Messiah son of Joseph

[rameumptom]

New article at Biblical Archaeological Review (BAR) website concerning new info regarding the Messiah ben (son of) Joseph.

The Messiah Son of Joseph | Biblical Archaeology Review

It states:

The tradition of the “Messiah son of Joseph” and his death first appears in the Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 52a).

The rabbis taught: The Messiah ben David, who (as we hope) will appear in the near future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to him: Ask something of me and I will give it to thee, as it is written [Psalm 2:7–8]: “I will announce the decree ... Ask it of me, and I will give,” etc. But as the Messiah ben David will have seen that the Messiah ben Joseph who preceded him was killed, he will say before the Lord: “Lord of the Universe, I will ask nothing of Thee but life.” And the Lord will answer: “This was prophesied already for thee by thy father David [Psalm 21:5]: ‘Life hath he asked of thee, thou gavest it to him.’ ”

According to the seventh-century apocalyptic text known as Sefer Zerubabel, the “Messiah son of Joseph” was killed by the wicked “Armilus” and was further resurrected by the Messiah son of David and the Prophet Elijah.1

In some texts from around the turn of the era, we encounter Joseph as a son of God who atones for the sins of others with his suffering. For example, in Joseph and Aseneth, written between 100 B.C.E. and 115 C.E. Joseph is described as “son of God” (6:3, 5, 13:13). Joseph is also called “God’s firstborn son” (18:11, 21:4, 23:10).

In another book from the Second Temple period, The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, the Testament of Benjamin connects Joseph and the figure of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 52–53. In this testament, Jacob says to Joseph:

“ ‘In you will be fulfilled the heavenly prophecy, which says that the spotless one will be defiled by lawless men and the sinless one will die for the sake of impious men’ ”2 (emphasis supplied).

These citations suggest that the designation of the suffering Messiah as the “son of Joseph” goes back to sources from the Second Temple period.3

And very interestingly, we see this:

As Yardeni notes in her BAR article, despite the difficulty in reading the text, it involves “messianic groups.” The characters it mentions are “clearly apocalyptic figures.” Among them are two we have already encountered in this article: David and Ephraim (son of Joseph). In “Gabriel’s Revelation,” the Lord addresses David, asking him to request of Ephraim that he place a sign: “My servant David, ask of Ephraim [that he p]lace the sign ...” (Line 16–17). Unfortunately, the nature of the sign is not specified, but it seems to be the sign of salvation. However, the fact that David is sent by God to request Ephraim to place the sign may attest that Ephraim has superior rank. He, and not David, is the key person who is asked to place the sign; David is only the messenger!

Interestingly, LDS believe that in the last days Ephraim handles the issues of priesthood keys and ordinances - signs of salvation; while Judah/David is the messenger of the Bible.

Jesus is both the Messiah son of David/Judah and Joseph/Ephraim, in that he was the suffering servant/messiah of Ephraim, but also will be the militant king/messiah of David.

At the same time, Joseph Smith becomes a sign/symbol of Christ as a suffering servant. Interestingly it was the Messiah son of David and Elijah that appeared to Joseph Smith in the Kirtlan Temple to restore keys tied to resurrection and Eternal Life. And Gabriel/Elias are also tied to that same event, wherein the keys to the gospel and Patriarchal priesthood of Abraham were restored.

[Hemidakota]

Interesting read…thanks for the post.

After reading BAR's review or assumption from what was translated by Israel Knohl’s translation, I don't see the connection of BAR’s review and what was given from the stone. Noting much of the material is sparse information, not enough to make any real interruption.

[livy111us]

I like the way Matthew Brown organized it:

"Ancient Hebrew traditions speak of two separate Messiahs that were foreordained to arise among the covenant people of the Lord--one from the tribe of Judah (the Messiah Ben David, or son of David) and one from the tribe of Joseph (the Messiah Ben Joseph/Ephraim). According to Jewish lore the Messiah Ben Joseph concept first arose when Rachel, the mother of Joseph of Egypt, prophesied that Joseph would be the ancestor of a Messiah who would "arise in the last days"(Legends of the Jews 5:299).

