Zechariah’s horse visions and angelic intermediaries: translation, allusion, and transmission in early Judaism

Allen, G. V. (2017) Zechariah’s horse visions and angelic intermediaries: translation, allusion, and transmission in early Judaism. Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 79(2), pp. 222-239.

Abstract

In this article, I examine the interplay of transmission and exegesis in Zechariah's textual history, analyzing the strategies that early interpreters employed to create coherence in a difficult text. I use Zechariah's horse visions as examples, exploring their presentation in the early versions and the Book of Revelation. The following examination explores the form of Zechariah used by these ancient interpreters and the habits of reading that are implied in their presentation of reused material. The evidence suggests that, by the late Second Temple period, the majority of readers conceptualized Zech 1:8 and 6:1-5 as coreferential visions and that this linking was representative of a larger strategy of coherence. This strategy is also part of a wider tradition of correlating Zechariah's horses with other heavenly figures in the Hebrew Bible, a tradition that is most prevalent in Targum Jonathan.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Allen, Dr Garrick
• Authors: Allen, G. V.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BS The Bible
• College/School: College of Arts > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Journal Name: Catholic Biblical Quarterly
• Journal Abbr.: CBQ
• Publisher: Catholic Biblical Association of America
• ISSN: 0008-7912
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Catholic Biblical Association of America
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher