Apocalyptic Literature

Apocalyptic literature was a new genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians. “Apocalypse is from the Greek word for “revelation” which means “an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling” (Goswiller 1987 p. 3).

The poetry of the Book of Revelation that is traditionally ascribed to John is well known to many Christians who are otherwise unaware of the literary genre it represents. The apocalyptic literature of Judaism and Christianity embraces a considerable period, from the centuries following the exile down to the close of the middle ages. In the present survey we shall limit ourselves to the great formative periods in this literature-in Judaism from 200 BCE to 100 CE, and in Christianity from 50 to approximately 350 CE.

Also Read

  • The Apocalypse of Peter
  • The Book of Daniel
  • Apocalypticism

The Book Of Daniel

The Book Of Daniel

Apocalyptic visions in Daniel : The four visions of chapters seven to twelve are an early example of apocalyptic literature and, in contrast to the earlier chapters, are introduced in the first person. One feature of this section is Daniel’s reliance on heavenly figures to interpret and explain his visions. The historical setting of the first chapters does not appear, except in the form of regnal dates. Chapter seven is written in Aramaic while chapters eight to twelve are in Hebrew.

The “apocalyptic” sections of Daniel consist of three visions and one lengthened prophetic communication focusing on the destiny of Israel :

  • Vision of the great beasts

The vision in the first year of Belshazzar the king of Babylon (7:1) concerning four great beasts (7:3) representing four future kings (7:17) or kingdoms (7:23), the fourth of which devours the whole earth, treading it down and crushing it (7:23); this fourth kingdom is represented by a beast with ten horns representing ten kings, followed by a further wicked king who subdues three of the ten (7:24), speaks against the Most High and the saints of the Most High, and intends to change the times and the law (7:25); after ‘a time and times and half a time’, this person is judged and his dominion is taken away (7:26); finally, the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven are given to the people of the saints of the Most High (7:27)

  • Vision of sanctuary elements

The vision in the third year of Belshazzar concerning a ram and a male goat (8:1-27) which, we are informed, represent Media, Persia (the ram’s two horns), and Greece (the goat). The goat with a mighty horn becomes very powerful until the horn breaks off to be replaced by four “lesser’ horns. The vision focuses on a wicked king who arises to challenge the “army of the Lord” by removing the daily temple sacrifice and desecrating the sanctuary for a period of “twenty three hundred evening/mornings“. Rams, goats and horns were used in the service of the sanctuary.

  • The prophecy of seventy weeks

The vision in first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus (9:1) concerning seventy weeks, or seventy “sevens”, apportioned for the history of the Israelites and of Jerusalem (9:24) This consists of a meditation on the prediction in Jeremiah that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years, a lengthy prayer by Daniel in which he pleads for God to restore Jerusalem and its temple, and an angelic explanation which focuses on a longer time period – “seventy sevens” – and a future restoration and destruction of city and temple by a coming ruler.

  • The vision of the kings

A lengthy vision (10:1 – 12:13) in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, regarding conflicts between the “King of the North” and the “King of the South” (= Egypt, 11:8). Starting with references to Persia and Greece it, again, culminates in the description of an arrogant king who desecrates the temple, sets up a “desolating abomination”, removes the daily sacrifice, and persecutes those who remain true to the “holy covenant“. Yet the saints receive God’s kingdom.

The prophetic and eschatological visions of Daniel, with those of Ezekiel and Isaiah, are the scriptural inspiration for much of the apocalyptic ideology and symbolism of the Qumran community’s Dead Sea scrolls and the early literature of Christianity. “Daniel’s clear association with the Maccabean Uprising and those against Rome are a possible factor in the eventual downgrading of it, to include a redefinition of the role of prophet, keeping in mind that at roughly this time the Hebrew canon was being evaluated and adopted. (Eisenman 1997, p 19f).

In Daniel are the first references to a “kingdom of God“, and the most overt reference to the resurrection of the dead in the Tanakh.

Book Of Daniel

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Dead Sea Scrolls Now Available On Line

Dead Sea Scrolls Now Available On Line !

The discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls in a remote Judean Desert cave in 1947 is widely considered the greatest archaeological event of the twentieth century. Bedouin treasure hunters and archaeologists ultimately found the remains of hundreds of ancient scrolls. These fragile pieces of parchment and papyrus, including the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible, were preserved for two thousand years by the hot, dry desert climate and the darkness of the caves where they were placed. The scrolls provide an unprecedented picture of the diverse religious beliefs of ancient Judaism, and of daily life during the turbulent Second Temple period when Jesus lived and preached.

