Son of God

{{Short description|Religious title}}
{{For|the second person of the Christian Trinity|God the Son}}
{{Redirect|God's Son|the 2002 Nas album|God's Son (album)|the 2014 film|Son of God (film){{!}}''Son of God'' (film)|other uses|Son of God (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Demigod|Son of Heaven}}
[[File:Folio 109v - The Baptism of Christ.jpg|thumb|right|Miniature in ''Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry'' depicting the [[Baptism of Jesus]], when [[God the Father]] proclaimed that [[Jesus]] is his Son.]]

Historically, many rulers have assumed titles such as the '''son of God''', the '''son of a god''' or the '''son of heaven'''.<ref name=Muller136 />

The term "Son of God" is used in the [[Hebrew Bible]] as another way to refer to humans who have a special relationship with [[God]]. In [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]], the [[Israelites|nation of Israel]] is called God's firstborn son.<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|4:22|HE}}</ref> Solomon is also called "son of God".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Tanach - The Torah/Prophets/Writings|publisher=Stone Edition|year=1996|isbn=0-89906-269-5|page=741}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Tanach - The Torah/Prophets/Writings|publisher=Stone Edition|year=1996|isbn=0-89906-269-5|page=1923}}</ref> [[Angels]], just and pious men, and the [[kings of Israel]] are all called "[[sons of God]]."<ref name=Cathenc>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14142b.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Son of God|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref>

In the [[New Testament]] of the [[Christian Bible]], "Son of God" is applied to [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]] on many occasions.<ref name=Cathenc/> On two occasions, Jesus is recognized as the Son of God by a voice which speaks from Heaven. Jesus explicitly and implicitly describes himself as the Son of God and he is also described as the Son of God by various individuals who appear in the New Testament.<ref name=Cathenc/><ref name="Yueh">''One teacher: Jesus' teaching role in Matthew's gospel'' by John Yueh-Han Yieh 2004 {{ISBN|3-11-018151-7}} pages 240–241</ref><ref name="Pentecost">Dwight Pentecost ''The words and works of Jesus Christ'' 2000 {{ISBN|0-310-30940-9}} page 234</ref><ref name="Bromiley571">''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' by Geoffrey W. Bromiley 1988 {{ISBN|0-8028-3785-9}} pages 571–572</ref> Jesus is called the "Son of God," and followers of Jesus are called, "Christians."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/sons-of-god-new-testament.html|title=International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Sons of God (New Testament)|work=BibleStudyTools.com|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> As applied to Jesus, the term is a reference to his role as [[Messiah|the Messiah]], or [[Christ (title)|Christ]], the King chosen by God.<ref>''Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary'' (10th ed.) (2001). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|26:63|KJV}}</ref> The contexts and ways in which Jesus' title, Son of God, means something more or something other than the title Messiah remain the subject of ongoing scholarly study and discussion.

The term "Son of God" should not be confused with the term "[[God the Son]]" ({{lang-el|Θεός ὁ υἱός}}), the second [[Prosopon|person]] of the [[Trinity]] in [[Christian theology]]. The [[doctrine]] of the Trinity identifies Jesus as God the Son, identical in essence but distinct in person with regard to [[God the Father]] and God the [[Holy Spirit (Christianity)|Holy Spirit]] (the First and Third Persons of the Trinity). [[Nontrinitarian]] Christians accept the application to Jesus of the term "Son of God", which is found in the New Testament.

