Odes of Solomon
The Odes of Solomon are a collection of 42 odes, anonymous but long attributed to Solomon. There used to be confusion among scholars on the dating of the Odes of Solomon; however, most scholars date it to somewhere between AD 70 and 125. The original language of the Odes is thought to have been either Greek or Syriac, and the majority of scholars believe it to have been written by a Jewish Christian, very likely a convert from the Essene community to Christianity, because it contains multiple similarities to writings found in Qumran and to the Gospel of John. Some have argued that the writer had even personally seen John the Baptist.
Some scholars have suggested a Gnostic origin, but this theory is not universally accepted.
Manuscript history
The earliest extant manuscripts of the Odes of Solomon date from around the end of the 3rd century AD and the beginning of the 4th century AD: the Coptic Pistis Sophia, a Latin quote of a verse of Ode 19 by Lactantius, and the Greek text of Ode 11 in Papyrus Bodmer XI. Before the 18th century, the Odes were only known through Lactantius' quotation of one verse and their inclusion in two lists of religious literature.The British Museum purchased the Pistis Sophia in 1785. The Coptic manuscript, a codex of 174 leaves, was probably composed in the late 3rd century. The manuscript contains the complete text of two of the Odes, portions of two others, and what is believed to be Ode 1. Pistis Sophia is a Gnostic text composed in Egypt, perhaps a translation from Greek with Syrian provenance.
After the discovery of portions of the Odes of Solomon in Pistis Sophia, scholars searched to find more complete copies. In 1909, James Rendel Harris discovered a pile of forgotten leaves from a Syriac manuscript lying on a shelf in his study. Unfortunately, all he could recall was that they came from the 'neighbourhood of the Tigris'. The manuscript is the most complete of the extant texts of the Odes. The manuscript begins with the second strophe of the first verse of Ode 3. The manuscript gives the entire corpus of the Odes of Solomon through to the end of Ode 42. Then the Psalms of Solomon follow, until the beginning of Psalm 17:38 and the end of the manuscript has been lost. However, the Harris manuscript is a late copy — certainly no earlier than the 15th century.
In 1912, F. C. Burkitt discovered an older manuscript of the Odes of Solomon in the British Museum. The Codex Nitriensis came from the Monastery of the Syrian in Wadi El Natrun, sixty miles west of Cairo. It presents Ode 17:7b to the end of Ode 42, followed by the Psalms of Solomon in one continuous numbering. Nitriensis is written in far denser script than the Harris manuscript, which often makes it illegible. However, Nitriensis is earlier than Harris by about five centuries.
In 1955–6, Martin Bodmer acquired a number of manuscripts. Papyrus Bodmer XI appears to be a Greek scrap-book of Christian religious literature compiled in Egypt in the 3rd century. It includes the entirety of Ode 11, which includes a short section in the middle of the Ode that does not occur in the Harris version of it. Internal evidence suggests that this additional material is original to the Ode, and that the later Harris manuscript has omitted it.
Authorship
Language and date
Although earlier scholars thought the Odes were originally written in Greek or Hebrew, there is now a consensus that Syriac/Aramaic was the original language. Their place of origin seems likely to have been the region of Syria. Estimates of the date of composition range from the first to the third century AD, with many settling on the second century. Some have claimed that Ode 4 discusses the closing of the temple at Leontopolisin Egypt, which would date this writing about 73 AD. One of the strong arguments for an early date is the discovery of references to, and perhaps even quotations from, the Odes in the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch. Possible allusions were also made by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, which also supports an early date. The Odes have clear similarities to the Gospel of John, which suggests the writer was in the same community as where the book was written.
There is wide agreement that the Odes are related to the Gospel of John and the Dead Sea scrolls, thus Charlesworth concludes that the writer was an Essene convert to the Johannine community.
