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Parallels Between the Qur'an and Late Antique Judeo-Christian Literature: Difference between revisions
Parallels Between the Qur'an and Late Antique Judeo-Christian Literature (view source)
Revision as of 16:51, 18 June 2025
, 18 June→Mountain raised above the Children of Israel: Added a new Moses and Aaron Parallel found in Angelika Neuwirth's latest book.
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(→The Drowning of Pharaoh: Have added some more late antique parallels from Angelika Neuwirth's latest book. And put the Moses and Pharoah based one's under their own heading (with sub-headings) to tidy up the page.) |
(→Mountain raised above the Children of Israel: Added a new Moses and Aaron Parallel found in Angelika Neuwirth's latest book.) |
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Reynolds notes an additional point regarding {{Quran-range|7|171|174}}: "On the term translated here as 'canopy' (Ar: zulla), Yahuda (284) argues that it means something closer to a jar (inverted)."<ref>Gabriel Said Reynolds, ''The Qurʾān and Bible'' p. 286<BR />"Yahuda" refers to Abraham Yahuda, "A contribution to Quran and Hadith interpretation" in S. Lowinger and J. Somogyi (eds.) Ignace Goldziher Memorial Volume. Budapest: Globus, 1948</ref> If correct, that would suggest an even closer fit to the talmud quote above. | Reynolds notes an additional point regarding {{Quran-range|7|171|174}}: "On the term translated here as 'canopy' (Ar: zulla), Yahuda (284) argues that it means something closer to a jar (inverted)."<ref>Gabriel Said Reynolds, ''The Qurʾān and Bible'' p. 286<BR />"Yahuda" refers to Abraham Yahuda, "A contribution to Quran and Hadith interpretation" in S. Lowinger and J. Somogyi (eds.) Ignace Goldziher Memorial Volume. Budapest: Globus, 1948</ref> If correct, that would suggest an even closer fit to the talmud quote above. | ||
== Moses, Aaron and the Samiri == | |||
Neuwirth (2024) notes on the following verses that when Moses grabs Aaron’s beard, it may symbolize a challenge to Aaron’s priestly dignity, an idea rooted in Jewish and Christian traditions.<ref name=":1">Neuwirth, Angelika. ''The Qur'an: Text and Commentary, Volume 2.1: Early Middle Meccan Suras: The New Elect. Kindle Edition: pp. 209.''</ref> And Aaron’s defense — that the people should not be divided — is not found in the Bible’s account in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2032%3A22-24&version=NIV Exodus 32:22–24], but appears only in later rabbinical debates.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|20|92-94}}|But (Moses) said: "O Aaron, when you saw that they had gone astray, what hindered you from following me? Did you disobey my command?’ He said, ‘O son of my mother! Do not grab my beard or my head! I feared lest you should say, ‘‘You have caused a rift among the Children of Israel and did not heed my word [of advice].’’’}} | |||
She also notes a possible parallel in this story {{Quran|20|95-96}} in the brief description of how the calf was made may relate to scriptural magic described in Exodus Rabba 41:10, though this view contrasts with Paret, who follows Yahuda and relies on a later Midrash that is hard to date.<ref name=":1" /> And in {{Quran|20|97-98}} the Samiri / 'al-Sāmirī' is condemned in the Qur’an to live as a leper, symbolizing lifelong impurity — echoing the Bible's [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2013%3A45&version=NIV Leviticus 13:45]; though his expulsion and the warning of future punishment parallel the story of Iblīs, showing that al-Sāmirī plays a Satan-like role in the Qur’anic narrative, which, similarly, rabbinic tradition also links Satan to the golden calf incident.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
==The body on Solomon's throne== | ==The body on Solomon's throne== | ||
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The Bible briefly mentions Noah's wife in one verse without further comment ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%207%3A7&version=NIV Genesis 7:7]), "And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood." Regarding the Quranic verse which speaks of her negatively, Reynolds briefly considers the possibility that the Quran has extended to their wives the parallelism between Noah (though not his wife) and Lot found in the New Testament ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202&version=NIV 2 Peter 2]), but then comments, "However, it is important to note that already in the pre-Islamic period certain groups had developed hostile legends about Noah's wife." He cites Epiphanius (d. 403 CE), ''Panarion'' 2:26, which relates the Gnostic belief that she was not allowed onto the ark, having burned it down three times before the flood.<ref>Gabriel Said Reynolds, ''The Qurʾān and Bible'' p. 841</ref> | The Bible briefly mentions Noah's wife in one verse without further comment ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%207%3A7&version=NIV Genesis 7:7]), "And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood." Regarding the Quranic verse which speaks of her negatively, Reynolds briefly considers the possibility that the Quran has extended to their wives the parallelism between Noah (though not his wife) and Lot found in the New Testament ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202&version=NIV 2 Peter 2]), but then comments, "However, it is important to note that already in the pre-Islamic period certain groups had developed hostile legends about Noah's wife." He cites Epiphanius (d. 403 CE), ''Panarion'' 2:26, which relates the Gnostic belief that she was not allowed onto the ark, having burned it down three times before the flood.<ref>Gabriel Said Reynolds, ''The Qurʾān and Bible'' p. 841</ref> | ||
==Noah's flood waters overflowed from an oven== | ==Noah's flood waters overflowed from an oven== | ||
The Qur'anic version of the Noah's flood story describes the flood waters as overflowing from an oven. This element is not found even in more ancient versions of the story (Epic of Gilgamesh, Atra hasis, and Ziusudra). | The Qur'anic version of the Noah's flood story describes the flood waters as overflowing from an oven. This element is not found even in more ancient versions of the story (Epic of Gilgamesh, Atra hasis, and Ziusudra). | ||