, 52-53). FuvlIev,
KeeI's
cvilique
oJ I. Bev. 3a
appIies
aIso lo lIe
lavgun.
In
MavI,
lIe
doveIiIe
HoI Spivil
does nol
speaI,
and lIe
IeavenI
voice is nol
conpaved
lo lIal oJ a
dove.
19
BolI
/
Hag.
77I and l.
Hag.
2.6
conpave
lIe
Spivil
lo an
eagIe
lIal Iovevs ovev ils
oung.
Oenesis KaIIaI 24
sinpI
indicales lIal lIe
Spivil
Ioveved IiIe a Iivd lIal JIies and
JIaps
vilI ils
vings
|lvans.
BeIovaI F.
MiddIelon,
WIence lIe Feel?
JJS
36
[1985] 70-71).
20
Againsl
KecI,
vIo
avgues
lIal lIe siniIe's
depiclion
oJ lIe novenenl oJ lIe
Spivil
is vIal
connecls il lo lIe vaIIinic lexls
|Spivil
and lIe
Bove,
63-67).
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
764
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
IogicaI vedenplion,
even
lIougI
lIe nessiaI is
pvesenl
in lIe lexl. TIe
Jvagnenl's
JaiIuve lo veIale ils Iivd
inagev speciJicaII
lo lIe nessiaI vaises JuvlIev douIl lIal
il
pveJiguves
lIe MavIan
Iaplisn
scene.
TIe
sIovlconings
oJ lIe Oen 12
posilion I
no neans exIausl aII lIe diJJi
cuIlies
suvvounding
lIe
inlevpvelalion
oJ MavI 110. MavIs cIoice lo
povlva
lIe
Spivil
as
descending
inlo ov
upon
a
Jiguve
aIso vaises diJJicuIlies.
Man
lines in lIe
OT lIe
Spivil
oJ Ood cones
upon
individuaIs in vavious
vas,
and lIe idea lIal
lIe Juluve nessiaI vouId Ie endoved vilI lIe
Spivil
is allesled
as
veII.21 NovIeve
in lIe
OT,
ov in
an pve-CIvislian
JevisI
Iilevaluve
|incIuding
lIe Bead Sea
ScvoIIs),
Iovevev,
does lIe
Spivil aulononousI
descend inlo ov
upon anone.
SigniJi
canlI,
lIis oIsevvalion IoIds lvue in lIe
passages
lIal ave
connonI lIougIl
lo
anlicipale
Jesus'
veceplion
oJ lIe
Spivil
al lIe
Iaplisn.
IsaiaI 112 L77 slales lIal
lIe
Spivil
oJ lIe Lovd sIaII vesl on
[a
a a e a e
]
lIe Juluve Bavidic
Iing.
In Isa
421,
Ood
sas
oJ
a sevvanl
Jiguve,
I
pul [ a] n Spivil upon [ ']
Iin.
IsaiaI 611 indicales lIal lIe
Spivil
oJ lIe Lovd is
upon [ ']
an
anoinled
Jiguve
vIo,
IiIe
Jesus,
is lo
pvocIain
lIe
good
nevs.
AddilionaII,
lvo
passages
in lIe Tes
lanenls
oJ
lIe TveIve FalviavcIs veJev lo Ood's IeslovaI oJ a
spivil upon
a nessianic
pviesl.
Teslanenl
oJLevi
187 slales lIal lIe
spivil
oJ
undevslanding
and sancliJi
calion sIaII vesl
upon
Iin,
vIiIe
.
Jud.
242 indicales lIal lIe Ieavens viII Ie
opened
upon
Iin lo
pouv
oul lIe
Spivil.22
In eacI oJ lIese
lexls,
lIe
Spivil
eilIev
vesls
upon,
is
pIaced upon,
ov is
pouved upon
lIe
Jiguve.
None oJ lIe
passages
descviIes lIe aulononous descenl oJ lIe
Spivil,
as
MavI's
OospeI
does al lIe
Iap
lisn.23
Moveovev,
lIe
pveposilion
oJ cIoice in lIe Isaian
passages
is e , vIiIe
MavI's
OospeI
uses e
.24 TIe diJJevences Ielveen lIese lexls and MavI's
Iaplisn
accounl
suggesl
lIal MavI 110 is nol
vIoII
consislenl vilI
lpicaI,
JevisI
nes
sianic
Ianguage.
FuvlIevnove,
lo
n
InovIedge,
no ancienl
JevisI
lexl
depicls
a
descenl oJ
an
IeavenI Ieing
in lIe Jovn oJ
a
Iivd. TIe OT leIIs oJ
nan
descenls?oJ
angeIs,
oJ lIe
Lovd,
oJ lIe
Spivil
Jvon lIe Lovd
|once,
in Isa 6314
L77),
and
so
on?Iul
lIe idea lIal lIese
Jiguves
sIouId descend as Iivds is
conpIeleI Joveign
lo lIe OT
and olIev
pve-MavIan
JevisI
Iilevaluve.25
21
Fov
vas
in vIicI lIe
Spivil
oJ Ood
cones
upon peopIe,
see
Judg
310: 634: 1129: 1325:
and 1 San
106: 116:
1920.
22
Tvans. Hovavd CIavI Kee,
Teslanenls
oJ
lIe TveIve
FalviacIs?
OTF
1795,
801.
23
Againsl
Janes
B.
Edvavds,
vIo nenlions lIal lIe
passages
Jvon Teslanenl
oJLevi
and
Teslanenl
oJjudaI cIeavI depicl
lIe descenl oJ lIe
Spivil
|TIe
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus
accovding
lo
lIe
OospeI
oJ
MavI, JETS
34
[1991] 44).
BonaId H.
JueI
aIso
assesses lIese lexls
incovveclI,
slal
ing
lIal lIe
Spivil
descends
on lIe
escIaloIogicaI Jiguve
|TIe
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus [MavI 19-11],
in AII
TIings
Nev
Essas
in Honov
oJ Bo
A. HavvisviIIe
[ed.
AvIand
J.
HuIlgven,
BonaId H.
JueI,
and
JacI
B.
KingsIuv:
WW
SuppIenenl
Sevies
1:
Sainl
FauI,
MN LulIev NovlIveslevn TIeo
IogicaI Seninav,
1992], 122).
24
See IeIov Jov JuvlIev discussion oJ lIe lvansIalion oJ e a
.
25
Ivov Buse Ias
poinled
oul lIal lIe
Spivil
descends in Isa 6314
L77,
lIvee
vevses aJlev lIe
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 765
TIis veviev oJ
scIoIavsIip suggesls
lIal
MavI,
iJ Ie
so
desived,
couId Iave
used
Ianguage
lIal vouId Iave evoIed
speciJic
IiIIicaI lIenes. IJ lIe
evangeIisl
vanled lo vecaII Oen
12,
Ie couId Iave Iad lIe
Spivil
Iovev ovev
Jesus.
IJ Ie
vanled lo IinI lIe
Iaplisn deJiniliveI
lo nessianic
passages
Jvon lIe L77 ov inlev
leslanenlaI
Iilevaluve,
Ie couId Iave nade lIe
Spivil
vesl
upon Jesus
ov Ie
pouved
upon
Iin.
Hovevev,
lIe
evangeIisl pevnilled
a conslvuclion lo sland lIal does nol
conJovn lo
an singIe
IiIIicaI anlecedenl.
FevIaps
lIis is Iecause lIe noliJ is lIe
vesuIl oJ an
anaIganalion
oJ IiIIicaI aIIusions ov
pevIaps
lIe conslvuclion as il
appeavs
in MavI vas dvavn Jvon
a souvce oulside oJ
JevisI
Iilevaluve.
II. Oods as Bivds
An Inlevpvelalion Jvon OveeI MlIoIog
Bennis MacBonaId Ias
vecenlI avgued
Jov lIe inlevlexluaI
veIalionsIip
Ielveen MavIs
OospeI
and Honev s IIiad and
Odsse |eigIlI
lo sevenlI cenluvies
I.c.e.).26
WIiIe il is
queslionaIIe
lIal MavIs
OospeI,
as a
vIoIe,
Ias an inlvicale Iil
evav
conneclion lo lIe Honevic
epics,
MacBonaId does oJJev
slvong suppovl
Jov
lIe idea lIal Honevic noliJs and
Jiguves
oJ
speecI
couId
easiI
Iave veacIed
nas
cenl CIvislian connunilies.27 As MacBonaId
indicales,
Honev s vovIs veve
vev
inJIuenliaI in lIe ancienl vovId. TIe IIiad and lIe
Odsse
veve lIe vudinenls oJ
lIe ancienl educalionaI
sslen.
TIe
poel
s
epics essenliaII laugIl
cIiIdven Iov lo
vead and vvile.28 Mavlin
HengeI,
IiIevise, oIsevves,
Iilevav
inslvuclion
. . .
vas
HoI Spivil
is
pul anong
| )
lIe
peopIe
oJ IsvaeI
|TIe
MavIan Accounl oJ lIe
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus
and IsaiaI
L7III, JTS
7
[1956] 74-75).
He noles JuvlIev lIal lIe HeIvev lexl oJ Isa 6311 Ias lIe
singuIav pvonoun, denoling
lIal lIe
HoI Spivil
is
pul
in Moses

In lIe
HeIvev, Iovevev,
lIeve
is no
descenl oJ lIe
Spivil
in Isa 6314. TIis lexl is
pvovocalive,
Iul il does nol ansvev
lIe
ques
lion oJ lIe Iivd siniIe.
26
Bennis B.
MacBonaId,
TIe Honevic
Epics
and lIe
OospeI oJ
MavI
|Nev
Haven YaIe Uni
vevsil
Fvess, 2000).
MacBonaId addvesses lIe
Iaplisn
in Iis
Appendix
1.1 discuss Iis
inlevpve
lalion IeIov. TvansIalions oJ Honev ave
n
ovn, unIess olIevvise noled.
27
IIid.,
1-8.
28
IIid.,
4. TIe IeveI oJ
Iilevac
in lIe ancienl
vovId, Iovevev,
sIouId nol Ie oveveslinaled.
A
najovil
oJ lIe
popuIalion
vas sevved
I
scIooIs oJ
Iellevs,
lIal
is,
inslilulions oJ Iov
pveslige
lIal
pvovided
uliIilavian
Iilevac
|i.e.,
enougI Iilevac
lo Junclion in vIalevev lvade one vas
lo Ie
engaged)
|BoIevl Kaslev,
Ouavdians
oJ Language
TIe Ovannavian and
Sociel
in Lale
Anliq
uil
[TvansJovnalions
oJ lIe CIassicaI
Hevilage
11:
BevIeIe Univevsil
oJ CaIiJovnia
Fvess,
1988],
24).
TIe
aIiIil
lo vead and vvile exlended
passages
oJ
pvose
and
poelv
vas
allained
onI I
lIose
IigIev
up
on
lIe socioecononic Iaddev.
