1955/10/01 by Francis R. Walton · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Biblical Studies and Interpretation #Archaeology and Historical Studies #Historical and Linguistic Studies #Josephus #CITES #Philosophy #Literature #History #Classics #Art #Theology
paper · doi:10.1017/s0017816000025244
openalex publication_date 1955/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Despite the well-known and well-attested tradition that the Law was given by angels, W. D. Davies has recently presented a case for interpreting δι΄ ἀγέλων in Josephus, Antiquities, 15:136 as a reference not to angels but to the prophets as ambassadors of God. Together with other arguments he adduces the fact that in the LXX the word ἄγελος is occasionally used to refer to prophets and priests, and for the latter he cites Malachi 2:7 (sic, not 2:1), where a priest is described as angelos Kyriou . Thus a Greek precedent for the usage of Josephus may be found as early as ca. 250 B. C., the approximate date of the LXX.