Paralipomena Jeremiah

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The book Paralipomena Jeremiae (Greek: What was left out in the Book of Jeremiah ; also: 4. Baruch ; Paraleipomena Ieremiou ; abbreviated: 4Bar or ParJer) is one of the so-called pseudepigraphs of the Old Testament . It is a Jewish pseudepigraphic script that was probably created in the early 2nd century AD, apparently during or shortly after the 2nd Jewish-Roman War, 132–135 AD.

The relatively exact dating results from the unusual length of Abimelech's sleep mentioned in the text , namely 66 instead of the usual 70 years (for the duration of the Babylonian exile ). In connection with the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD), this points to the year 136 AD, which is consistent with the content of the book (destruction of the temple).

The script is ascribed to the biblical figure Baruch , but is certainly not written by him. Today the book is not counted in the Jewish or Christian Bible canon , but is recognized by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church .

Text transmission

The text has been preserved in one long and one shortened version. The long version has come down to us in Greek , Ethiopian , Armenian and Church Slavonic manuscripts; the abridged version exists in Greek, Romanian and Church Slavonic copies.

Similar to the Greek Baruch Apocalypse , there seems to have been a later Christian editing of the originally Jewish text.

The text of the book seems to be dependent on the (older) Jewish writing History of the Babylonian Exile, preserved in Coptic .

content

Similar to 2Bar and 3Bar (the Syrian and Greek Baruch apocalypse), the focus of the text is the destruction of the Jerusalem temple (supposedly that of 586 BC). The main characters are the prophet Jeremiah and his disciple Baruch.

God tells Jeremiah that the city is about to be destroyed. Jeremiah and Baruch see angels opening the city gates at night. Jeremiah is assigned to hide the high priest's robes in the earth. The Chaldeans conquer the city, and Jeremiah follows part of the people into exile in Babylon, while Baruch remains in Jerusalem (cf. the content of the Syrian Baruch Apocalypse (2Bar) ). Abimelech (cf. Jeremiah 38: 7) falls into a 66 year sleep. When he wakes up, he finds a basket of fresh figs next to him - which is a miracle since the season for figs is over. Baruch and Abimelech meet again and try to communicate with Jeremiah in Babylon. An eagle brings Baruch's letter to Babylon (cf. 2Bar). Jeremiah in Babylon foretells the end of the exile and the Israelites are returning to Jerusalem. In the final chapter, Jeremiah foretells the coming of the Messiah in the form of Jesus , which is certainly a later Christian addition.

See also

Web links

Wikisource: The Paralipomena Jeremiae in the translation by Paul Rießler  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Manuscripts n. 6 and n. 34 of the Jerusalem Taphos Library, published in Harris JR The Rest of the Words of Baruch: a Christian Apocalypse of the year 136 AD, The text revised with an Introduction , London-Cambridge 1889
  2. ↑ n. AF, IX, 31 of Biblioteca Braidensis of Milan, published in 1868 by Ceriani
  3. ↑ N. 920 of Etchmiadzin Library dated 1465, published by in 1895 Ter Mkrtcian
  4. ↑ E. Turdeanu: Apocryphes slaves et roumain de l'Ancient Testament. Leiden 1981
  5. ^ KH Kuhn: A Coptic Jeremiah Apocryphon. Le Muséon 83 (1970)
  6. ↑ Rosenstiehl: Histoire de la Captivité de Babylone, Introduction, traduction et notes: Strasbourg 1980