We continue our sampling of ancient texts “This is what was believed to happen when the hight priest was vested and anointed.” “The LORD said ‘Let Enoch come up and stand in front of my face for ever’ and the glorious ones did obeisance and said ’Let him come up’. the LORD said to Michael ‘Take enoch and take him from is earthly clothing and anoint him with the delightful oil and put him into the clothes of glory.’ and Michael took me from my clothes, he anointed me with the delightful oil and the appearance of that oil is greater than the greatest light, its ointment like sweet dew and its fragrance like myrrh. And its shining is like the sun. and I gazed at all of myself, and I had become like one of the glorious ones and there was no observable difference. “(2En. 22) This text is the only text surviving that tells of the vesting and anointing that make a high priest. “The process of passing from earthly to heavenly life was indicated by the change of garments, from earthly clothing to garments of glory, and the oil conferred the Spirit, Wisdom, Divinity. “ Notice the divinity. We are talking here of apotheosis, or the process in which or by which, one was made a god, (small case). i.e. “When a high priest was consecrated, he was literally made into a holy one. Moses’ radiant face as he came down from Sinai (Exod. 34.29-35) is an early example of this belief in apotheosis, and also an early example of Moses absorbing the traditions of the temple.”
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 18:29:18 +0000
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