In this post I will provide some extra-biblical Jewish support which demonstrates that there were certain Jews who were aware of a second divine Power existing alongside of God. I will further highlight that these Jews even believed in a female spirit creature who is dead to God loved and whom angels revere, a feminine figure whose role it is to intercede for virgins and penitent sinners. I will show this prefigures the status and role which the early Christians assigned to the blessed mother of our risen Lord.
The work in question is titled Joseph and Asenath, and is dated anywhere between 100 BC –100 AD:
A text from Hellenistic Egypt (ca. 100 B.C.E. to 100 C.E.) tells a romantic story of Joseph and Asenath’s courtship. Initially, Asenath rejects Joseph, but then falls in love with him, only to have Joseph reject her because she is the daughter of an Egyptian priest. It’s only after she repents and changes her allegiance to Israel’s God that Joseph marries her. (TheTorah–com, Joseph and Asenath)
I will be quoting from the following translation:
Joseph & Aseneth: Translated by David Cook, University of Birmingham This translation of Joseph and Aseneth is taken from H. F. D. Sparks (ed.), The Apocryphal Old Testament (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984), pp. 473-503, and is reproduced here by permission of Oxford University Press: https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074348/https://www.markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm.
THE SECOND POWER IN HEAVEN
This works contains a vivid description of Asenath being visited by the Commander of the Lord’s house and of the heavenly host. The depiction of this divine Being is modeled after the texts of the Hebrew Bible, which refer to the Angel of YHWH as God’s personal agent who is both distinct from and yet identical with YHWH.
Here’s how this source describes this glorious figure:
XIV. And as Aseneth finished her confession to the Lord, lo, the morning star rose in the eastern sky. 2. And Aseneth saw it and rejoiced and said, “The Lord God has indeed heard me, for this star is a messenger and herald of the light of the great day. 3. And lo, the heaven was torn open near the morning star and an indescribable light appeared. 4. And Aseneth fell on her face upon the ashes; and there came to her a man from heaven [1] and stood at her head; [2] and he called to her, “Aseneth”. [3] 5. And she said, “Who called me? For the door of my room is shut and the tower is high: how then did anyone get into [4] my room?” 6. And the man [5] called her a second time and said, “Aseneth, Aseneth;” and she said, “Here am I, my lord, tell me who you are.” 7. And the man said, “I am the commander [6] of the Lord’s house [7] and chief captain [8] of all the host of the Most High: [9] stand up, [10] and I will speak to you.” 8. And she looked up and saw a man like Joseph in every respect, with a robe and a crown and a royal staff. 9. But his face was like lightning, and his eyes were like the light of the sun, [11] and the hairs of his head like flames [12] of fire, and his hands and feet like iron from the fire. 10. And Aseneth looked at him, and she fell on her face at his feet in great fear and trembling. 11. And the man said to her, “Take heart, Aseneth, and do not be afraid; but stand up, [13] and I will speak to you.” 12. And Aseneth got up, and the man said to her, “Take off the black tunic you are wearing and the sackcloth round your waist, [14] and shake the ashes off your head, and wash your face with water. 13. And put on a new robe that you have never worn before, [15] and tie your bright girdle round your waist — the double girdle of your virginity. 14. And then come back to me, and I will tell you what I have been sent to you to say.” 15. And Aseneth went into the room where her treasure-chests and the finery for her adornment were; [16] and she opened her wardrobe and took out a new, fine robe, and she took off her black robe and put on the new and brilliant one. 16. And she untied the rope and the sackcloth round her waist; [17] and she put on the brilliant double girdle of her virginity — one girdle round her waist and the other round her breast. 17. And she shook the ashes off her head, and washed her face with pure water, and covered her head with a fine and lovely veil.
1. So FG: B ‘a man of light from heaven; D ‘the man of God’.
2. Lit. ‘over her head’.
3. So B: D Slav. om.
4. Lit. ‘and how did he come into’ (=B Slav.: D ‘and how did you come here into’).
5. B ‘And he’.
6. So BD: A ‘chief captain’; EFG ‘ruler’.
7. So BEF Slav.: G ‘of the Lord’: D ‘of glory of the Lord’; A ‘of the Lord God’.
8. So D: EFGA ‘and commander’.
9. So GA Slav.: D ‘of all the host of the Lord Most High’; F ‘of all the heavenly host’; B om. ‘and chief . . . High’ altogether.