NevevlIeIess,
lIe nosl Iasic IeveI oJ educalion
vas
laugIl using
nanes oJ Honevic Ievoes and
gods
as veII as sIovl Iines Jvon Honev s
epics
|BonaId
F.
HocI,
Honev in Oveco-Bonan
Educalion,
in Minesis and
InlevlexluaIil
in
Anliq
uil
and
CIvislianil
[ed.
Bennis B.
MacBonaId:
HavvisIuvg,
FA
Tvinil
Fvess
InlevnalionaI,
2001], 61-62). Jean
Movgan
Ias nade lIe
IogicaI suggeslion
lIal lIese Iisls and Iines oJ
poelv
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
766
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
concenlvaled
on one
Ianguage,
lIe OveeI
nolIev-longue,
and on one?il
nigIl
aInosl Ie caIIed lIe
canonicaI?IooI,
lIe
epic
vovI oJ
Honev,
especiaII
lIe
IIiad?29 Avound lIe sane line as
HengeI,
Honevic scIoIav Moses
FinIe
aIso vvole
oJ lIe
genevaI popuIavil
oJ Honev in lIe HeIIenislic
vovId,
noling
lIal lIe IIiad
and lIe
Odsse
veve as
IiIeI
lo Ie Jound
on a
OveeIs IooIsIeIJ as
anlIing
Jvon lIe vesl oJ OveeI Iilevaluve.30 FvooJ lIal Honevic
lIougIl
venained con
nonpIace
in
suIsequenl genevalions
is evidenced aIso
I
Ialev
poels
vIo used
Honev as a
pvololpe
Jov
epics
oJ lIeiv ovn.
ApoIIonius
oJ BIodes
|lIivd
cenluv
I.c.e.)
and
VivgiI
|Jivsl
cenluv
I.c.e.)
vvole
epics
in lIe Honevic lvadilion
|and
IolI aulIovs
incovpovaled
Iivd
inagev
inlo lIeiv
epics:
see
IeIov).
TIe use oJ
Honev in IolI lIe educalionaI
sslen
and Ialev
epics suggesls
lIal Honevs
inpacl
on lIe
Jivsl-cenluv
vovId vas
pevvasive.
TIis
videspvead
inJIuence naIes
il veasonaIIe lo lIinI lIal MavI and olIev
eavI
JoIIovevs oJ
Jesus
vouId Iave Iad
a
Iasic
JaniIiavil
vilI Honevic slovies and
convenlions,
vIelIev
lIvougI
Jov
naI educalion
ov
I
neans oJ lIe
genevaI
cuIluvaI niIieu oJ lIe Jivsl
cenluv.
TIeveJove,
as ve
undevlaIe a nev seavcI Jov lIe anlecedenl oJ lIe Iivd siniIe in
MavI,
il sIouId nol
suvpvise
lIe nodevn veadev iJ lIe siniIe Ias
a
pvecuvsov
in
lIe Honevic lvadilion.31
TIe
Iaplisn
oJ
Jesus is,
al ils
Iase,
lIe descenl oJ a
IeavenI
povev
Jvon lIe
Ieavens lo eavlI and lIe
inpIanlalion
oJ lIal
povev
inlo
an
eavlII Jiguve.
As noled
aIove,
MavIs
descviplion
oJ a
IeavenI
povev
s IivdIiIe descenl lo eavlI is
unpav
aIIeIed in lIe IiIIicaI
covpus |excepl
in lIe
OospeI pavaIIeIs).
As
noled, Iovevev,
lIis
is nol lvue oJ aII
pve-MavIan
Iilevaluve. WIiIe lIe
IeavenI
aIode oJ Ood
vas an
vouId Iave sevved aIso lo inlvoduce sludenls lo
Iavgev
slovies in lIe IIiad and lIe
Odsse.
TeacI
evs vouId
cevlainI
Iave loId laIes associaled vilI lIe nanes oJ lIe
gods
and Ievoes
|Jean
Movgan,
Lilevale Educalion in lIe HeIIenislic and Bonan WovIds
[CanIvidge
CIassicaI
Sludies:
CanIvidge CanIvidge Univevsil
Fvess, 1998], 77,101-2).
29
Mavlin
HengeI,
Judaisn
and HeIIenisn Sludies in TIeiv Encounlev in FaIesline
duving
lIe
EavI
HeIIenislic Feviod
|lvans. JoIn Bovden:
2
voIs.:
FIiIadeIpIia
Fovlvess, 1973),
166.
HengeI
aIso noles lIal conslanl
veading
oJ Honev
|in
lIe
Easl)
Iepl
aIive lIe
InovIedge
oJ OveeI
nlIoI
og |iIid., 167).
30
Moses I.
FinIe,
TIe WovId
oJ Odsseus
|London
CIallo &
Windus, 1977),
21.
31
TIe issue oJ
JaniIiavil
vilI Honev is aIso
a
queslion
oJ
pvovenance.
MavIs lvansIalion
oJ Avanaic levns
|e.g.,
541: 1534)
suggesls
lIal MavIs audience incIuded OveeI
speaIevs
vIo
did nol Inov Avanaic.
FuvlIevnove,
il seens lIal al Ieasl sone in lIe audience
veve nol
JevisI
|see
MavI
73,
vIeve lIe
evangeIisl
Ias lo
expIain
JevisI
puviJicalion
cuslons).
TIese oIsevva
lions
suppovl
a
pvovenance
oulside oJ FaIesline. Mosl scIoIavs
pveJev
lo Iocale lIe
OospeI
in Bone
ov
Svia.
A
Svian
ov Bonan
pvovenance
|vIeve
HeIIenisn vouId Iave Jaced Iess
opposilion
Jvon
a consevvalive
JevisI cuIluve)
slvenglIens
lIe
possiIiIil
lIal MavI and Iis audience vouId Iave
Ieen conJovlaIIe vilI
pagan
cuIluvaI lvadilions.
Hovevev,
since
Jivsl-cenluv
FaIesline
vas IeI
Ienized lo a
signiJicanl
exlenl,
even a FaIeslinian
pvovenance
does nol denand lIal MavI and lIe
OospeI
slovies Ianded dovn lo Iin veve unloucIed
I
HeIIenislic inJIuences
|Mavcus,
MavI,
170).
Fov JuvlIev discussion oJ MavI's
pvovenance,
see
Mavcus, MavI,
133-37.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 767
enduving concepl
in lIe IiIIicaI
lvadilion,
OveeIs loo conceived oJ lIe Ieavens
aIove as lIe Ione oJ lIe
gods.
Moveovev,
lIe
IeIieved lIal lIese
gods connonI
visiled lIe eavlI IeIov. Honev veJIecls lIese
connon IeIieJs in Iis
epics lIvougI
Jvequenl
accounls oJ
gods'
lvaveIs Ielveen lIe lvo veaIns.
InleveslingI,
in lIese
scenes in vIicI
gods
lvaveI lo and Jvon
eavlI,
Honev oJlen
uses Iivd siniIes lo
descviIe lIeiv avvivaIs and
depavluves.32
On
nuIlipIe
occasions in lIe
IIiad,
Honev uses Iivd siniIes lo descviIe lIe
descenls oJ
gods
Jvon lIe
IeavenI
veaIn lo eavlI. In IooI
15,
an AcIaean soIdiev
sniles
Heclov,
Ieaving
Iin
IadI injuved.
Zeus
vesponds
lo lIis evenl
I sending
Iis son,
ApoIIo,
lo aid lIe
Tvojan
Ieadev. WIen
ApoIIo
naIes Iis descenl Jvon
OInpus,
Honev vviles lIal lIe
god
venl dovn Jvon lIe IiIIs oJ Ida
[?
a
a
],
IiIe
[ ]
a
sviJl,
dove-sIaing
JaIcon,
lIal is lIe JIeelesl oJ
vinged
cvealuves
|15.237-38).
TIvee IooIs
Ialev,
Honev uses a siniIe lo
depicl
AcIiIIes'
nolIev, TIelis,
as sIe descends lo eavlI. In lIis
scene,
AcIiIIes is nouvn
ing
lIe dealI oJ Iis
cousin, FalvocIus, vIo,
vIiIe
donning
AcIiIIes' avnov,
vas
IiIIed
I
Heclov. Because lIis evenl Ieaves AcIiIIes vilIoul Iis IallIe
gavI,
TIelis
descends Jvon lIe
IeavenI
veaIn in ovdev lo
Iving
nev avnov lo lIe
nigIl
vav
viov. AJlev sIe Ieaves lIe
sIop
oJ lIe
god HepIaeslus,
lIe Janed cvaJlsnan oJ avnov
Jov lIe
gods,
Honev
vviles,
IiIe
[ ]
a JaIcon sIe
Ieapl
dovn
[a ]
Jvon snov
capped OInpus, Ieaving
lIe
JIasIing
avnov
Jvon
HepIaeslus
|18.616-17).
WIiIe
TIelis's
pvesence uIlinaleI encouvages
AcIiIIes lo enlev lIe
vav
againsl
lIe
Tvojans,
Jov lIe line
Ieing,
lIe AcIaean conlinues lo nouvn
lIe Ioss oJ Iis
cousin. Because oJ Iis veJusaI lo eal
duving
Iis line oJ
nouvning,
Zeus sends
AlIena dovn lo
pvovide
AcIiIIes vilI neclav and anIvosia.
Upon
Iis
connand,
AlIena,
IiIe
[ a]
a
Iivd oJ
pve,
Iong-vinged
and
sIviII-voiced,
Ieapl
dovn
[
a e a
]
Jvon Ieaven
lIvougI
lIe aiv
|19.349-50).
Hev
pvesence
venains
unnoliced
I
aII. SIe
secvelI puls
neclav inlo AcIiIIes' Iveasl and veluvns lo
Zeus's Iouse undelecled.
Honev uses Iivd siniIes aIso lo descviIe
depavluves
oJ
gods.
In IIiad
13,
Fosei
don,
disguised
as
CaIcIas,
cones lo lIe lvo
Ajaxes
lo
speaI
vilI lIen
vegavding
lIe
vav
againsl
lIe
Tvojans.
WIen Foseidon JinisIes Iis convevsalion vilI lIe
lvo,
Honev vecounls lIal lIe
god
looI Iis
depavluve
in
JIigIl
IiIe
[ ]
a
sviJl JaIcon
|13.62-65).33
In lIe
eavI slages
oJ lIe
Odsse,
AlIena is lvice
conpaved
lo a
Iivd
as
sIe ascends lo
OInpus.
In IooI
1,
AlIena cones lo eavlI and assunes lIe Jovn
oJ
Odsseus's
oId
Jviend, Menles,
in ovdev lo leII
TeIenacIus,
lIe son oJ
Odsseus,
lIal Iis JalIev is sliII aIive. WIen sIe JinisIes
speaIing
lo
Iin,
Honev vviles lIal
lIe
goddess depavls, JIing upvavd
as
[ ]
a Iivd
|1.320).
