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Library of Early Christology
Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports about Christianity and Gnosticism
In his now classic Two Powers in Heaven , Alan Segal examines rabbinic evidence about early manifestations of the "two powers" heresy within Judaism. Segal sheds light upon the development of and relationships among early Christianity, Gnosticism, and Merkabah mysticism and demonstrates that belief in the "two powers in heaven" was widespread by the first century, and may have been a catalyst for the Jewish rejection of early Christianity. An important addition to New Testament and Gnostic scholarship by this much revered scholar, Segal's Two Powers in Heaven is made available once again for a new generation.
339 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
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About the author
Alan F. Segal
17 books14 followersAlan Franklin Segal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_F....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_F....
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 29, 2019
This rather technical monograph attempts to trace the concept of "two powers in heaven" within early rabbinic writings in order to find the origin of the heresy (and just what it was the rabbis were responding to: Christianity? gnosticism? paganism? something else?). Segal spends a lot of time quoting and analyzing the rabbinical texts, most of which I'm not familiar with. What this meant for me, as one who has not read the Mishnah and other such works or who has spent a lot time reading about them, was that I found Segal's book at times difficult to follow--and a little dull.
Things pick up a bit toward the end, once Segal turns to intertestamental writings, Christian writings, and gnostic writings. In part, that was because I was more familiar with them, but also he spends a lot less time on these than he does on the rabbinacal work--so he's not quite so punctilious and technical.
The basic point that Segal is able to make is that the rabbis were responding not just to ideas that were around at the time in which they were putting their sayings down but to ideas that had been around for a century or two, ideas that go back to at least the first century. Some of these ideas may have come from Hellenistic Jews such as Philo, some from Christians, and some from gnostics. He also finds that most gnostic ideas probably had a route in Judaism rather than in Christianity, though of course such ideas drew from all sorts of sources.
Segal's book is referenced in the work of a number of other scholars, so there's no doubt that it is important. But writers such as Larry Hurtado discuss a number of the same things, only in a way that is much more accessible. So unless one has an interest in the real technical side of this discussion--and specifically of the rabbinical side--it's probably not the book to start with.
Things pick up a bit toward the end, once Segal turns to intertestamental writings, Christian writings, and gnostic writings. In part, that was because I was more familiar with them, but also he spends a lot less time on these than he does on the rabbinacal work--so he's not quite so punctilious and technical.
The basic point that Segal is able to make is that the rabbis were responding not just to ideas that were around at the time in which they were putting their sayings down but to ideas that had been around for a century or two, ideas that go back to at least the first century. Some of these ideas may have come from Hellenistic Jews such as Philo, some from Christians, and some from gnostics. He also finds that most gnostic ideas probably had a route in Judaism rather than in Christianity, though of course such ideas drew from all sorts of sources.
Segal's book is referenced in the work of a number of other scholars, so there's no doubt that it is important. But writers such as Larry Hurtado discuss a number of the same things, only in a way that is much more accessible. So unless one has an interest in the real technical side of this discussion--and specifically of the rabbinical side--it's probably not the book to start with.
September 25, 2022
Being Christian I don’t agree with his conclusions or why he thinks it’s a heresy obviously but nonetheless he makes his points as a Jewish scholar and I can appreciate and respect the work for what it is. I will admit for the layperson this may be a difficult read to understand if you haven’t read the source material he quotes extensively but if you have mostly, you’ll get a lot out of this.
July 3, 2024
A well-argued read that raises some provocative questions about not only the split between Judaism and Christianity but also the origins of gnosticism (and Jewish mysticism) in late antiquity.
Want to read
July 15, 2025God the Father and God the Son, two parts of the Trinity, in the Old Testament according to a Jewish scholar. More by David Wood at https://youtu.be/YXdJbCgdXj4 (Spanish).
November 29, 2020
Seminal work on the Two Powers "heresy" and it's prevalence in @nd Temple Judaism. Keep your Hebrew notes nearby as Segal exhaustively pours thru Rabbinic records in a well thought pattern that proves an underpinning to the "binitarian" worship influences for Christianity. He spends considerable time on who the "heretics" (min). Well worth time... especially when every, not some, NT scholarship quotes this source as foundational research. May Segal's memory be maintained.
July 11, 2024
Interesting topic. VERY academic.
November 11, 2022
ancient jewish heterodoxy never felt so good
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews