Homer or Moses? A Hellenistic Perspective on Moses’ Throne Vision in Ezekiel Tragicus

Moses' throne vision has strong visual appeal, yet its relationship to contemporary material culture has been absent from the wide-ranging scholarly debate on this scene. This essay draws attention to the hellenistic iconography of Homer as sceptred prince of poets. It suggests that Ezekiel Tragicus engaged with this widespread image in portraying Moses in this scene. The significance of the visual analogy is supported by the prophetic, royal, divine and even literary roles both figures have when they are presented in this way, and by the evidence that Jews more widely took an interest in the claims, achievement and challenge of Homer. Copyright © Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies