Search Results for: Psalms

Messiah bar Ephraim in the Targums

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Messiah ben son of Joseph - Mitchell

Messiah bar Ephraim (Messiah ben Joseph) appears in the targums of Zech. 12:10, Exodus 40.9-11, and the Song of Songs. I examine all three passages here. I conclude that the Targumic Tosefta to Zech. 12.10, where Messiah bar Ephraim is vanquished, and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to Exod. 40.9-11, where he is the vanquisher, both predate the Christian period. The apparent conflict between his suffering and conquering roles may indicate a belief that bar Ephraim’s death effects the final redemption. References in the Targum to the Song of Songs are also considered.

Firstborn Shor and Rem: A Sacrificial Josephite Messiah

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Messiah ben son of Joseph - Mitchell

Two mysterious bull figures, a firstborn shor and a rem, feature in 1 Enoch 90 and in Deuteronomy 33. All agree that the figures in 1 Enoch speak of the Messiah. But what about those in Deuteronomy? Could they be about the Messiah too? Here I argue that they are. In fact, the speak about a Josephite Messiah, that is, a Messiah ben Joseph.

A Josephite Messiah in 4QTestimonia

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Messiah ben son of Joseph - Mitchell

It is generally recognized that Messianic belief at Qumran was not rigid. Some texts witness to two deliverers. Others are thought to have three: priest messiah, king messiah, and prophet [1]. I wish to suggest here that one text, so far understood as having three deliverers, has in fact four deliverers, and one of them is … Read more

Scholarly articles

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Here below are some scholarly articles and papers I’ve written over the years. Some are pre-publication and some are final versions. Much of this material appears in maturer form in my books. You’ll find other articles and reviews on my academia.edu page. ‘Psalm 110, Jesus, and Melchizedek‘ in D.M. Howard, Jr, and A. Schmutzer (eds.), … Read more

The Message of the Psalter (1997)

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THE MESSAGE OF THE PSALTER What’s really going on in the Book of Psalms?Is it just an anthology of old Israelite songs?Or is there more to it than anyone ever guessed? This evergreen classic established, in 1997, the case for a messianic metanarrative in the Psalms. Someone arranged the Psalms to outline a programme of … Read more

The Songs of Ascents (2015)

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THE SONGS OF ASCENTS Codes hidden for 3,000 years unveil the origin of the fifteen Songs of Ascents.Cryptic marks in medieval manuscripts disclose the lost temple song.Rabbinic traditions reveal the place of the ark of the covenant.And the secret message of the Book of Psalms is laid bare. Question: What do you get when you … Read more

Messiah ben Joseph (2016)

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MESSIAH BEN JOSEPH What is the best-kept secret of Rabbinic Judaism?Is it the resting place of the holy ark? No.Is it the vowels of the Sacred Name? No.Is it the golem that walks by night? No.It’s none of these things. Messiah ben Joseph, the slain Galilean Messiah, is the best-kept secret of Rabbinic Judaism and … Read more

Books

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BOOKS are all different. Some of my books are works of theological research, offering new evidence to open up fresh areas of biblical study. Others are more devotional, helping folk understand the Bible and live the Christian faith. Other books are in between: biblical research with a devotional element. They’re listed below. As for my … Read more

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Bright Morning Star

WELCOME to the Bright Morning Star site. My name is David Mitchell. I’m a biblical theologian, musical director, and musicologist. Bright Morning Star is my publication site. My new book, Awaiting the Millennial Kingdom, is now available in hardback. It’s quickly becoming my most popular book. You can read bits of it here. On that … Read more