TIe nexl
da,
TeIena
32
CavvoII MouIlon noles lIal avvivaIs and
depavluves
oJ
gods
ave
lpicaI poinls
in Honevs
navvalive Jov Iivd siniIes
|SiniIes
in lIe Honevic Foens
[Hponnenala
49:
O?llingen
Vanden
IoecI &
BupvecIl,
1977], 138).
33
Tvans.
JoIn FoIIavd,
in
iden,
Bivds in OveeI
LiJe
and
MlI |Aspecls
oJ OveeI and Bonan
LiJe:
London TIanes &
Hudson, 1977),
158.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
768
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
cIus
pvas
Jov AlIena lo veluvn lo Iin.
Again
lIe
goddess
cones
|lIis
line in lIe
guise
oJ
Menlov)
and
again
Honev
conpaves
Iev
depavluve
lo a Iivd. WIen AlIena
Ieaves TeIenacIus on lIis
occasion,
sIe JIies
ava
in lIe IiIeness
[e ]
oJ a
sea-eagIe
|3.371-72).
TIe
use
oJ Iivd
inagev
in lIe
nlIoIogicaI
lvadilion
vas nol Iiniled lo
Honev. TIe noliJ
vas
adopled I
Ialev aulIovs vIo vvole
epics
oJ lIeiv ovn.
VivgiIs
Aeneid is
vepIele
vilI Ievoes and
gods
and,
IiIe
Honev,
VivgiI
IiIens
gods
lo Iivds vIen
lIe
descend and ascend lo and Jvon eavlI.
EavI
in lIe
epic, ApoIIo
leIIs Aeneas lIal Ie is lo
go
lo lIe Iand oJ Iis anceslovs.
Buving
Iis
voage,
lIe Ievo
and Iis cvev Iand al
CavlIage.
TIeve Venus causes Aeneas and
Bido,
lIe
queen
oJ
CavlIage,
lo JaII in Iove. Because lIis Iove aJJaiv
jeopavdizes
lIe
conpIelion
oJ
Aeneas's
god-ovdained
nission,
Jupilev
sends Iis son,
Mevcuv,
dovn Jvon lIe
Ieavens lo venind Aeneas oJ Iis nission.
Upon Jupilevs
connand
lIe
god
...
Jivsl Iinds on Iis Jeel lIe
goIden
sIoes vIicI
cavv
Iin
upIovne
on
vings
ovev seas ov
Iand,
sviJl as lIe
gaIe.
. . .
And nov in
JIigIl
[voIans]
Ie
descvies lIe
peaI
and
sleep
sides oJ
loiIing
AlIas_Heve,
poised
on even
vings,
lIe
CIIenian
Jivsl
IaIled:
Ience vilI Iis vIoIe Jvane Ie
sped
sIeev dovn lo lIe
vaves IiIe a Iivd
[avi siniIes],
vIicI vound lIe
sIoves,
vound lIe JisI-Iaunled
cIiJJs,
JIies Iov neav lo lIe valevs_So soon as vilI
vinged
Jeel Ie veacIed lIe
Iuls,
Ie sees Aeneas
Jounding
lovevs and
IuiIding
nev Iouses.
|4.238-61)34
WIiIe lIis is lIe
onI
line,
lo
n InovIedge,
lIal
VivgiI speciJicaII
uses a Iivd
siniIe lo descviIe lIe descenl oJ a
god
lo a
novlaI,
Ie does
enpIo
Iivd
inagev
in
olIev divine-Iunan encounlevs. Tvice
VivgiI
uses Iivd
inagev
lo descviIe lIe
goddess
Ivis
as
sIe ascends lo lIe Ieavens. On IolI occasions
VivgiI
venavIs lIal
Ivis,
poised
on
vings
[aIis]
vose inlo lIe
sI, cIeaving
in
JIigIl
Iev
nigIl
Iov
IenealI lIe cIouds
|Aen.
5.657-58 and
9.14-15).
InleveslingI,
lIe Iallev oJ lIe
lvo accounls
pavaIIeIs
MavI 110 in an
addilionaI
nannev. In Aeneid
9,
Ivis's Iivd
IiIe
depavluve
is
acconpanied I
a
leaving
oJ lIe Ieavens. As sIe JIies
ava,
Tuvnus
eIIs
aJlev
Iev, Ivis,
gIov
oJ lIe
sI,
vIo Ias
IvougIl
lIee dovn lo
ne, vaJled
upon
lIe cIouds lo eavlI? WIence lIis sudden
IvigIlness
oJ lIe aiv? I see lIe Ieav
ens
pavl
asundev
[discedeve],
and lIe slavs lIal voan in lIe Jivnanenl. I JoIIov lIe
nigIl
onen, vIoso lIou avl caIIesl lo avns!
|9.18-22).35
34
UnIess olIevvise
noled,
aII lvansIalions oJ
VivgiI
ave
I
H. BusIlon
FaivcIougI
in lIe LCL.
35
Tuvnus laIes lIe
pavling
oJ lIe Ieavens lo Ie
an onen lIal veviJies lIe vovds oJ lIe
god
dess. TIelis inJovns Tuvnus lIal lIe line Iad cone Jov Iin lo IallIe Aeneas. Because oJ lIis
onen, Tuvnus oIlains lIe
couvage
lo JoIIov Ivis's connand. Cicevo aIso allesls lIal lIe
vending
oJ lIe Ieavens
vas an onen Jov lIe Bonans. TIe
vending
oJ lIe Ieavens
appeavs
in a Iisl oJ veII
Inovn
onens
lIal vavned lIe Bonan
peopIe
oJ
nigIl
vavs and
deadI
vevoIulions
|Cicevo,
Biv.
1.43.97).
FevIaps
nenIevs oJ MavI's audience JaniIiav vilI Bonan lvadilions vouId Iave
nove
veadiI
idenliJied lIe
vending
oJ lIe Ieavens in MavI 110 as an onen
vegavding
Jesus'
ninislv
lIan a
pvevequisile
Jov divine connunicalion.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 769
In addilion lo divine-Iunan
encounlevs,
aulIovs oJ OveeI
nlI
aIso IiIened
gods
lo Iivds vIen
lIe
lvaveIed lo neel olIev
gods
ov
sinpI
lvaveIed lIe eavlI.
Honevic
Hnn
2
|To Benelev)
descviIes Benelev
speeding
ovev lIe eavlI IiIe
[ ]
a
Iivd,
seavcIing
Jov Iev
daugIlev, FevsepIone,
vIon FIulo Iad laIen
cap
live
|43).
In
Odsse
5,
Zeus sends Hevnes dovn lo lIe
nnpI CaIpso
lo discuss
lIe Juluve oJ
Odsseus.
Honev vviles lIal lIe
nessengev god, oIeing
Iis JalIev s
connand,
IigIled
upon
lIe sea, and lIen
sped
ovev lIe vave IiIe
[ ]
a sea
Iivd ...
|5.50-51).
FinaII,
in
ApoIIoniuss Avgonaulica,
Heva leIIs Ivis lo
go
dovn
lo lIe sea in ovdev lo
Iving
TIelis
up
lo
OInpus. AccovdingI,
Ivis
spvang
Jvon
OInpus
and cIeaved Iev
va,
slvelcIing
oul Iev ninIIe
vings
|4.769).
WIiIe Iivd
inagev
vas a connon
va
in OveeI
nlIoIog
lo descviIe lIe
genevaI
novenenl oJ lIe
gods,
lIe MavIan
Iaplisn
accounl nosl
cIoseI pavaIIeIs
lIe Honevic
exanpIes.
LiIe Honevs
epics,
MavIs
OospeI
uses a Iivd siniIe lo
descviIe a
IeavenI enlil's
descenl Jvon lIe Ieavens lo eavlI.36 TIe conneclion is
slvenglIened
vIen il is oIsevved lIal Iivd siniIes in Honev
lpicaII
occuv al lIe
nonenl oJ
a
gods
avvivaI ov
depavluve.37
In lIe inslances
aIove,
Iivd siniIes navI
lIe avvivaIs oJ
ApoIIo,
TIelis,
and AlIena and lIe
depavluves
oJ Foseidon and
AlIena. MavI
110, lIen,
pavaIIeIs
Honev nol
onI
in ils use oJ a
Iivd siniIe Iul aIso
I using
lIe siniIe lo navI a
IeavenI
avvivaI on eavlI. TIese
siniIavilies,
in addi
lion lo lIe Jacl lIal lIe OT nevev uses a
Iivd siniIe lo descviIe
a
IeavenI
descenl,
invile lIe
suggeslion
lIal Honevic lvadilions inJIuenced lIe Jovnalion oJ lIe
MavIan
Iaplisn
accounl.38
HI. MaIing Meaning vilI
OveeI MlIoIog
In lIe inlvoduclion lo lIis
avlicIe,
I noled vecenl scIoIavs vIo Iave
avgued
lIal cevlain MavIan nivacIe slovies conlain noliJs Jvon IolI OveeI and
JevisI
Iil
36
In lIe Honevic
pavaIIeIs,
lIe
gods
lIenseIves descend and ascend lo and Jvon lIe
eavlI,
vIiIe in lIe
OospeIs
il is lIe
Spivil,
lIe
IeavenI
povev
oJ
Ood,
lIal descends.
37
MouIlon, SiniIes,
138.
38
Sone scIoIavs suInil lIal MavIs use
oJ siniIe
poinls
lo lIe vovId oJ
apocaIplic sn
IoIisn,
vIeve
eavlII conpavisons appvoxinale
IeavenI
veaIilies. Evnsl
LoIneev
|Bas
Evan
geIiun
des MavIus ?Ievselzl und evII?vl
[MeevK:
15lI
ed.:
O?llingen
VandenIoecI 8l
BupvecIl,
1959], 23)
aIso sees lIe dove as
coning
Jvon
apocaIplic
vools. See aIso BudoIJ
FescI,
Bas MavIus
EvangeIiun |Wege
dev
FovscIung
411: Bavnsladl WissenscIaJlIicIe
BucIgeseIIscIaJl,
1979), 91:
Bavies and
AIIison, MallIev, 1331:
and
Mavcus, MavI,
1159. FescI even
avgues
lIal , as
used
in MavI
110,
vepvesenls
lIe
speciJic apocaIplic pavlicIe
used in
conpavisons
lIal
expIain
lIe
IeavenI
unoIsevvaIIe
lIvougI
lIe oIsevvaIIe. TIe
inage
oJ lIe
leaving
oJ lIe
Ieavens,
lIe voice
Jvon lIe
Ieavens,
and lIe
pavlicIes
use in BeveIalion and olIev
apocaIplic
lexls
|e.g.,
EzeIieI
and
BanieI)
na
invile lIe
apocaIplic veading.
