Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: Nachmanides - Scapegoat

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bearpecs AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Nachmanides - Scapegoat
  • Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 20:24:08 EDT

In a message dated 6/11/01 7:09:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il writes:


"the prince who rules over places of destruction".


"prince" is a common term for angels (whether benificent or malevalent) with
responsibility over various domains, e.g. the "prince" of Egypt is the angel
who oversees (or perhaps in some mystical contexts "embodies" so to speak)
the nation of Egypt.

This quotation is from Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16, Anchor Bible Volume 3,
p. 1020:
There are three main views concerning the meaning of Azazel.  The first is
that it means "scapegoat," following the LXX's ....  The second view is that
it means "a rough and difficult place" (Tg. Ps.-J.; b. Yoma 67b; Sipra, Ahare
2:8), referring to the goat's destination....  Finally, it could be the name
of a demon.  This is the dominant view in midrashic literature, dating back
to the early postbiblical period (3 Enoch 4:6; Pirqe R. El. 46; cf. Ibn Ezra,
Ramban).
end quotation

Milgrom concludes (p. 1021):  "The most plausivle explanation is that Azazel
is the name of a demon (no. 3, above) who has been eviscerated of his
erstwhile demonic powers by the Priestly legislators."

Hayyim



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page