The Heavenly Book Motif in Judeo-Christian Apocalypses 200 BCE-200 CE (JSJSup 152), by Leslie Baynes. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2012. Pp. vii + 233. £82.
My
lecturer lent me this fantastic book to write a Biblical Theology of Heavenly
Books, which would have been beyond my ability if it wasn't for this
publication! Baynes provides a comprehensive and stimulating study of the
heavenly books (the book of life, book(s) of deeds, book of fate and book of
action) in biblical literature. The study itself is set within Jacques
Derrida's concept of writing, with reference to Plato's Phaedrus,
who argues that writing is always involved in questions of life and death.[1]
This book
traces the progression of the motif through early biblical literature (Ex.
32:32-33 and Is 4:3) where there was no Jewish concept of eternal life, into
later texts such as Daniel 7-12, which are to do with eternal life (Dn 7:10,
10:21, 12:1). Furthermore, Baynes traces the expansion and development of the
motif in terms of authorship; starting with God in the OT, developing to Enoch
in apocalyptic literature and finally the Son of Man in Revelation (Rev 3:5).
Baynes
provides a convincing argument for the category of a book of action (Zech 5:1-5
and Rev 5:1-8) contra Richard Bauckham, who suggests that the scroll with seven
seals in Rev 5:1-8 and the little scroll that John is told to eat in Rev
10:1-11 are the same scroll.[2]
Baynes compares Rev 10:1-11 with Ezek 2:9-3:3 and categorises these as
‘heavenly letters’.[3]
The concepts
of predestination and determinism frequently appear, but ultimately are left in
tension with the significance of deeds, as the book of deeds continues into use
in Revelation but the book of fate is left out of the NT. In Revelation,
however, the book of life takes on the role of the book of fate (Rev 13:8 and
17:8). This tension is ultimately left unresolved; a tension that I believe is
a reflection of the biblical witness.
Baynes’
writing style is accessible with a well structured approach of OT, ‘Inter-Testamental’,
NT and early Christian writings. She includes discussions on the origin of the
motif, positing Babylonian tablets of fate, as well as citizenship lists and
royal records of deeds (Neh 7:5, Esth 2:23 and 6:1-3).[4]
Leo Koep’s Das himmlische Buch…, is an important
text for Baynes’ study but is sadly unavailable in English. If I ever have time
I might put the monograph on here.[5]
Paul Shalom has also written an interesting article on this subject, and
happily in English![6]
I strongly recommend
this work for all studies on the heavenly book motif and the concepts of
writing, fate, determinism and predestination in biblical literature.
Google books preview here.
[1] Jacques Derrida, “Platos Pharmacy,” in Dissemination (trans. Barbara Johnson; Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1981), 65-171.
[2] Richard
Bauckham, The Climax of Prophecy
(Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1993), 238-66. Cf Leslie Baynes, “Rev 5:1 and Rev
10:2a, 8-10 in the Earliest Greek Tradition,” JBL 129 (2010): 801-16.
[3] This
seems to demand further study than the brief explanation on pages 52-54.
[4] Baynes, Heavenly, 46-51.
[5] Leo Koep, Das himmlische Buch in
Antike und Christentum (Theophaneia: Beiträge zur Religions und Kirchengeschichte des Altertums
8; Bonn: Peter Hanstein Verlag, 1952).
[6] Shalom Paul, “Heavenly Tablets and the Book of Life,” JANES 5, (1973):
347. Kathleen M. O’Connor, “Jeremiah,” in Oxford
Bible, 487.
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