The tablet has many key words missing and it is assumed by many scholars that Gabriel may be the Archangel mentioned here. Did Gabriel raise Simon from the dead as described within this tablet? If this Gabriel (on the tablet) were the Archangel as mentioned in the Book of Enoch as well as other parabiblical literature, how does this pose a problem for those who believe archangels are not able to resurrect people from the dead?
In the somewhat newly found (2000) tablet called "Gabriel's Vision", did Gabriel (possibly an Archangel) raise Simon from the dead?
by I_love_Jeff 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
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darth frosty
Obves?!? That you?
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I_love_Jeff
What? nope
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Leolaia
Interesting that I was just reading a book today (published last year) giving the current research on the Hazon Gabriel.
In a word, no. This is already an outlandish speculation itself based on a tenuous reading by Israel Knohl (which itself does not necessarily involve resurrection). And in his most recent offering in the aforementioned book, Knohl has already abandoned his earlier reading as incorrect.
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I_love_Jeff
Thank you Leolaia. You are so very informative and knowledgeable!!!
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Leolaia
Here is Knohl's current translation of the relevant passages:
"My servant David, ask of Ephraim [that he] place the sign; this I ask of you. For thus said the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel: My son! I have a new/holy covenant for Israel, by three days you shall know, for thus said the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, the evil is to be broken before righteousness. Ask me, and I shall tell you, what is this wicked branch, plastered white. You are standing, the angel is supporting you. Do not fear. Blessed is the glory of the Lord God from his seat. In a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth.... Seal up the blood of the slaughtered of Jerusalem .... I sent to my people my three shepherds .... Three shepherds went out for Israel ... [...] ... If there is a priest, if there are sons of holy ones ... [...] Who am I? I am Gabriel ... [...] You will rescue them ... for two [...] ... [...] from before you the three ... three ... [...] By three days, the sign, I Gabriel ... [...] prince of princes, the dung of the rocky crevices" (Hazon Gabriel, lines 16-25, 59, 70, 75-81).
And for comparison, here is the translation by Qimron & Yuditsky:
"David, my servant, asked me: Answer me, I ask you for the sign. Thus said YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel: My son, I have a new testament for Israel, by three days you shall know. Thus said YHWH, God of Hosts, the God of Israel: Evil will be defeated by justice; ask me and I shall tell you what this bad plant is. Not by ... you exist, (but) the angel supports you, do not fear! Bless by the glory of YHWH (the) God from His place. In a little while I shall shake Heaven and earth.... I sent [three] prophets to my people, three shepherds.... Three shepherds will come forth for Israel... If there are [pious ones] among them, if there are holy ones among them... Who are you? I am Gabriel... you shall save them. A proph[et and a she]pherd will save you. [I as]k from you three shepherds, three [pro]phets. In three days a sign will be (given). I am Gabriel... the prince of princes ... narrow holes".
The word that he previously translated "live" ("by three days live") is now rendered "sign". Knohl writes: "I now accept the reading h-'wt ('the sign') of the third word of line 80...In my previous publications, I have argued for the reading ch'yt ('live'). I still maintain that the reading ch'yt ('live') is possible graphically. Yet the inner connections between lines 17-21 and line 80 support the reading h-'wt ('the sign')" (p. 43). He also comments: "The expression 'you have put signs' in Jer 33:20 refers to the punishment of the Egyptians by God. It seems that the author of the Gabriel Revelation uses the expression 'put the sign' with a similar meaning, that is, as the expression of a punishment and a disaster that are brought upon an evil entity. If that is the case, we should probably connect this expression with the statement about the breaking of evil in HazGab 20-21" (pp. 42-43).