==Rulers and imperial titles==
{{Main|Divi filius|Imperial cult|Imperial cult (ancient Rome)|Son of Heaven|Sacred king}}
Throughout history, emperors and rulers ranging from the [[Western Zhou dynasty]] (c. 1000 BC) in China to [[Alexander the Great]] (c. 360 BC) to the [[Emperor of Japan]] (c. 600 AD) have assumed titles that reflect a filial relationship with [[deity|deities]].<ref name=Muller136 >''Introduction to the Science of Religion'' by Friedrich Muller 2004 {{ISBN|1-4179-7401-X}} page 136</ref><ref name=Dillon/><ref name=Palais/><ref name=Saito>''A History of Japan'' by Hisho Saito 2010 {{ISBN|0-415-58538-4}} page</ref>

The title "[[Son of Heaven]]" i.e. [[Emperor of China|天子]] (from [[Tian|天]] meaning sky/heaven/god and [[子]] meaning child) was first used in the [[Western Zhou dynasty]] (c. 1000 BC). It is mentioned in the [[Shijing]] book of songs, and reflected the [[Zhou Dynasty|Zhou]] belief that as Son of Heaven (and as its delegate) the [[Emperor of China]] was responsible for the well-being of the whole world by the [[Mandate of Heaven]].<ref name=Dillon>''China : a cultural and historical dictionary'' by Michael Dillon 1998 {{ISBN|0-7007-0439-6}} page 293</ref><ref name=Palais>''East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History'' by [[Patricia Buckley Ebrey|Patricia Ebrey]], Anne Walthall, James Palais 2008 {{ISBN|0-547-00534-2}} page 16</ref> This title may also be translated as "son of God" given that the word ''[[Tiān]]'' in Chinese may either mean sky or god.<ref>''The Problem of China'' by Bertrand Russell 2007 {{ISBN|1-60520-020-4}} page 23</ref> The [[Emperor of Japan]] was also called the Son of Heaven (天子 ''tenshi'') starting in the early 7th century.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kO0tUpCViA8C&pg=PA300|title=Rethinking Japan: Social Sciences, Ideology and Thought|editor-first=Adriana|editor-last=Boscaro|editor2-first=Franco| editor2-last=Gatti|editor3-first=Massimo|editor3-last=Raveri|publisher=Japan Library Limited|year=2003|isbn=0-904404-79-X|page=300|volume=II}}</ref>

Among the [[Eurasian nomads]], there was also a widespread use of "Son of God/Son of Heaven" for instance, in the third century BC, the ruler was called Chanyü<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Britannica|first=Encyclopaedia|title=Xiongnu|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/273960/Xiongnu#ref129823|encyclopedia=Xiongnu (people) article|access-date=2014-04-25}}</ref> and similar titles were used as late as the 13th century by Genghis Khan.<ref>{{cite web | publisher=Humanities 360 | url=http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/the-life-and-conquests-of-genghis-khan-39261/ | title=The Life and Conquests of Genghis Khan | author=Darian Peters | date=July 3, 2009  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426214709/http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/the-life-and-conquests-of-genghis-khan-39261/ | archive-date=April 26, 2014 }}</ref>

Examples of kings being considered the son of god are found throughout the [[Ancient Near East]]. Egypt in particular developed a long lasting tradition. Egyptian [[pharaoh]]s are known to have been referred to as the son of a particular god and their begetting in some cases is even given in sexually explicit detail. Egyptian pharaohs did not have full parity with their divine fathers but rather were subordinate.<ref name="MessianicFigures">{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3hRQFzbHroMC&q=Pharaoh |title = King and Messiah as Son of God: Divine, Human, and Angelic Messianic Figures in Biblical and Related Literature |author=Adela Yarbro Collins |author2=John Joseph Collins |publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |year = 2008 |isbn = 978-0-8028-0772-4 |access-date = 3 February 2014}}</ref>{{rp|36}} Nevertheless, in the first four dynasties, the pharaoh was considered to be the embodiment of a god. Thus, Egypt was ruled by direct theocracy,<ref name="Assmann">{{cite book |title = The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XEMadfTi_U4C&pg=PA300 |author = Jan Assmann |publisher = Harvard University Press |pages = 300–301 |year = 2003 |isbn = 978-0-674-01211-0|access-date = 16 March 2014}}</ref> wherein "God himself is recognized as the head" of the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14568a.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia|access-date=7 October 2014}}</ref> During the later [[Amarna Period]], King Amenhotep IV/[[Akhenaten]] redefined the pharaoh's godship. He taught "there was only one god and only one person who now knew the god: Akhenaten himself" and assumed position of the ḥm ntr tpy (first servant of god).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stevens |first1=Anna |title=Akhenaten, Nefertiti & Aten: From Many Gods to One |url=https://arce.org/resource/akhenaten-nefertiti-aten-many-gods-one/ |website=American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> He eventually eliminated all representation on his behalf by the priests of Amun as he also eliminated the god Amun, to solely lead worship identifying as the Son of the God he called Father, the latter which he recognized through the aten (sun), the vehicle through which the power of the God manifested to him.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoffmeier |first1=James |title=Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-979208-5 |pages=198-206 }}</ref> Within a few years of his first epiphany and becoming king, King Akhenaten had dropped the priestly title of ḥm ntr tpy, but remained serving  as the sole cleric and son of the Father in his rule of the Two Lands.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoffmeier |first1=James |title=Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-19-979208-5 |pages=72-73 }}</ref> Later still, the closest Egypt came to the Jewish variant of theocracy was during the reign of [[Herihor]]. He took on the role of ruler not as a god but rather as a high-priest and king.<ref name="Assmann"/>