GENESIS

Among the oldest known copies of Genesis, the fragment of the Scroll shown here contains the description of the first three days of the creation of the world. 4Q Genesisg Date: 100–1 bce, Late Hasmonean Period, Language: Hebrew

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep; And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”— GENESIS 1:1–2

Dead Sea Scrolls - www.alamongordo.com - Oldest Text Genesis Fragment - Scroll Description of the First Three Days of the Creation of the World - 4Q Genesisg - http://www.alamongordo.com

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Date: 30–1 bce, Herodian Period Language: Hebrew

This small scroll preserves one of the earliest known copies of the “Ten Commandments” (the Decalogue), a central dogma in Judaism and Christianity, and the majestic description of their divine revelation at Mount Sinai. “I am the Lord your God who took you out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage. You are to have no other gods but me.”— DEUTERONOMY 5:6-7

PSALMS SCROLL

Date: 1–68 ce, Herodian Period Language: Hebrew. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity”

— PSALMS 133:1
This book of Psalms is one of the best preserved biblical scrolls, containing 48 psalms, including 7 that are not found in the standard Masoretic version of the Bible. An additional prose passage provides one of the most ancient references to King David as the composer of the book of Psalms: “and David, the son of Jesse, was wise, and a light like the light of the sun… And he wrote 3,600 psalms.” Psalm 133, shown here, praises peace and togetherness.
MINOR PROPHETS SCROLL
Date: 50–1 bce, Herodian Period, Language: Greek. The “Twelve Minor Prophets” scrolls from the Judean Desert offer early evidence for the compilation of these short prophetic books into a single literary work. This particular fragment, from a Greek translation of the Minor Prophets discovered in the Cave of Horror at Nahal Hever, contains a prophecy of Micah about the End of Days and the rise of a ruler out of Bethlehem.
NON-BIBLICAL SCROLLS
Non-biblical texts discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls offer us a tantalizing glimpse of life during the Second Temple period and the opportunity to understand the attitudes, desires and aspirations of the people of that time. Most of the scrolls from the Qumran caves are religious writings from the Second Temple period. Some of these reflect the life and philosophy of a distinctive group that called itself the “Yahad” (“Community”). At other sites, the major finds were administrative and personal documents dating from the catastrophic Judean revolt against Rome in 132–135 ce.
Dead Sea Scrolls Predictions and Psalms Scroll 11Q Psalmsa Prophecies - http://www.alamongordo.com - Book of Psalms is the Best Preserved Biblical Scroll with 48 Psalms and 7 more that are not mentioned in the Masoretic Version of the Bible
ENOCH
Date: 150–50 bce, Hasmonean Period Language: Aramaic. The book of Enoch was not included in the canon of the Hebrew Bible. It tells of Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, who lived for 365 years and “walked with God”. The displayed fragment describes the heavenly revolt of the fallen angels, and their descent to earth to cohabit with the daughters of men and to reveal secret knowledge to mankind, a story hinted at in Gen. 6:1-4.
APOCRYPHON OF DANIEL
Date: 50–1 bce, Herodian Period, Language: Aramaic. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain extensive apocalyptic literature relating to the final messianic battle at the End of Days. The Aramaic Apocryphon of Daniel describes either a messianic figure or a boastful ruler that will arise as “Son of God” or “Son of the Most High”, like the apocalyptic redeemer in the biblical book of Daniel. The text calls to mind the New Testament proclamation of the angel Gabriel concerning the new-born Jesus: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High… ” (Luke 1:32)
THE BOOK OF WAR
Date: 20–50 ce, Herodian Period, Language: Hebrew. The Book of War details an apocalyptic 40-year battle between the forces of good and evil. This fragment preserves a blessing to be recited by the leader of the surviving community upon their victory in the final battle, at the end of time: “God Most High will bless you and shine his face upon you, and he will open for you his rich storehouse in the heavens.” God and his holy angels will bestow abundance and fertility upon the holy congregation, and protect them from plagues and wild animals.
The Dead Sea Scrolls - http://www.alamongordo.com - The 10 Commandments

The Dead Sea Scrolls are available on Israel Antiquities Authority.

 

 

 

Source : Dead Sea Scrolls (Pictures by : Shai Halevi)