Letter & Spirit, Vol. 5: Liturgy and Empire: Faith in Exile and Political Theology by St. Paul Center For Biblical Theology & Scott Hahn & David Scott

Author:St. Paul Center For Biblical Theology & Scott Hahn & David Scott [Theology, St. Paul Center For Biblical & Hahn, Scott & Scott, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Books & Bibles, Catholicism, Religion & Spirituality, Religious Studies, Theology, Religious Studies & Reference, General Fiction
Amazon: B004KSQESK
Publisher: Emmaus Road Publishing
Published: 2009-10-02T06:00:00+00:00

Although some English translations of the Talmud obscure this reference by translating the Hebrew word for “eat” ('akal) as “enjoy,” it literally means to “eat” or “consume.”95 What exactly did Hillel mean by this teaching? Unfortunately, there can be no certitude about the answer to that question. Even so, the tradition is still important, because it bears witness to the language of “eating” the Messiah. Curiously, although New Testament scholars sometimes cite Hillel's comments about “eating” the Messiah in their discussions of the Last Supper, they consistently fail to note the wider context of Hillel's remarks: a rabbinic discussion of the messianic banquet.96 Given this context, this passage strongly suggests that, at least for Rabbi Hillel—who lived shortly before Jesus himself—the messianic banquet was somehow tied to feasting on the Messiah himself.