Interpretations of the Name Israel in Ancient Judaism and Some Early Christian Writings From Victorious Athlete to Heavenly Champion

by Hayward, C. T. R.

• ISBN13: 9780199242375
• ISBN10: 0199242372
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-08-11
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Ancient peoples regarded names as indicative of character and destiny. The Jews were no exception. All Jews descended from Jacob, who was given the name Israel. The Bible seemed to explain this name as having to do with struggle. But generations following the Bible found in Israel references to seeing God, singing, ruling, being upright, angelic qualities, and much more besides. This book examines those explanations, and attempts to show how they came to be adopted and why.

Author Biography

C. T. R. Hayward is Professor of Hebrew at the University of Durham.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	viii
Introduction	1	(329)
1. The Hebrew Bible and Jacob's Change of Name	18	(20)
2. Jacob's Change of Name as Represented by the Septuagint Translators	38	(53)
3. Days Without Number: Jacob, Israel, and Jesus ben Sira	91	(21)
4. Jacob Becomes Israel: The Story as Told by the Book of Jubilees	112	(44)
5. The One Who Sees God: Israel According to Philo of Alexandria	156	(38)
6. The Name Israel, Philo, and the Prayer of Joseph	194	(26)
7. Jacob Becomes Israel: The Account of Flavius Josephus	220	(21)
8. Jacob's Change of Name Expounded in Rabbinic Texts	241	(69)
9. New Testament Engagements	310	(20)
10. Some Patristic Approaches to the Name Israel	330	(22)
Conclusion	352	(7)
Bibliography	359	(12)
Index	371