Abstract
dc:description.abstractIn the first Chapter of this the sis, the basic problem of the Odes of Solomon, which has led to very different accounts of their provenance since their discovery in 1909, is discussed: the vagueness of the language which the odist employs. In the second Chapter, the worship of the community and the pattern of ministry within it are discussed: although the odist* s ministry is unparalleled in other communities, a study of the reminiscences of the Old Testament in the Odes shows that he is aligned with second-century Christian writers. In the third Chapter, a series of comparisons of the Odes with other literature suggests that they 'fit' well into second-century Christianity. Their links to the literature of Qumran, to the canonical gospels and Johannine literature, to Ignatius, and to gnostic literature, are discussed. In the fourth Chapter, the theological isolation of the odist is discussed by means of a study of the use of individual nuptial imagery in the Odes and a study of the Christological language he uses; but their links to second-century Christianity are seen in a study of Odes 27 and 42:1f. The conclusion drawn from this study is that previous attempts to identify the provenance of the Odes concentrated too much on links to one body of literature while ignoring other significant parallels. It is only when they are considered as part of the whole spectrum of intertestamental Judaism and early Christianity that their provenance can be assessed. The conclusion of the thesis is -that they are best dated in the second quarter of the second century A.D.
Degree
thesis:*- Name dc:type.qualificationname
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
- Doctoral
- Grantor dc:publisher.institution
- University of Cambridge
- Year dc:date.issued
- 1977
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Mcneil, Brian
Rights
dc:rightsIdentifiers
dc:identifier.*- DOI dc:identifier.doi
- https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.117203
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/382363