Some Attempts to Label the Oracula Sibyllina, Book 7

Among the surviving books of the Sibylline Oracles, Book 7 has aroused particular interest because of its allegedly Jewish-Christian and Gnostic character. A. Rzach has described the author of Book 7 as “ein durch die Gnosis beeinflusster, vielleicht aus dem Judentume … hervorgegangener Christ.” J....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Harvard theological review 1972-01, Vol.65 (1), p.91-97
Main Author: Gager, John G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bible
Christian symbolism
Gnostic Christianity
Gnosticism
Jewish literature
Jewish symbolism
Oracles
Parallel lines
Religious literature
Theology
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Summary:Among the surviving books of the Sibylline Oracles, Book 7 has aroused particular interest because of its allegedly Jewish-Christian and Gnostic character. A. Rzach has described the author of Book 7 as “ein durch die Gnosis beeinflusster, vielleicht aus dem Judentume … hervorgegangener Christ.” J. Geffcken regards the book as a product of Jewish Christianity with traces of Gnostic influence. And A. Kurfess, in an article which bids fair to become the standard introduction for English-speaking students of the Sibyllines, calls it “purely Christian,” while also indicating the presence of “gnosticizing views.”. Given the lack of sustained interest in these writings during recent years, I think it not unimportant to examine the adequacy of these labels and to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support them.
ISSN:0017-8160
1475-4517
DOI:10.1017/S0017816000002388