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Abomination of desolation

May 20, 2023

"Abomination of desolation"[Notes 1] is a phrase from the Book of Daniel describing the pagan sacrifices with which the 2nd century BCE Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes replaced the twice-daily offering in the Jewish temple, or alternatively the altar on which such offerings were made.[1] In the 1st century CE it was taken up by the authors of the gospels in the context of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in the year 70,[2] with Mark giving Jesus a speech concerning the Second Coming,[3] Matthew 24:15–16 adding a reference to Daniel[4] and Luke 21:20–21 giving a description of the Roman armies ("But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies..."); in all three it is likely that the authors had in mind a future eschatological (i.e., end-time) event, and perhaps the activities of some antichrist.[5]

Enthroned Zeus (Greek, c. 100 BCE)

Book of Daniel

 
Coin of Antiochus IV: the inscription reads "King Antiochus, God manifest, bearer of victory"

Chapters 1–6 of the Book of Daniel originated as a collection of folk tales among the Jewish community in the late 4th to early 3rd centuries BCE.[6] At that time, a lamb was sacrificed twice daily, morning and evening, on the altar of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. In 167 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the king of the Greek Seleucid dynasty which then ruled Palestine, put an end to the practice.[7][8] In reaction to this, the visionary chapters of Daniel, chapters 7–12, were added to reassure Jews that they would survive in the face of this threat.[9] In Daniel 8, one angel asks another how long "the transgression that makes desolate" will last; Daniel 9 tells of "the prince who is to come" who "shall make sacrifice and offering cease, and in their place shall be an abomination that desolates"; Daniel 11 tells the history of the arrogant foreign king who sets up the "abomination that makes desolate"; and in Daniel 12 the prophet is told how many days will pass "from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that desolates is set up".[10]

One of the more popular older views was to see in the "abomination" a contemptuous deformation (or dysphemism) of the Phoenician deity Baal Shamin, the "Lord of Heaven";[11] Philo of Byblos identified Baal Shamin with the Greek sky god Zeus,[11] and as the temple in Jerusalem was rededicated in honor of Zeus (according to 2 Maccabees 6:2), older commentators tended to follow Porphyry in seeing the "abomination" in terms of a statue of the Greek sky god.[12] More recently, it has been suggested that the reference is to certain sacred stones (possibly meteorites) that were fixed to the temple's altar of sacrifice for the purposes of pagan worship,[13][14] since the use of such stones is well-attested in Canaanite and Syrian cults.[15] Both proposals have been criticized on the basis that they are too speculative, or dependent on flawed analysis, or not well-suited to the relevant context in the Book of Daniel;[15][16] and more recent scholarship tends to see the "abomination" as a reference to either the pagan offerings that replaced the forbidden twice-daily Jewish offering (cf. Daniel 11:31, 12:11; 2 Maccabees 6:5),[17][18] or the pagan altar on which such offerings were made.[19][15]

New Testament

Further information: Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)
 
Arch of Titus in Rome, showing spoils from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem

In 63 BCE, the Romans captured Jerusalem and Judea became an outpost of the Roman Empire, but in 66 CE the Jews rose in revolt against the Romans as their ancestors had once done against Antiochus.[20] The resulting First Jewish–Roman War ended in 70 CE when the legions of the Roman general Titus surrounded and eventually captured Jerusalem;[21] the city and the temple were razed to the ground, and the only habitation on the site until the first third of the next century was a Roman military camp.[22] It was against this background that the gospels were written, Mark around 70 AD and Matthew and Luke around 80–85.[23][24] It is almost certain that none of the authors were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus,[25] and Mark was the source used by the authors of Matthew and Luke for their "abomination of desolation" passages.[26]

