GESCHAFFEN AUS DEM NICHTS? DIE FUNKTION DER REDE VON DER SCHÖPFUNG IM ZWEITEN MAKKABÄERBUCH
CREATED OUT OF NOTHING? THE FUNCTION OF THE CREATION- DISCOURSE IN THE SECOND BOOK OF MACCABEES

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the relevance and function of creation in the 2 Maccabees. It has been widely debated whether biblical evidence for the creation ex nihilo can be found in 2 Macc 7,28. In this paper the discussion is expanded to the whole narrative in 2 Macc 7. In the book the topic of creation appears in two different contexts. In the first place, God is presented as kti,sthj, an idiom derived not only from biblical traditions, but also from the depiction of the Hellenistic king as “founder” of cities. Except for this context, creation only appears in the two speeches of the mother of the seven sons (2 Macc 7,22-23.27-29). Here, creation is strongly linked to the theology of resurrection. This paper argues that the function of the theology of creation and resurrection does not lie in itself, but in the characterisation of God as pantocrator.

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