Liturgical use
The Odes of Solomon were, perhaps, composed for liturgical use. In the Syriac manuscripts, all of the Odes end with a hallelujah, and the Harris manuscript marks this word in the middle of an ode by the Syriac letter hê. The use of plural imperative and jussive verb-forms suggest that on occasion a congregation is being addressed. Bernard, Aune, Pierce and others who have commented on the Odes find in them clear early baptismal imagery — water is an ever-present theme as is the language of conversion and initiation. Charlesworth has led the criticism of this view.Themes
Evangelism
The Odes reflect a surprising emphasis on spreading the knowledge of God, and conversion of others.According to James H. Charlesworth, "the key characteristic in these hymns is a joyous tone of thanksgiving for the advent of the Messiah who had been promised and for the present experience of eternal life and love from and for the Beloved ".
Theology
Though there is some dispute, according to Chadwick the Odes are likely part of the proto-Orthodox Christian strain, with slight differences, as Odist appears to have mixed ideas from the Essene community with Christianity. Others, such as James White, have argued that the book is influenced by Gnosticism.Soteriology
It has been argued by some that the Odes support the doctrine of predestination; for example, they state, "And before they had existed, I recognized them; and imprinted a seal on their faces." Others, however, do not agree with the conclusion that the book may be interpreted as teaching any kind of unconditional election, arguing that the writer had in mind, not unconditional election, but election based on foreknowledge.According to the American New Testament scholar Thomas R. Schreiner, the soteriology of the Odes is highly grace oriented being underlined by a doctrine of election and he argued the writer saw salvation as a work of God which is not accomplished by human merit. Thomas R. Schreiner and Brian J. Arnold argued that the book supports a form of imputed righteousness.
Eschatology
The book makes mention of the Antichrist figuratively, using the word "dragon" for the Antichrist.The Odes perhaps references the general resurrection.
Christology
Some have argued that the book has docetic leanings, however it also appears to suggest that the birth of Jesus, though miraculous, was still a human birth, which would contradict docetism. It is also plausible that Ignatius of Antioch who opposed docetism referenced the Odes of Solomon in his writings. Odes 8:5-6 have also been argued to refer to the resurrection of Christ. Moreover, the strong ties of the Odes to the Johannine works suggests against docetism.The Odes of Solomon mention Christ as the Logos and that he is pre-existent. The Odes contain many common Christian teachings, such as the Messiah is the Son of God and the atonement of Jesus. The Odist calls Jesus both the son of Man and Son of God.
The Odes possibly contain the earliest non-biblical attestation of the virgin birth, depending on the date of writing.
The book mentions the mother of the Messiah, and alludes to his death by crucifixion and descent into Hades.
Trinity
The book mentions the "Father, Son and the Holy Spirit" and seems to have trinitarian theology without any indications of subordinationism unlike later Tertullian and Origen would have.Baptism
The book also apparently makes allusions to baptism but not to the Eucharist. Possible baptismal themes include renewal, new creation, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, entry into paradise, the Trinitarian formula, and circumcision. The presence of these themes has led some scholars to argue that the Odes are a collection of baptismal hymns. The writer seems to have been influenced by Jewish apocalyptic thought and mysticism.Other
The Odist perhaps has an understanding of "priesthood of all believers", seeing himself as an individual priest offering spiritual sacrifices. And the book contains an explicit affirmation of the immortality of the soul.The Odes says that Mary had no pain during childbirth and the midwife was absent, which suggests the doctrine of virginitas in partu meaning that Mary was still a virgin after childbirth. The statement could also be an allusion to the Exodus story, where Jewish women had very quick childbirth, which is why the Egyptian midwives could not come fast enough.
Relation to the Psalms of Solomon
Technically the Odes are anonymous, but in many ancient manuscripts, the Odes of Solomon are found together with the similar Psalms of Solomon, and Odes began to be ascribed to the same author.Relation to Catholic and canonical texts
There are parallels in both style, and theology, between Odes and the writing of Ignatius of Antioch, as well as with the canonical Gospel of John. For example, both Odes and John use the concept of Jesus as Logos, and write in gentle metaphors. Harris lists the following similarities in theme between the Odes and the Johannine literature:- Christ is the Word
- Christ existed before the foundation of the world
- Christ bestows living water abundantly
- Christ is the door to everything
- Christ stands to His people in the relation of Lover to Beloved
- Believers love the Lord because He first loved them
- Believers' love to the Christ makes them His friends