Chapter 13 of Mark's gospel is a speech of Jesus concerning the return of the Son of Man and the advent of the Kingdom of God, which will be signaled by the appearance of the "abomination of desolation".[3] It begins with Jesus in the temple informing his disciples that "not one stone here will be left on another, all will be thrown down"; the disciples ask when this will happen, and in Mark 13:14 Jesus tells them: "[W]hen you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains" (Mark 13:14). Mark's terminology is drawn from Daniel, but he places the fulfilment of the prophecy in his own day,[27] underlining this in Mark 13:30 by stating that "this generation will not pass away before all these things take place."[28] While Daniel's "abomination" was probably a pagan altar or sacrifice, Mark uses a masculine participle for "standing", indicating a concrete historical person: several candidates have been suggested, but the most likely is Titus.[29][30][Notes 2]

The majority of scholars believe that Mark was the source used by the authors of Matthew and Luke for their "abomination of desolation" passages.[26] Matthew 24:15–16 follows Mark 13:14 closely: "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains"; but unlike Mark, Matthew uses a neutral participle instead of a masculine one, and explicitly identifies Daniel as his prophetic source.[4] Luke 21:20–21 drops the "abomination" entirely: "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it."[31] In all three it is likely that the authors had in mind a future eschatological (i.e., end-time) event, and perhaps the activities of some antichrist.[31]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Hebrew: ‏שִׁקּוּץ מְשֹׁמֵם‏ shiqquts meshomem, Ancient Greek: τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως, to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs, Latin: abominatio desolationis
  2. ^ Other candidates have included the Zealots who occupied the temple and slaughtered the priests in 67–68 CE, and the Roman armies, the eagle standards to which they offered sacrifices.

References

  1. ^ Lust 2001, p. 682.
  2. ^ Ryken, Wilhoit & Longman 2010, p. 3.
  3. ^ a b Schroter 2010, p. 291.
  4. ^ a b Davies & Allison 1988, p. 345.
  5. ^ Davies & Allison 1988, pp. 345–46.
  6. ^ Seow 2003, pp. 7–8.
  7. ^ Lust 2001, pp. 671–72.
  8. ^ Collins 2013, p. 87.
  9. ^ Seow 2003, p. 8–9.
  10. ^ Collins 2013, pp. 85–87.
  11. ^ a b Lust 2001, pp. 674.
  12. ^ Lust 2001, pp. 677–78.
  13. ^ Porteous 1965, p. 143.
  14. ^ Goldstein 1976, pp. 144–151.
  15. ^ a b c Collins 1993, p. 358.
  16. ^ Lust 2001, pp. 675–682.
  17. ^ Lust 2001, pp. 682–687.
  18. ^ Waters 2016, p. 107.
  19. ^ Goldingay 1989, p. 263.
  20. ^ Boyer 2009, p. 32.
  21. ^ Kimondo 2018, p. 1.
  22. ^ Weksler-Bdolah 2019, p. 4.
  23. ^ Perkins 1998, p. 241.
  24. ^ Reddish 2011, pp. 108, 144.
  25. ^ Reddish 2011, p. 13.
  26. ^ a b Reddish 2011, p. 29.
  27. ^ Lane 1974, p. 466–467.
  28. ^ Hogeterp 2009, p. 147.
  29. ^ Lane 1974, p. 467.
  30. ^ Kimondo 2018, p. 49.
  31. ^ a b Davies & Allison 1988, p. 345–346.

Bibliography

  • Bloom, James J. (2014). The Jewish Revolts Against Rome, A.D. 66-135: A Military Analysis. McFarland. ISBN 9780786460205.
  • Boyer, Paul (2009). When Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780786460205.
  • Collins, John J. (2013). "Daniel". In Lieb, Michael; Mason, Emma; Roberts, Jonathan (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible. OUP. ISBN 9780191649189.
  • Collins, John J. (1993). Daniel. Fortress. ISBN 9780800660406.
  • Davies, Philip (2006). "Apocalyptic". In Rogerson, J. W.; Lieu, Judith M. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies. OUP. ISBN 9780199254255.
  • Davies, W. D.; Allison, Dale C. (1988). Matthew. Vol. 3: 19-28. A&C Black. ISBN 9780567085184.
  • Goldingay, John (1989). Watts, John D.; Watts, James W.; Metzger, Bruce M. (eds.). Daniel. Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 30. Thomas Nelson.
  • Goldstein, Jonathan A. (1976). I Maccabees. The Anchor Yale Bible. Vol. 41. Doubleday.
  • Hogeterp, Albert L.A. (2009). Expectations of the End. BRILL. ISBN 978-9004171770.
  • Kimondo, Stephen Simon (2018). The Gospel of Mark and the Roman-Jewish War of 66–70 CE: Jesus' Story as a Contrast to the Events of the War. Wipf and Stock. ISBN 9781532653049.
  • Lane, William L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark. Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802825025.
  • Lust, Johan (2001). "Cult and Sacrifice in Daniel. The Tamid and the Abomination of Desolation". In Collins, John Joseph; Flint, Peter W. (eds.). The Book of Daniel: Composition and Reception. Vol. 2. BRILL. ISBN 9004122001.
  • Perkins, Pheme (1998). "The Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles". In Barton, John (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521485937.
  • Porteous, Norman W. (1965). Daniel: A Commentary. The Old Testament Library. Westminster John Knox Press.
  • Reddish, Mitchell G. (2011). An Introduction to The Gospels. Abingdon Press. ISBN 9781426750083.
  • Ryken, Leland; Wilhoit, James C.; Longman, Tremper (2010). "Abomination". Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830867332.
  • Schroter, Jens (2010). "The Gospel of Mark". In Aune, David E. (ed.). The Blackwell Companion to The New Testament. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781444318944.
  • Seow, Choon Leong (2003). Daniel. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664256753.
  • Waters, B. V. (2016). "The Two Eschatological Perspectives of the Book of Daniel". Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament. 30 (1): 91–111. doi:10.1080/09018328.2016.1122292.
  • Weksler-Bdolah, Shlomit (2019). Aelia Capitolina – Jerusalem in the Roman Period: In Light of Archaeological Research. BRILL. ISBN 9789004417076.

