"Son of Man": Early Jewish Literature

In pre-Christian Jewish writings, “Son of Man” was not a title, and it certainly did not indicate divinity. It was simply an expression for a man. Yet the term has held considerable interest among scholars of Christology for its use in describing Jesus in the gospels. And among those studying messianism in Second Temple Judaism, consensus about the valences of “Son of Man” in Scripture remains elusive.
In the first volume of this landmark study, Richard Bauckham pushes the conversation forward, explicating the phrase “Son of Man” as it appears in Jewish interpretations of the book of Daniel and in the apocryphal book of 1 Enoch. With philological precision and sensitivity to his sources, Bauckham attunes us to the realities of early Jewish eschatology.
Thorough and comprehensive, “Son of Man,” vol. 1, offers scholars a solid basis for understanding the context of the messiah in the centuries leading up to Jesus. Along with the forthcoming second volume, which parses the meaning of “Son of Man” in the Gospels, Bauckham’s work is essential for understanding one of the most widely used yet misunderstood phrases in the Bible.

Table of Contents
List of Tables
Preface
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Part 1: The Parables of Enoch
1.1. Introduction to the Parables of Enoch
1.2. The Messianic Figure (“Son of Man”) in the Parables of Enoch
1.3. The Messianic Figure in the Eschatological Narrative of the Parables of Enoch
1.4. The Identity of “That Son of Man”
1.5. Conclusions on the Messianic Figure in the Parables of Enoch
1.6. The Date of the Parables of Enoch: A Preliminary Discussion
1.7. The Place of Composition of the Parables of Enoch
Part 2: Interpretation of Daniel 7 in Second Temple–Period Judaism
2.1. Introduction to Jewish Interpretations of Daniel 7
2.2. The Greek Versions of Daniel 7
2.3. The Oldest Interpretation of Daniel 7: 4Q246 (4QAramaic Apocalypse)
2.4. Interpretation of Daniel 7 in Sibylline Oracles Book 5
2.5. Interpretation of Daniel 7 in the Apocalypse of Ezra (4 Ezra)
2.6. A Messiah from the Past in Rabbinic Traditions
2.7. A Context for the Parables of Enoch
2.8. Interpretation of Daniel 7 in the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (2 Baruch)
2.9. Rabbi Aqiva on Daniel 7
2.10. The Significant Absence of Daniel 7 in the Works of Josephus
2.11. Conclusions on Jewish Interpretations of Daniel 7
Bibliography
Indexes