The Origins of Apocalypticism in Judaism and Christianity

520 Pages·1998·14.648 MB·English

by  John Joseph Collins (ed.)

TIIE
Encyclopedia
OF
Apocalypticism
Volume 1 • The Origins
of Apocalypticism
in Judaism and Christianity
EDITED BY JOHN J. COLLINS
As we approach the year 2000-2001 C.E.,
the year that will mark the beginning of the
new millennium, fascination with the mean
ing of history and especially of historical tran
sitions is already on the rise. Apocalypticism,
broadly described as the belief that God
has revealed the imminent end of the
ongoing struggle between good and evil
in history, has been a major element in
the three Western monotheistic faiths of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Over the past thirty years, more scholar
ship has been devoted to apocalypticism
tha_n in the previous three hundred. This is
true not only regarding the origins of apoc
alypticism in Judaism and early Christianity
(the subject of volume 1), but also of the
development of the Christian apocalyptic
traditions in Europe down to the modern
era and the related apocalypticisms of
medieval Judaism and early Islam (treated
in volume 2). Even more recent has been
the recognition of the importance of apoca
Iypticism in the history of the New World
and the continuing role that apocalyptic
convictions, literal and revised, religious
and secularized, play in contemporary
society (the subject of volume 3).
Each volume of the Encyclopedia of
Apocalypticism comprises a relatively
(Continued on back flap)
(Continued from front flap)
small number of comprehensive articles
(forty-three over the three volumes) that
offer original syntheses of scholarship on
central themes, periods, and issues in the
history of Western apocalypticism. The
essays in these volumes seek neither to
apologize for the extravagance of apoca
lyptic thinkers nor to excuse the perverse
actions of their followers. Rather, they
strive to understand a powerful, perhaps
even indispensable, element in the history
of Western religions that has been the
source of both good and evil.
John J. Collins
is Professor of Hebrew Bible,
The Divinity School,
The University of Chicago.
Contributors to Volume 1:
Dale C.Allison, Jr., Hubert Cancik,
Richard J. Clifford, Adela Yarbro Collins,
John J. Collins, M. C. de Boer,
David Frankfurter, Richard A. Horsley,
Anders Hultgard, Bruce Lincoln,
Michael Mach, Florentino Garcia Martinez,
James C. VanderKam.
Jacket Illustration: Shell inlay depicting Ninurta bat
tling the seven-headed dragon. Courtesy of the
Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem. Photographed by
M. Amar and M. Greyevsky.
Jacket Design by Michael Silberman.
The Continuum Publishing Company
370 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
ISBN 0-8264-1071-5

(f
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF APOCALYPTICISM
Volume
I
The Origins of Apocalypticism in
Judaism and Christianity
The Encyclopedia ofA pocalypticism
Edited by Bernard McGinn,
John J. Collins, and Stephen J. Stein
Volume 1
The Origins ofA pocalypticism
in Judaism and Christianity,
edited by JohnJ. Collins
Volume 2
Apocalypticism in Western History and Culture,
edited by Bernard McGinn .
Volume 3
Apocalypticism in the Modern Period
and the Contemporary Age,
edited by Stephen J. Stein
(f
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF APOCALYPTICISM
Volume
I
THE ORIGINS OF ApOCALYPTICISM
IN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY
Edited by
John J Collins
Continuum New York
1999
The Continuum Publishing Company
370 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Copyright © 1998 by The Continuum Publishing Company
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise,
without the written permission of
The Continuum Publishing Company.
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The encyclopedia of apocalypticism / edited by Bernard McGinn, John J.
Collins, and Stephen J. Stein.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: v.I. The origins of apocalypticism in Judaism and
Christianity / edited by JohnJ. Collins - v. 2. Apocalypticism in
Western history and culture / edited by Bernard McGinn - v.
3. Apocalypticism in the modern period and the contemporary age /
edited by Stephen J. Stein ..
ISBN 0-8264-1087-1 (set: hardcover). -ISBN 0-8264-1071-5 (v. 1 :
hardcover)
1. Apocalyptic literature-Comparative studies. 2. End of the
world-Comparative studies. I. McGinn, Bernard, 1937- .
II. Collins, John Joseph, 1946- III. Stein, StephenJ., 1940-
BL501.E53 1998
291.2'3-dc21 97-46016
CIP
Contents
General Introduction
Vll
Introduction to Volume 1
Xlll
PART 1
APOCALYPTICISM IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAsT
AND MEDITERRANEAN WORLD
1. The Roots of Apocalypticism in Near Eastern Myth 3
Richard f Clifford, Sf
2. Persian Apocalypticism 39
Anders Hultgard
3. The End of the World, of History, and of the Individual
in Greek and Roman Antiquity 84
Hubert Cancik
PART 2
APOCALYPTICISM IN ANCIENT JUDAISM
4. From Prophecy to Apocalypticism: The Expectation
of the End 129
John f Collins
v
Vi CONTENTS
5. Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls 162
Florentino Garcia Martinez
6. Messianism and Apocalypticism 193
James C VanderKam
7. From Apocalypticism to Early Jewish Mysticism? 229
Michael Mach
PART 3
APoCALYFnCISM IN EARLy CHRISTIANITY
8. The Eschatology ofJesus 267
Dale CAllison, fr.
9. The Kingdom of God and the Renewal of Istael:
Synoptic Gospels, Jesus Movements, and Apocalypticism 303
Richard A. Horsley
lO. Paul and Apocalyptic Eschatology 345
Me de Boer
11. The Book of Revelation 384
Adela Yarbro Collins
12. Early Christian Apocalypticism: Literature
and Social World 415
David Frankforter
PART 4
EPILOGUE
13. Apocalyptic Temporality and Politics
in the Ancient World 457
Bruce Lincoln
Index ofA ncient Sources 477
Index of Names 493