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Deuterocanonical Literature as a Lens Into the Ancient World
By philhigley | November 20, 2008
Below is a passage from one of my favorite works of deuterocanonical literature.
Ειπεν δε αυτω ο αγγελος ου μεμνησαι των λογων ων ενετειλατο σοι ο πατηρ σου υπερ του λαβειν σε γυναικα εκ του γενους σου και νυν ακουσον μου αδελφε διοτι σοι εσται εις γυναικα και του δαιμονιου μηδενα λογον εχε οτι την νυκτα ταυτην δοθησεται σοι αυτη εις γυναικα. και εαν εισελθης εις τον νυμφωνα λημψη τεφραν θυμιαματων και επιθησεις απο της καρδιας και ηπατος του ιχθυος και καπνισεις και οσφρανθησεται το δαιμονιον και φευξεται και ουκ επανελευσεται τον αιωνα του αιωνος. οταν δε προσπορευη αυτη εγερθητε αμφοτεροι και βοησατε προς τον ελεημονα θεον και σωσει υμας και ελεησει μη φοβου óτι σοι αυτη ητοιμασμενη ην απο του αιωνος και συ αυτην σωσεις και πορευσεται μετα σου και υπολαμβανω óτι σοι εσται εξ αυτης παιδια. και ως ηκουσεν Τωβιας ταυτα εΦιλησεν αυτην και η ψυχη αυτου εκολληθη αυτη σφοδρα.
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November 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Wow. What can I say. That is truly enlightening.
November 20th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Is there a reason why you are quoting the shorter Tobit GI instead of GII? I suppose ever since GII was found at Qumran, people have considered it overwhelmingly superior to the shorter Greek I. Either way, I think this passage clearly shows why Tobit is deuterocanonical and not canonical.
Gospel of Thomas (114) is a good one too!
November 20th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
The Qumran document was in Hebrew, whereas the one I’m quoting is from the LXX, which is evident. I’m not on the side that thinks the Qumran documents are superior to the LXX. I think many biblical scholars are starting to side on the credibility of the LXX more than before, as is the case with Bruce Waltke’s commentary on Proverbs—and he’s a Hebrew scholar, hehe. For the most part, I trust the LXX any day over the Qumran docs. I took a Hebrew class on the Qumran docs and I find them to be extremely helpful, but still deficient when compared with the MT and the LXX. Either way, what a cool book, huh.
Also, you’re right about it not being canonical. It’s odd when certain theologians try and assert that this literature is Canon. It is not. But be that as it may, it’s sure fun to read, and, as I said, it can be a lens into the ancient world.
As for the Gospel of Thomas, that’s a very good read. A majority of NT scholars believe that some of the saying are probably legitimate. In the end, however, it’s clearly a gnostic gospel and therefore disqualified for authoritative use, as it were.
Thanks for reading my blog, Wyatt. I appreciate it.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Tim, I’m going to come over and serenade you with some of the Greek Classics, haha. You’ll melt like better before my eyes. Wait, that sounds weird.
Football, baseball, monster trucks, ultimate fighting, etc…
haha