Other “Sriptures” versus “Oral Law”

Abstract

The rabbinical Judaism developed the concept of an "Oral law" coming from Moses with an authoritative and complimentary character with the Torah. But some Jews of the same epoch, especially, those of the apocalyptic tendency, considered that new Scriptures were given. Some of these were attributed to Moses, perhaps even before the rabbinical tradition pointed them out as the origin of the Oral law. Thus the Book of the Jubilees, the Testament of Moses, and the Greek Life of Adam and Eve. In other books, just like those that are attributed to Henoc, a process that leads to the valoratión of the textuality over the orality is reflected, making their real authors attribute
to the written text the value of a new Torah. It shows the analysis of Etiopic Henoc. In the Slavonic Henoc, it appears that all the revelations, not only in the past, but also for the present and the future are given ín writing. The compared study of the Siriac Apocalipsis of Baruch and the Fourth Book of Esdras leads to the conclusion that while in the former the value of the oral transmission together with the Torah is maintained, in the latter no space is left for this, given that the fictitious Esdras, inspired by God, puts into writing the books of the Tanak and all the rest that the wise ought to know. In some of the most ancient Christian writings such as the Apocalypses of John, a valuation
of the written text similar with the one given in the Jewish apocalyptic ís perceived; while in others of gnostíc tendency like the Coptic Gospel of Thomas, the exclusivity of the text
in as much as vehicle of revelation is defended. The formation of a canon of Scriptures ín the Church, in which new sacred writings (New Testament) are gathered, connects with those Jewish considerations about the possibility of new Writings, but, at the same time leans in the value of oral tradition the discernment of such books.