File:1977 * Segal.jpg

Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports about Christianity and Gnosticism (1977) is a book by Alan F. Segal.

Abstract

As the title suggests, Segal here explores the rabbinic heretics who believed in “two powers in heavens.” Using rabbinic and extra-rabbinic sources, he argues that the heresy originated in early biblical theophanies that pictured God as a man, such as Daniel 7:9, or confused YHWH with an angel. Later, he highlights how this heresy and the polemics leveled against it informed later rabbinic understandings of Christianity. Christians, like the rabbinic heretics who believed in “two powers in heaven,” also believed in two deities, God the Father and Christ the Logos. Consequently, the Rabbis deemed Christians not to be monotheists, leading to the split between the religions. An intriguing exploration in the history of religious developments, Segal's work also highlights the relationship between this belief system and later Jewish-Christian-Gnostic polemic. – Deborah Forger, University of Michigan

"In his now classic Two Powers in Heaven, Alan Segal examines rabbinic evidence about early manifestations of the "two powers" heresy within Judaism. Segal sheds light upon the development of and relationships among early Christianity, Gnosticism, and Merkabah mysticism and demonstrates that belief in the "two powers in heaven" was widespread by the first century, and may have been a catalyst for the Jewish rejection of early Christianity. An important addition to New Testament and Gnostic scholarship by this much revered scholar, Segal's Two Powers in Heaven is made available once again for a new generation."--

Editions and translations

Published in Leiden: Brill, 1977.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface

List of Abbreviations

Part One: Introduction

• 1- Two Powers in Heaven: The History and Importance of the Problem

Part Two: The Early Rabbinic Evidence

• 2 - Conflicting Appearances of God
• 3 - Aher, Metatron, Merkabah, and the Angel of YHWH
• 4 - A Controversy between Ishmael and Akiba
• 5 - Midrashic Warnings Against "Two Powers
• 6 - Mishnaic Prohibitions against Unorthdox Prayer
• 7 - "Many Powers in Heaven" and Miscellaneous Repots
• 8 - How Many Powers Created the World?
• 9 - Divine Powers and Angels
• 10 - Summary of Rabbinic Findings

Part Tree: The Extra Rabbinic Evidence and Conclusions

• 11 - Philo
• 12 - Jewish Sectarian Texts
  • a. Apocalypticism and Mysticism
  • b. New Testament Christianity
• 13 - The Church Fathers
• 14 - Marcion
• 15 - Gnosticism
• 16 - Conclusions

Bibliography

Indices

External Links