May 20, 2023
abomination, desolation, notes, phrase, from, book, daniel, describing, pagan, sacrifices, with, which, century, greek, king, antiochus, epiphanes, replaced, twice, daily, offering, jewish, temple, alternatively, altar, which, such, offerings, were, made, cent. Abomination of desolation Notes 1 is a phrase from the Book of Daniel describing the pagan sacrifices with which the 2nd century BCE Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes replaced the twice daily offering in the Jewish temple or alternatively the altar on which such offerings were made 1 In the 1st century CE it was taken up by the authors of the gospels in the context of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in the year 70 2 with Mark giving Jesus a speech concerning the Second Coming 3 Matthew 24 15 16 adding a reference to Daniel 4 and Luke 21 20 21 giving a description of the Roman armies But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies in all three it is likely that the authors had in mind a future eschatological i e end time event and perhaps the activities of some antichrist 5 Enthroned Zeus Greek c 100 BCE Contents 1 Book of Daniel 2 New Testament 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 BibliographyBook of Daniel Edit Coin of Antiochus IV the inscription reads King Antiochus God manifest bearer of victory Chapters 1 6 of the Book of Daniel originated as a collection of folk tales among the Jewish community in the late 4th to early 3rd centuries BCE 6 At that time a lamb was sacrificed twice daily morning and evening on the altar of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem In 167 BCE Antiochus IV Epiphanes the king of the Greek Seleucid dynasty which then ruled Palestine put an end to the practice 7 8 In reaction to this the visionary chapters of Daniel chapters 7 12 were added to reassure Jews that they would survive in the face of this threat 9 In Daniel 8 one angel asks another how long the transgression that makes desolate will last Daniel 9 tells of the prince who is to come who shall make sacrifice and offering cease and in their place shall be an abomination that desolates Daniel 11 tells the history of the arrogant foreign king who sets up the abomination that makes desolate and in Daniel 12 the prophet is told how many days will pass from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that desolates is set up 10 One of the more popular older views was to see in the abomination a contemptuous deformation or dysphemism of the Phoenician deity Baal Shamin the Lord of Heaven 11 Philo of Byblos identified Baal Shamin with the Greek sky god Zeus 11 and as the temple in Jerusalem was rededicated in honor of Zeus according to 2 Maccabees 6 2 older commentators tended to follow Porphyry in seeing the abomination in terms of a statue of the Greek sky god 12 More recently it has been suggested that the reference is to certain sacred stones possibly meteorites that were fixed to the temple s altar of sacrifice for the purposes of pagan worship 13 14 since the use of such stones is well attested in Canaanite and Syrian cults 15 Both proposals have been criticized on the basis that they are too speculative or dependent on flawed analysis or not well suited to the relevant context in the Book of Daniel 15 16 and more recent scholarship tends to see the abomination as a reference to either the pagan offerings that replaced the forbidden twice daily Jewish offering cf Daniel 11 31 12 11 2 Maccabees 6 5 17 18 or the pagan altar on which such offerings were made 19 15 New Testament EditFurther information Siege of Jerusalem 70 CE Arch of Titus in Rome showing spoils from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem In 63 BCE the Romans captured Jerusalem and Judea became an outpost of the Roman Empire but in 66 CE the Jews rose in revolt against the Romans as their ancestors had once done against Antiochus 20 The resulting First Jewish Roman War ended in 70 CE when the legions of the Roman general Titus surrounded and eventually captured Jerusalem 21 the city and the temple were razed to the ground and the only habitation on the site until the first third of the next century was a Roman military camp 22 It was against this background that the gospels were written Mark around 70 AD and Matthew and Luke around 80 85 23 24 It is almost certain that none of the authors were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus 25 and Mark was the source used by the authors of Matthew and Luke for their abomination of desolation passages 26 Chapter 13 of Mark s gospel is a speech of Jesus concerning the return of the Son of Man and the advent of the Kingdom of God which will be signaled by the appearance of the abomination of desolation 3 It begins with Jesus in the temple informing his disciples that not one stone here will be left on another all will be thrown down the disciples ask when this will happen and in Mark 13 14 Jesus tells them W hen you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be let the reader understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains Mark 13 14 Mark s terminology is drawn from Daniel but he places the fulfilment of the prophecy