According to the Bible, several kings of Damascus took the title [[Benhadad|son of Hadad]]. From the archaeological record [[Panamuwa II inscription|a stela erected by Bar-Rakib for his father Panammuwa II]] contains similar language. The son of Panammuwa II a king of [[Sam'al]] referred to himself as a son of Rakib.<ref name="MessianicFigures"/>{{rp|26–27}} Rakib-El is a god who appears in Phoenician and Aramaic inscriptions.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible DDD |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yCkRz5pfxz0C&pg=PA686 |editor1=K. van der Toorn |editor2=Bob Becking |editor3=Pieter Willem van der Horst |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |page=686 |year=1999 |isbn = 978-0-8028-2491-2|access-date=16 March 2014}}</ref> Panammuwa II died unexpectedly while in Damascus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Panammuwa and Bar-Rakib: two structural analyses |url=http://www.jtsa.edu/Documents/pagedocs/JANES/1986%2018/Younger18.pdf |author=K. Lawson Younger Jr. |publisher=University of Sheffield |access-date=16 March 2014  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002734/http://www.jtsa.edu/Documents/pagedocs/JANES/1986%2018/Younger18.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>  However, his son the king Bar-Rakib was not a native of Damascus but rather the ruler of [[Sam'al]] it is unknown if other rules of Sam'al used similar language.

In [[Greek mythology]], [[Heracles]] (son of [[Zeus]]) and many other figures were considered to be sons of gods through union with mortal women. From around 360 BC onwards [[Alexander the Great]] may have implied he was a [[demigod]] by using the title "Son of [[Amun|Ammon]]–[[Zeus]]".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Cartledge |first=Paul |year=2004 |title=Alexander the Great |journal=History Today |volume=54 |page=1 }}</ref>

[[File:S0484.4.jpg|thumb|left|A [[denarius]] minted circa 18 BC. Obverse: CAESAR AVGVSTVS; reverse: DIVVS IVLIV(S)]]
In 42 BC, [[Julius Caesar]] was formally deified as "the divine Julius" (''divus Iulius'') after his [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|assassination]]. His adopted son, Octavian (better known as [[Augustus]], a title given to him 15 years later, in 27 BC) thus became known as ''divi Iuli filius'' (son of the divine Julius) or simply ''[[divi filius]]'' (son of the god).<ref name=Rhee >''Early Christian literature'' by Helen Rhee 2005 {{ISBN|0-415-35488-9}} pages 159–161</ref> As a daring and unprecedented move, Augustus used this title to advance his political position in the [[Second Triumvirate]], finally overcoming all rivals for power within the Roman state.<ref name=Rhee/><ref name=Southern60>''Augustus'' by Pat Southern 1998 {{ISBN|0-415-16631-4}} page 60</ref>

