Dr. Andrei Orlov Provides New Resources on Important Pseudepigraphal Texts

Dr. Andrei Orlov, my professor and academic adviser at Marquette University, has sent me links to some great new resources he has put on the web to assist in the study of pseudepigraphal texts from the Slavonic (old Church Slavic) tradition.  As a recipient of the prestigious Way Klingler Young Scholar award, Dr. Orlov has been on sabbatical in Russia working hard on, among other things, the Slavonic texts of the Apocalypse of Abraham, the book of 2 Enoch, and other important Slavonic texts.  

Dr. Orlov is one of the world’s top scholars on these texts and has been invited to write on these topics, and others, in the best academic journals and book series.  He has recently set up new websites for the Apocalypse of Abraham, 2 Enoch, and the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha project.  These sites will be very helpful for anyone studying these texts and also very interesting for LDS readers. 

The Apocalypse of Abraham – http://www.marquette.edu/maqom/apocalypseabraham.html

This site gives detailed information on this very important document.  Orlov provides a concise introduction to the text, and then lays out the latest in scholarly thought on such details as the authorship, date, provenance, and theology of the text. Furthermore, he has posted great bibliographies, as well as the actual Slavonic text (from Codex Sylvester), and the best English translations.  He then provides a list of helpful resources for this text, although you will need to know some Russian in order to read all of them.  Dr. Orlov also, very graciously, provides links to many important articles that have been written on this subject.

I have recently been doing some research on the Apocalypse of Abraham together with my friend Jeffrey Mark Bradshaw, and have found Dr. Orlov’s resources to be very helpful.  The Apocalypse of Abraham is a text that LDS readers should be aware of (and interested in), as its structure and content are very comparable to our own Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price, and, suprisingly, perhaps even more similar, in some respects, to the Book of Moses.  For anyone interested in investigating the ancient roots of these books, I highly recommend looking at this great resource that Dr. Orlov has provided.

Second (Slavonic) Enoch – http://www.marquette.edu/maqom/2enoch.html

This site gives many of the same type of wonderful resources as noted above.  2 Enoch is another Jewish pseudepigraphal document that has survived only in its Slavonic translation.  As Orlov notes, “The central theme of the text is the celestial ascent of the seventh antediluvian patriarch Enoch through the heavens, his luminous metamorphosis near the Throne of Glory, and his initiation into the heavenly mysteries.” This is obviously a text of interest for anyone who reads this blog.  LDS readers will find much in this text to compare with the Enoch portions of the Book of Moses and with temple tradition as well.  

Dr. Orlov presents us with unparalleled access to this powerful text, which, in his words, “depict[s] Enoch, not simply as a human taken to heaven and transformed into an angel [as earlier Enoch texts depict], but as a celestial being exalted above the angelic world (Orlov, 2005).”

Again, this site provides us with bibliographies, translations, articles, links, and other great resources for studying this important text.

The Slavonic Pseudepigrapha Project – http://www.marquette.edu/maqom/pseudepigrapha.html

A similarly excellent site that covers the pseudepigrapha, in general, that come to us from the Slavonic tradition.  The Orthodox tradition based in Byzantium preserved many “non-canonical” texts that were all but forgotten in the West.  Many of these texts were originally written in Greek, but as the church spread in the East, many of these texts were eagerly translated by the Slavic peoples and carefully preserved.  Dr. Orlov has spent much time pouring through ancient manuscripts in old Russian libraries and sanctuaries in order to analyze these texts in great detail.  In them are retold the lives and visions of the great saints of the past — most especially the early patriarchs and prophets Adam, Enoch, Noah, Jacob, Abraham, and Moses.  Orlov’s skillful research and knowledge of the language help unlock these lost treasures for our use and enjoyment.

Orlov provides many texts in their original Slavonic versions, and then gives the latest modern translations.  Although many of the texts are still available only in Russian translations, several great texts can be read in English.  Numerous very interesting articles regarding these texts can also be found here.  Additionally, for those interested, Orlov comments on the latest scholarly opinion regarding what role the dualistic sect, the Bogomils, had on these documents.

I am grateful to Dr. Andrei Orlov for sending me these links and for the hard work he put into preparing these resources and posting them on the internet in such an orderly and accessible manner.  These Slavonic texts are largely unknown to us because of the great language barrier (except maybe for those who have done missionary work in Russia and Slavic nations!). This is a pity, as these are some of the most exciting and relevant texts available for the study of Jewish and Christian traditions, mysticism, and the Heavenly Ascent.

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