Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/190

Rh 176 APOCALYPTIC LITERATUKE destroyed Jerusalem, and the Jews were scattered to the four winds; so that the writer was deeply perplexed by the establishment of a heathen power over the Jews, involving an indefinite delay of the Messianic kingdom, or an apparent hopelessness as to its inauguration. Heathen ism triumphed over Judaism, rending it to pieces. Yhat had become of the divine faithfulness 1 The first vision (ch. iv.-v. 20) contains an angelic answer to the questions which the seer had painfully pondered, as in the 3d chapter. After being reminded of his inability to comprehend God s ways, the signs of the end are given. The second vision (v. 21-vi. 34) is similar. The third vision (vi. 35-ix. 25) and the fourth (ix. 27-x. 59) refer to the Messianic future. The fifth, relating to an eagle coming up out of the sea (x. 60-xii. 59), describes the Roman empire, its destination and period of duration; the sixth (ch. xiii), the setting up of Messiah s kingdom; and the seventh (ch. xiv.), an account of Ezra s re-writing the holy books. It is very difficult to discover the date of this singular book, and the question is not yet satisfactorily settled, though many critics have investigated it. One thing is pretty clear, that the destruction of Jerusalem had taken place, and that Christianity had passed its incipient stage, exercising some influence even upon Judaism. Original sin, a dying Mes siah, a general resurrection, &c., point to a Christian origin ; so that the passages in which these features appear, and others too, were probably interpolated. Hilgenfeld even thinks that vi. 18-vii. 45 were interpolated by a Christian at the commencement of the 3d century, 1 but his arguments are not cogent, as Langen has shown. As the data for determining the time lie chiefly in the interpretation of the eagle s wings and heads, the diversity of opinion is increased. Perhaps the 30th year after the ruin of the city (iii. 1) points to the like time after the Roman conquest of Jerusa lem. The six wings of the eagle on the right side are the six Julian emperors ; the six on the left, are Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vindex, Nymphidius, Piso ; and the three heads, the Flavian emperors. Either Titus s or Domitian s reign should be fixed upon ; probably the latter, about 96 A.D. Hilgenfeld assigns 30 B.C.; Volkmar seems nearer the truth who gives it to 97 A.D., 2 though some of his ingenious interpretations are far fetched. It is impossible to tell whether the author lived at Rome or in Egypt. The few internal evidences bearing on the point favour the latter. The poetic excellence of this production is much greater than that of Enoch. It is, indeed, below the Apocalypse of Daniel ; but its merit is considerable. In modern times Messrs Frere and Irving gave it a place beside Daniel and St John, strangely combining the prophecies of the three into one, as though all were formed upon the same plan, and referred to the same events. Chapters i., ii., and xv., xvi., which need not be separated, seem to have been written by Egyptian Christians; the first two chapters about 201 A.D ; the last two about 263 A.D., according to Gutschmid. 3 Like the Fourth Book of Esdras, these were also written in Greek, but exist only in a Latin transla tion. The literature and numerous opinions about the date may be seen in the Prolegomena to Hilgenf eld s Messias Judaeo- rum ; the same work contains the different texts of it. The Latin text alone is presented by Fritzsche in his Libri Apocryphi Vetens Testamenti Greece, 1871 ; and by Volkmar in his Ilandbuch der Einleitung in die Apocry- phen, 2 Abtheil., 1863. It is in the English Apocrypha, translated, no doubt, from the Vulgate. Luther left it out of his version, and De Wette followed him. The chief 1 Messias Judccorum, p. 49, &c. 8 Das vierte Buck Esra und apokalyptische Geheimnisse ueberhaupt, 1858. 3 Zeitschrift fur wissenschaft. Thcologie, 1860. writers on the book in recent times are Volkmar and Hilgenfeld ; but the list since Whiston and Semler is very copious. 3. The Book of the Jubilees, or the Little Genesis, 7} ACTTTT) yevecris, parva Genesis. This work is apocalyptic only in part, though called the Apocalypse of Moses in the notices of it by George Syncellus and George Cedrenus. In the form of a revelation made to Moses during his stay on Mount Sinai, it professes to be intended for future races, and to contain prophetic admonitions relating to coming times. It is predominantly historical and chrono logical, beginning with the old histories of the creation. From the commencement of the world till the entrance into Canaan is divided into 50 jubilee years ; and every event is arranged according to jubilees, years of weeks, and years. Later Jewish ideas are transferred to earlier times, especially to the patriarchal ; and difficult questions con nected with the ancient worship are solved. Traditional views and hagadic materials appear with Jewish ritual and exclusiveness. The author was an energetic Palestinian Jew, conversant with the history of his people, and conser vative, who meant to confirm them in attachment to the faith, by narrating their past fortunes over again, and keeping them alive to their principles. Amid the multi farious contents it is not easy to trace the precise origin of the book, though it is easy to see that the author was a patriotic Jew, whose object was to keep his countrymen firm in their religion at a time when it was in great peril both from without and within. It has been assigned to an Alexandrian, an Essene, and a Samaritan source, none of which opinions can be maintained. The writer has respect to different sects and parties in Judaism, to the various tendencies existing within the old religion when he wrote ; and he endeavours to mediate between them by making concessions in this direction and that, to conciliate and blend them together, that they may be more united against anti-Jewish influences. Hence Samaritan, Essene, Sadducean, and Pharisean peculiarities are found in the work. There is little doubt that he was an orthodox Jew, who had in view the consolidation of Judaism against heathenism and Christianity the uniting of all sects and shades of belief in the common faith of Levitical mono theism. 4 It is worthy of remark that the Hebrew text ho used agrees with the Samaritan more than the Masoretic, though he himself was not a Samaritan, else he would not have mentioned Zion among the four holy places, to the exclusion of Gerizim. The date is the 1st century of our era ; and before the destruction of the temple, as may bo inferred from the first chapter. The writer seems to havo used the book of Enoch, for he speaks in the fourth chapter of Enoch writing out the signs of heaven according to the order of their months. There are also coincident passages which go to prove the same tiling. And there is evidence that the writer of the Testaments of the patriarchs em ployed our book ; though this does not necessarily take the latter s origin into the 1st century. So, too, the Fourth Book of Esdras was used, as we infer from what is said in relation to Abraham, Esdras iii. 14, &c., and Jubilees xii. The date cannot be fixed nearer than about 50 A.D. 5 The Little Genesis was soon forgotten, and no trace of it appears among the Jews, except perhaps in the title of Bereshit Rabba. Yet its Midrash is of an older type than the other Midrashim ; mystic and supernatural in its tendency ; its angelology less developed. Jerome refers to it twice by name, and Syncellus thought highly of it. It had been rendered into Greek before the time of Jerome. Dillmann has published the Ethiopia version from two MSS., and 4 See Roensch s Das Buch der Julilden, p. 523, &c. 6 Ibid., p. 528.