Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SOLOMON, ODES OF

An apocryphal collection of 42 odes or hymns, dating to the end of the 1st century c.e. While the text reflects an expectedly strong relationship to Jewish theology of the 1st century, the Odes of Solomon is most certainly a Christian collection, possibly of early Christian hymns. If so, this book is the oldest collection of Christian hymns preserved.

The texts available are few, and there is no complete text in any one language. The Syriac manuscript H is the most complete with 3:1b–42:20, but the manuscript dates to the 15th century. Portions of Odes survive also in Greek and Coptic. Since the original language is indiscernible, although probably either Greek or Hebrew/Aramaic, the provenance is equally difficult to determine. The date of 100 c.e. suggests, however, that a major center of Christianity be considered, i.e., Antioch or Alexandria.

Historically, the Odes offer significant information on topics such as the coming of the Messiah, their connection to the psalms of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a relationship with the Gospel of John, and early Christian worship. The Odes, as an early Christian hymnbook, reveals much theology of the earliest believers, not through narrative or epistle, but through worship and song.

Bibliography. J. Charlesworth, “Odes of Solomon,” OTP 2:725-71.

Marc A. Jolley

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

SOLOMON, ODES OF

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)