David C. Mitchell, «The Fourth Deliverer: A Josephite Messiah in 4QTestimonia», Vol. 86 (2005) 545-553
Commentators recognize a tri-polar messianism in 4Q175, based on the first three
sections of the text. But the last section suggests that the text is in fact tetramessianic,
featuring an eschatological Joshua. This is confirmed by similarities
between 4Q175, the tetra-messianic "Four Craftsmen" baraitha, and Targ. Ps.-J.
to Exod. 40,9-11; as well as by evidence that Joshua was a messianic type in postbiblical
Judaism.
550 David C. Mitchell
Diagram 2: Targum Ps.-J. to Exod 40; The Four Craftsmen; 4Q175
Redeemer Figures
4Q175 Joshua, War Messiah
Prophet King Messiah Priest
ben Joseph
Four Craftsmen. War Messiah
Prophet King Messiah Priest
Variant A ben Joseph
Tg. Ps.-J. Exod War Messiah ben
Elijah, the High (Elijah,
40,9-11 King Messiah the High Priest) Joshua ben Ephraim
Priest
(ben Joseph)
As regards dating, this text would appear to date from perhaps a century
after 4Q175 (20). It would therefore be earlier than the majority of the
trimessianic midrashim below, as its simplicity would also seem to attest.
Therefore this targum, like the ‘Four Craftsmen’, confirms our
interpretation of 4Q175 by showing that polymessianic testimonia with a
Josephite War Messiah were not unusual in ancient Israelite literature. Indeed,
it seems they were something of a genre (21).
4. Messianic Joshua
Finally, there is evidence that Joshua was seen as a messianic type in
post-biblical Judaism. The white bull born in 1 En 90.37-38 is widely
recognized as a theriomorphic depiction of the Messiah (22). Since this first-
born bull is followed in turn by a messianic wild ox or rem it appears that we
have here the blessing of Joseph in Deut 33,17, the firstborn of his bull with
(20) Given the long period of Pseudo-Jonathan’s redaction, each passage must be dated
independently. This passage appears to date from between c. 30 BCE and 30 CE. The
terminus a quo derives from the lack of a Priest Messiah, as opposed to a priest-prophet
Elijah. This suggests a date after the Priest Messiah’s eclipse began, in the latter part of the
first century BCE (cf. n. 18). The terminus ad quem is seen from the fact that increasing
Jewish antipathy to Yeshua of Nazareth would have precluded the invention of a Yehoshua
Messiah in the Christian period.
(21) TestXIINaph 5.1-8 (apotheosized Levi, Judah, and Joseph). Many midrashim
feature ben Joseph, Elijah and ben David (the first five are given in Heb. and Eng. in D.C.
MITCHELL, The Message of the Psalter [JSOTSS 252; Sheffield 1997] 304-350): Aggadat
Mashiah; Otot ha-Mashiah 7-9; Sefer Zerubbabel; Asereth Melakhim; Pirqei Mashiah 5-6
(Nehemiah ben Hushiel = ben Joseph; cf. n. 36); Pirkei Hekhalot Rabbati 39-40; Tefillat
Rav Shimon ben Yohai (BHM IV.117-126); Pereq Rav Yoshiyyahu (BHM VI.112-116:
115); Saadia Gaon, Kitab al Amanat VIII.5 (The Book of Beliefs and Opinions [tr. S.
ROSENBLATT] [New Haven 1948] 301-304). The Zohar depicts Bar Joseph-Ephraim, Bar
David and Moses (Faithful Shepherd) in trio (B’reshit, 234; Mishpatim, 483; Pinhas, 582;
Ki Tetze, 62, cf. 48). Bimessianic texts are too many to list. I have cited some in “Rabbi
Dosa†and in “Les psaumes dans le Judaïsme rabbiniqueâ€, RTL 36.2 (2005) 166-191.
(22) A. DILLMANN, Das Buch Henoch (Leipzig 1853) 286; M. BUTTENWIESER,
“Messiahâ€, JE VIII, 509; R.H. CHARLES, The Book of Enoch (Oxford 1893) 258, n. 1; F.
MARTIN, Le Livre d’Hénoch (Paris 1906) 235, n. 37; E. ISAAC, “1 Enochâ€, The Old
Testament Pseudepigrapha (ed. J.H. CHARLESWORTH) (London 1983/85) I, 5; C.C. TORREY,
The Apocryphal Literature (New Haven 1945) 112; “The Messiah Son of Ephraimâ€, JBL
66 (1947) 266; J.T. MILIK, The Books of Enoch (Oxford 1976) 45; B. LINDARS, “A Bull, a
Lamb and a Word: I Enoch xc.38â€, NTS 22 (1976) 485.