ברית מילה ב4Q225? הערות על מעתקי סדר ורעיון

In distinction to some previous studies devoted to the so-called 4QPseudo-Jubileesa text, this contribution takes as its starting point the interpretation of 4Q225 2 i 1–2 as related to the circumcision directive (Gen. 17:14). This means that 4Q225 2 i 1–2 and 3–8a exhibit a transposition of materials related to the Abrahamic covenants vis-à-vis their biblical antecedents, Gen. 17 and Gen. 15:2–6, respectively. Studied alongside earlier reviews of Abraham's life that give special prominence to the priestly covenant of Gen. 17 (Neh. 9:7–8 and Sir. 44:19–20), and in relation to what seems to be Pauline polemic (Rom. 4:6–10), this transposition may be linked to Jewish particularistic ideology. The isolation of the promise of descendants (4Q225 2 i 3–8a // Gen. 15:2–6) from the land covenant that follows it in the book of Genesis (15:7–21) has both ideological and exegetical aspects. It is consistent with a tendency discernible in 4Q225 to enhance the impression of Abraham's faith and to present the birth of Isaac as its reward. It could also be an exegetical move, perhaps the first recorded appearance of what was to become a frequently adopted solution to the problems of sequence and coherence in Genesis 15. Finally, due consideration is given to the place of circumcision in a composition that focuses on the lineage from Abraham to Levi and its protection against threats from the angel of Mastema.