10. Lit. ‘stand upon your feet’ (D ‘stand up fromt he floor’).
11. B ‘his eyes like the sun’.
12. Lit. ‘a flame’
13. Lit. ‘stand upon your feet’ (D om. ‘upon your feet’).
14. round your waist (lit. ‘from your loins’) = FGA: B ‘from you’; D Slav. om.
15. Lit. ‘a new robe, undefiled’.
16. where . . . were: B om.
17. And . . . waist: D om. (Ibid. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074348/https://www.markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm#XIV)
XV. And she came back to the man; and when the man saw her he said to her, “Take now the veil off your head, for to-day you are a pure virgin and your head is like a young man’s.” 2. So she took it off her head; and the man said to her, “Take heart, Aseneth, [1] for lo, the Lord has heard the words of your confession. 3. Take heart, Aseneth, [2] your name is written in the book of life, and it will never be blotted out. 4. From to-day you will be made new, and refashioned, and given new life; and you shall eat the bread of life and drink the cup of immortality, and be anointed with the unction of incorruption. [3]… 12. And when the man had finished speaking Aseneth was overjoyed. 13. And she fell at his feet and said to him, “Blessed be the Lord God [16] that sent you out to deliver me from darkness and bring me into light; and blessed be his name for ever. 14. Let me speak now, my lord, if I have found favour with you: sit down a little on the bed, and I will get a table ready and food for you to eat; [17] and I will bring you good wine, of the finest flavour, for your to drink; [18] and then you shall go your way.”
1. BFHA Slav. add ‘you pure virgin’.
2. Take heart Aseneth: D om., BA add ‘you (A + ‘pure’) virgin’.
3. The authorities differ not a little in detail here. All, however, refer to Aseneth’s eating of the bread and all except F to her drinking of the cup. Her anointing with the unction appears in HGA Arm., but not in BDEF Slav. Cp. viii.5…
16. B om.
17. Lit. ‘. . . and bread, and eat’ (imperative).
18. Lit. ‘wine, whose savour reaches to the heavens, and drink’ (imperative). (Ibid. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074348/https://www.markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm#XV)
The Being who appeared to Asenath is modeled after the following OT texts, where the Commander of the Lord’s heavenly host is identified as the Angel of YHWH, that very Messenger who is said to be YHWH himself appearing to his servants:
“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood before him with his drawn sword in his hand; and Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and said to him, “What does my lord bid his servant?’ And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, ‘Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:13-15
“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid′ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.’When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” Exodus 3:1-6
“Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face. And the angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why have you struck your ass these three times? Behold, I have come forth to withstand you, because your way is perverse before me;’” Numbers 22:31-32
Asenath’s heavenly visitant is further described after the luminescent Being that both Ezekiel and Daniel saw:
“And above the firmament over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness as it were of a human form. And upward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were gleaming bronze, like the appearance of fire enclosed round about; and downward from what had the appearance of his loins I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” Ezekiel 1:26-28
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshaz′zar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the noise of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me; my radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in a deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, give heed to the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling.” Daniel 10:1-11
The New Testament takes this a step further by identifying Jesus as the human incarnation of this glorious divine Being:
“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli′jah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli′jah.’ He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’” Matthew 17:1-5
“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.’” Revelation 1:12-18
“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring; when he called out, the seven thunders sounded. And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’ And the angel whom I saw standing on sea and land lifted up his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there should be no more delay,” Revelation 10:1-6
“Then I looked, and lo, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat upon the cloud, ‘Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.’So he who sat upon the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:14-16
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:11-16
In the aforementioned texts, Christ is not only described as the majestic Figure seen by Moses, Joshua, Balaam, Ezekiel and Daniel, he is also portrayed as the Ancient of Days and heavenly Son of Man whom the prophet Daniel saw:
“As I looked, Judgment before the Ancient One thrones were placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
And in Revelation 1:17, which I quoted above, Christ even applies a title of YHWH to himself, namely, “the First and the Last”!
“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am He.” Isaiah 41:4
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.’” Isaiah 44:6
“For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. Hearken to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am He, I am the first, and I am the last.” Isaiah 48:11-12
A FORESHADOWING OF THE EUCHARIST?