Hovevev,
lIe
nan exanpIes pul
JovlI aIove
suggesl
lIal OveeI
nlIoIog
is anolIev lvadilion Jvon vIicI lIe siniIe in MavIs
Iaplisn
accounl couId Iave devived.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
770
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
evav
lvadilions. SucI scIoIavs laIe
seviousI
lIe nolion lIal eIenenls Jvon IolI
lvadilions ave
pvesenl
Iecause lIe
idenlil
oJ
Jesus
vas
connunicaled
I
and lo
individuaIs Jvon divevse
IacIgvounds.
Nol aII adIevenls lo lIe
Jesus
novenenl
vouId Iave Iad
conpIele JaniIiavil
vilI lvadilionaI
JevisI
vas
oJ
lIinIing,
nov
vouId aII ils
polenliaI
convevls. WIiIe noliJs oJ
JevisI
ovigin
vouId Iave
spoIen
neaningJuII
lo lIose
sleeped
in
JevisI lvadilions,
individuaIs vIo veve JaniIiav
vilI OveeI lvadilions vouId Iave cone vilI lIeiv ovn
snIoIic
univevses as
lIe
cvealed,
passed
on, and veceived slovies aIoul
Jesus.
AccovdingI,
lIe
invesligalion
nov luvns lo
expIove vas
in vIicI
eavI
leIIevs and Ieavevs oJ
OospeI
slovies vIo
veve JaniIiav vilI Honevic lvadilions
na
Iave conslvued lIe
Spivil's
descenl as a
dove in lIeiv
allenpl
lo undevsland
Jesus'
idenlil.
MavI's
Iaplisn
scene
depicls
lIe
Spivil descending
Jvon Ieaven lo eavlI.
AIlIougI
lIis oIsevvalion is
painJuII
oIvious,
il eslaIIisIes a
selling
lIal is nec
essav
Jov a
pvopev
undevslanding
oJ lIe accounl. IndividuaIs vIo veve JaniIiav
vilI OveeI
nlIoIog
vouId Iave Inovn lIal lIe Honevic
gods JvequenlI
cane
dovn Jvon lIeiv
IeavenI
aIodes lo visil lIe eavlI.
Jean-Fievve
Vevnanl noles lIal
lIe
gods lpicaII
assune one
oJ lIvee Jovns
duving
lIese visils.39 He
gvoups
in
one
calegov
lIe inslances in vIicI lIe
gods
eilIev venain Iidden lo aII ov
appeav
undisguised
lo seIecl
individuaIs,
vIiIe
cIusleving
in a
second
calegov
lIe scenes
in vIicI
gods disguise
lIenseIves
as
Iunans.40 In lIe Jivsl
calegov,
lIe
gods
sin
pI
cone lo lIe novlaI
|i.e.,
lIe
do nol assune Iunan
Jovn).
As sevevaI oJ lIe
exanpIes
aIove
indicale,
Honev sonelines inlvoduces sucI visils vilI Iivd
inagev |e.g., ApoIIo
lo Heclov in //. 15.237-45 and TIelis lo AcIiIIes in II. 18.616
17).
In lIese
inslances,
lIe
gods JvequenlI
Ieslov
slvenglI
and/ov
encouvagenenl
upon
lIe
epic
Ievo. FoIIovevs oJ
Jesus
vIose ninds luvned lo lIese
exanpIes
vouId
Iave conceived oJ
Jesus
allaining slvenglI
ov
encouvagenenl
Jov Iis
puIIic ninislv.
WIiIe lIis is one
possiIIe
noliJ lo vIicI lIe siniIe in MavI
na
Iave
poinled,
Vevnanl's second
calegov
Ias
slvongev
associalions vilI MavI's
OospeI.
In lIe sec
ond
calegov, gods
laIe
on lIe Jovn oJ Iunans
so
lIal
lIe na Ieep
lIeiv divine
idenlil
conceaIed vIiIe
lIe
vaII lIe eavlI and
convevse vilI novlaIs. SevevaI
exanpIes
oJ lIis
lpe
veve aIso oJJeved aIove. Foseidon
assunes lIe Jovn oJ
CaIcIas vIen Ie
speaIs
lo lIe lvo
Ajaxes
|II 13.62-65)
and AlIena laIes lIe Jovn
oJ Menles
and, Ialev, Menlov,
vIen sIe convevses vilI TeIenacIus
|II.
1.320 and
3.371-72,
vespecliveI).
IndividuaIs vIo vecaIIed lIese inslances vouId Iave
pev
ceived
Jesus
as
Iaving
a
conceaIed divine
idenlil.
Cevlain
gvannalicaI
and navva
live cIues in lIe
IaplisnaI pevicope
and in olIev
OospeI
slovies vouId Iave divecled
individuaIs lo lIinI oJ
Jesus
in lIese levns.
Anong
lIe eIenenls
poinling
in lIis
diveclion
ave lIe
Spivil's
descenl
e a , lIe
pvocIanalion
oJ Ood in MavI
111,
and lIe
epipIan
al lIe
lvansJiguvalion.
39
Jean-Fievve
Vevnanl,
MovlaI and InnovlaIs CoIIecled
Essas
|ed.
Fvona I.
ZeilIin:
Fvince
lon Fvincelon
Univevsil
Fvess, 1991),
42.
40
IIid.,
42-43.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 771
TIe
Spivils
descenl
e a Ias veceived nucI allenlion.
Exegeles
ave
divided ovev vIelIev lIe
Spivil
vouId Iave Ieen undevslood
I
lIe
pevicope's
cve
alovs and audience lo Ie
descending
lo, inlo,
ov
upon
Jesus.41
A. T. BoIevlson
indicales lIal in lIe Jivsl
cenluv
c.e.,
lIe
pveposilion
e couId
vepvesenl an
oJ lIe
lIvee
aIlevnalives,
especiaII
vIen used vilI a vevI oJ nolion
42
AIlIougI
lIe
posi
lion lIal e
equaIs
lo is nol IeId
I nan,
Vincenl
TaIov avgues
in ils Javov on
lIe Iasis lIal e is
genevaII
vendeved lo vIen il JoIIovs a vevI oJ nolion
43
WIiIe
TaIov
is
vigIl
lo naIe lIis
oIsevvalion,
lIe
pvoIIen
vilI Iis
avgunenl
is
lIal vIenevev MavI uses e vilI a
vevI oJ nolion lo indicale novenenl lo
sonelIing,
lIe conslvuclion
aIvas
laIes an
inpevsonaI oIjecl.44
is MavIs
pveposilion
oJ cIoice lo
designale
novenenl lovavd a
pevsonaI oIjecl45
Move
ovev, eacI line e ov is used in lIe enlive NT
covpus
vilI lIe vevI
a
a?a
|vIicI
is used in MavI
110),
lIis dislinclion is nainlained. In no NT
lexl is a
pevsonaI oIjecl
evev used vilI a
a?a
e lo denole novenenl
lovavd,
nov is an
inpevsonaI oIjecl
evev
used vilI a
a?a

.46 TIeve
Jove,
vIen MavI 110
sas
lIal lIe
Spivil
descends e a
|a
=
pevsonaI
oIjecl),
il is
unIiIeI
lIal lIe
oviginaI
aulIov|s)
and Ieavevs vouId Iave undevslood
e a lo nean lIal lIe
Spivil
descends lo
Jesus.
MavIs uses oJ e aIso
suggesl
lIal Ie did nol inlend lIe
Spivil
lo descend
upon
Jesus.
MavI
enpIos
e
appvoxinaleI
140 lines in Iis
OospeI
and
onI
41
Fov lo Iin see
LoIneev,
MavIus, 23:
and
TaIov,
MavI,
160. Fov
upon
Iin,
see
JacI
Bean
KingsIuv,
TIe
CIvisloIog oJ
MavIs
OospeI |FIiIadeIpIia
Fovlvess, 1983), 62-63: HooIev,
MavI, 43: Mavcus, MavI, 1160:
and
JoIn
B. BonaIue and BanieI
J.
Havvinglon,
TIe
OospeI oJ
MavI
|SF 2:
CoIIegeviIIe,
MN
LiluvgicaI
Fvess,
2002),
65. Fov inlo
Iin,
see Fevdinand
HaIn,
TIe
TilIes
oJ
Jesus
in
CIvisloIog
TIeiv
Hislov
in
EavI CIvislianil
|LullevvovlI
LiIvav:
Nev YovI
WovId, 1969), 293: Edvavds,
Baplisn
oJ
Jesus, 46:
BoIevl H.
Oundv,
MavI A
Connenlav
on
His
ApoIog Jov
lIe Cvoss
|Ovand
Bapids
Eevdnans,
1993), 48:
and M.
Eugene Boving,
MavI A
Connenlav
|NTL:
LouisviIIe Weslninslev
JoIn Knox, 2006), 43,
45.
42
A. T.
BoIevlson,
Ovannav
oJ
lIe OveeI Nev Teslanenl in
LigIl oJ
HislovicaI BeseavcI
|London
Hoddev &
SlougIlon,
1914),
593.
43
TaIov
oIsevves lIal lIis is lIe
case,
excepl
vIen lIe vevI
govevns
lIe sense
oJ lIe
pvepo
silion,
sucI as ils use
vilI e a
|MavI, 160).
44
E.g.,
114: 211: 313, 20: 435: 631: 724: 822: 933: 1314:
elc.
45
E.g.,
15, 40, 45: 213: 38: 515: 651: 914:
elc. TIe one
exceplion
is
645,
?
a a , vIeve lIe
pveposilion
is used in
apposilion
vilI e a
.
TIe
cIange
vas
IiIeI
Jov
slIislic puvposes.
Sone scIoIavs Iave ciled
NigeI
Tuvnevs concIusion lIal lIe JuII nean
ing
oJ e cannol Ie insisled on in MavI Iecause lIe inslances oJ in lIe
OospeI
ave Iiniled
and e
Ias assuned sone oJ lIe dulies oJ
|e.g., KingsIuv, CIvisloIog,
62). Hovevev,
Tuvnev aIso noles in Iis discussion oJ e , as ve
Iave
conJivned,
lIal lends lo Ie used vilI
pevsonaI oIjecls
and e vilI
inpevsonaI oIjecls |NigeI
Tuvnev,
Snlax
[voI.
3 oJ
Janes
H. MouI
lon,
A Ovannav
oJ
Nev Teslanenl
OveeI:
EdinIuvgI
T&T
CIavI,
1963], 256-57).
46
TaIov poinls
lo lIe use oJ a
a?a
e in
JoIn 212:
Acls
715: 1425: 168: 1822:
and 256 lo
suppovl
Iis
avgunenl |MavI, 160).
In eacI oJ lIese cases,
Iovevev,
lIe
suIjecl
oJ lIe
vevI
goes
lo a
pIace,
nol a
pevson.