The word which was applied to Julius Caesar when he was deified was ''divus'', not the distinct word ''deus''. Thus, Augustus called himself ''Divi filius'', not ''Dei filius''.<ref name=Roetzel/> The line between been god and god-like was at times less than clear to the population at large, and Augustus seems to have been aware of the necessity of keeping the ambiguity.<ref name=Roetzel>''The world that shaped the New Testament'' by Calvin J. Roetzel 2002 {{ISBN|0-664-22415-6}} page 73</ref> As a purely semantic mechanism, and to maintain ambiguity, the court of Augustus sustained the concept that any worship given to an emperor was paid to the "position of emperor" rather than the person of the emperor.<ref>''Experiencing Rome: culture, identity and power in the Roman Empire'' by Janet Huskinson 1999 {{ISBN|978-0-415-21284-7}} page 81</ref> However, the subtle semantic distinction was lost outside Rome, where Augustus began to be worshiped as a deity.<ref name=Rupke>''A companion to Roman religion'' edited by [[Jörg Rüpke]] 2007 {{ISBN|1-4051-2943-3}} page 80</ref> The inscription DF thus came to be used for Augustus, at times unclear which meaning was intended.<ref name=Roetzel/><ref name=Rupke/> The assumption of the title ''Divi filius'' by Augustus meshed with a larger campaign by him to exercise the power of his image. Official portraits of Augustus made even towards the end of his life continued to portray him as a handsome youth, implying that miraculously, he never aged. Given that few people had ever seen the emperor, these images sent a distinct message.<ref>''Gardner's art through the ages: the western perspective'' by Fred S. Kleiner 2008 {{ISBN|0-495-57355-8}} page 175</ref>

Later, [[Tiberius]] (emperor from 14 to 37 AD) came to be accepted as the son of ''divus Augustus'' and [[Hadrian]] as the son of ''divus [[Trajan]]''.<ref name=Rhee/> By the end of the 1st century, the emperor [[Domitian]] was being called ''dominus et deus'' (i.e. ''master and god'').<ref>''The Emperor Domitian'' by Brian W. Jones 1992 {{ISBN|0-415-04229-1}} page 108</ref>

Outside the [[Roman Empire]], the 2nd-century [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] King [[Kanishka|Kanishka I]] used the title ''devaputra'' meaning "son of God".<ref>''Encyclopedia of ancient Asian civilizations'' by Charles Higham 2004 {{ISBN|978-0-8160-4640-9}} page 352</ref>

==Baháʼí Faith==
In the writings of the [[Baháʼí Faith]], the term "Son of God" is applied to Jesus,<ref name="lepard">{{cite book | title = In The Glory of the Father: The Baháʼí Faith and Christianity | first = Brian D | last = Lepard | publisher = Baháʼí Publishing Trust | year = 2008| isbn = 978-1-931847-34-6 | pages = 74–75}}</ref> but does not indicate a literal physical relationship between Jesus and God,<ref name="taherzadeh">{{cite book |last = Taherzadeh |first = Adib |year = 1977 |title = The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 2: Adrianople 1863–68 |publisher = George Ronald |place = Oxford, UK |isbn = 0-85398-071-3 | page = 182}}</ref> but is symbolic and is used to indicate the very strong spiritual relationship between Jesus and God<ref name="lepard"/> and the source of his authority.<ref name="taherzadeh"/> [[Shoghi Effendi]], the head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century, also noted that the term does not indicate that the station of Jesus is superior to other prophets and messengers that Baháʼís name [[Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)|Manifestation of God]], including [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], [[Muhammad]] and [[Baha'u'llah]] among others.<ref name="log">{{cite book |editor-last = Hornby | editor-first= Helen  |year = 1983 |title = Lights of Guidance: A Baháʼí Reference File |publisher = Baháʼí Publishing Trust | location= New Delhi, India |isbn = 81-85091-46-3 |url = http://bahai-library.com/hornby_lights_guidance | page =  491}}</ref> Shoghi Effendi notes that, since all Manifestations of God share the same intimate relationship with God and reflect the same light, the term Sonship can in a sense be attributable to all the Manifestations.<ref name="lepard"/>