Scholars who have studied this legend have determined that it was "a standard article of faith, early and firmly established and universally

accepted." (‘The Messiah son of Ephraim’ Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 66, 1947, 253)

The Messiah Ben Joseph legends hold special interest for Latter-day Saints for two main reasons. First, these Jewish legends claim that Joseph of Egypt uttered prophecies about the Messiah Ben Joseph (Legends of the Jews 2:7) while prophecies by Joseph of Egypt found in the

Book of Mormon and JST speak of Latter-day seer who would be named ‘Joseph’ (2 Nephi 3:6-15 JST Gen. 50:26-36). Second, there are several elements found in Messiah Ben Joseph legends that closely correspond to the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Following are ten points

of correspondence:

1. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to be held in reserve to live on the earth in the ‘last days’

(The Messiah son of Ephraim, pg. 259, The Legends of the Jews, 5:299, 3 Enoch or the Hebrew Book of Enoch, pg. 144) in Doctrine and Covenants section 132 verse 7 the Lord states that the had appointed Joseph Smith to hold the keys of the sealing power of the priesthood ‘in the last

days’

2.The Messiah Ben Joseph is to be born through the lineage of Joseph of Egypt’s birthright son Ephraim. (Legends of the Jews, 5:299, The Messianic idea in Israel, pg. 483, The Messiah Texts, pg. 165)

In a meeting held in Nauvoo, Illinois, on 8 Jan. 1845, President Brigham Young stated that Joseph Smith’s ‘descent from Joseph that was sold into Egypt was direct, and the blood was pure in him. That is why the Lord chose him.’ (Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, vol.

11, July 1920, 107, J.D. 7:290).

3. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to live upon the earth prior to ‘when Messiah Ben David (Jesus Christ) appears in all His glory’ (The Messianic idea in Israel, pg. 497) and is to act as his ‘forerunner’ (The Messianic idea in Israel, pg. 486)

President Lorenzo Snow reported that on e occasion Joseph Smith was...asked who he was. The Prophet smiled kindly upon his interlocutor and replied, ‘Noah came before the flood. I have come before the fire’ (Abraham H. Cannon journal, 1 Jan. 1892)--meaning the fire that will

accompany the second coming of Christ (see D/C 29:12; 133:40-41)

4. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to be ‘the revealer of the true faith’ of Jehovah (The Jewish Messiah, pg. 139). In one Jewish legend Joseph of Egypt prophecies that the Messiah Ben Joseph will cause some erroneous elements of religious worship that have crept in among the

Israelite tribes to ‘vanish’ (The Legends of the Jews 2:7). Thus, he will perform his work after a period of apostasy.

5. The Prophet Elijah is to return to the earth, as foretold in Malachi 4:5-6, during the days of the Messiah Ben Joseph (The Messianic idea in Israel, pg. 498) D/C 110:13-16 records the fulfillment of this expectation.

6. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to ‘rebuild the temple’ of Israel and restore its ‘true worship’ (The Messiah Texts, pg. 170, The Messiah idea in Jewish History, pg. 124)

7. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to gather the children of Israel around him, including a portion of the lost ten tribes. (Jewish Encyclopedia 1:683, 8:512, The Messiah in Jewish History, pg. 211) (see D/C 110:11)

8. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to be a warrior (The Messiah son of Ephraim, pg. 267, 269, The Messiah Texts, pg. 165)

On 10 March 1841 Thomas Carlin, governor of the state of Illinois, commissioned Joseph Smith to the rank of Lieutenant General over the Nauvoo legion (History of the Church 4:309-310). By 1844 the Nauvoo legion is estimated to have been about 5,000 men strong. The

legion was not only the largest military unit in the state of Illinois but it was second only in size to the United States army.

9. The Messiah Ben Joseph is to die as a martyr (The Binding of Isaac and Messiah, pg. 209

While it cannot be stated with certainty that Joseph Smith and the Messiah Ben Joseph are one and the same person, it cannot be denied that the parallels between them are striking. It is also of great interest that some of the Messiah Ben Joseph legendary elements are present in

revealed scriptural texts that clearly refer to the Prophet (2 Nephi 3:6-15, JST Genesis 50:26-33)."

Joseph’s grandfather, Asael Smith, had a premonition that a prominent religious leader would someday be born into his family. He said ‘It has been borne in upon my soul that one of my descendants will promulgate a work to revolutionize the world of religious faith.’ (Church History and Modern

Revelation, Joseph Fielding Smith 1:4) In speaking of this premonition, Joseph Smith stated: ‘My grandfather, Asael Smith, long ago predicted that there would be a prophet raised up in his family, and

my grandmother was fully satisfied that it was fulfilled in me. My grandfather Asael died in East Stockholm, St. Lawrence county, New York, after having received the Book of Mormon, and read it nearly through; and he declared that I was the very prophet that he had long know would come in his family"(All Things Restored, Matthew Brown, pg. 33,34-39,)

[Moksha]

At the same time, Joseph Smith becomes a sign/symbol of Christ as a suffering servant.

Who knows, maybe someday a breakaway sect will elevate his status. Till then I am sure everyone can be content with just praising the man who communes with Jehovah.