in his own day 27 underlining this in Mark 13 30 by stating that this generation will not pass away before all these things take place 28 While Daniel s abomination was probably a pagan altar or sacrifice Mark uses a masculine participle for standing indicating a concrete historical person several candidates have been suggested but the most likely is Titus 29 30 Notes 2 The majority of scholars believe that Mark was the source used by the authors of Matthew and Luke for their abomination of desolation passages 26 Matthew 24 15 16 follows Mark 13 14 closely So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place let the reader understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains but unlike Mark Matthew uses a neutral participle instead of a masculine one and explicitly identifies Daniel as his prophetic source 4 Luke 21 20 21 drops the abomination entirely But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know that its desolation has come near Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains and let those who are inside the city depart and let not those who are out in the country enter it 31 In all three it is likely that the authors had in mind a future eschatological i e end time event and perhaps the activities of some antichrist 31 See also EditRelated Bible parts Daniel 7 Daniel 8 Daniel 11 Daniel 12 Matthew 24 Mark 13 Abomination Judaism Apocalypticism Mount of Temptation Judgment day Prophecy of Seventy Weeks Summary of Christian eschatological differencesNotes Edit Hebrew ש ק ו ץ מ ש מ ם shiqquts meshomem Ancient Greek tὸ bdelygma tῆs ἐrhmwsews to bdelygma tes eremōseōs Latin abominatio desolationis Other candidates have included the Zealots who occupied the temple and slaughtered the priests in 67 68 CE and the Roman armies the eagle standards to which they offered sacrifices References Edit Lust 2001 p 682 Ryken Wilhoit amp Longman 2010 p 3 a b Schroter 2010 p 291 a b Davies amp Allison 1988 p 345 Davies amp Allison 1988 pp 345 46 Seow 2003 pp 7 8 Lust 2001 pp 671 72 Collins 2013 p 87 Seow 2003 p 8 9 Collins 2013 pp 85 87 a b Lust 2001 pp 674 Lust 2001 pp 677 78 Porteous 1965 p 143 Goldstein 1976 pp 144 151 a b c Collins 1993 p 358 Lust 2001 pp 675 682 Lust 2001 pp 682 687 Waters 2016 p 107 Goldingay 1989 p 263 Boyer 2009 p 32 Kimondo 2018 p 1 Weksler Bdolah 2019 p 4 Perkins 1998 p 241 Reddish 2011 pp 108 144 Reddish 2011 p 13 a b Reddish 2011 p 29 Lane 1974 p 466 467 Hogeterp 2009 p 147 Lane 1974 p 467 Kimondo 2018 p 49 a b Davies amp Allison 1988 p 345 346 Bibliography EditBloom James J 2014 The Jewish Revolts Against Rome A D 66 135 A Military Analysis McFarland ISBN 9780786460205 Boyer Paul 2009 When Time Shall Be No More Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture Harvard University Press ISBN 9780786460205 Collins John J 2013 Daniel In Lieb Michael Mason Emma Roberts Jonathan eds The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible OUP ISBN 9780191649189 Collins John J 1993 Daniel Fortress ISBN 9780800660406 Davies Philip 2006 Apocalyptic In Rogerson J W Lieu Judith M eds The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies OUP ISBN 9780199254255 Davies W D Allison Dale C 1988 Matthew Vol 3 19 28 A amp C Black ISBN 9780567085184 Goldingay John 1989 Watts John D Watts James W Metzger Bruce M eds Daniel Word Biblical Commentary Vol 30 Thomas Nelson Goldstein Jonathan A 1976 I Maccabees The Anchor Yale Bible Vol 41 Doubleday Hogeterp Albert L A 2009 Expectations of the End BRILL ISBN 978 9004171770 Kimondo Stephen Simon 2018 The Gospel of Mark and the Roman Jewish War of 66 70 CE Jesus Story as a Contrast to the Events of the War Wipf and Stock ISBN 9781532653049 Lane William L 1974 The Gospel of Mark Eerdmans ISBN 9780802825025 Lust Johan 2001 Cult and Sacrifice in Daniel The Tamid and the Abomination of Desolation In Collins John Joseph Flint Peter W eds The Book of Daniel Composition and Reception Vol 2 BRILL ISBN 9004122001 Perkins Pheme 1998 The Synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles In Barton John ed The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521485937 Porteous Norman W 1965 Daniel A Commentary The Old Testament Library Westminster John Knox Press Reddish Mitchell G 2011 An Introduction to The Gospels Abingdon Press ISBN 9781426750083 Ryken Leland Wilhoit James C Longman Tremper 2010 Abomination Dictionary of Biblical Imagery InterVarsity Press ISBN 9780830867332 Schroter Jens 2010 The Gospel of Mark In Aune David E ed The Blackwell Companion to The New Testament John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 9781444318944 Seow Choon Leong 2003 Daniel Westminster John Knox Press ISBN 9780664256753 Waters B V 2016 The Two Eschatological Perspectives of the Book of Daniel Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 30 1 91 111 doi 10 1080 09018328 2016 1122292 Weksler Bdolah Shlomit 2019 Aelia Capitolina Jerusalem in the Roman Period In Light of Archaeological Research BRILL ISBN 9789004417076 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Abomination of desolation amp oldid 1150573649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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