Paul's Negotiation of Abraham in Galatians 3 in the Jewish Context: The Galatian Converts - Lineal Descendants of Abraham and Heirs of the Promise

326 Pages·2021·1.769 MB·English

by  Per Jarle Bekken

Per Jarle Bekken
Paul’s Negotiation of Abraham in Galatians 3 in the Jewish Context
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift
für die neutestamentliche
Wissenschaft
Edited by
Matthias Konradt, Judith Lieu, Laura Nasrallah,
Jens Schröter, and Gregory E. Sterling
Volume 248
Per Jarle Bekken
Paul’s Negotiation of Abraham
in Galatians 3 in the Jewish
Context
The Galatian Converts — Lineal Descendants of
Abraham and Heirs of the Promise
ISBN 978-3-11-072192-8
e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-072210-9
e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-072217-8
ISSN 0171-6441
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021931475
Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie;
Detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de.
© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck
www.degruyter.com
Dedicatedtothe memoryofmylateparents, Erna Johanne and Gunnar Bekken

Acknowledgments
TherearepersonsandinstitutionsIowethanksandacknowledgmentsfortheir
supportduringthecompletionofthisbook.IamgratefultotheFacultyofEdu-
cation and Arts, Nord University, for having granted me research time to bring
this book to an end. Thanks are also due to the librarians at Nord University
inBodøandLevanger,whohaveprovidedhelpfulservices.IalsothankTyndale
House,thatmadeitpossibleformetospendthespring2016andtwomonthsin
2018inCambridgeasaVisitingProfessor.Aspecialthankstothelibrarystaffof
Tyndale House for their kind assistance.
IwouldalsoliketothankProfessorsSigurdGrindheim,A.AndrewDas,and
the members of the “Philo and Early Christianity” seminar, SNTS, for valuable
comments on various parts of the work. I am grateful to Professor Thomas
Kazen (University College, Stockholm) for inviting me to present a paper in his
doctoral seminar in September 2019. I owe special thanks to the Publisher De
Gruyter due to the constructive criticism and helpful remarks provided during
the peer review process. Any flaws or shortcomings are my responsibility.
I am once again grateful to Dr. Brian McNeil,who has revised my English.
Lastbutbynomeansleast,IthankEditorialDirectorDr.AlbrechtDöhnert,
for accepting my work for publication in the prestigious series BZNW, and Ac-
quisitions Editor Alice Meroz, for her kind support during the production of
this book.
I dedicate this book to the memory of my late parents, Erna Johanne and
Gunnar Bekken, for the love and encouragement they always offered.
Levanger,January 2021
Per Jarle Bekken
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110722109-001

Contents
Chapter :
Introduction 1
Part One: Philo’s Appropriation of Abraham in De Virtutibus
and De Abrahamo
Chapter 2: Abraham as Foundational Model for Proselytes and the Jewish
Nation 29
Chapter 3: Abraham’s Trust and God’s Oath of Promise: De Abrahamo 262–
273 in Context 63
Chapter 4: Philo’s Negotation of Abraham between the Divine Law in Nature
and the Law of Moses 94
Part Two: Paul’s Appropriation of Abraham in Galatians
3:6–29 in the Jewish Context
Chapter 5: The Appropriation of Abraham in Galatians 3:6–29 117
Chapter 6: Final Summary of the Study 279
Bibliography 284
Index of Ancient Sources 301
Index of Modern Authors 313