WIenevev a
a?a
is used vilI
|Acls 1021: 1411:
Bev
1212),
il veceives a
pevsonaI oIjecl.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
772
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
lvice oul oJ lIese inslances can e
indispulaII
nean
upon
in lIe
spaliaI
sense.47
Moveovev,
in neilIev oJ lIese inslances is lIe
pveposilion
used vilI
a
vevI oJ
nolion. In
118,
lIe cvovds
spvead
lIeiv cIoaIs on lIe
gvound
IeJove
Jesus
as Ie
enlevs
JevusaIen.
In
133, Jesus
sils on lIe Mounl oJ OIives.
ConpavaliveI,
viv
luaII evev
line MavI uses e vilI a vevI oJ
nolion,
as Ie does in
110,
lIe
pvepo
silion is lvansIaled as lo ov inlo?and lIe Jovnev Ias
aIvead
Ieen vuIed oul.48
TIus,
lIe
snlax
oJ MavIs
OospeI suggesls
lIal
MavI,
al
Ieasl,
inlended lo
conve
lIal lIe
Spivil
descended inlo
Jesus.49
TIe
pvoIaIiIil
lIal
Jivsl-cenluv
OveeI
speaIevs
vouId Iave conceived oJ lIe
Spivil
as
descending
inlo
|ov
pevIaps upon)
Jesus
suggesls
lIal Vevnanl's second
calegov?lIal
oJ
a
god's assunplion
oJ Iunan Jovn?is a viaIIe
va
in vIicI
lIose JaniIiav vilI OveeI
nlIoIog
couId Iave undevslood lIe
Spivil's
descenl
e a
.
TIe
lendenc
lo lIinI oJ
Jesus
in sucI levns vouId Iave Ieen aided
I
lIe
connonaIil
oJ lIe
nlIicaI
idea lIal
gods
vaII lIe eavlI in Iunan Jovn. An
oJl-ciled
passage
Jvon lIe
Odsse
iIIuslvales lIis idea.
Upon Odsseus's
veluvn lo
Iis Ione in
IlIaca, Anlino?s,
one oJ
FeneIope's
suilovs,
slviIes
Odsseus,
vIo is
disguised
as a
Ieggav.
TIis
pvonpls
anolIev oJ
FeneIope's
suilovs lo venavI
A
poov
sIov,
lIal?Iilling
lIis JanisIed
lvanp
Iad
Iusiness,
iJ Ie
Iappened
lo Ie a
god.
You Inov
lIe go
in
Joveign guise,
lIe
gods
do,
IooIing
IiIe
slvangevs, luvning up
in lovns and sellIenenls lo
Ieep
an
ee
on
nannevs,
good
ov Iad.
|Od. 17.485-87)50
TIis
excevpl
is Iul
one oJ lIe
nunevous lines lIal Honev
depicls gods vaIIing
aIoul on eavlI in Iunan Jovn.51 TIe
passages
oJ inlevesl Jov lIis avlicIe
ave
lIe
47
In
conlvasl,
MavI
connonI
uses e lo denole
upon
in lIe
spaliaI
sense,
e.g.,
426:
639: 730: 86: 1016:
elc.
FuvlIev,
Bavl EIvnan noles lIal a
najovil
oJ lIe MavIan
nanuscvipls
IiIeI cIanged
e lo e in ovdev lo conIal lIe Onoslic cIain lIal
a divine
Ieing
enleved inlo
Jesus
al Iis
Iaplisn
|TIe
OvlIodox
Covvuplion oJ Scvipluve
TIe
EJJecl oJ EavI CIvisloIogicaI
Con
lvovevsies on lIe Texl
oJ
lIe Nev Teslanenl
[Nev
YovI OxJovd
Univevsil
Fvess, 1993], 141).
48
TIe lvo
exceplions
occuv in idionalic
expvessions
534,
go
in
peace,
and
1017,
going
oul on a
jouvne.
49
Uses oJ e in lIe L77 aIso indicale MavIs inlenlions. As noled
aIove,
lIe L77
lpicaII
uses e lo denole lIe
Spivils coning upon
individuaIs
e.g., Judg
310: 1129: 146, 19:
1 San
106: 116:
Isa
112: 3215: 421: 443:
611.
TIeveJove,
MavIs use oJ e lo denole lIe
Spivil
s inlev
aclion vilI
Jesus
suggesls
an inlenlionaI sIiJl in
neaning
Jvon lIe OT.
NonelIeIess,
even iJ sone
Jivsl-cenluv
OveeI
speaIevs
conceived oJ e as
upon
|sucI
a lvansIalion is
gvannalicaII
pos
siIIe),
lIis
undevslanding
vouId sliII coIeve vilI Vevnanls second
calegov
oJ divine visilalion.
Oiven lIe lecInicaI
gvannalicaI possiIiIilies
oJ e , ve velain
upon
as a
secondav
lvansIalion
oplion.
50
Tvans. BoIevl
FilzgevaId,
Honev TIe
Odsse
|Oavden
Cil,
NY
BouIIeda
AncIov,
1961),
338-39.
51
E.g.,
//.
20.81-82:
Od.
7.20: 22.200-235:
and olIevs ciled IeIov
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 773
ones lIal IinI a
god disguised
as a Iunan vilI a
descviplion
oJ lIal
gods
assunp
lion oJ IivdIiIe Jovn
ov
JIigIl.52
In lIe
pveviousI
discussed
passage
Jvon IooI 13 oJ lIe
IIiad,
Foseidon cones
lo lIe lvo
Ajaxes
in lIe Jovn oJ
CaIcIas,
lIe seev,
in ovdev lo
pvovide
lIen vilI
slvenglI
in lIeiv
JigIl againsl
lIe
Tvojans.
Honev vviles lIal
Foseidon,
aJlev
speaI
ing
vilI lIe
lvo,
looI Iis
depavluve
in
JIigIl
IiIe
[ ]
a
sviJl
JaIcon, vIicI,
vis
ing
Jvon
a
Iuge pvecipilous
cIiJJ,
sels oul lo
puvsue
anolIev Iivd acvoss lIe
pIain
|13.62-65).53
SiniIavI,
AlIena's visils lo TeIenacIus in
Odsse
1 and 3
|ciled aIove)
ave aIso
navIed
I
a
Iunan
disguise
and
a
IivdIiIe
depavluve.
In lIe Jivsl
encounlev,
AlIena
assunes lIe IiIeness oJ Menles in ovdev lo
Ieep
Iev lvue
idenlil
a secvel. Because
sIe assunes Iunan
Jovn,
sIe is aIIe lo
speaI JveeI
vilI lIe
unsuspecling
TeIena
cIus. WIen AlIena ends Iev line vilI
TeIenacIus,
Honev
vviles,
So
spoIe
IvigIl-eed
AlIena,
and sIe
depavled, JIing upvavd
as
[ ]
a Iivd
|1.320).
TIis
sane
pallevn
is
vepealed
in lIe
goddess's suIsequenl
visil vilI lIe son oJ
Odsseus.
In lIe second
encounlev,
AlIena assunes lIe
guise
oJ
Menlov,
spends
line vilI
TeIenacIus,
and lIen
depavls
in lIe IiIeness oJ a
sea-eagIe
|3.371-72).54
52
See
MouIlon, SiniIes, 135-39,
Jov a
discussion oJ vIelIev Honevs Iivd siniIes
inpI
an
acluaI
nelanovpIosis
ov
sinpI
lIe nannev oJ
JIigIl.
WIiIe cevlain
passages
do seen lo indicale
nelanovpIoses,
a cevlain
anIiguil
in Honevs siniIes
pevsisls.
A siniIav
anIiguil
exisls in
MavI. Il is nol cIeav vIelIev lIe
evangeIisl
inlends lo descviIe lIe
Spivil
s
Jovn ov nannev oJ
JIigIl
|cJ. KecI,
Spivil
and lIe
Bove, 63-67).
IJ Honev is
an
indicalion,
lIe Jacl lIal
Jesus
sees lIe
Spivils
descenl as a
dove does nol nean
lIal lIe siniIe is
adjeclivaI.
CIavaclevs in Honev aIso
sonelines see lIe
gods'
IivdIiIe ascenls and
descenls,
Iul even in lIese inslances il is
possiIIe
lIal lIe cIavaclevs ave
noling
IivdIiIe
JIigIl
valIev lIan Jovn
|see
nove on lIis
IeIov).
Begavd
Iess oJ vIelIev lIe siniIe in eacI vovI is
adjeclivaI
ov
advevIiaI,
lIe
Iilevav
and lIenalic veIa
lionsIip
Ielveen Honev and MavI venains.
53
Tvans.
FoIIavd, Bivds,
158.
54
See aIso Od.
22.239-40,
vIeve
AlIena,
aJlev
laIIing
vilI
Odsseus
in lIe IiIeness oJ Men
lov,
valcIes Iin IallIe lIe suilovs Jvon a
ceiIing
Iean in lIe IiIeness oJ a svaIIov. MacBonaId
Ias
suggesled
lIal MavI nodeIed Iis
Iaplisn
accounl aJlev AlIena's visil lo TeIenacIus in Od.
1.102-324
|Honevic
Epics,
194-97).
Accovding
lo
MacBonaId,
MavI's accounl
pavaIIeIs
Honev's
Iecause IolI TeIenacIus and
Jesus
Ieavn oJ lIeiv
palevnil I
neans oJ a
JIing nessengev
and
Iecause Honev uses a a a
|davling),
vIicI can
suggesl
lIe
JIigIl
oJ a
Iivd,
lo descviIe AlIena's
descenl. Il does nol
appeav
lIal MavI Ias lIis
speciJic
scene in nind. MacBonaId's nodeI
equales
lIe
Spivil
vilI AlIena and
Jesus
vilI TeIenacIus. TIis neans lIal MacBonaId vouId Ie
pvo
posing
Vevnanl's Jivsl
calegov
oJ divine
visilalion,
in vIicI lIe
deil sinpI
cones lo lIe nov
laI. As I Iave
avgued,
Iovevev,
OveeI
speaIevs
veve nol
IiIeI
lo Iave undevslood lIe
Spivil's
descenl e a in lIis
va.
AccovdingI,
lIe
Spivil's
descenl
inlo/upon
Jesus
Ias nove aJJini
lies vilI AlIena's
assunplion
oJ lIe Jovn oJ Menles
|Jov
vIon MacBonaId does nol even
accounl)
lIan vilI Iev visil lo TeIenacIus. Because MacBonaId
equales
Jesus
vilI
TeIenacIus,
valIev lIan vilI lIe
goddess,
Ie JaiIs lo naIe lIis conneclion.
AddilionaII,
MacBonaId
neveI
oJJevs AlIena's a a a Jvon Ieaven as lIe
pavaIIeI
lo lIe
Spivil's
IivdIiIe
descenl,
Iul I Iave iIIus
lvaled lIal Honev's Iivd siniIes
pvovide
a nucI
slvongev pavaIIeI.
