The Death of the Divine Warrior

A study of the Gospel of Mark with a particular emphasis on the useof the Scriptures of Israel in presenting Jesus as the fulfilment of the

New Exodus hopes of Isaiah.

Rev. Jonathan Swales

A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol and Trinity College in accordance withthe requirements for award of degree of Master of Letters in the Faculty of Arts.

March 2012

Word count: 59,992 (text only, excluding preliminarypages, footnotes and bibliography)

Abstract: The Death of the Divine Warrior

This thesis seeks to explore the significance of the New Exodus for understanding the Gospelof Mark. In brief, chapter two argues that the opening verses of the Gospel of Mark (1.1-3)and the way section (8.22-10.52) provide a New Exodus framework within which the wholeof the gospel should be read. Jesus, in typological fulfilment of the New Exodus traditions ofIsaiah, has defeated the demonic enemy and is returning to Zion to be welcomed as its trueKing. It is argued that Jesus is the Davidic messiah as well as the embodiment of the God ofIsrael. In a close study of the the scriptural traditions of Mk. 11.1-11 and in comparison withother ancient entry accounts, the third chapter of this thesis maintains that Jesus' entry intoJerusalem is anticlimactic and shows that Jesus' kingship and his New Exodus project isrejected by the city and its leadership. This, in turn, leads us to the heart of the thesis, in thefinal chapter, where it is shown that the structure of Mark's gospel mirrors that of Isaiah40-55. Jesus' death, although seemingly a failure, on the basis of the intertextual linksbetween Mark and Isaiah 53, is actually the moment whereby the New Exodus is fulfilled.Jesus' death is that of the divine warrior who gave his life as a ransom for many.This study, which maintains a biblical theology method throughout, whilst also interactingwith a number of key debates in biblical studies (Isa. 53, Son of Man, Divine Kingship,Structure of Isa. 40-55), seeks to show that an intertextual and intratextual reading of thescriptures of Israel can add theological depth to the Markan narrative and the Christologicalclaims advanced within it.

Author’s declarationI declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award. Except where indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is the candidate's own work. Work done in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author.

SIGNED: ............................................................. DATE:..........................

Acknowledgements

I would like to gratefully acknowledge various people who have been journeyed with me inrecent years as I have worked on this thesis. First, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to mywife, Sarah, and my three children, Rebekah, Benjamin and Talitha. Through the strugglesand trials of this thesis they have been a constant source of joy. Thank you. Secondly, I wouldlike to thank my supervisor and friend, Rev. Dr. David Wenham, who has encouraged andchallenged me to be faithful to Scripture. In himself, David has modelled what it is to be anacademic and a follower of Jesus. Thirdly, special thanks to of 'Pipe Club' who made myyears at Trinity College a delight. I am sure you could all write my thesis for me given thetime you all contributed to the discussion of its contents. May God richly bless you all!Fourthly, I would like to thank the leadership of St. George's Church, Leeds and also theDiocese of Ripon and Leeds who allowed me to complete this project in the opening year ofordained ministry. I hope that my academic encounter with the Scriptures over the last yearshas prepared me well for missional engagement with those both within and outside of theChurch. Lastly, and most of all, I would like to thank Jesus, the divine warrior, servant king, who gavehis life as a ransom for me. It has been a delight and privilege to fuse together research withworship, and Scriptural study with contemporary discipleship.

St. George's Church, Leeds, March 2012

Soli Deo Gloria,

Abbreviations

General.

