Reviewed Book: McLean, Bradley H. Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 CE. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1992

Reimer, David J.

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 18
Issue 2 Word and Worship: Essays on Preaching and
Liturgy
Article 11
11-1-1992
Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early
Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 CE
David J. Reimer
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Reimer, David J. (1992) "Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 CE,"
Consensus: Vol. 18 : Iss. 2 , Article 11.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol18/iss2/11
Book Reviews 123
Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early
Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 C.E.
Bradley H. McLean
Lewiston/Queenston/Lampeter: The Edwin Mellen Press,
1992
138 pp. U.S. $49.95
McLean’s slim volume is not a book well-suited to leisure reading, or to
“reading” at all. It is a work of reference, whose parameters are clearly set
out in the title. McLean is interested in the ways in which texts from the
Hebrew Bible were used by early Jewish and Christian authors, with the
cut-off point being set—arbitrarily but judiciously—at 180 C.E. (A.D.).
The motive force is to set the New Testament quotations of Old Testa-
ment texts in the broader context of their interpretive after-life. What is
produced is a lengthy index of OT references, each reference glossed with
further references where they are quoted or alluded to by later Jewish and
Christian authors.
Given the difficulty in deciding between what should be classed as a
“citation” and what as an “allusion” in the vast array of literature avail-
able from this period, McLean used very practical means to make the task
more manageable. The NT editions of Nestle-Aland (26th) and United
Bible Societies (3rd ed.) along with W. Dittmar’s Veins Testamentum in
Novo (Gottingen, 1903) were used to take a “poll” on the OT quotes in
the NT: where two or more of these witnesses agree, McLean finds a “cita-
tion”; where only one of these identified a quote, McLean gives this as an
“allusion”. For other works, McLean relied on Scripture indices, or where
they were lacking, he compiled an index himself (this for Josephus’s Jewish
Antiquities and the Temple Scroll from Qumran [llQTemple]). To make
the limits of the literature surveyed explicit, McLean gives a Table of Ab-
breviations, keyed to a bibliography at the end of the work. A wide range of
literature is represented; in addition to the NT one finds some Apocryphal
works, a selection of Dead Sea Scrolls, post-apostolic writings, Josephus
and Philo, some Gnostic materials, plus others.
All of this gives an important resource for thinking about the develop-
ment of biblical traditions and the context in which the NT writings arose.
Too often the NT is seen as almost hermetically sealed from its environ-
ment, with Jesus, Paul, John (and others) appearing from nowhere on the
horizon. But, as has been increasingly recognized in recent years, this is a
serious mistake. McLean’s reference work can go a long way to locate the
traditions out of which the NT and subsequent Christian exegesis appeared.
As McLean remarks in the introduction, “the index presents a visual pic-
ture of the degree of interest attracted by various scriptural texts” (7), and
the work is valuable on this level.
It is very important that a reference work be complete and accurate if
it is to be dependable. Here, it must be noted, McLean’s work falls short.
124 Consensus
There are errors of omission in the Table of Abbreviations; occasional slips
were noted in spot checks in the index; and the bibliography does not al-
ways cite the most recent or most accessible editions of the works surveyed.
Especially lamentable is McLean’s seemingly haphazard approach to the
Apocryphal books, which sketch an important trajectory into the NT writ-
ings. Some works not in the Table of Abbreviations show up in the index
anyway (Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom of Solomon), but more often they are
simply ignored. This is most unfortunate. Some errors might have been
caught simply through more careful editing, but the problematic fashion in
which the Apocryphal works (and the Gnostic tractates) have been treated
comes at the level of design and execution.
Meanwhile, McLean has produced a handy guide to the early exegesis of
the Scriptures of synagogue and church. While its shortcomings mean that
the work will be less useful to professional scholars, it nonetheless effectively
opens out the world of early biblical interpretation. One hopes McLean will
find a way to enhance this promising start—an electronic edition of a work
like this makes very good sense, for example. It is also unfortunate that
such a slim volume is priced so steeply: this is a deterrent to many who
would benefit by having this volume in their library.
David J. Reimer
Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario
The Macmillan Book of Earliest Christian Meditations
Forrester Church and Terrence J. Mulry
New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. and London: Collier
Macmillan Publishers, 1989
xi + 190 pages
With this volume the editors have completed a trilogy that began with
The Macmillan Book of Earliest Christian Prayers and continued with The
Macmillan Book of Earliest Christian Hymns. Their aim in this anthology
of devotional materials is “not to produce a carefully annotated scholarly
work but rather to offer an accessible (‘user friendly’) collection of devo-
tional literature for the spiritual refreshment of lay people, ministers, and
scholars” (ix). The collection of writings drawn from the devotional litera-
ture of the first six centuries not only invites meditative-devotional reading
but also furnishes fascinating glimpses into the spiritual life of the earliest
Christians and their theological-ethical articulations.
The anthology is composed of seven sections, each with an introduc-
tion that emphasizes genre more than themes or content. Section I, “The
Source”, draws from the NT sayings of Jesus, Hebrews and James. Section


Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 CE

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 18Issue 2 Word and Worship: Essays on Preaching andLiturgyArticle 1111-1-1992Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in EarlyChristian and Jewish Writings through 180 CEDavid J. ReimerFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationReimer, David J. (1992) "Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 CE,"Consensus: Vol. 18 : Iss. 2 , Article 11.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol18/iss2/11Book Reviews 123Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in EarlyChristian and Jewish Writings through 180 C.E.Bradley H. McLeanLewiston/Queenston/Lampeter: The Edwin Mellen Press,1992138 pp. U.S. $49.95McLean’s slim volume is not a book well-suited to leisure reading, or to“reading” at all. It is a work of reference, whose parameters are clearly setout in the title. McLean is interested in the ways in which texts from theHebrew Bible were used by early Jewish and Christian authors, with thecut-off point being set—arbitrarily but judiciously—at 180 C.E. (A.D.).The motive force is to set the New Testament quotations of Old Testa-ment texts in the broader context of their interpretive after-life. What isproduced is a lengthy index of OT references, each reference glossed withfurther references where they are quoted or alluded to by later Jewish andChristian authors.Given the difficulty in deciding between what should be classed as a“citation” and what as an “allusion” in the vast array of literature avail-able from this period, McLean used very practical means to make the taskmore manageable. The NT editions of Nestle-Aland (26th) and UnitedBible Societies (3rd ed.) along with W. Dittmar’s Veins Testamentum inNovo (Gottingen, 1903) were used to take a “poll” on the OT quotes inthe NT: where two or more of these witnesses agree, McLean finds a “cita-tion”; where only one of these identified a quote, McLean gives this as an“allusion”. For other works, McLean relied on Scripture indices, or wherethey were lacking, he compiled an index himself (this for Josephus’s JewishAntiquities and the Temple Scroll from Qumran [llQTemple]). To makethe limits of the literature surveyed explicit, McLean gives a Table of Ab-breviations, keyed to a bibliography at the end of the work. A wide range ofliterature is represented; in addition to the NT one finds some Apocryphalworks, a selection of Dead Sea Scrolls, post-apostolic writings, Josephusand Philo, some Gnostic materials, plus others.All of this gives an important resource for thinking about the develop-ment of biblical traditions and the context in which the NT writings arose.Too often the NT is seen as almost hermetically sealed from its environ-ment, with Jesus, Paul, John (and others) appearing from nowhere on thehorizon. But, as has been increasingly recognized in recent years, this is aserious mistake. McLean’s reference work can go a long way to locate thetraditions out of which the NT and subsequent Christian exegesis appeared.As McLean remarks in the introduction, “the index presents a visual pic-ture of the degree of interest attracted by various scriptural texts” (7), andthe work is valuable on this level.It is very important that a reference work be complete and accurate ifit is to be dependable. Here, it must be noted, McLean’s work falls short.124 ConsensusThere are errors of omission in the Table of Abbreviations; occasional slipswere noted in spot checks in the index; and the bibliography does not al-ways cite the most recent or most accessible editions of the works surveyed.Especially lamentable is McLean’s seemingly haphazard approach to theApocryphal books, which sketch an important trajectory into the NT writ-ings. Some works not in the Table of Abbreviations show up in the indexanyway (Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom of Solomon), but more often they aresimply ignored. This is most unfortunate. Some errors might have beencaught simply through more careful editing, but the problematic fashion inwhich the Apocryphal works (and the Gnostic tractates) have been treatedcomes at the level of design and execution.Meanwhile, McLean has produced a handy guide to the early exegesis ofthe Scriptures of synagogue and church. While its shortcomings mean thatthe work will be less useful to professional scholars, it nonetheless effectivelyopens out the world of early biblical interpretation. One hopes McLean willfind a way to enhance this promising start—an electronic edition of a worklike this makes very good sense, for example. It is also unfortunate thatsuch a slim volume is priced so steeply: this is a deterrent to many whowould benefit by having this volume in their library.David J. ReimerWilfrid Laurier UniversityWaterloo, OntarioThe Macmillan Book of Earliest Christian MeditationsForrester Church and Terrence J. MulryNew York: Macmillan Publishing Co. and London: CollierMacmillan Publishers, 1989xi + 190 pagesWith this volume the editors have completed a trilogy that began withThe Macmillan Book of Earliest Christian Prayers and continued with TheMacmillan Book of Earliest Christian Hymns. Their aim in this anthologyof devotional materials is “not to produce a carefully annotated scholarlywork but rather to offer an accessible (‘user friendly’) collection of devo-tional literature for the spiritual refreshment of lay people, ministers, andscholars” (ix). The collection of writings drawn from the devotional litera-ture of the first six centuries not only invites meditative-devotional readingbut also furnishes fascinating glimpses into the spiritual life of the earliestChristians and their theological-ethical articulations.The anthology is composed of seven sections, each with an introduc-tion that emphasizes genre more than themes or content. Section I, “TheSource”, draws from the NT sayings of Jesus, Hebrews and James. Section

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Citations and Allusions to Jewish Scripture in Early Christian and Jewish Writings through 180 CE

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