TIus,
il is Iesl lo assune lIal
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
774
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
In lIese Honevic
exanpIes,
a
god
s
Iunan
disguise
is connecled lo lIe
god
s
depavluve
as a
Iivd,
nol lIe
god
s
avvivaI as is lIe case Jov lIe
Spivil
in lIe MavIan
Iaplisn.
NonelIeIess,
lIe
scene in MavI cavvies
enougI pavaIIeIs
lo Honev lo vav
vanl lIe idea lIal
Spivils
IivdIiIe descenl couId Iave
evoIed,
pevIaps
even inlen
lionaII, lIougIls
oJ
descending OInpian gods
in lIe ninds oJ lIose vIo Jivsl
pvoduced
and Ieavd lIe
slov
oJ
Jesus
Iaplisn.55
Honev s neve
juxlaposilion
oJ
gods
in Iunan Jovn vilI Iivd siniIes
pvovides
lIe
necessav
eIenenls
lIvougI
vIicI individuaIs JaniIiav vilI OveeI
nlIoIog
couId Iave associaled lIe
Spivil
s
descenl inlo
Jesus.
As lIese individuaIs loId and/ov Ieavd oJ lIe
Spivil's
avian avvivaI
and
appavenl
union vilI
Jesus,
lIe
na
veII Iave envisioned an
OInpian god's
IivdIiIe descenl lo eavlI and
suIsequenl assunplion
oJ Iunan Jovn. TIe voice
Jvon lIe Ieavens in MavI 111
IiIeI
added lo lIis
suspicion.
TIe voice
sas
lo
Jesus,
You ave
n
son, lIe
IeIoved:
in
ou
I an
veII
pIeased.
In OveeI
nlI,
Zeus
vas
vegavded
as lIe JalIev oJ lIe
gods.
To individuaIs JaniIiav vilI lIe OveeI
pan
lIeon,
Ood
addvessing
Jesus
as
n
son vouId Ie associaled vilI Zeus
speaIing
lo one oJ Iis sons,
sucI as
ApoIIo
ov Hevnes.56 Ood's
pvocIanalion
vouId Iave
Iinled al
Jesus
divine
idenlil I veIaling
lo Iin as JalIev lo son.
SucI a
veading
oJ lIe
Iaplisn
is
suppovled I
lIe
veappeavance
oJ lIe
lopos
oJ
gods
in Iunan Jovn Ialev in lIe
OospeI.
TIe
lvansJiguvalion
in MavI 92-8 Ias
pavaIIeIs
vilI OveeI
nlIoIog
lIal aIso vouId Iave
IiIeI
evoIed
lIougIls
oJ
gods
vaIIing
lIe eavlI in Iunan Jovn. In OveeI
nlI,
il is connon
Jov
gods
vIo nean
dev aIoul eavlI in Iunan
disguise
lo veveaI lIenseIves lo seIecled individuaIs. A
pvoninenl exanpIe
cones Jvon lIe Honevic
Hnn
lo Benelev. As
a
vesuIl oJ
Benelev's
angev
ovev
Iev
daugIlevs
aIduclion,
lIe
goddess goes
lo lIe lovns oJ
nen
disguised
as an
oId vonan. WIen sIe cIooses lo veveaI Iev lvue
idenlil,
Iev
lvansJovnalion is descviIed in levns veniniscenl oJ
Jesus'
lvansJiguvalion
lIe
god
dess
cIanged
Iev slaluve and Iev
Jovn,
lIvusling
oId
age ava
Jvon Iev
Ieaul
spvead
vound aIoul Iev
...
and Jvon lIe divine
Iod
oJ lIe
goddess
a
IigIl
sIone
aJav.57 LiIe
Benelev,
Jesus
veveaIs Iis divine naluve
I lIvusling ava
Iis IunIIe
disguise
in
excIange
Jov
vespIendenl cIolIing.
Fvevious scIoIavs Iave
avgued
lIal
nenIevs oJ MavIs audience vIo veve convevsanl vilI OveeI
nlI
vouId Iave
lIe
aulIov|s)
oJ MavIs
Iaplisn
accounl did nol Iase lIe
pevicope
on Od. 1.102-324
|pace
MacBonaId),
Iul
sinpI incovpovaled
a
popuIav
noliJ Jvon lIe Honevic lvadilion.
55
We sIouId nol
expecl
lIe use oJ lIe noliJ in MavI lo nivvov Honev in
evev
delaiI?nov
does il need lo in ovdev Jov Honev lo Ie lIe
Iilevav lIougIl
vovId Jvon vIicI lIe noliJ devives.
A cevlain anounl oJ inlenlionaI
adaplalion
|and/ov
uninlenlionaI
vavialion)
is lo Ie
expecled
in
inslances oJ inilalion.
56
AdeIa YavIvo
CoIIins,
MavI and His Beadevs TIe Son oJ Ood
anong
lIe OveeIs and
Bonans,
HTB 93
|2000)
86.
57
Honevic
Hnn
2
|To Benelev)
275-79:
lvans.
CoIIins,
Son oJ
Ood,
91. TIis
pavaIIeI
is
ciled aIso
I
Moss,
TvansJiguvalion,
78.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 775
vecognized
Jesus'
lvansJiguvalion
as an
epipIan
oJ a
OveeI
god.58
FuvlIev,
Moss Ias
avgued pevsuasiveI
lIal lIe siniIavilies Ielveen MavIs accounl and OveeI
epipIa
nies ave nol accidenlaI. Il is
IiIeI
lIal MavI
inlenlionaII
nodeIed lIe
lvansJigu
valion aJlev
a
OveeI
epipIan
in ovdev lo acconnodale lIe nenIevs oJ Iis
audience vIo veve nove JaniIiav vilI OveeI lvadilions lIan vilI
JevisI
ones.59
Since lIe
expvess poinl
oJ a OveeI
epipIan
is lo veveaI lo lIe
pviviIeged
cIavaclevs,
as veII as lo lIe
slov's
veadevs and
Ieavevs,
lIal lIe Iunan is
acluaII
a
god,
Jesus'
lvansJovnalion IeJove
Felev, Janes,
and
JoIn
vouId Iave
signaIed
lo lIose
in MavI's audience JaniIiav vilI sucI
epipIanies
lIal
Jesus
loo is a
divine
Ieing
vaIIing
lIe eavlI in Iunan
disguise.
WIen lIe
pvoposaIs
oJ YavIvo CoIIins and Moss ave vead in
conjunclion
vilI
lIe lIesis oJ lIis
avlicIe,
a
uniJing
noliJ in lIe
Iaplisn
and
lvansJiguvalion
cones
lo
IigIl. TogelIev
lIe lvo scenes ecIo lIe connon
OveeI
nlIoIogicaI lopos
oJ
gods vaIIing
aIoul lIe eavlI
disguised
as Iunans. TIe Iivd
epipIan
caIIs lo nind
lIe avvivaI oJ a
god
upon
lIe eavlI vIo
suIsequenlI
laIes
up
Iunan Jovn. TIe
lvansJiguvalion,
in accovdance vilI lIe navvalive JasIion oJ OveeI
nlIoIog,
navIs lIe
poinl
al vIicI lIe
god,
aJlev a
peviod
oJ
secvec,
cIooses lo veveaI Iis/Iev
divine
idenlil
lo a seIecl Jev. In lIe
OospeI,
lIese scenes eslaIIisI a navvalive
pvo
gvession
lIal vouId Iave nade sense lo veadevs and Ieavevs oJ lIe
OospeI
vIo veve
JaniIiav vilI Honevic lvadilions. TIe duaI noliJ vouId Iave
IiIeI
luvned lIese
individuaIs' ninds lo
inages
oJ
gods
in Iunan
Jovn,
lIeveI conpeIIing
lIen lo
lIinI oJ
Jesus
in siniIav levns.60
58
CoIIins,
Son oJ
Ood, 91: Moss,
TvansJiguvalion,
77-83.
59
Moss,
TvansJiguvalion,
69-89.
60
TIe
pvesence
oJ lIis noliJ in MavIs
OospeI
is
suppovled I
lIe Jacl lIal olIev CIvislian
vvilings
naIe use oJ lIis
lopos.
Il is
connonI acInovIedged
lIal lIe LuIan accounl oJ FauI
and BavnaIas in
Lslva
|Acls 148-20)
dvavs on Ovid's
slov
oJ Baucis and FIiIenon
|Melan.
8.612-725).
In lIe Bonan
laIe,
Jupilev
and
Mevcuv
visil lIe IiII
counlv
oJ
FIvgia, disguised
as
Iunans. TIe lvo
gods
venain undelecled unliI
lIe
veveaI lIenseIves lo lIe
vovlI FIvgian
coupIe.
Bean
FIiIip
BecIavd and
An
WovdeInan
vigIlI suggesl
lIal lIese lvo Jealuves in Ovid
|gods
in Iunan
disguise
and lIeiv
suIsequenl
veveIalion)
ave connon
noliJs in OveeI
nlIo
IogicaI
lvadilions. In Iis
adaplalion
oJ lIe Baucis and FIiIenon
slov,
LuIe, lIen,
aIso
appeavs
lo
access lIese connon OveeI eIenenls
|so WovdeInan).
TIe naive
Lslvans
deduce lIal FauI and
BavnaIas nusl Ie
gods
Iased
on
lIe
IeaIing
FauI
pevJovns. AccovdingI,
lIe
Lslvans pvocIain
oJ lIe
nissionavies,
TIe
gods
Iave cone
dovn lo us in lIe IiIeness oJ Iunans
|Acls 1411).
AIlIougI
LuIe veJules lIe
Lslvan
IeIieJ,
Iis neve use oJ sucI a noliJ Iends
suppovl
lo
n
inlev
pvelalion
oJ MavI 110. Fov lIe idea lIal Acls 1411 cones
Jvon lIe Ieavl oJ OveeI
nlIoIogicaI
lvadilion,
see
An
L.
WovdeInan,
CuIluvaI Bivides and BuaI BeaIilies A Oveco-Bonan Conlexl
Jov Acls
14,
in
ConlexluaIizing
Acls LuIan Navvalive and Oveco-Bonan Biscouvse
|ed.
Todd C.
Fennev and CavoIine Vandev
SlicIeIe:
SBLSnS
20:
Boslon
BviII,
2004),
205-32. Fov lIe
opinion
lIal Ovid IinseIJ dvavs
upon
Iong-slanding
OveeI
lopoi,
see Bean
FIiIip
BecIavd,
FauI Oulside
lIe WaIIs A
Slud oJ
LuIes
Socio-OeogvapIicaI
UnivevsaIisn in Acls 148-20
|AnBiI 143: Bone
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
776
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
IV. OveeI MlI and MavIan Secvec
Beading
lIe
Iaplisn
in lIe conlexl oJ OveeI
nlIoIog
aIso adds
a nev
dinension lo lIe scenes
voIe in lIe MavIan
secvec
noliJ. Il is a
veII-Inovn Jea
luve oJ lIe
OospeI
lIal lIe
evangeIisl
veveaIs
Jesus
lvue
idenlil
lo Iis veadevs vIiIe
Ieeping
il a secvel vilIin lIe navvalive ilseIJ.
