Abstract
One of the books of the New Testament which shows a profound and original insight into the Old Testament is the Epistle to the Hebrews. There are approximately thirty-seven quotations and seventy citations in it. It has been suggested that this book is based on a long homily on Ps. 110 which combines kingship and priesthood according to Melchizedek. … Now there are three characteristics which would suggest that the homily was composed by one who had not the advantage of a formal education. Firstly, the author does not give references for his or her Biblical quotations or citations but at times is reduced to the strange expression "Somewhere it says … " (e.g., Hebrews 2:6) or "again" (e.g., 2:13) . Secondly, he shows no knowledge of the rules of Rabbinic Biblical interpretation; and, thirdly, he does not employ the allegorizing method of Philo. In fact his or her interpretation of Scripture is a literal one. In short, the author knew and understood Scripture, as did the person or persons from whom Luke obtained material for his Infancy Narratives, but he does not seem to have had a formal Biblical education. Priscilla's and Aquila's candidacy for the authorship has been suggested—by no less a person than Harnack in the early part of this century. I should like to suggest that another lady might also be eligible. I venture to put forward the hypothesis that the content, if not the style, of the work comes from Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It is her meditation on the Old Testament wherein she exercised the role of prophet in the later sense of the word, namely, the reinterpretation of Scripture through prayer and meditation, as Daniel (Dan. 9:1-27) and the Teacher of Righteousness at Qumran (1 Hab 2:8-9) and, naturally, the New Testament writers, such as, Matthew.
Recommended Citation
Ford, J. Massyngberde
(1975)
"The Mother of Jesus and the Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews,"
University of Dayton Review: Vol. 11:
No.
3, Article 8.
Available at:
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/udr/vol11/iss3/8
