Andrew R. Angel, Chaos and the Son of Man: The Hebrew Chaoskampf Tradition in the Period 515 BCE to 200 CE (London: T & T Clark, 2006), xiii + 261 pps. $????
Often, theses that are later converted to published monographs are cumbersome to read through; not so with this volume. Indeed, this monograph is a revision of Angel’s PhD thesis, accepted by the University of Nottingham in 2004. Herein, Angel examines whether there is a sufficient amount of evidence to warrant the claim that the Hebrew Chaoskampf Tradition (HCT) existed in the roughly seven hundred year period between 515 BCE and 200 CE, the time of gestation and compilation of many of the texts that now compose the Judeo-Christian Old and New Testaments. This Chaoskampf is the battle of the warrior god with the monstrous forces of chaos. The monsters and chaos waters were generally depicted as enemies of the Divine Warrior, Yahweh, Angel contends. Yahweh is depicted as defeating this chaos – often personified – in and through battle, a battle often referred to as the Chaoskampf. In what follows, a minimal delineation of the entailments of this title will be highlighted.
Chapter one describes the method of the study, laying the foundation for the undertaking that follows, whereas chapters 2-5 constitute the heart of the study, and make the greatest contribution(s); indeed, those four chapters examine various texts – including texts from the Qumran community, the Wisdom literature, the Apocalyptic literature, and the literature of Jewish historiography – from the period under study in order to discern whether – and to what extent – there is evidence that the HCT existed in this period. The conclusions of the study are summarized in the sixth chapter, along with Angel suggesting further possible directions for future study.
Angel comments that within this work, he hopes to demonstrate that the HCT existed in the period 515 BCE to 200 CE, and he suggests that this HCT was integral to the development of the Jewish and Christian apocalyptic; additionally, he avers that the HCT furthers our understanding of the relationship between myth and history. His most important suggestion, it seems to me, is that the HCT forms an important part of the background to the development of the apocalyptic Son of Man (hence the title).
Angel largely argues that there is ample evidence that the HCT did in fact exist within the timeframe of the study. In fact, the imagery of the Divine Warrior, his battle against and defeat of the forces of chaos (pictured both as waters of chaos and as dragons or monsters) are clearly a part of the Hebrew religious traditions during that roughly seven hundred year period under study by Angel. This book is a valuable contribution to the study of the way in which Jews and Christians viewed the relation between chaos, God, and the Son of Man in the years leading up to and directly following the onset of the Common Era; it should be a welcome addition also to patrons who are working within the science and religion dialogue, as it makes many connections between how and why the God of Judeo-Christian thought is often portrayed as a God of order, and one who dislikes chaos of all types (particularly in the physical world). Angel has herein produced a gem.
Bradford McCall
Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA