RT Article
T1 The Theological Character of the Old Latin Version of Esther
JF Journal for the study of the pseudepigrapha
VO 27
IS 1
SP 3
OP 24
A1 Bellmann, Simon
LA English
PB Sage
YR 2017
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1564593665
AB The Old Latin version of Esther is witness to a lost Greek Vorlage. It differs significantly from other ancient (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) Esther stories as it includes, for instance, a prayer of the Jewish community as well as several additional cases of divine                 intervention; it also omits any mention of the ‘massacre episode’. Previous research on the Old Latin Esther has largely focused on text-historical  questions. This article intends to broaden the discussion by examining the theological character of the text. A close comparison with the extant Hebrew and Greek Esther versions reveals that the Old Latin emphasizes the importance of  the Jewish community and presents Mordecai as its prototypical leader in both religious and political matters. In addition, the Vetus Latina   emphasizes the crucial role of divine action, induced by acts of religious observance and petitionary prayer.
K1 Esther : Old Latin : Vetus Latina : Septuagint : Mordecai
K1 Vetus Latina
DO 10.1177/0951820717735714