==Christianity==
{{Main|Son of God (Christianity)}}
{{See also|God the Son|Jesus in Christianity|Divine filiation|Adoptionism}}
<!-- Section copied to [[Son of God (Christianity)]] on 21 June 2016 and trimmed to summary form. Section was long enough to merit its own article. -->
In [[Christianity]], the title "Son of God" refers to the status of [[Jesus]] as the divine son of [[God the Father]].<ref>J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ''Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices'', ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 634-635</ref><ref>Schubert M. Ogden, ''The Understanding of Christian Faith'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2010, p. 74</ref> It derives from several uses in the New Testament and [[early Christian]] [[Christian theology|theology]]. The term is used in all four [[gospel|gospels]], the [[Acts of the Apostles]], and the [[Pauline epistles|Pauline]] and [[Johannine literature|Johannine]] literature.

Another interpretation stems from the Judaic understanding of the title, which describes all human beings as being Sons of God. In parts of the Old Testament, historical figures like Jacob and Solomon are referred to as Sons of God, referring to their descent from [[Adam]]. Biblical scholars use this title as a way of affirming Jesus' humanity, that he is fully human but, also sent from his father who is God almighty alone as mentioned in John 3:16.

==Islam==
{{See also|Jesus in Islam|Tawhid|Shirk (Islam)}}
In [[Islam]], Jesus is known as ''Īsā ibn Maryam'' ({{lang-ar|عيسى بن مريم|lit=Jesus, son of Mary}}), and is understood to be a [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|prophet and messenger]] of [[God in Islam|God]] ([[Allah]]) and ''[[Messiah#Islam|al-Masih]]'', the Arabic term for [[Messiah]] ([[Christ (title)|Christ]]), sent to guide the [[Israelites|Children of Israel]] (''banī isrā'īl'' in Arabic) with a new revelation, the ''[[Gospel in Islam|al-Injīl]]'' (Arabic for "[[the gospel]]").<ref>{{cite book|last=Glassé|first=Cyril|title=The new encyclopedia of Islam, with introduction by Huston Smith|year=2001|publisher=AltaMira Press|location=Walnut Creek, CA|isbn=978-0-7591-0190-6|page=239|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=focLrox-frUC&pg=PA240|edition=Édition révisée.}}</ref><ref name="Understanding Islam and Christianity: Beliefs That Separate Us and How to Talk About Them">{{cite book|last1=McDowell, Jim|first1=Josh|last2=Walker|first2=Jim|date=2002|title=Understanding Islam and Christianity: Beliefs That Separate Us and How to Talk About Them|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UfvgAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT12|location=Euguen, Oregon|publisher=Harvest House Publishers|page=12|isbn=978-0-7369-4991-0}}</ref><ref>[[The Oxford Dictionary of Islam]], p.158</ref>

Islam rejects any kinship between God and any other being, including a son.<ref name="Surah An-Nisa 4:171">{{Cite web|url=https://quran.com/4/171|title=Surah An-Nisa [4:171]|website=Surah An-Nisa [4:171]|access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quran.com/5/116|title=Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:116]|website=Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:116]|access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref> Thus, rejecting the belief that Jesus is the begotten son of God, God himself<ref name="Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:72">{{Cite web|url=https://quran.com/5/72|title=Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:72]|website=Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:72]|access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref> or another god.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quran.com/5/75|title=Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:75]|website=Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:75]|access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref> As in Christianity, Islam believes Jesus had no earthly father. In Islam Jesus is believed to be born due to the command of God "be".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quran.com/3/59?translations=20|title=Surah Ali 'Imran [3:59]|website=Surah Ali 'Imran [3:59]|access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref> God ordered<ref name="Surah An-Nisa 4:171"/> the angel [[Gabriel#Islam|Jibrīl]] (Gabriel) to "blow"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://quran.com/21/91|title=Surah Al-Anbya [21:91]|website=Surah Al-Anbya [21:91]|access-date=2018-04-18}}</ref> the soul of Jesus into [[Mary in Islam|Mary]]<ref>''Jesus: A Brief History'' by W. Barnes Tatum 2009 {{ISBN|1-4051-7019-0}} page 217</ref><ref>''The new encyclopedia of Islam'' by Cyril Glassé, Huston Smith 2003 {{ISBN|0-7591-0190-6}} page 86</ref> and so she gave birth to Jesus.