ALT Alternative

ANE Ancient Near East

NE New Exodus

NT New Testament

OT Old Testament

col. Collection

DW Divine Warrior

frg. Fragment

IDW Isaianic Divine Warrior

INE Isaiah's New Exodus

MT Masoretic Text

Syr. Syriac

Tg. Targum

Vulg. Vulgate

LXX Septuagint

OG Old Greek

Theo. Theodotion

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament & New Testament

Gen. Genesis

Exod. Exodus

Lev. Leviticus

Num. Numbers

Deut. Deuteronomy

Josh. Joshua

Judg. Judges

1 Sam. 1 Samuel

2 Sam. 2 Samuel

1 Kgs. 1 Kings

2 Kgs. 2 Kings

1 Chron. 1 Chronicles

2 Chron. 2 Chronicles

Ezra Ezra

Neh. Nehemiah

Job Job

Ps(s). Psalm(s)

Prov. Proverbs

Song of Sg. Song of Songs

Isa. Isaiah

Jer. Jeremiah

Lam. Lamentations

Ezek. Ezekiel

Dan. Daniel

Hos. Hosea

Obad. Obadiah

Mic. Micah

Nah. Nahum

Hab. Habakkuk

Zeph. Zephaniah

Hag. Haggai

Zech. Zechariah

Mal. Malachi

Mt. Matthew

Mk. Mark

Lk. Luke

Rom. Romans

1 Cor. 1 Corinthians

2 Cor. 2 Corinthians

1 Tim. 1 Timothy

2 Tim. 2 Timothy

Heb. Hebrews

Rev. Revelation

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Mishnah Talmud and Related Literature

Ass. Mos. Assumption of Moses

b. Babylonian Talmud

1 Bar. 1 Baruch

2 Bar. 2 Baruch

Jub. Jubilees

1 Macc. 1 Maccabees

2 Macc. 2 Maccabees

m. Mishnah

Meg. Megillah

Midr. Midrash

Pss. of Sol. Psalms of Solomon

Pesh. Pesher

Rab. Rabbah

Sib. Orac. Sibylline Oracles

Test. of Mos. Testament of Moses

Test. of Dan Testament of Dan

Tob. Tobit

Sim. of Enoch Similitudes of Enoch

Sir. Sirach

Wisd. of Sol. Wisdom of Solomon

Dead Sea Scrolls

1Qha The Thanksgiving Hymns

1QIsa The Isaiah Scroll

1QMX11 X11 The War Scroll

1QS Community Rule

11Q13 11QMelch

11Q19 Temple Scroll (a)

11Q20 Temple Scroll (b)

4Q174 4QFlorilegium

4Q175 4QTest

4Q176 4QTanhumim

4Q177 4QCatenaa

4Q246 4QAramaic Apocalypse

4Q252 Pesher on Genesis

4Q431 4QHodayote

4Q427 4QHa

4Q491 4QM War Scroll

4Q89 4QPs

C.D. The Damascus Document

Greco-Roman Sources

Aristotle

Art. Rhet. Art of Rhetoric

Dio Cassius

Rom. His. Roman History

Dion. Hal. Dionysius of Halicarnassus

Ant. Rom. Roman Antiquities

Heraclitus

Homeric Allegories Homeric Allegories

Homer

Iliad Iliad

Odyssey Odyssey

Justin Martyr.

Dial. Dialogue with Trypho

Apology Apology

Jos. Josephus

Ant. Antiquities of the Jews

War. The Jewish War

Livy

Epit. Epitomes

Philo

Dec. The Decalogue

Spec. Laws. Special Laws

Plutarch

Life of Caesar Life of Ceaser

Life of Romulus LIfe of Romulus

Tacitus

History History

Suet. Seutonius

Calig. Life of Caligua

Virgil

Georgics Georgics

Other.

PGM Greek Magical Papyri

LAB The Biblical Antiquities of Pseudo-Philo

Alexander Romance Alexander Romance

Modern Sources

AB Anchor Bible Commentary

ABRL Anchor Bible Research Library

AnBib Analecta Biblica

ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt

AOTC Apollos Old Testament Commentary Series

AYBD Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary

BBR Bulletin of Biblcial Research

BDAG Walter Bauer's Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and Other Early Christian Literature

BDB Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius' Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon

BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Bib. Biblica

BNTC Black's New Testament Commentary

BR Biblical Research

CNTUOT Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

CBR Currents in Biblical Research

EDNT Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament

ESV English Standard Version of the Bible

FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament

GHCLOT Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament

HAR Hebrew Annual Review

Hermeneia Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible

HTR Harvard Theological review

ICC International Critical Commentary

IJSCC International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JETS Journal of Evangelical Theology

JGRCJ Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism

JJS Journal of Jewish Studies

JPS Jewish Publication Society

JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament

JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplemnet Series

JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series

LBS Library of Biblical Studies

LNTS Library of New Testament Studies

Loeb Loeb Classical Library

NA27 Nestle-Aland 27th Edition Greek Text of the New Testament

NCT New Century Theology

NEB New English Bible

NETS New English Translation of the Septuagint

NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary

NIDOTTE New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis

NIVAC New International Version Application Commentary

NovT Novum Testamentum

NovTSup Novum Testamentum Supplement Series

NRSV New Revised Standard Version of the Bible

NTS New Testament Studies

OTL Old Testament Library

RSV Revised Standard Version of the Bible

Semeia Semeia

SBL Society for Biblical Literature

SBLDS Society for Biblical Literature Dissertation Series

SBT Studies in Biblical Theology

SJT Scottish Journal of Theology

SOTBT Studies in Old Testament Biblical Theology

Sup.JST Supplement to Journal for Study of Judaism

SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series

TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

Trinity The Trinity Journal

TynBul Tyndale Bulletin

WEB World English Bible

WBC Word Biblical Commentary

WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament

Unless otherwise stated all citations are from the following translations.

English Bible English Standard Version

Dead Sea Scrolls Trans. F. G. Martinez and E. J. C. Tigchelaar, The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition (Leiden: Brill, 1998)

Greco-Roman Loeb Classical Series

Philo Trans. Yonge The Works of Philo : Complete and Unabridged

(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996)

Pseudepigrapha ed. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Vol 1&2

(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1993)

Mishnah Trans.. J. Neusner The Mishnah : A New Translation.

(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988)

Babylonian Talmud Trans. by M. L. Rodkinson The Babylonian Talmud, Volumes 1-10(Boston: The Talmud Society, 1918)

Targums ed. M. McNamara Aramaic Bible: The Targums

Textual Searches were performed using Logos 4 Bible Software Scholar's Edition and a range of Logos Lexhamresources including:

T. Randall, D. A. deSilva, The Lexham Greek-English Interlinear Septuagint

van der Merwe, The Lexham Hebrew-English Interlinear Bible

Footnoting Style

The first mention of a modern source appears in an extended bibliographic citation.

eg. J. Marcus, The Way of the Lord: Christological Exegesis of the Old Testament in the Gospel ofMark (London: T&T Clark, 2004);

B. W. Anderson, “Exodus Typology in Second Isaiah,” in eds. B. W. Anderson, and W. Harrelson Is-rael’s Prophetic Heritage: Essays in Honour of James Muilenburg (New York: Harper, 1962);

R. E. Watts, “Consolation Or Confrontation? Isaiah 40-55 and the Delay of the New Exodus,” TynBul41:1 (1990): 31-59.

Any subsequent mention of a modern source appears in a shorter bibliographic citation stating name and date ofpublication.

eg. Marcus, The Way of the Lord (2004);

Anderson "Exodus Typology in Second Isaiah" (1962);

Watts, "Consolation or Confrontation" (1990).

The Death of The Divine Warrior

Table of Contents

I. Introduction, Outline and Methodology 1

1. Introduction 1a. The Warrior Messiah and the New Exodus Hopes of Psalms of Solomon 1b. Thesis Outline 3

2. Narrative, Intertextuality and Intratextuality 63. Monotheism and the Divine Identity of the Davidic King 8a. Second Temple Jewish Monotheism 9b. The Divine King and Messiah 12i. Divine King Ideology 13ii. Post-Exilic Expectation of a Future Divine King 15

c. Daniel 7 - The 'Son of Man' 17i. 'Son of Man' as Davidic Messiah 18ii. 'Son of Man' as Divine 21iii. First Century Evidence of 'Son of Man' as both Davidic and Divine 24