What makes this all the more remarkable is that this divine figure takes the honeycomb which had been miraculously in Asenath’s inner room, and turns it into a sacrifice consumed by fire:
XVI. And the man said to her, “Bring me, please, a honeycomb too.” 2. And Aseneth said, “Let me send someone my lord, [1] to my family estate in the country and I will get you a honeycomb.” 3. And the man said to her, “Go into your inner room and you will find a honeycomb there.” 4. And Aseneth went into her inner room and found a honeycomb lying on the table; and the comb was as white as snow and full of honey, and its smell was like the breath [2] of life. 5. And Aseneth took the comb and brought it to him; and the man said to her, “Why did you say, ‘There is no honeycomb in my house?’ And lo, you have brought me this.” 6. And Aseneth said, My lord, I had no honeycomb in my house, but it happened just as you said: did it perchance come out of your mouth, for it smells like myrrh?” [3] 7. And the man stretched his hand out and placed it on her head and said, “You are blessed, Aseneth, for the indescribable things [4] of God [5] have been revealed to you; and blessed too are those who give their allegiance to the Lord [6] God in penitence, for they shall eat of this comb. 8. The bees of the Paradise of Delight [7] have made this honey, and the angels of God eat of it, and no one who eats of it shall ever die. 9. And the man stretched his right hand out and broke off a piece of the comb and ate it; and he put a piece of it [8] unto Aseneth’s mouth. 10. And the man stretched his hand out and put his finger [9] on the edge of the comb that faced eastwards; and the path [10] of his finger became like blood. 11. And he stretched out his hand a second time and put his finger on the edge of the comb that faced northwards, and the path of his finger became like blood. 12. And Aseneth was standing on the left and watching everything the man was doing. 13. And bees came up from the cells of the comb, and they were white as snow, and their wings were irridescent — purple and blue and gold; [11] and they had golden diadems on their heads and sharp-pointed strings. 14. And all the bees flew in circles round Aseneth, from her feet right up to her head; and yet more bees, [12] as big as queens, settled on Aseneth’s lips. 15. And the man said to the bees, “Go, please, to your places.” 16. And they all left Aseneth and fell to the ground, every one of them, [13] and died. 17. And the man said, “Get up now, and go to your place;” and they got up [14] and went, every one of them, to the court round Aseneth’s tower.
1. So D: B Slav. om.
2. Lit. ‘smell’.
3. D adds ‘from your mouth’.
4. So BDH: G ‘the hidden things’; F ‘the mysteries’;A ‘the indescribable mysteries’.
5. So BDA: FGH ‘the Most High’.
6. BF add ‘your’.
7. i.e. the Garden of Eden (cp. the LXX at e.g. Gen iii.23 and Ezek. xxxi.9).
8. Lit. ‘and he gave of the comb with his hand’.
9. B Lat. ‘his forefinger’.
10. So D Lat.: B Slav. ‘appearance’.
11. Lit. ‘and their wings were as purple, and hyacinth, and as threads of gold’ (= B:A ‘. . . hyacinth, and as scarlet’: D Slav. om. ‘and as threads of gold’).
12. Aseneth . . . bees: D om.
13. every one of them = B: D Slav. om.
14. And they got up = BFG A Slav.: D om. (Ibid. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074348/https://www.markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm#XVI)
XVII. And the man said to Aseneth, “Have you observed this?” and she said, “Yes, [1] my lord, I have observed it all.” 2. And the man said, “So shall be [2] the words I have spoken to you.” 3. And the man touched the comb, and fire went up from the table and burnt up the comb; and, as it burned, the comb gave out a refreshing fragrance that filled the room. 4. And Aseneth said to the man, “There are, my lord, seven virgins with me, who have been brought up with me, and who wait upon me: they were born in the same night as I was and I love them: let me call them, [3] so that you can bless them as you have blessed me. 5. And the man said, “Call them;” [4] and Aseneth called them, and the man blessed them and said, “God, [5] the Most High, will bless you [6] for ever.” 6. And the man said to Aseneth, “Take this table away;” and Aseneth turned to move the table, and [7] the man vanished out of her sight, and Aseneth saw what looked like a chariot of fire being taken up into heaven towards the east. 7. And Aseneth said, “Be merciful, O Lord, to thy maidservant, because it was in [8] ignorance that I spoke evil [9] before thee.”
1. Lit. ‘Lo’.
2. B ‘my’
3. Lit. ‘Pray, I will call them = DGA: B om.
4. And the man . . . them = BG: Slav. ‘And he said, Call them; D om.
5. So DEFT Slav.: A ‘the Lord God’; B om.
6. E adds ‘and you shall be seven pillars of the City of Refuge’.
7. B adds ‘immediately’.
8. D adds ‘my’. (Ibid. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074348/https://www.markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm#XVII)
As the divine Being informs Asenath, the honeycomb was made in heaven, eaten by angels, and smells like the breath since it gives life to all those who repent, which is why anyone who eats of it shall never die.
Even more interesting is what the Commander does after both Asenath and he ate pieces of the honeycomb. The chief Captain points his finger both east and north leaving what resembles a trail of blood!
It seems certain that the blood is meant to signify that the Divine Being standing before Asenath is making atonement for sins, since the Hebrew Bible is clear that God ordained that through the shedding blood atonement would be made:
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life.” Leviticus 17:11
And the fact that the man caused the honeycomb to be consumed by fire further reinforces that this was clearly a sacrificial and atoning act done specifically for the remissions of sins. This act is reminiscent of what took place when the Angel of YHWH met with the parents of Samson:
“Mano′ah said to the angel of the Lord, ‘Pray, let us detain you, and prepare a kid for you.’And the angel of the Lord said to Mano′ah, ‘If you detain me, I will not eat of your food; but if you make ready a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.’ (For Mano′ah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.)And Mano′ah said to the angel of the Lord, ‘What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?’And the angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?’So Mano′ah took the kid with the cereal offering, and offered it upon the rock to the Lord, to him who works wonders. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar while Mano′ah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground. The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Mano′ah and to his wife. Then Mano′ah knew that he was the angel of the Lord.And Mano′ah said to his wife, ‘We shall surely die, for we have seen God.’But his wife said to him, ‘If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a cereal offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.’” Judges 13:15-23
In light of all this, it is hard not to see this being a foreshadow of the Eucharist of Christ, where through the sacrament of bread and wine the risen Lord would give his flesh and blood to all those who turn to him for forgiveness of sins and everlasting life:
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’” Matthew 26:26-29
“‘I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.’” John 6:48-58
A PRECURSOR TO THE BLESSED MOTHER
Last but not least, in chapter 15 there is mention of an exalted feminine spirit creature, whose roles and characteristics mirror what later church tradition would say of the blessed Theotokos:
5. Take heart, Aseneth: [4] lo, the Lord has given you to Joseph to be his bride, and he shall be your bridegroom. 6. And you shall no more be called Aseneth, but ‘City of Refuge’ shall be your name; for many nations shall take refuge in you, and under your wings shall [5] many peoples [6] find shelter, [7] and within your walls those who give their allegiance to God in penitence will find security. 7. For Penitence is the Most High’s daughter and she entreats the Most High on your behalf every hour, [8] and on behalf of all who repent; [9] for he is the father of Penitence [10] and she the mother of virgins, and every hour she petitions him for those who repent; for [11] she has prepared a heavenly bridal chamber for those who love her, [12] and she will look after them for ever. 8. And Penitence is herself a virgin, very beautiful and pure and chaste and gentle; and God Most High loves her, and all his angels do her reverence. 9. And lo, I am on my way to Joseph, and I will talk to him about you, and he will come to you to-day and see you and rejoice over you; and he shall be your bridegroom. 10. So listen to me, Aseneth, and put on your wedding robe, the ancient [13] robe, [14] the first [15] that was stored away in your room, and deck yourself in all your finest jewellry, and adorn yourself as a bride, and be ready to meet him. 11. Fo lo, he is coming to you to-day; and he will see you and rejoice.”
13. So BEFHA: D om.
14. So BFA: DEH om.
15. So BD: HA ‘even the first’; EF om.
(Ibid. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415074348/https:/www.markgoodacre.org/aseneth/translat.htm#XV)
Note the qualities assigned to this truly remarkable female angel:
- She is the beloved daughter of God.
- She is revered by angels.
- She is aware of the plight of all the penitent and virgins.
- She is the Virgin of virgins, and mother of virgins.
- She is most pure, chaste and gentle.
- She intercedes with God for virgins and those who are penitent.
- She forever looks after all who love her to protect and usher them into God’s heavenly bridal chamber.
Since these are the very roles and qualities attributed to Mary by the early Church, and since this comes from a Jewish (not a pagan) source, this refutes the assertion made by many that the exalted status of the blessed Mother stems from paganism. Joseph and Asenath proves that the idea of there being a heavenly female intercessor who is God’s highly exalted beloved daughter is completely in line with the monotheistic beliefs of the Jews before, during and after the time of Christ.
All scriptural citations taken from the Revised Standard Version (RSV).
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