=={{Anchor|Judaism}}Judaism==
[[File:David SM Maggiore.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of King [[David]] by [[Nicolas Cordier]] in the Borghese Chapel of the [[Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore]]]]
{{Further|Sons of God|Son of God (Christianity)#Old Testament usage}}
Although references to "sons of God", "son of God" and "son of the {{Lord}}" are occasionally found in Jewish literature, they never refer to physical descent from God.<ref name=OxJewish>''The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion'' by Maxine Grossman and Adele Berlin (Mar 14, 2011) {{ISBN|0-19-973004-0}} page 698</ref><ref>''The Jewish Annotated New Testament'' by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler (Nov 15, 2011) {{ISBN|0-19-529770-9}} page 544</ref> There are two instances where Jewish kings are figuratively referred to as a god.<ref name="Riemer">{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7b_gdO7H28AC&q=Israel%E2%80%99s+king&pg=PA158 | title = Jesus, Gnosis and Dogma |author=Riemer Roukema | publisher = T&T Clark International | year = 2010 | isbn = 978-0-567-46642-6 | access-date = 30 January 2014}}</ref>{{rp|150}} The king is likened to the supreme king God.<ref name="Divine Emperor">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AUK5cQW2EUwC&pg=PA342 |title=Constantine, Divine Emperor of the Christian Golden Age |author=Jonathan Bardill |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2011 |page=342 |isbn=978-0-521-76423-0 |access-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> These terms are often used in the general sense in which the Jewish people were referred to as "children of the {{Lord}} your God".<ref name=OxJewish/>

When it was used by the [[rabbi]]s, the term referred to Israel in particular or it referred to human beings in general, it was not used as a reference to the [[Messiah in Judaism|Jewish mashiach]].<ref name=OxJewish/> In Judaism the term ''[[Messiah#Judaism|mashiach]]'' has a broader meaning and usage and can refer to a wide range of people and objects, not necessarily related to the [[Jewish eschatology|Jewish eschaton]].

===<!-- Former sub-sections Genesis through Dead Sea Scrolls copied to [[Son of God (Christianity)]] on 22 June 2016. -->Gabriel's Revelation===
{{Main|Messiah ben Joseph}}
[[Gabriel's Revelation]], also called the Vision of Gabriel<ref>[ftp://80.179.136.36/site/Israel_Knohl_on_Hazon_Gabriel.pdf ''"By Three Days, Live": Messiahs, Resurrection, and Ascent to Heavon in'' Hazon Gabriel]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Israel Knohl, Hebrew University of Jerusalem</ref> or the Jeselsohn Stone,<ref name="NatGeo">{{ cite news | url=http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/expedition-week/4290/facts | title=The First Jesus? | publisher=[[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]] | access-date=2010-08-05  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819141040/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/expedition-week/4290/facts | archive-date=2010-08-19 }}</ref> is a three-foot-tall (one metre) [[stone tablet]] with 87 lines of [[Hebrew (language)|Hebrew]] text written in [[ink]], containing a collection of short [[prophecy|prophecies]] written in the first person and dated to the late 1st century BC.<ref name="BAR">{{ cite journal | last=Yardeni | first=Ada | title=A new Dead Sea Scroll in Stone?|journal=Biblical Archaeology Review|volume= 34 | issue=1 | date= Jan–Feb 2008 | url=http://www.bib-arch.org/news/dss-in-stone-news.asp }}</ref><ref name="Time">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1820685,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708154649/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1820685,00.html  | archive-date=July 8, 2008 | title=Was Jesus' Resurrection a Sequel? | last=van Biema | first=David |author2=Tim McGirk | date=2008-07-07 | magazine=[[Time Magazine]] | access-date=2008-07-07}}</ref> It is a tablet described as a "[[Dead Sea scrolls|Dead Sea scroll]] in stone".<ref name="BAR" /><ref name=times>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=all|quote=The tablet, probably found near the Dead Sea in Jordan according to some scholars who have studied it, is a rare example of a stone with ink writings from that era — in essence, a Dead Sea Scroll on stone.|title=Tablet ignites debate on messiah and resurrection|author=Ethan Bronner|author-link=Ethan Bronner|date=2008-07-05|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2008-07-07}}</ref>

