In my introductory post, I mentioned Alan Segal’s book, Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports About Christianity and Gnosticism
On pages 33-35 of his book, Segal cites Mekhilta of Rabbi Simeon ben Ishmael (MRSbY), noting that in MRSbY the two powers in heaven issue is introduced as an exegetical comment on the two statements made about YHWH in Ex. 15:3. MRSbY notes the repetition of the name of YHWH in Ex. 15:3 (”YHWH is a man of war; YHWH is his name”) and explains its significance:
“YHWH is a man of war” is to be interpreted as a descriptive statement referring to God’s manifestation as a young warrior when he destroyed the Egyptians at the Red Sea. “YHWH is his name” is necessary because at Sinai he will reveal Himself as an old man, showing mercy. Hence it is important to realize that the same God is speaking in both cases, though the manifestations look different.
Segal notes that,
The proof-text for these statements is Dan. 7:9ff. which describes a heavenly enthronement scene involving two divine manifestations, “the son of man” and “the Ancient of Days”. . . . Not only does [Dan. 7:9ff.] allow the interpretation that God changes aspect, it may easily be describing two separate, divine figures. More than one throne is revealed and scripture describes two divine figures to fill them.’1
Two observations are critical with respect to this brief summary: (1) the rabbis had a concept, deriving from passages like Exod. 15:3 and Dan. 7:9ff., that there were two powers–two YHWHs as it were–in heaven; (2) both YHWHs could appear as human figures, even simultaneously. These two trajectories are at the heart of my own work, covering the entire Hebrew Bible, to tease out how Israelite religion contained the two powers idea and how it was no violation of the uniqueness of YHWH (monotheism on Semitic terms).2
- Segal, p. 35 ↩
- We will talk about monotheism, polytheism, henotheism, and monolatry in the course of this blog. I don’t think any of the terms are adequate; each lacks precision with respect to what an orthodox Yahwist believed about God. For a full treatment of this issue, see my article (just appeared), “Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? Toward an Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 18.1 (2008): 1-30. ↩
June 27th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Hi Mike,
Do you have any further Rabbinical sources the Segal quotes in his book?
Specifically in regards to how they saw or took for granted that this was infact an accepted doctrine in 2nd temple Judaism.
In the course of your studies have you come across comments or even commentaries made by ancient Rabbis on this issue, beside Philo?
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:13 am
Here are some additional bibliographic items that speak directly to the two powers issue:
1. Alan Segal, “The Two Powers in Heaven and Early Christian Trinitarian Thinking,” pp. 73-95 in The Trinity: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Trinity (ed. Stephen Davis, Daniel Kendall, Gerald O’Collins)
2. Daniel Boyarin, “The Gospel of the Memra: Jewish Binitarianism and the Prologue to John,” Harvard Theological Review 94:3 (2001): 243-284
3. Daniel Boyarin, “Two Powers in Heaven; Or, the Making of a Heresy,” pp. 331-370 in The Idea of Biblical Interpretation: Essays in Honor of James L. Kugel (ed. Hindy Najman and Judith Newman; Brill, 2004)