d. Concluding Remarks 30

II. Chapter Two: The March of the Divine Warrior 32

1. Introduction 32a. New Exodus Motif in Isaiah 32

2. Mk. 1.1-3 36a. Mk. 1.1-13/15 as a Dramatic Prologue 37i. The Dramatic Prologue 37ii. Mk. 1.1 as a Title 39iii. Summary 40iv. Citation Formulae 1.2 41v. Summary 49

b. Mark's Use of Isa. 40.3 49i. Jesus as the κύριος of Mk. 1.3 49ii. Isa. 40.3 in Context 53iii. 'Streams of Tradition' 54iv. Summary 55

c. Interlude: In Search of a Context 55i. An Overview of Hatina's Method 56ii. Critique with particular reference to Mk. 1.3 57

d. The significance of Isa. 40.1-11 in the Markan Prologue 603. The Use of ὁδός in Mk. 8.22-10.52 64a. The significance of ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ 64b. The Healing-of the-Blind Miracles and the Isaianic DW motif 68

i. The Motif of Blindness in Isa. and Mk. 68ii. The Intratextual-Structural Significance of the Healing-of-the-Blind Miracles 71iii. The Intertextual Significance of Isa. 35.1-10 in Mk. 10.46-52 73

4. Exorcism and INE 75a. Jesus the Exorcist 76i. Divine Identity of Jesus 76ii. Apocalyptic Dualism 79

b. Mk. 3.22-27 and the Defeat of Satan 81i. Mk. 3.27 and Isa. 49.24 83ii. Isa. 49.24 in Context 84

5. Conclusions 85

III. Chapter Three: The Rejection of the Divine Warrior 86

1. Interlude: Divine Kingship in the Gospel of Mark 86a. Divine Sonship and the Prologue 86b. Son of Man 87

2. Mark 11.1-11 89a. Mk. 11.1 The Geographic Location 90i. Mount of Olives 90ii. Bethany 92iii. Bethphage 95

b. The Scriptural Background 97i. Gen. 49.8-12 98ii. Ps. 118 101iii. Zech. 9.9-10 114iv. Summary Statement 130

c. Mark's Use of Gen. 49.8-12, Ps. 118 and Zech. 9.9-10 131i. Mark's Use of Ps. 118 132ii. Mark's Use of Zech. 9.9-10 and Gen. 49:8-12 134

3. Mk. 11.1-11: Zion's Rejection of the DW and NE 137a. Triumphal Entry? 140

4. Concluding Remarks 144

IV. Chapter Four: The Death of the Divine Warrior 145

1. Isa. 40-55: The NE Postponed Until the Death of the Servant 146a. Isa. 40-55: A Failed New Exodus and the Task of the Servant 147i. The Unity of Isa. 40-55 147ii. The Dramatical Plot of Isa. 40-55 149iii. The Davidic Identity of the Servant 158

b. The Gospel of Mark and Narrative Substructure of Isa. 40-48 171c. The Gospel of Mark and Narrative Substructure of Isa. 49-55 173

2. Jesus as the Isaianic Servant 174a. The Suffering Servant and Mk. 9.12 177b. The Passion Predictions 181

c. Mk. 10.45 and the Suffering Servant 182d. The Last Supper 186

3. The Death of the King 190a. The Death and Vindication of the Shepherd King 191b. The Death of Jesus and the Roman Triumph 193c. The Death of the Davidic King 196d. The Death of the Divine Son of God 198e. Resurrection and Vindication of the Divine Warrior 200

4. Conclusions 2015. Summary, Implications and Suggestions for Future Research 201

V. Bibliography 205Figure 1: Isa. 40-48 and the Failed New Exodus 154Figure 2: Oracles of Proclamation and Salvation in Deutero-Isaiah 155Figure 3: Isa. 49-55 and the Task of the Servant 158Table 1: The use of ὁδός in Mark 66Table 2: The 'Way' Section 67