Monday, November 4, 2019

A. Keith Thompson on the Rebuttal of the dualism of God in the Jerusalem Talmud


In his interesting book on the origins of monotheism, A. Keith Thompson (a Latter-day Saint scholar) wrote the following about the Jerusalem Talmud’s attempt to explain away some texts that would indicate a theology other than strict unitary monotheism:

Rebuttal of the dualism of God in the Jerusalem Talmud

The issue of the possible dualism of God is introduced in the Jerusalem Talmud by a question put to the Rabbi Samlaï (Jerusalem Talmud, 44) by “some bad men.” His interlocutor asks – ‘How many Gods created the universe” (Ibid., 150) which the context confirms is a reference to the use of the plural “us” in the standard translation of Genesis 1:26 into English as – “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Ibid., 151), and to Joshua 22:22 where God is referred to as “The Lord God of gods”.

Rabbi Samlaï responds with references to Deuteronomy 4:32 and Genesis 1:1 though with clarifications from the questioners’ references and some others. His answers are avowedly monotheistic. The references to God in Genesis 1:1 and Deuteronomy 4:32 to God as creator are both in the singular and the verb used confirms the fact. Similarly, he explains that in Genesis 1:26 the fact that God is singular is confirmed in the following verse 27 where the creation of man by God in the singular is confirmed by the use of the personal pronouns “He” and “his” when the plan or creation is carried into effect. The same answer is given in relation to Joshua 22:22 – the verb used in the original language text denotes God in the singular and the Rabbi Samlaï puts the matter to bed by saying the confusion has arisen because God has multiple names, just as their emperor has three names – “Caesar, Augustus or Emperor” (Ibid.) The discussion in the Jerusalem Talmud continues with the Rabbi Isaac explaining that the confusing plural had been used “to show that several degrees of holiness are meant” (Ibid.) (A. Keith Thompson, Trinity and Monotheism: A historical and theological review of the origins and substance of the doctrine [Redland Bay, Australia: Modotti Press, 2019], 40-41)