The text seems to talk about a messianic figure from Ephraim who broke evil before righteousness{{clarify|date=May 2020}} by three days.<ref name="Gabriel">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GWgc2zexTIIC&pg=PA39|title=Hazon Gabriel|publisher=Society of Biblical Lit|year=2011|author=Matthias Henze|isbn=978-1-58983-541-2|access-date=2 April 2014}}</ref>{{rp|43–44}} Later the text talks about a "prince of princes" a leader of Israel who was killed by the evil king and not properly buried.<ref name="Gabriel"/>{{rp|44}} The evil king was then miraculously defeated.<ref name="Gabriel"/>{{rp|45}} The text seems to refer to Jeremiah Chapter 31.<ref name="Gabriel"/>{{rp|43}} The choice of Ephraim as the lineage of the messianic figure described in the text seems to draw on passages in Jeremiah, Zechariah and Hosea. This leader was referred to as a son of God.<ref name="Gabriel"/>{{rp|43–44, 48–49}}

The text seems to be based on a Jewish revolt recorded by Josephus dating from 4 BC.<ref name="Gabriel"/>{{rp|45–46}} Based on its dating the text seems to refer to [[Simon of Peraea]], one of the three leaders of this revolt.<ref name="Gabriel"/>{{rp|47}}

===Dead Sea Scrolls===
In some versions of [[Deuteronomy]] the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] refer to the sons of God rather than the sons of Israel, probably in reference to angels. The [[Septuagint]] reads similarly.<ref name="Riemer" />{{rp|147}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/otesources/05-deuteronomy/text/articles/heiser-deut32-bs.htm|title=DEUTERONOMY 32:8 AND THE SONS OF GOD|year=2001|author=Michael S. Heiser|access-date=30 January 2014|archive-date=29 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529094638/http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/05-Deuteronomy/Text/Articles/Heiser-Deut32-BS.htm}}</ref>

4Q174 is a [[midrashic]] text in which God refers to the Davidic messiah as his son.<ref name="resistance">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xvDTAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27|title=Redemption and Resistance: The Messianic Hopes of Jews and Christians in Antiquity|publisher=A&C Black|year=2007|pages=27–28|isbn=978-0-567-03043-6|editor1=Markus Bockmuehl |editor2=James Carleton Paget|access-date=8 December 2014}}</ref>

[[4Q246]] refers to a figure who will be called the son of God and son of the Most High. It is debated if this figure represents the royal messiah, a future evil gentile king or something else.<ref name="resistance" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibr-bbr.org/files/bbr/BBR_1995_03_Cook_4Q246.pdf|title=4Q246|publisher=[[Bulletin for Biblical Research]] 5 (1995) 43-66 [© 1995 Institute for Biblical Research]|author=EDWARD M. COOK|access-date=8 December 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035653/https://www.ibr-bbr.org/files/bbr/BBR_1995_03_Cook_4Q246.pdf}}</ref>

