Source: Crispin Fletcher-Louis, Jesus Monotheism: Christological Origins: The Emerging Consensus and Beyond, vol. 1 (Eugene, OR: Whymanity Publishing, 2019), 250–292.
This podcast explores whether pre-Christian Judaism believed in a divine and glorious Adam who was worshipped, examining the story in the Life of Adam and Eve where angels are commanded to worship Adam as God's image and likeness. The author argues this idea of worshipping Adam as God's living idol was a theologically coherent and biblically grounded concept within Second Temple Judaism, potentially influencing later beliefs about the worship of a future, restored Adam figure, such as the Son of Man in Enochic literature. While acknowledging distinctions between the worship of Adam and early Christian devotion to Jesus, the podcast proposes that this Jewish tradition provided a conceptual precedent for understanding how a human figure, representing the divine image, could appropriately receive worship. The discussion also connects this Adam theology to passages in Daniel and other Jewish texts, suggesting a broader acceptance of such ideas and challenging modern scholarly assumptions about the limits of pre-Christian Jewish monotheism.
1. The Pre-Christian Jewish Understanding of Adam's Glorious, Exalted Identity and its Implications for Worship. The source explores the significant, and often underappreciated, tradition in Second Temple Judaism concerning Adam before his fall. This tradition suggests that Adam was created in a uniquely exalted position, equivalent in some ways to kings in the ancient Near East. Drawing on texts like Genesis 1 and Psalm 8, Jewish thought viewed Adam as the image and likeness of God, intended to rule over creation. This concept of Adam's original, glorious identity was not limited to theoretical reflection; it was intertwined with the idea that righteous, exemplary Israelites or Israel as a nation could embody this recovered Adamic identity. The source argues that this framework provided a theological basis within a monotheistic context for humans, especially those representing true humanity or Israel, to receive high honors or even a form of "worshipful" treatment. The idea is that Adam was created to be God's "living cult statue" or "idol," making God manifest in the world, and therefore deserving of a response analogous to the veneration of divine images, but directed towards the true God through his living image. This high view of humanity's potential, particularly the prelapsarian Adam's status as the intended bearer of God's presence and glory, is presented as a potentially significant background for later theological developments.
2. The "Worship of Adam Story" as a Specific Example of Adam's Exaltation. A substantial part of the source is dedicated to analyzing the "Worship of Adam Story," found in various versions of the Life of Adam and Eve, particularly chapters 12-16 of the Latin version. This story recounts that upon Adam's creation in God's image and likeness, Michael is commanded by God to have all the angels worship Adam. Satan (and his angels) refuses, arguing that he was created before Adam and should not worship one inferior to him, leading to his expulsion. The source argues strongly that this story, attested in Latin, Armenian, and Georgian versions (and alluded to in the Greek), is likely pre-Christian and Jewish in origin, not a Christian creation. Evidence for this includes its non-Christian theological focus, its presence in texts with Jewish exegetical techniques (like the Penitence Narrative), rabbinic reactions against similar traditions, and potential allusions in Philo and Qumran texts. The story focuses on Adam's role as the visible manifestation of God's image, suggesting that the commanded prostration is indeed "worship" (or something analogous to the veneration given to divine images) directed towards God through Adam, rather than simply recognition of Adam's superiority.
3. Establishing the "Worship of Adam Story" and Related Traditions as Theologically Coherent and Not "Untypical" in Second Temple Judaism. The source actively refutes scholarly arguments (specifically those of Bauckham and Hurtado) that the "Worship of Adam Story" is Christian, isolated, or theologically incompatible with Jewish monotheism, or that it lacks relevance due to a lack of evidence for an actual "Adam cult." It provides counter-evidence suggesting the story is pre-Christian, widely circulated (though perhaps later suppressed by some Christian tradents who focused solely on Christ as God's image), and grounded in a specific reading of the Hebrew of Genesis 1:26 where Adam is the image of God (rather than merely made according to the image). The source argues that the story's conceptual heart lies in the understanding of Adam as God's "living cult statue," for which biblical warrant exists (Gen 1, related to the polemic against man-made idols). This theological framework, where worship or veneration is directed towards God through his image (Adam), is argued to be compatible with Jewish monotheism, even if it challenges some modern Christian understandings of worship. The source also connects the story to other Jewish texts like Ben Sira, Qumran writings (4Q504), and Ezekiel 1, showing a wider interest in Adam's glorious identity and his connection to divine glory. This contextualization challenges the idea that the Worship of Adam Story was an isolated or "untypical" idea.
4. Literary Connections between the "Worship of Adam Story" (and related Adam traditions) and the Book of Daniel. The source highlights striking parallels, suggesting a shared conceptual world or even literary dependence, between the Adam traditions (specifically the Worship of Adam Story and other elements in the Life of Adam and Eve) and the book of Daniel. It notes how the plot structure of the angelic worship of Adam story mirrors the idol dedication scene in Daniel 3 (Nebuchadnezzar's idol as a "tselem," commanded worship under threat of punishment, refusal by a righteous group). It suggests that Daniel 3 might follow a script known from the Adam story. Conversely, the source argues that the acceptance of "worship" or high honors given to Daniel by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:46 can be explained by the Jewish theological anthropology where Daniel, as a representative righteous Israelite, embodies the true Adamic role as God's living image-idol. The "one like a son of man" figure in Daniel 7, who receives authority and is worshipped (especially in the Old Greek translation), is also linked to Adam, suggesting that his worship might be understood in the same framework of veneration given to God's image-idol. These connections suggest the Adam traditions were not only theologically coherent but also integrated into biblical interpretation and potentially Jewish political theology.
5. The Potential, Indirect Role of Adam Traditions in Shaping Early Christological Monotheism. While emphasizing that the Adam traditions alone do not fully explain the radical origins of Christian worship of Jesus (particularly his inclusion within the divine identity), the source posits that these traditions likely played a significant, albeit indirect, role in shaping how early Jewish followers understood and articulated their devotion to Christ. The belief that the sinless, pre-fall Adam was fittingly worshipped by angels as God's image provided a conceptual precedent. If Jesus was understood as a "true Adam" or "second Adam" who perfectly embodied humanity's intended role as God's image (a concept evident in Pauline texts like Philippians 2, Colossians 1, and 1 Corinthians 15), then the idea of giving him worship would not have been entirely alien or unprecedented within a Jewish theological framework. The source suggests that the "Worship of Adam Story," alongside concepts from texts like the Similitudes of Enoch and Daniel, offered a pre-existing theological grammar or conceptual space within Jewish monotheism where the worship of a highly exalted human or humanlike figure, particularly one representing true humanity or Israel, as God's image was conceivable, thereby influencing the shape of the unique Christological monotheism that emerged.
Was there a Jewish belief that Adam was worshipped in pre-Christian times?
Yes, the sources indicate the existence of pre-Christian Jewish traditions, particularly the "Worship of Adam Story" found in various versions of the Life of Adam and Eve (L.A.E.), which depict angels worshipping the newly created Adam. While the exact date and provenance of these texts are debated, evidence suggests they were known in first-century Judaism. Rabbinic texts from a later period even appear to react against such a belief, further indicating its presence in earlier Jewish thought.
What is the "Worship of Adam Story"?