Filled With The Spirit

Part Two
Jewish Literature

Having previously examined Levison's explanation of the concept of holy spirit in

Israelite Literature, we here turn to the second part of his volume which concerns itself with
the concept of holy spirit in Jewish literature (by which he essentially means the literature
produced by Jews after the exile and up till the time of Christianity).
'On the simplest of planes, Part II of our study debunks the false conception [of the
'quenched spirit'] during the Greco-Roman era' (p. 116). Hence, 'it will no longer be possible
to dismiss Second Temple Judaism as a spiritually impoverished religion that functions as a
negative foil for the birth of early Christianity' (p.116).
To achieve this end Levison describes Jewish literature (particularly Ben Sira) which
makes use of such terminology as 'a wise and holy spirit within' (chapter one of part 2) and
observes '… the spirit, what characterizes human beings from birth, is identified as a holy
spirit' (p. 144). This, it seems to me, is very central to his overall thesis. Levison's use of
Sirach is simply fantastic.
In chapter 2 of the second part, Levison does a masterful, masterful job of examining
'Spirit and the Allure of Ecstasy'. Here the Greco-Roman world and its intersection with
Jewish thought comes to the fore. Delphi and the Sybil and other such phenomena infuse
the Jewish understanding of spirit with a wholly new vigor.

If there is a corner of ancient literature where we might expect to discover

resistance to Greco-Roman culture, its legacy would be apparent in a
Palestinian rewriting of the Hebrew scriptures, which itself was probably
originally composed in Hebrew. Yet even over this literary text, the
shadow of Delphi, and the discussions of inspiration more generally that
whirled around it, was cast unmistakeably (p. 161).

Of special interest, however, to me at least, is Levison's observation that in Greco-Roman

spirituality, there was '… an association of ecstasy and intoxication – accompanied as well by
the image of fire …' (p. 170). I expect he will flesh this passing observation out a bit more
when he comes to Christian Literature in part three.
The third chapter of part two is titled 'Spirit and Inspired Knowledge'. Here, again for
the most part, though Levison calls other witnesses to the stand, Philo is the chief of them.
The fourth chapter sees a return to 'Ezekiel's Vision and the Dawn of Purity'. Perhaps the
most intriguing segment of part two, here Levison focuses his acumen and attention on the
Qumran literature.
He interprets 1QH II 19-24 in an, I must confess, odd way however. Here, for Levison,
'the simple act of inbreathing, which is hopeful and invigorating in the tale of Eden, has
become now ugly, transformed into 'the depraved spirit.' There is no quarter in this arena for
a good spirit within, for a spirit of understanding, for a spirit and [did he mean of?] justice,
power and might. The hymn writer, fashioned out of dust, is in his totality a depraved spirit'
(p. 203). Levison calls this a 'pessimistic grasp of Gen 2:7' (Ibid.). I don't read the hymn
that way at all. It seems to me, rather, that the hymnist is thanking God for deliverance from
the depraved spirit with which he lived and which he inherited from his former life (pre-sect,
as it were). In short, I think the connection to Gen 2:7 isn't there for the hymnist.
Levison concludes part two with a sweeping overview- 'This era witnesses to the
presence of the spirit from the deepest recesses of individuals to the borders of community,
from mind-numbing ecstasy to intellectual acuity' (p. 221).
As was true of part one, part two is convincingly argued and ample evidence is
proffered to support Levison's contentions. His use of, and mastery of, such a broad scope of
ancient literature is impressive (especially in these days of overspecialization). He isn't
always right (as was the case with his interpretation of the Qumran hymn noted above), but
he is always exciting. And he can really turn a phrase.
Part Three concerns itself with Christian Literature, to which we turn in the next
installment.