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Re: orion-list RE: orion-digest V2000 #59
David Hindley writes:
> Have you also considered the "History of the Rechabites", translated
> by J. H. Charlesworth, with critical notes, in _Old Testament
> Pseudepigrapha_,vol 2, 1985, pp. 443ff?
David, how coincidental about your mentioning Charlesworth's book:
1) I quoted several passages from the History of the Rechabites on Orion.
At the urging of the moderator, I received written permission from J.H.
Charlesworth to quote even MORE liberally from this work.
2) If you look the book up at www.Amazon.com, you will find a review
of this book.
3) The "History" is actually a sort of legendary story about the
Rechabites,
one might say "a la Josephus," because the story brings us to a "sacred
isle"
- - where they await to shed their bodies so their souls can travel to
Heaven, and where, it would seem, non-Rechabite souls can also sojourn
before going to Heaven. As translated, the "History" is a
Jewish/Christian text, but it seems that the
Christian elements have been tagged onto the front and the end, and that
central portions may indeed be quite old (pre-Christian).
The book is a quick read, and makes very interesting connections to
ascetic practices of Essenes and an amazing similarity to the lifestyle
of Bannus as mentioned by Josephus.
George Brooks
Tampa, FL
For private reply, e-mail to George Brooks <george.x.brooks@juno.com>
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