Papers by Jonathan Trotter
Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha, 2018
How diasporans tell the story of their origin in the homeland and how they came to their new home... more How diasporans tell the story of their origin in the homeland and how they came to their new home abroad is just as important as the historical context(s) in which the diaspora community was created. This study draws attention to one common strategy employed by Egyptian Jews in the Hellenistic and Roman periods (the Letter of Aristeas, the writings of Philo of Alexandria, and 3 Maccabees) when remembering and (re)creating accounts of their origins in the diaspora in ways that legitimized life abroad: the use of diaspora-homeland connections and comparisons.
Journal for the Study of Judaism, 2019
This article focuses on how community-sanctioned pilgrimage to Jerusalem could be employed to est... more This article focuses on how community-sanctioned pilgrimage to Jerusalem could be employed to establish both the homeland and the diaspora as places of belonging. As a case study, I will analyze Philo’s portrayal of the ἱεροποµποί—a term unique to Philo used to describe those chosen to carry offerings, especially the annual half-shekels—from the diaspora to the Jerusalem temple. I will argue that, according to Philo, the ἱεροποµποί (1) were elected community leaders who functioned as representatives of their communities, (2) enabled those who did not travel to Jerusalem to participate vicariously in sacrifice and pilgrimage, and (3) established both the homeland and the diaspora as places of belonging for their community through providing a context for participating in and perpetuating the collective memory of the Jewish nation, in general, and the Alexandrian Jewish community, in particular.
Journal of Biblical Literature 136.1 (2017): 117-130, 2017
Many commentators agree on two basic conclusions about the development of 2 Maccabees: (1) the le... more Many commentators agree on two basic conclusions about the development of 2 Maccabees: (1) the letters in 2 Macc 1:1-2:18 were not written by the author of the rest of the history and (2) the account of the rededication of the temple in 2 Macc 10:1-8 has been relocated or inserted in the text. In contrast to the positions of these scholars, the primary purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that the author of 2 Maccabees deliberately composed 2 Macc 10:1-8 for its current position in the epitome. To this end, we will respond to the arguments against both the location of this passage and its composition by the author of the rest of 2 Maccabees, contentions which depend on finding evidence of narrative disruption, distinctive language and style, and conflicting content between 2 Macc 10:1-8 and its context. Ultimately, we will see how the account of the repossession and purification of the Jerusalem temple is essential in accomplishing one of the main goals of the history, namely the explanation of the origin of Hanukkah, and is interconnected with the rest of the narrative with regard to its placement, language, style, and content.
Sibyls, Scriptures, and Scrolls: John Collins at Seventy, 2016
This study argues that in the Testament of Job the charity of Job serves as a corollary to Job’s ... more This study argues that in the Testament of Job the charity of Job serves as a corollary to Job’s endurance during his suffering, both of which are remarkable feats made possible by his knowledge and acceptance of the divine order within which there is a distinction between the temporary earthly reality and the eternal heavenly reality. The author of the Testament of Job uses both the endurance and charity of Job as manifestations of Job’s belief in this system, the ultimate result of which is Job’s resurrection and attainment of heavenly splendor.
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 77 (2015): 449-66
In part one, this paper draws attention to striking similarities between the Book of Tobit and th... more In part one, this paper draws attention to striking similarities between the Book of Tobit and the Testament of Job, both of which make use of the figure of Job in shaping their narratives. In part two, it is suggested that, rather than simply interpreting the biblical Book of Job, both of these works provide independent witnesses to a complex developing tradition about the charity-filled life of Job known to both authors.
Journal for the Study of Judaism 44.4-5 (2013): 481-96
It is the contention of this paper that a comparison between the Theodotion and Old Greek version... more It is the contention of this paper that a comparison between the Theodotion and Old Greek versions of the Bel narrative (Dan 14:1-22) gives indications about some specific stages of the textual history of the story. Many of the distinctive elements in the Old Greek story suggest that in its core narrative the Old Greek represents a more thoroughly modified version of the story and even a variant literary edition. In the Old Greek, evidence of the development of the Bel narrative can be seen in its very concentrated focus on (1) the deception of the priests of Bel and (2) the centrality and cunning of Daniel. Both of these emphases in the Old Greek are interconnected and, it will be argued, result in a more pronounced tension between Daniel and the priests of Bel as well as a concentration of control almost exclusively with Daniel in the Old Greek.
Revue de Qumran 99 (2012): 451-66
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Papers by Jonathan Trotter