In [[11Q13]] [[Melchizedek]] is referred to as god the divine judge. Melchizedek in the bible was the king of [[Salem (Bible)|Salem]]. At least some in the [[Qumran]] community seemed to think that at the end of days Melchizedek would reign as their king.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8fX9xxXfNNQC&q=melchizedek+&pg=PA30|title=Judaism of the Second Temple Period: Qumran and Apocalypticism|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|year=2007|page=249|author=David Flusser|isbn=978-0-8028-2469-1|access-date=8 February 2014}}</ref> The passage is based on [[Psalm 82]].<ref name="rhetoricalPerspective">{{Cite book  | author = Jerome H. Neyrey| title = The Gospel of John in Cultural and Rhetorical Perspective| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=X0JZ9uSc8SoC&pg=PA314| year = 2009| publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing| pages = 313–316| isbn = 978-0-8028-4866-6}}</ref>

===Pseudepigrapha===
In both [[Joseph and Aseneth]] and the related text The Story of Asenath, Joseph is referred to as the son of God.<ref name="Riemer"/>{{rp|158–159}}<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/TheStoryOfAsenath.html |title = The Story of Asenath" and "Joseph and Aseneth |website=Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha and Sacred Writings |access-date = 30 January 2014}}</ref> In the [[Prayer of Joseph]] both Jacob and the angel are referred to as angels and the sons of God.<ref name="Riemer"/>{{rp|157}}

===Talmud===
This style of naming is also used for some rabbis in the [[Talmud]].<ref name="Riemer"/>{{rp|158}}

==See also==
* [[Emperor of Japan]]
* [[Jesus, King of the Jews]]
* [[Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament]]
* [[Uzair]]

==References==
{{Reflist |2}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}

* Borgen, Peder. ''Early Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism''. Edinburgh: T & T Clark Publishing. 1996.
* Brown, Raymond. ''An Introduction to the New Testament''. New York: Doubleday. 1997.
* ''Essays in Greco-Roman and Related Talmudic Literature.'' ed. by Henry A. Fischel. New York: KTAV Publishing House. 1977.
* [[James Dunn (theologian)|Dunn, J. D. G.]], ''Christology in the Making'', London: SCM Press. 1989.
* Ferguson, Everett. ''Backgrounds in Early Christianity''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing. 1993.
* Greene, Colin J. D. ''Christology in Cultural Perspective: Marking Out the Horizons''. Grand Rapids: InterVarsity Press. Eerdmans Publishing. 2003.
* Holt, Bradley P. ''Thirsty for God: A Brief History of Christian Spirituality''. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2005.
* Josephus, Flavius. ''Complete Works''. trans. and ed. by William Whiston. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishing. 1960.
* Letham, Robert. ''The Work of Christ''. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 1993.
* [[Donald Macleod (theologian)|Macleod, Donald]]. ''The Person of Christ''. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 1998.
* [[Alister McGrath|McGrath, Alister]]. ''Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought''. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. 1998.
* [[Jacob Neusner|Neusner, Jacob]]. ''From Politics to Piety: The Emergence of Pharisaic Judaism''. Providence, R. I.: Brown University. 1973.
* Norris, Richard A. Jr. ''The Christological Controversy''. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. 1980.
* [[Gerald O'Collins|O'Collins, Gerald]]. ''[[Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus]].'' Oxford:[[Oxford University Press]]. 2009.
* Pelikan, Jaroslav. ''Development of Christian Doctrine: Some Historical Prolegomena''. London: Yale University Press. 1969.
* —— ''The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100–600)''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1971.
* [[Albert Schweitzer|Schweitzer, Albert]]. ''Quest of the Historical Jesus: A Critical Study of the Progress from Reimarus to Wrede''. trans. by W. Montgomery. London: A & C Black. 1931.
* Tyson, John R.'' Invitation to Christian Spirituality: An Ecumenical Anthology''. New York: Oxford University Press. 1999.
* Wilson, R. Mcl. ''Gnosis and the New Testament''. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. 1968.
* Witherington, Ben III. ''The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth''. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 1995.
* —— ''"The Gospel of John."'' in The Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. ed. by Joel Greene, Scot McKnight and I. Howard
{{refend}}

{{Titles of Jesus|default=show}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Son Of God}}
[[Category:Biblical phrases]]
[[Category:Religious terminology]]
[[Category:Christology]]