AccovdingI,
MavI naIes Iis audience
pviv
lo lIe
Spivil's
descenl inlo
Jesus, vIiIe,
al lIe navvalive
IeveI,
Ie veslvicls lIe
oIsevvalion oJ lIis evenl lo
Jesus
aIone
|indicaled
I
lIe
singuIav
e e in
110).
TIis lexluaI cIue vouId Iave
pvesevved
lIe nessianic secvel in an
inpovlanl va
Jov
lIose in lIe audience vIo veve JaniIiav vilI Honevic lvadilions. TIese veadevs
and Ieavevs vouId Iave Ieen avave lIal a
gods
avian
depavluve signiJies
lo
epic
cIavaclevs lIal lIe Iunan
convevsing
vilI lIen vas
acluaII
a
god
in
disguise.61
SucI
epipIanies
occuv in sevevaI oJ lIe
passages
discussed aIove. Foseidons Iivd
IiIe
depavluve
Jvon lIe lvo
Ajaxes
enaIIes lIen lo
idenliJ
lIal il vas nol CaIcIas
speaIing
vilI lIen Iul a
god. Upon
Foseidons
depavluve,
Honev
vviles,
And oJ
lIe lvain sviJl
Aias,
son oJ
OiIeus,
vas Jivsl lo navI lIe
god,
and
JovlIvilI,
spaIe
lo
Aias,
son oJ TeIanon
Aias,
seeing
il is one oJ lIe
gods
vIo IoId
OInpus
lIal
in lIe IiIeness oJ lIe seev IiddelI lIe lvo oJ
us
JigIl
Ieside lIe
sIips?nol
CaIcIus
is Ie
...
Jov
easiI
did I Inov lIe loIens IeIind Iin oJ Jeel and oJ
Iegs
as
Ie venl
Jvon us
|II
13.66-72
[lvans.
Muvva,
LCL]).
TIeve Ias Ieen nucI deIale suv
vounding Ajax's
JinaI
pIvase,
lIe loIens IeIind Iin oJ Jeel and
Iegs,
Iul il is nosl
naluvaI lo assune lIal lIe connenl veJevs lo
Joolpvinls
IeJl
I
a
vaploviaI
Iivd aJlev
laIeoJJ
ov lo Foseidons IivdIiIe
gale.62 BegavdIess,
il is lIe
god's assunplion
oJ Iivd
Jovn
|ov,
al
Ieasl,
lIe
Ajaxes' inagining
lIal Ie Iecane
a
Iivd)
lIal naIes Iin
Inovn.63
FonliJicio Islilulo
BiIIico, 2000),
293.
ConJusing inpvessive
Iunans
|lpicaII
Iecause oJ lIeiv
Ieaul)
Jov
gods
occuvs aIso in HeIIenislic
noveIs:
see LuIe
TinolI
JoInson,
TIe Acls
oJ
lIe
AposlIes
|SF
5:
CoIIegeviIIe,
MN
LiluvgicaI
Fvess, 1992),
248. Fov
exanpIe,
in
7enopIons
An
EpIesian
TaIe,
lIe
peopIe
oJ BIodes IeIieve lIe nain
pvolagonisls,
HaIvocones and
AnlIia,
lo
Ie a visilalion oJ
gods.
TIe
paiv
veceives
vovsIip
and adovalion Jvon lIe BIodians
|1.12).
In
CIavilons CIaeveas and
CaIIivIoe,
sone nislaIe CaIIivIoe Jov
a
goddess
Iecause oJ lIe IeIieJ lIal
ApIvodile
vouId naniJesl IevseIJ in lIe JieIds
|1.14).
61
FoIIavd
oIsevves,
TIe
najovil
oJ lvansJovnalions laIe
pIace
al lIe nonenl oJ
a
god's
avvivaI
ov
depavluve,
vIen a Iivd's sudden
appeavance appavenlI
convinces lIose
pvesenl
lIal a
deil
Iad Ieen
pvesenl
aII lIe line
|Bivds, 155).
SiniIavI
Oevavd Mussies connenls,
On sev
evaI occasions in Honev
ovdinav
nen ov vonen vIo Iave Ieen
IeIpJuI
in sone
va
ov olIev dis
appeav
in lIe end in lIe
sIape
oJ a Iivd and lIus
give
lIenseIves
ava
as
gods
|IdenliJicalion
and SeIJ-IdenliJicalion oJ Oods in CIassicaI and HeIIenislic
Tines,
in
KnovIedge oJ
Ood in lIe
Ovaeco-Bonan WovId
[ed.
BoeIoJ van den
BvoeI,
Tjilze
Baavda,
and
Jaap
MansJieId:
EFBO
112:
Leiden/Nev YovI
BviII, 1988], 3).
62
FoIIavd, Bivds,
58.
63
IIid.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 777
WIen AlIena
speaIs
vilI TeIenacIus in
Odsse
1,
sIe
disguises
IevseIJ as
Menles. Il is
onI
Iev
depavluve
IiIe a
Iivd lIal enaIIes Iin lo
vecognize
Iev lvue
idenlil.
WIen AlIena JIies
ava,
in Iis nind TeIenacIus oIsevved Iev and
nav
veIed,
Jov Ie
suspecled
lIal sIe vas a
god
|1.323).
AlIena's second visil lo lIe son
oJ
Odsseus
JoIIovs a siniIav
pallevn. Buving
lIis
visil,
AlIena assunes lIe Jovn
oJ Menlov and convevses
JveeI
vilI TeIenacIus on
nuIlipIe
occasions.
Hovevev,
nol unliI lIe
goddess depavls
in lIe IiIeness oJ a
sea-eagIe
ave
TeIenacIus and
one oJ
Odsseus's
oId
Jviends, Neslov,
aIIe lo delevnine lIal sIe is a
god
|3.371-72).
WIen
lIe
see
AlIena
JI ava,
Neslov
venavIs, Fviend,
I do nol lIinI
ou
viII Ie
eviI ov
covavdI
iJ
lvuI
vIen
ou
ave
oung
lIe
gods
IooI aJlev
ou
as
ouv
guides.
Fov
lvuI
lIis is no olIev lIan one
oJ lIose vIo Ias an
aIode on
OInpus,
Iul lIe
daugIlev
oJ Zeus
|3.375-78).
In eacI oJ lIese Honevic
passages,
a
god's assunplion
oJ avian Jovn ov
JIigIl
veveaIs lIe
deil's
lvue
idenlil
lo lIose
pvesenl.
Hovevev,
IiIe MavIs
audience,
Honev's audience is
aIvead
avave oJ lIe Iunan cIavaclev's divine
idenlil.
Il is
onI
lIe aclovs in lIe
slov
vIo do nol
possess
an
onniscienl
vievpoinl.
Al lIe
slov
IeveI,
lIe aclovs Ieavn lIe lvulI oJ lIe nallev
onI lIvougI
lIe
god's
IivdIiIe
JIigIl. ConsequenlI,
MavI's veadevs vIo veve
JaniIiav vilI lIis noliJ vouId Iave
Ieen avave lIal iJ olIev cIavaclevs in lIe
OospeI
veve
pviv
lo lIe
Spivil's
IivdIiIe
descenl inlo
Jesus,
lIe
loo vouId Iave Inovn Iis divine
idenlil.
Hovevev,
Iecause il is
onI
Jesus
and lIe
OospeI's
audience vIo see
lIe
Spivil
descend as a
dove,
lIe
secvec
noliJ venains inlacl.
V. InpIicalions Jov
CIvisloIog
TIe
pasl lvenl
lo
lIivl
eavs
Iave
IvougIl
a
decided novenenl
ava
Jvon
lIeios anev as
lIe
Ie
lo MavIan
cIvisloIog.
We Ieed lIe caulions oJ eavIiev scIoI
avs lIal neilIev lIeios anev nov son oJ Ood vas a
Jixed lilIe used lo denole
a
spe
ciJic
lpe
oJ divine-Iunan
Jiguve,
and il is nol
n
inlenlion lo
suggesl
a
MavIan
divine nan
cIvisloIog.64
I do
inlend, Iovevev,
lo
oIjecl
lo lIe conconilanl
novenenl lovavd lIe nolion lIal aII
inagev
in scenes
sucI as
Jesus'
Iaplisn
and
lvansJiguvalion, incIuding inagev
lIal cIavaclevizes
Jesus
as
son oJ
Ood,
is lo Ie
Jound
onI
in OT and
JevisI
IacIgvounds.65
TIe nove
ava
Jvon lIeios anev
64
Fov nolaIIe
avgunenls againsl
a
Jixed divine nan*
Jiguve,
see
W?IJing
von
Mavlilz,

,
TBNT
8339-40:
Bavid L.
Tiede,
TIe CIavisnalic
Figuve
as
MivacIe WovIev
|SBLBS 1:
MissouIa,
MT ScIoIavs
Fvess, 1972):
and CavI
HoIIada,
TIeios Anev in
HeIIenislic-Judaisn
A
Cvilique oJ
lIe Use
oJ
TIis
Calegov
in Nev Teslanenl
CIvisloIog
|SBLBS 40: MissouIa,
MT
ScIoIavs
Fvess, 1977).
65
Againsl KingsIuv, CIvisloIog: Bavv
BIacIIuvn,
TIeios Anev and lIe MavIan MivacIe
Tvadilions A
Cvilique oJ
lIe TIeios Anev
Concepl
as an
Inlevpvelalive BacIgvound oJ
lIe MivacIe
Tvadilions Used
I
MavI
|WUNT 2/40:
T?Iingen
MoIv
SieIecI, 1991):
and
Mavcus, MavI,
1164
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
778
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
sIouId nol aIso insisl on a
luvning ava
Jvon lIe lvue cuIluvaI
pIuvaIil
in vIicI
lIe
OospeI gvev
and vas disseninaled. ScIoIavs vIo insisl on lIis novenenl ave
veluvning
lo a
pve-HengeIian dicIolon
oJ cuIluvaI
sepavalion.
TIis
lendenc
nusl
Ie
vesisled,
and scIoIavs nusl conlinue lo aIIov Jov a conJIalion oJ
IacIgvounds
and
cuIluvaI lvadilions in IolI lIe
OospeIs pvoduclion
and ils
veceplion.
AIIusions sucI
as lIe
Spivil
s avian descenl al lIe
Iaplisn
and
Jesus
epipIan
al lIe
lvansJiguva
lion,
anong
olIev scenes and
pIvases lIvougIoul
lIe
OospeI,
sIouId Ie conceived
oJ in lIe JuIIness oJ lIeiv
Judeo-Oveco-Bonan
cuIluve.
