Tobit

Summary:

Tobit is a literary romance-an only apparently historical narrative full of historical and geographical inaccuracies. It is also filled with irony, but little suspense. It features Tobit, a God-fearing Jewish exile in Assyria, who despairs of life because of his blindness and poverty. His son Tobias and the angel Raphael disguised as Azariah, a relative, are God's agents in restoring his fortunes. Their quest of deliverance for Tobit, leads also to the rescue of the seven-times widowed Sarah, who becomes Tobias' wife. The book emphasizes the pious deeds of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and proper burial of the dead. It includes an early examples of demonic exorcism and healing by means of magical potions. The moral: everyday piety will ultimately be rewarded.

Sources:

Tobit utilizes stories, themes, and images from the Old Testament and from several well known tales from the ancient world-"The Grateful Dead," "The Monster in the Bridal Chamber," and "The Story of Ahiqar."

Canonical Status:

Among the Deuterocanonical books of Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox Churches Among the Old Testament Apocrypha of Protestants Not included in the Hebrew Scriptures - Tanak Found in the Septuagint (Greek) and Vulgate (Latin) and in later translations (Hebrew, Syriac, Ethiopic, and Sahidic)

Author: an anonymous Jew (probably of the Diaspora)

Date:

Late 3rd to 2nd century BC (after the canonization of the prophets, but before the Maccabean crisis)

Original Language:

Until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, known only in Greek Aramaic and Hebrew copies have been found at Qumran.

Notes prepared by George Lyons (Professor of Biblical Literature)

for the Wesley Center for Applied Theology at Northwest Nazarene University

Copyright 2000 by the Wesley Center for Applied Theology

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