Monday, June 18, 2018

Non-deities being the recipients of (non-idolatrous) λατρευω in the Sibylline Oracle

Speaking of Adam, Sibylline Oracle 8:444 reads:

Him being yet mortal all things of the world will serve (λατρευσει).

In this text, Adam is said to be the recipient of λατρευω, probably as he was made in the image of God (cf. vv. 442-443).

Elsewhere, in the Greek of the Sibylline Oracle, we find the following instances of persons and objects who are not deity being the recipient of (non-idolatrous) λατρευω:

A great Italian war will blossom forth, whereby the world will serve as slaves under the yoke of the sons of Italy. (Ἰταλὸς ἀνθήσει πόλεμος μέγας, ᾧ ὕπο κόσμος λατρεύσει δούλειον ἔχων ζυγὸν Ἰταλίδῃσιν) (Sibylline Oracle 4:103-104)

 This one who now is in acrostics which give signs of God
 thus written openly, the Savior is, Immortal King, who suffered for our sake.
 Moses typified Him when he stretched out holy arms,
 conquering Amalek by faith, that the people might know him
 to be elect and honorable before his Father God,
 the rod of David and the very stone which he indeed did promise,
 and in which He that believes will have eternal life.
 For not in glory, but as mortal man will he come to creation,
 pitiable, not honored, without proper form, to give hope to the pitiable;
 and he will give fair form to mortal flesh, and heavenly faith to those without faith,
 and he'll give fair form to the man who was fashioned from the first
 by the holy hands of God,
 and whom by guile the serpent led astray unto the fate
 of death to go and knowledge to receive
 of good and evil, so that leaving God he serves the ways of mortals (λατρεύειν ἤθεσι θνητοῖς). (Sibylline Oracle 8:249-263)

For it was no more pointed out again how to serve secret temple and the law (οὐκέτι γὰρ κρυφίῳ τε νόμῳ ναῷ τε λατρεύειν) (Sibylline Oracle 8:307)


 For a related discussion, see: