Deuterocanonical and Cognate Literature. Yearbook 2007: The Concept of Celestial Beings - Origins, Development and Reception

In our present-day society Angels are being talked about more frequently again. But where are the roots of these discourses to be found? How have they developed? The present volume concentrates on a study of important sources for the ideas about angels in oriental antiquity, the Old Testament and early Jewish and Christian thinking. In this, the deuterocanonical writings of the Old Testament provide a special focus. In addition, the study examines significant further developments in Judaism, Christianity or Islam, in iconography and the history of piety.