Saturday, January 15, 2022

Phinehas’ Exemption from Death in Pseudo-Philo (First Century A.D.)

The narrative of Phinehas in the book of Numbers (ch. 25) is a personal favourite of mine, as it, especially in light of Psa 106:30-31, refutes Reformed theology. For a discussion, see:

 

Response to a Recent Attempt to Defend Imputed Righteousness

 

In the first century A.D. text, Pseudo-Philo, we read of Phinehas’ exemption from death in ch. 48 which would be reflective of the high view of Phinehas held by those contemporary with the authors of the New Testament texts:

 

48 1* And in that time Phinehas laid himself down to die, and the Lord said to him, “Behold you have passed the 120 years that have been established for every man. And now rise up and go from here and dwell in Danaben on the mountain and dwell there many years. And I will command my eagle, and he will nourish you there, and you will not come down to mankind until the time arrives and you be tested in that time; and you will shut up the heaven then, and by your mouth it will be opened up. And afterward you will be lifted up into the place where those who were before you were lifted up, and you will be there until I remember the world. Then I will make you all come, and you will taste what is death.” And Phinehas went up and did all that the Lord commanded him. Now in those days when he appointed Eli as priest, he anointed him in Shiloh. 3* Now in that time when he went up, then the sons of Israel were celebrating Passover, and they commanded the sons of Benjamin, saying, “Go up and get wives for yourselves, because we cannot give you our daughters. For we made a vow in the time of our anger, but let it not happen that one tribe be blotted out from Israel.” And the sons of Benjamin went up and seized for themselves wives and built for themselves Gabaon and began to dwell there. 4* And while the sons of Israel were at rest in the meantime, they had no leader in those days, and each one did what was pleasing in his own eyes. These are the commandments and judgments and testimonies and manifestations that were in the days of the judges of Israel, before a king ruled over them. (Daniel J. Harrington, "Pseudo-Philo," in James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 2 vols. [New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985], 2:362-63)