Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Catholic Scholar Steven C. Smith on Adam as “High Priest”



The second chapter of Genesis presents clues that Adam is not merely a horticultural figure, but a priestly figure, chosen by God as the High Priest of Eden . . . Targum Neofiti is an early translation from Hebrew into Aramaic, and it is . . .instructive. The rending of Genesis 2:15 is typical of early Jewish concepts of Adam, depicted in priestly language. There, Targum Neofiti describes Adam as being placed in the Garden “to toil in the Law and to observe its commandments.” This expression is intended to evoke priestly rigor, and calls to mind similar descriptions of Levitical priests in the Book of Numbers. The translation of Targum Neofiti at Genesis 2:19 presents yet another example. At this point, the Targum explicitly states that in naming the animals, Adam used “the language of the Sanctuary.” . . . On the notion of Adam’s possible priestly role—that is, in preventing that which is unclean to trespass into the “gates” of the Garden sanctuary—another text from Genesis 2 requires some attention. The Hebrew term tardemah (“deep sleep”) in Genesis 2:21 with respect to Adam’s rest suggests the author’s intention to indicate the passing of time, such that Ada—who was created on the sixth day—awakens to discover Eve, given to him by God on the seventh day. In such a reading, the gift of Eve on the Sabbath would place Eve near the center Adam’s perfected, priestly world. Out of his side, and by his side, he would freely roam the garden, preserving and protecting the boundaries of the Garden: seeing to the continual state of holiness all that was within the sanctuary, and that all unclean things were kept outside the sanctuary.

While the timing of the creation of Eve remains unclear, the following is clear. Adam, the high priest of Eden, failed to fulfill his end of the covenant. When the most unclean Serpent (Hebrew, nahash) trespassed the boundaries of the Garden sanctuary, and failed to preserve and protect the holiness of the Temple, “Adam stepped aside and did not guard the garden sanctuary or his wife from the evil it represented.” One Catholic theologian opines that “Adam’s failure to engage this demonic serpent in battle was the result of his unwillingness to lay down his life in defense of the garden Sanctuary . . . he failed to offer his life as a priestly sacrifice to God” (Michael Barber, Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom [Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road, 2001], 44).

In the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews suggests that something similar when it writes of “the fear of death” that overcomes men. An identification with Adam seems plausible, if not likely: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage” (Heb 2:14) . . . other texts beyond Genesis are worthy of consideration. For example, in Exodus, Moses is commanded to fashion precious gems for the temple and for Aaron’s vestments, both of which reflected the glory (kāvôd) of God himself, as several texts from Exodus make clear: “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother for glory (kāvôd) and for beauty” (Exod. 28:2); and “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory (kāvôd) and beauty” (Exod. 28:40).

The term used here for “glory” (kāvôd) is standard terminology “for God’s glorious theophanic revelation of himself to Israel at Sinai, at the Tabernacle, and at the end of time” (Gregory Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission, 41-42). Genesis does not portray Adam dressed in the glorious robes of the high priest of the later Temple, yet Ezekiel does, and stops short of referring to him as an angelic being: “You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked” (Exod. 28:14).

Likewise, texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls depict the glory of Adam: “Adam, our father, you fashioned in the image of your glory . . . the breath of life you blew into his nostril, and intelligence and knowledge in the Garden of Eden, which you had planted. You made [him] govern . . . and so that he would walk in a glorious land . . . he kept. And you imposed on him not to turn away  . . he is flesh and to dust” (4Q504). And elsewhere, “Remember Adam, please, that all of us are your people . . . You are in our midst, in the column of fire and in the cloud your holy walks in front of us, and your glory is in our midst” (4Q504).

Similarly, the Aramaic Targums replace “garments of skin” in Genesis 3:21 (Gen. 3:21) with “garments of glory,” as in this text: “And the Lord God made garments of glory for Adam and for his wife from the skin which the serpent had cast off.” (Steven C. Smith, The House of the Lord: A Catholic Biblical Theology of God’s Temple Presence in the Old and New Testaments [Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press, 2017], 81, 82-83, 85-87)