From: Steven Cox (scox@ns1.chinaonline.com.cn.net)
Date: Fri Feb 13 1998 - 06:55:30 EST
1. Is anyone aware of any Jewish texts of similar genre and/or content to
Tobit which exist in Greek? Particularly any mentioning ASMODAIOS and RAGOUEL.
2. I would also be interested to know if any similar content to the Essene
incantations against "unclean spirits" found in Hebrew DSS (examples below)
are extant in Greek? And if so whether they have ever been published?
Regards
Steven
"The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation" by M Wise, M Abegg and E Cook.
4Q560
Col 1 [...] the midwife, the punishment of those who bear children, any evil
visitant or d[emon...] [...I adjure you, all who en]ter into the body: the
male Wasting-demon and the female Wasting-demon [...I adjure you by the name
of the Lord, "He Who re]moves iniquity and transgression" (Exod 34:7), O
Fever-demon and Chills-demon and Chest Pain-demon [...You are forbidden to
disturb by night using dreams or by da]y during sleep, O male Shrine-spirit
and female Shrine-spirit, O you demons who breach [walls...w]icked [...]
Col 2 before h[im...] before him and [...] And I, O spirit, adjure [you
against...] I adjure you, O spirit, [that you...] On earth, in clouds [...]
4Q510
Ble[ssings to the K]ing of Glory. Words of thanksgiving in psalms of [...]
[...] to the God of knowledge, splendour of s[treng]th, the God of gods,
Lord of all the Holy Ones. [His] domini[on] is over all the mighty strong
ones, and by the power of His streng[th] all will be dismayed and scattered,
running hurriedly from the majesty of the dwe[lling] of His royal glory.
And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and
te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards,
demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers...] and those which fall upon
men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and
to make their heart and their [...] desolate during the present dominion of
'wickedness and pre-determined time of humiliations for the sons of Lig[ht],
by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity - not for eternal
destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression. [...]
Sing for joy, O righteous ones, for the God of Wonder. My psalms are for the
upright. And [...let] all those who are blameless exalt him.
4Q511 Frag. 1 [...their d]ominons [...] and al[...on the e]arth and with all
the spirits of its domain, [let them] continually b[less] Him in their
times, the seas and every creature. Let them proclaim [...] the splendour of
it all. Let them rejoice before the righteous God with sho[uts of joy for]
salvation for the[re is no] destroyer within their borders nor do wicked
spirits walk among them. For the glory of the God of knowledge has shone
forth through His words, and none of the sons of injustice shall be
sustained.
IIQPsa Col 19.13-15
...Forgive my sins, O Lord, and purify me of my iniquity. Grant me a spirit
of faithfulness and knowledge; let me not be dishonoured in ruin. Let Satan
not dominate me, nor an unclean spirit; let pain and the evil inclination
not possess my bones...
IQS Col 4.21-22
...of the flesh, cleansing from every wicked deed by a holy spirit. Like
purifying waters, He shall sprinkle each with the spirit of truth, effectual
against all the abominations of lying and sullying by an unclean spirit...
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