"Son of Man": Early Jewish Literature

by Richard Bauckham

Who is the “Son of Man”?
  
In pre-Christian Jewish writings, “Son of Man” was not a title, and it certainly did not indicate divinity. It was simply an expression for a man. Yet the term has held considerable interest among scholars of Christology for its use in describing Jesus in the gospels. And among those studying messianism in Second Temple Judaism, consensus about the valences of “Son of Man” in Scripture remains elusive.  
 
In the first volume of this landmark study, Richard Bauckham pushes the conversation forward, explicating the phrase “Son of Man” as it appears in Jewish interpretations of the book of Daniel and in the apocryphal book of 1 Enoch. With philological precision and sensitivity to his sources, Bauckham attunes us to the realities of early Jewish eschatology.  
 
Thorough and comprehensive, “Son of Man,” vol. 1, offers scholars a solid basis for understanding the context of the messiah in the centuries leading up to Jesus. Along with the forthcoming second volume, which parses the meaning of “Son of Man” in the Gospels, Bauckham’s work is essential for understanding one of the most widely used yet misunderstood phrases in the Bible.

561 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2023

About the author

Richard Bauckham (PhD, University of Cambridge) is senior scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge University, in Cambridge, England, where he teaches for the Cambridge Federation of Theological Colleges. He is also a visiting professor at St. Mellitus College, London, and emeritus professor of New Testament at the University of St. Andrews. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and the author of numerous books.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bauckham, a senior NT scholar, explores the concept of the son of man in early Jewish literature, as the subtitle suggests. The first part gives thorough attention to the Parables of Enoch, which are grouped with though distinct from the larger work known as 1 Enoch. The second part gives attention to the interpretation of Daniel 7 by various Jewish writings. Naturally, as the first of a two volume work, it doesn't resolve but my curiosity is certainly piqued as to how Bauckham is going to apply his findings to the Gospels. 5-stars for thoroughness of argumentation and engagement with relevant primary and secondary sources.

[James-Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense and scholarly, it requires familiarity with 2nd Temple literature, so have a copy of the Pseudepigrapha and Josephus handy as you read it.

[Ryan Storch · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his book, Son of Man, Richard Bauckham surveys Son of Man's language in Early Jewish Literature. This is a helpful work and I look forward to further volumes!

[Charles Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bauckham, with characteristic thoroughness, looks at the theme in second temple Jewish sources, particularly Enoch and Daniel, but also in less popular works like 4 Ezra and the Sibylline Oracles. His conclusions are fairly conservative. I await volume 2 which will look at the term in gospel sources. The main drawback here in the relatively small bibliography, which ignores Novenson, and deals little with Fitzmyer and many DSS specialists. Still well worth the read however!