The Apostle Paul's reference to the 'tongues of angels' (1 Cor 13.1) has always aroused curiosity, but it has rarely been the object of a history-of-traditions investigation. Few readers of Paul's words are aware of the numerous references and allusions to angelic languages in Jewish and Christian texts. John C. Poirier presents the first full-length study of the concept of angelic languages, and the most exhaustive attempt to assemble the evidence for that concept in ancient Jewish and early Christian texts. He discusses possible references to angelic languages in the New Testament, pseudepigraphic writings (both Jewish and Christian), the Dead Sea scrolls, rabbinic texts, patristic references, magical writings, and epigraphy. The discussion is divided between those witnesses that understand angels to speak Hebrew, and those that understand angels to speak an esoteric heavenly language.

Born 1963; 1993 ThM in New Testament at Duke University; 2005 Doctor of Hebrew Letters in Ancient Judaism at the Jewish Theological Seminary (NY); named Chair of Biblical Studies at the newly forming Kingswell Theological Seminary (OH).

Autorentext

Born 1963; 1993 ThM in New Testament at Duke University; 2005 Doctor of Hebrew Letters in Ancient Judaism at the Jewish Theological Seminary (NY); named Chair of Biblical Studies at the newly forming Kingswell Theological Seminary (OH).

Klappentext

The Apostle Paul's reference to the 'tongues of angels' (1 Cor 13.1) has always aroused curiosity, but it has rarely been the object of a history-of-traditions investigation. Few readers of Paul's words are aware of the numerous references and allusions to angelic languages in Jewish and Christian texts. John C. Poirier presents the first full-length study of the concept of angelic languages, and the most exhaustive attempt to assemble the evidence for that concept in ancient Jewish and early Christian texts. He discusses possible references to angelic languages in the New Testament, pseudepigraphic writings (both Jewish and Christian), the Dead Sea scrolls, rabbinic texts, patristic references, magical writings, and epigraphy. The discussion is divided between those witnesses that understand angels to speak Hebrew, and those that understand angels to speak an esoteric heavenly language.

Zusammenfassung
Der Bezug des Apostels Paulus auf die "Engelszungen" (1. Kor. 13,1) hat schon immer eine gewisse Neugier geweckt, selten war er jedoch Gegenstand einer traditionsgeschichtlichen Untersuchung. Wenige Leser von Paulus' Texten sind sich der vielfältigen Bezugnahmen und Anspielungen zu Engelssprachen in jüdischen und christlichen Texten bewußt. John C. Poirier untersucht das Konzept der Engelssprachen erstmals ausführlich und versucht eingehend, Belege für dieses Konzept in antiken jüdischen und frühchristlichen Texten zusammenzutragen. Dazu erörtert er mögliche Anspielungen auf Engelssprachen im Neuen Testament, in sowohl jüdischen als auch christlichen pseudepigraphischen Schriften, in den Schriftenrollen vom Toten Meer, rabbinischen Texten, patristischen Bezügen, magischen Schriften und in der Epigraphik. Dabei wird unterschieden zwischen denjenigen, die davon ausgehen, daß die Engel Hebräisch sprechen, und denjenigen, die meinen, daß Engel eine esoterische oder himmlische Sprache sprechen.