David Larsen

In this article, we will examine affinities between ancient extracanonical sources and a collection of modern revelations that Joseph Smith termed “extracts from the Prophecy of Enoch.” We build on the work of previous scholars, revisiting their findings with the benefit of subsequent scholarship. Following a perspective on the LDS canon and an introduction to the LDS Enoch revelations, we will focus on relevant passages in pseudepigrapha and LDS scripture within three episodes in the Mormon Enoch narrative: Enoch’s prophetic commission, Enoch’s encounters with the “gibborim,” and the weeping and exaltation of Enoch and his people. There are few other branches of Christianity that revere Holy Scripture as do the Latter-day Saints. Paradoxically, no other Christian faith has felt such liberty—or rather such necessity—to add to and even revise it continually. This is because Latter-day Saints are not fundamentally a “People of the Book” 1 but instead 1. Muslims refer to Jews and Chris...

A number of texts from the Qumran scrolls demonstrate the community's interest in heavenly ascent and in communion with angels. This article lays out a pattern observable in some of the poetic/liturgical texts (for example, the Hodayot and other noncanonical psalms) in which the leader of the community is taken up into the divine council of God to be taught the heavenly mysteries, is appointed a teacher of those mysteries, and is then commissioned to share the teachings with his followers. Upon learning the mysteries, the followers are enabled to likewise ascend to heaven to praise God with the angels. In some texts, the human worshippers appear to undergo a transfiguration so that they become like the heavenly beings. This article further illustrates how these elements can be found together in a liturgical text known as the  Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice ; their collective presence suggests that all were part of a ritual sequence. Finally, the article argues that these same el...

A number of texts from the scrolls found at Qumran demonstrate the community’s interest in communion with angels and heavenly ascent. This article lays out a pattern observable in some of the poetic/liturgical texts (e.g., the Hodayot and other non-canonical psalms) that involves the leader of the community being taken up into the divine council of God to be taught the heavenly mysteries, being appointed as a teacher of those mysteries, and then sharing the teachings with his followers. Upon learning the mysteries, the followers are enabled to likewise ascend to heaven to praise God with the angels. In some texts, the human worshippers appear to undergo a transfiguration so that they become like the heavenly beings. This article further illustrates how these diverse elements can be found together in a liturgical text known as the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice, suggesting that all were to be (or could be) part of a ritual sequence. Finally, the article argues that these same elements, or traditions related to them, can be found in passages from the Old Testament.

One of the most significant additions to the Book of Genesis in Joseph Smith's inspired translation of the Bible is to the story of the prophet Enoch, who the biblical record briefly implies was taken up into heaven alive. In Joseph Smith's rendering of the story, however, not only Enoch, as an individual, ascends into heaven, but also his entire community. This article explores the notion of communal ascent in ancient Jewish and Christian literature and seeks to find affinities with the story of Enoch's Zion found in the LDS Book of Moses. Ancient narratives such as The History of the Rechabites provide some interesting parallels, however the idea of a group ascending into heaven is more strikingly presented in texts that are arguably designed for ritual purposes, as we see with the biblical Epistle to the Hebrews and the Hodayot and Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice texts from among the Dead Sea Scrolls. We can see in these texts a pattern that entails an individual being taken up into heaven and taught the celestial mysteries, then being appointed to return and teach others so that they can also, as a group, ascend into the heavenly realm.

In this paper, I will argue against the hypothesis, put forward by Milik and accepted by the editors of DJD XVI, that 4QPs89 is the source, or an early version, of Psalm 89. More in line with Skehan and van der Ploeg, I will argue that the text on this fragment represents a secondary version of the canonical psalm – which is the base text.  Unlike Skehan and van der Ploeg, I have no interest in demonstrating the Qumran text’s inferiority to the Masoretic text or speculating on its ultimate use among the community’s faithful.  My purpose here will be to present 4QPs89 as an example of reworked scripture – as an interpretation of the biblical Psalm 89 that reorders verses and changes words in order to present a composition that speaks to the eschatological expectations of the community, actualizing the historical aspects of the psalm. I will demonstrate how the transformation of the biblical psalm into what we see in this Qumran version follows exegetical techniques that we find in a number of other similar texts, including the non-canonical psalms found in the 4Q381 fragments and others.

Working from Silviu Bunta’s general conclusions regarding the heavenly ascent motif in Ezekiel, I will take the next logical step: moving the origins of the heavenly ascent motif further back beyond Ezekiel into the pre-exilic cult of the Jerusalem Temple.  I will argue that this type of theophanic experience -- an ascent to heaven to see God -- was a principal focus of the temple liturgy in monarchic times as depicted in some of the Psalms.

Psalm 24, along with Psalm 15 and others, has long been recognized as a "temple entry liturgy," a song to be sung on the occasion of the pilgrimage and entrance to the temple in Jerusalem. If we establish that both Psalms 15 and 24 are based on temple entry liturgies, then it appears that the pilgrims that would have been singing or reciting them are looking for instruction from the God of Israel, YHWH (Ps 15); YHWH attempting to enter in at the temple gates (Ps 24); if we bring in Psalm 118 and others, it makes it more clear that pilgrims are coming to seek the face of YHWH, are coming in the name of YHWH, and are blessed by YHWH after entrance. Although encountering YHWH in the temple and receiving his blessing is the final objective of the pilgrims, Psalm 24 seems to suggest that YHWH is somehow among the travellers as well, attempting to likewise gain passage through the temple gates. Although the reference is more inferred than explicit, the psalm seems to imply an underlying understanding that there were two YHWHs, and there is evidence that such an ancient belief existed, generally expressed as there being one YHWH who was, or came to, earth while the other YHWH was enthroned in heaven. In a Jewish religious text written centuries later, the book known as 3 Enoch, the patriarch Enoch ascends to heaven and God makes him an archangel, with the new name of Metatron. Enoch/Metatron is God's vice-regent and has a crown and throne in heaven. The text informs us that Enoch/Metatron bears " the Name " of God and that he is known as " little YHWH " or " the lesser YHWH. " In this study, I will discuss something of a trajectory of a tradition of two YHWHs – two Gods – a tradition with roots in the rituals of the First Temple. I will touch on some examples from the Hebrew Scriptures that seem to demonstrate a belief in, or awareness of, the idea that there was more than one divine being that could be called YHWH. Similarly, I will also discuss the notion that a human being could be called, or identified with, YHWH, particularly in ancient Israel's ritual system (as expressed in the biblical psalms and historical narratives), but also in the theology and religious literature (such as 3 Enoch) that later sprang forth from earlier practices. I will examine the significance of bearing " the name of YHWH " and how this permits a subordinate figure, such as an angel or human being, to be recognized as YHWH, or to represent him. These concepts will be brought to bear on the question of why it appears that we are seeing two YHWHs in Psalm 24 and other biblical passages.