Preliminary Material /Francis T. Fallon --Introduction /Francis T. Fallon --The Relationship of the Two Accounts : A Common Tradition /Francis T. Fallon --The Sabaoth Account in NatArch /Francis T. Fallon --The Sabaoth Account in OnOrgWld /Francis T. Fallon --Conclusion /Francis T. Fallon --Select Bibliography /Francis T. Fallon --Indices /Francis T. Fallon.

This volume describes that part of the rich literary production of ancient Judaism which was not contained in the Hebrew Bible nor in rabbinic literature. These writings originated in the Second Temple period, which proved highly creative in the midst of strong external influences and internal movements.Prime example are the Dead Sea Scrolls, documents of an extremely separatist sect. Their discovery in 1947 revolutionized our understanding of Second Temple Judaism and its literature. The scrolls appear more or less related in spirit to a group of writings trasmitted by Christianity and known as the Pseudepigrapha. Yet another group are the Apocrypha, closely related to later biblical writings and incorporated within the Greek Old Testament. Finally, the encounter with Greek culture is documented by Jewish authors writing in Greek, notably Philo and Josephus.After a historical outline which sets the stage, the chapters of this book describe and analyse these documents. Selective bibliographies for further reading conclude the chapters.

This volume is the first to survey and systematically evaluate the history of scholarship on the relationship between Gnosticism and Merkabah mysticism. In addition, it offers new interpretations on primary sources and suggests topics for future research.

Preliminary material /R. Van Den Broek and M. J. Vermaseren -- LIST OF PROFESSOR QUISPEL'S PUBLICATIONS /R. Van Den Broek and M. J. Vermaseren -- TRACES OF AN ALEXANDRIAN ORPHIC THEOGONY IN THE PSEUDO-CLEMENTINES /J. VAN AMERSFOORT -- THE RELIGIO-HISTORICAL RELEVANCE OF LK 20:34-36 /UGO BIANCHI -- THE CREATION OF ADAM'S PSYCHIC BODY IN THE APOCRYPHON OF JOHN /R. VAN DEN BROEK -- DAĒNĀ, LICHTJUNGFRAU, ZWEITE GESTALT /CARSTEN COLPE -- THE ANGELS OF THE NATIONS AND THE ORIGINS OF GNOSTIC DUALISM /IOAN P. CULIANU -- GNOSTISCHE SPUREN BEI PLUTARCH /H. DÖRRIE -- ODES OF SOLOMON AND PSALMS OF MANI /H. J. W. DRIJVERS -- ELEMENTS GNOSTIQUES DANS L'ŒUVRE DE MACROBE /JACQUES FLAMANT -- SAMARITAN DEMIURGICAL TRADITIONS AND THE ALLEGED DOVE CULT OF THE SAMARITANS /JARL FOSSUM -- CHARGES OF “IMMORALITY” AGAINST VARIOUS RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN ANTIQUITY /ROBERT M. GRANT -- THE PROBLEM OF THE ANTI-GNOSTIC POLEMIC IN RABBINIC LITERATURE /ITHAMAR GRUENWALD -- LES SÉMITISMES DANS L'ÉVANGILE SELON THOMAS ESSAI DE CLASSEMENT /ANTOINE GUILLAUMONT -- POINTES ANTIGNOSTIQUES D'ORIGÈNE: LE QUESTIONNEMENT IMPIE DES ÉCRITURES /MARGUERITE HARL -- AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF THE STORY OF THE FLOOD IN THE APOCALYPSE OF ADAM /A. F. J. KLIJN -- LE LIVRE D'ADAM GEORGIEN /JEAN-PIERRE MAHÉ -- BAD WORLD AND DEMIURGE: A 'GNOSTIC' MOTIF FROM PARMENIDES AND EMPEDOCLES TO LUCRETIUS AND PHILO /JAAP MANSFELD -- CATALOGUES OF SINS AND VIRTUES PERSONIFIED (NHC 11,5) /GERARD MUSSIES -- JEWISH ELEMENTS IN CORPUS HERMETICUM I (POIMANDRES) /BIRGER A. PEARSON -- HELLENISTIC MAGIC: SOME QUESTIONS OF DEFINITION /ALAN F. SEGAL -- INTERPRETAZIONI GNOSTICHE E MISTERIOSOFICHE DEL MITO DI ATTIS /GIULIA SFAMENI GASPARRO -- ABERAMENTHŌ /MICHEL TARDIEU -- L'ICONOGRAPHIE D'ATTIS MOURANT /MAARTEN J. VERMASEREN -- UNE ANAPHORE INCOMPLÈTE? /H.A.J. WEGMAN -- GNOSIS AND THE MYSTERIES /R. MeL. WILSON -- “TERRA AUTEMSTUPIDA QUADAM ERAT ADMIRATIONE” /J.C.M. VAN WINDEN -- JEWISH GNOSTICISM? /EDWIN M. YAMAUCHI -- “THE TEACHINGS OF SILVANUS” (NHC VII,4) AND JEWISH CHRISTIANITY /J. ZANDEE -- INDEX OF SOURCES /Roel B. Van Den Broek and M. J. Vermaseren -- INDEX OF NAMES AND SUBJECTS /Roel B. Van Den Broek and M. J. Vermaseren.

The Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (DDD) is the single major reference work on the gods, angels, demons, spirits, and semidivine heroes whose names occur in the biblical books. Book jacket.

Since 1963 the seriesPatristische Texte und Studienhas been publishing research findings coordinated by the Patristics Commission, which today is a joint venture of all the German Academies. The series is presenting editions, commentaries and monographs on the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers.

Attilio Mastrocinque explains the mysteries of Mithras in a new way, as a transformation of Mazdean elements into an ideological and religious reading of Augustus' story. The author shows that the character of Mithras played the role of Apollo in favoring Augustus' victory and the birth of the Roman Empire.