A Revision of the Origin and Role of the Supporting Angels in the Gospel of Peter (10:
[Article]
39b)
Pablo M. Edo
Leiden
Brill
One of the striking features of the Gospel of Peter is the presence in the Resurrection account of two heavenly beings who emerge from Jesus' tomb, supporting between them a third character. Previous attempts to explain the origin of this scene have been quite varied: inspiration in biblical sources, the author's own creativity, a pre-canonical synoptic-type source, etc. After a literary analysis of the passage, the paper reviews the closest potential canonical and extracanonical parallels for this scene, especially in Intertestamental Literature. Analysis of these examples helps to clarify the origin and specific role of the supporting characters. One of the striking features of the Gospel of Peter is the presence in the Resurrection account of two heavenly beings who emerge from Jesus' tomb, supporting between them a third character. Previous attempts to explain the origin of this scene have been quite varied: inspiration in biblical sources, the author's own creativity, a pre-canonical synoptic-type source, etc. After a literary analysis of the passage, the paper reviews the closest potential canonical and extracanonical parallels for this scene, especially in Intertestamental Literature. Analysis of these examples helps to clarify the origin and specific role of the supporting characters.