FuvlIev,
iJ sucI
cuIluvaII pIuvaI
aIIusions ave
pvesenl,
il is lIen
necessav
Jov
scIoIavs lo
inquive
aIoul lIe
possiIIe
vesonances,
cIvisloIogicaI
ov
olIevvise,
lIal
sucI
inagev nigIl
Iave Iad in lIe ninds oJ lIose vIo Jivsl
pvoduced
and Ieavd
slovies aIoul
Jesus.
In levns oJ lIe lIesis oJ lIis
avlicIe,
a IooI inlo lIe
Ivoadev,
non-JevisI
Oveco-Bonan cuIluve veveaIs lIal lIe
inage
oJ
OInpian gods
in
Iunan Jovn occuvs in accounls oJ Ievoic
Jiguves
sucI as nivacIe
vovIevs,
vise
nen, and vuIevs.
FevIaps
lIe nosl veII-Inovn
exanpIe
oJ
a nivacIe vovIev vIo
veceives divine allviIulions is
FlIagovas
|sixlI
cenluv
I.c.e.).
In addilion lo
FovpIv
s
pvesevvalion
oJ a NiconacIean Iisl oJ
FlIagovean
nivacIes
|lIivd
cen
luv
c.e.)
in vIicI
FlIagovas
veveaIs lIal Ie is lIe
OInpian ApoIIo,
IanIIicIus
|lIivd
lo JouvlI
cenluv
c.e.)
accesses lIe
lopos
oJ
gods
in Iunan Jovn in a Iisl
lIal vecounls lIe
vas
in vIicI
FlIagovas
vas
vovsIiped.
He vviles lIal sone
vegavded FlIagovas
as
4
one oJ lIe
OInpian
Oods, vIo,
in ovdev lo IeneJil and
covvecl lIe novlaI
IiJe,
appeaved
lo nen oJ lIose lines in Iunan Jovn
|Vil.
FlI.
30).66
AIso in lIe lIivd
cenluv,
FIiIoslvalus vviles lIal
FlIagovas
Ias cevlain
InovIedge
oJ Iis
divinil
Iecause
ApoIIo
Iad cone lo Iin
acInovIedging
lIal Ie
vas lIe
god
[i.e.,
ApoIIo]
in
pevson
|Vil.
ApoII,
I.I).67
FinaII,
Lucian oJ Sanosola
|second cenluv
c.e.),
in a JavcicaI
descviplion
oJ
FlIagovass divinil, cIoseI
iden
liJies
FlIagovas
vilI
ApoIIo
in Iunan Jovn?and does so
I
neans oJ
a
Iivd. A
cocI,
enIivened
I FlIagovas
s
souI,
sas,
Hov
n
souI
oviginaII
IeJl
ApoIIo,
JIev
dovn lo eavlI and enleved
a
Iunan
Iod
and vIal sin il vas condenned lo
expi
ale in lIal
va
vouId naIe
a
Iong slov
|OaII. 18).68
AIlIougI
Lucians accounl is
cevlainI
salivicaI,
Iis cIoice lo access lIe
lopos
denonslvales ils
popuIavil
in lIe
genevaI
cuIluve.
SucI allviIulions
veve nol vesevved
soIeI
Jov nivacIe vovIevs sucI
as
FlIagovas.
BuIevs
aIso,
especiaII
Bonan
enpevovs,
veve
depicled
as
gods
in
Iunan Jovn. In Iis
Odes,
Hovace
inlevpvels
lIe
puvpose
oJ lIe IiJe oJ
Auguslus
as
67. Fov
inslance,
KingsIuv
vviles,iJ
one
pvoIes
lIe
slov
oJ MavI
ilseIJ,
lIe indicalions ave lIal
110 is
pavl
and
pavceI
oJ lIe sane OT and
JevisI
inagev
lIal is so
pvoninenl lIvougIoul
lIe
vIoIe seclion 11-13
|CIvisloIog,
64:
cJ.
37).
66
Tvans.
BIacIIuvn,
TIeios
Anev,
51.
67
TIis lexl is ciled
I
BIacIIuvn,
TIeios
Anev,
46.
68
Tvans.
BIacIIuvn,
TIeios
Anev,
46.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Bixon
Bescending Spivil
and
Bescending
Oods 779
an
epipIan
oJ Hevnes
ov
ApoIIo
WIon oJ lIe
gods
sIaII lIe JoII caII lo lIe
needs oJ lIe
JaIIing enpive?
...
To vIon sIaII
Jupilev assign
lIe lasI oJ
aloning
Jov
ouv
guiIl?
Cone lIou al
IenglI,
ve
pva
lIee,
pvopIelic ApoIIo...
ov
lIou,
vinged
son oJ
Ienign
Maia,
iJ
cIanging lI
Jovn,
lIou assunesl on
eavlI lIe
guise
oJ nan,
vigIl vead
lo Ie caIIed lIe
avengev
oJ Caesav
|Cavn.
1.2.25-44
[lvans.
Bennell,
LCL]).69
In a siniIav
va,
VivgiI
descviIes
Auguslus's
IivlI
lIvougI
lIe Iens oJ
ApoIIos
descenl lo eavlI lo eslaIIisI
peace
TIe Iasl
age
oJ lIe
SiIIs
poen
is nov
cone.
. . .
Nov a nev
oJJspving
is senl dovn Jvon
IigI
Ieaven. Bo
lIou,
cIasle
Lucina,
Javouv lIe IivlI oJ lIe cIiId undev vIon lIe ivon Iveed viII Jivsl cease and
a
goIden
vace avise
lIvougIoul
lIe vovId. Nov sIaII lIine ovn
ApoIIo
Ieav
sva
|EeI 4.4-10).70
TIe cIavaclevizalion oJ
gveal Jiguves
as
OInpian gods
in Iunan Jovn
sug
gesls
lIal il vouId Iave Ieen naluvaI Jov JoIIovevs oJ
Jesus
lo lIinI oJ lIeiv ovn
Saviov in siniIav
calegovies. ExaclI
Iov lIe
pvoducevs
oJ lIe nivacIe
slovies,
lIe
MavIan
evangeIisl,
and lIe
OospeIs
audience vouId Iave conceived oJ lIese
polen
liaI
pavaIIeIs
is
Ieond
lIe
scope
oJ lIe
pvesenl slud.
TIe inlenl Ieve is
sinpI
lo
nole lIal olIev
Jiguves
avound lIe line oJ
Jesus
vIo
veve
pvocIained
lo Ie divine
ov seni-divine veve
aIso
depicled
as
OInpian gods
on eavlI. TIe
lopos
vas a
pavl
oJ lIe cuIluvaI
Iandscape.
VI. ConcIusion
TIe
Spivils
descenl
as a
dove
suggesls
lIe
pvesence
oJ
a
Honevic
Iilevav
noliJ in MavIs
Iaplisn
accounl. SucI
an
inlevpvelalion I
no neans
inlends lo
suppvess
lIe
JevisI
cIavaclevislics oJ lIe MavIan
Iaplisn.
TIe
vepovl
cevlainI
dvavs
on
inages
Jvon lIe OT as veII. TIe
vending
oJ lIe Ieavens and lIe ecIo oJ
Fs 27 vouId Iave
spoIen
lo lIose vIo veve
veII-vevsed in
JevisI
Iilevav
lvadi
lions. TIe
exisling
JevisI
inlevpvelalions
oJ lIe
Spivils
descenl
as a
dove,
Iov
evev,
ave
IacIing
Iecause nosl
exegeles
Iave Jocused loo
inlenlI
on
lIe dove.
B
69
TIis lexl is ciled
I
CIavIes H.
TaIIevl,
TIe
MlI
oJ a
Bescending-Ascending
Bedeenev
in Medilevvanean
Anliquil
NTS 22
|1976)
420.
70
Tvans.
TaIIevl,
MlI,
420. In addilion lo lIese
Iilevav
veJevences,
lIe naleviaI cuIluve
vas
pevnealed
vilI associalions oJ
enpevovs
vilI
OInpian gods
Jov
exanpIe,
coins
|HavoId
MallingI,
Coins
oJ
lIe Bonan
Enpive
in lIe BvilisI
Museun,
voI.
1,
Auguslus
lo VileIIius
[London
BvilisI
Museun, 1923:
vepv., 1965],
103-4
[nos. 637-42],
209-11
[nos. 67-80], elc.):
inscviplions
|e.g.,
IO
11117, 1163, 1206, 1322:
CIO add.
2903-4: elc., ciled
I LiII
Boss
TaIov,
TIe
Bivinil
oJ
lIe Bonan
Enpevov [FIiIoIogicaI MonogvapIs
1: MiddIelovn,
CT Anevican
FIiIoIogicaI
Asso
cialion,
1931],
270, 277:
Viclov
EIvenIevg
and A.
.
M.
Jones,
Bocunenls
IIIuslvaling
lIe
Beigns
oJ Auguslus
& TiIevius
[OxJovd CIavendon, 1949],
85,
no.
117):
and slalues
|e.g.,
lIe SeIasleion
al
ApIvodisias).
On vavious
vas enpevovs
veve conceived lo Ie
godIiIe,
see Sinon B. E
Fvice,
Oods and
Enpevovs
TIe OveeI
Language
oJ lIe Bonan
InpeviaI
CuIl, JHS
104
|1984)
79-95.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
780
JouvnaI
oJ
BiIIicaI Lilevaluve
128,
no. 4
|2009)
sepavaling
lIe
Spivil's
descenl as Jvon lIe
dove,
I Iave aIIoved eacI eIenenl lo
Ie
inlevpveled
on ils ovn levns. TIe dove aIone
na
Ie an ecIo oJ lIe OT. Il
na
Iave caIIed lo nind NoaIs dove
ov IsvaeIs
conpavison
lo a dove in Hosea and olIev
lexls. TIe
Spivil's
IivdIiIe
descenl, Iovevev,
Jinds
no anlecedenl in
JevisI
Iilevaluve.
Fassages
Jvon Honev sIov lIal lIe noliJ dvavs
IavgeI
on OveeI
nlI.
Oiven lIal
OveeI
nlIoIog
uses Iivd siniIes lo
signiJ
lIe avvivaIs and
depavluves
oJ divine
Ieings
on lIe
eavlI,
MavI's
siniIe,
aIong
vilI olIev
nlIoIogicaI
vesonances in lIe
OospeI, appeavs
lo ecIo lIe connon
nlIoIogicaI lopos
oJ
gods
in Iunan Jovn.
SucI
vesonances vouId Iave
expanded
lIe
vas
in vIicI
Jesus'
idenlil
couId Iave
Ieen connunicaled and veceived in lIe
cuIluvaII
divevse vovId oJ lIe Jivsl
cenluv.
This content downloaded from 129.62.12.156 on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:01:16 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions