764 ESDRAS, SECOND BOOK OF
ESDRAS, SECOND BOOK OF
copied the missing fragment in 1826. M (Mazar- inseus), Paris, Bwl. Mazarine, 3, 4, cent, ix.-x., discovered by M. Berger. V (Abulensis), Madrid, Bibl. Nac. E. R. 8, cent, xiii., a copy of C, dis- covered by M. Berger, and a fourth, not yet fully collated, out probably belonging to this group. L (Legionensis), at Leon, of tlK year 1162. For one section of the book, the Confessio Esdra; (S^*"), which was often copied in collections of Cantica, an additional group of MSS exists. The two groups ditl'er most widely from each other in the mterpolated cliapters (1. 2, 15. 16). An ex- amination of their relative values in these chs. has been made by Dr. James (T. and S. xliv.- Ixxviii.), from which he concludes that in 1. 2. the Spanish form of text is more accurate than the French, which has corrected the text to agree with the canonical Scriptures, whereas in 15. 16 the Spanish is on the whole an emended text, and in IS'^-ie'- A, which has the support of Gildas, is to be preferred to S C M.
The other versions agree in omitting the inter- polated chapters at the beg. and end (1. 2. 15. 16). Of tlie.se the best is the Svriac, which exists only in a celebrated MS of the Peshitta in the Ambro- sial) Library, Milan, B. 21 Inf. The Syriac was edited by Ceriani in 3[onnmenta Sacra et Pro/ana, vol. v. fasc. 1 (1868), and tr^ into Latin in vol. i. fasc. 2 of the same work (1866). There are two independent Arabic versions : Ar.' in an Oxford MS (Bodl. 251, A.D. 1354), of which an English tr° was made by W. Whiston for his Primitive Chris- tianity Eeviv'd, 1711, and the Arabic text was edited by Ewald in 1863 (Ahhandl. der Kbnigl. Gesellsch. d. Wissensch. zu Gottingen) ; and Ar.' preserved in toto in a Vatican MS Arab. 462, and in part in Bodl. 260.
The Ethiupic version was first published in 1820 by Dr. Richard Laurence from a Bodleian MS (Mih. 7). Dillmann collected readings from other MSS, which are given at the end of Ewald's ed. of the Arabic. The Syr. Ar. Eth. versions were probably all made directly from the Greek ; the Armenian, however, given in Zohrab's ed. of the Armenian Bible (1805, Venice) was perhaps from the Synac. A reconstruction of the Greek has been made by Hilgenfeld in his Messias JudcB- orum.
Contents. — The original Apocalypse (3-14) consists of a series of revelations or visions given to Ezra by an angel.
\tt Vifion, Si-6»>. Eir», In captivity at Babvlon In the thirtieth year after the destruction of Jerus. [the date is nearly a century too early], recounta God's favours to Isr. in their earlier history, and while admitting their 'evil heart,' yet com- plains of their subjection to Babylon, which is more wicked than they (ch. 8). The angel Uriel replies that E. should not enquire into things beyond his understanding. E. pleads with the angel as Abraham did at Mamre (' If I have found favour in thy sight,' 4**; cf. Gn 181), and asks, further, whether the time that is past exceeds the time to come ; and is told that it is so. The signs of the end Ar« given, 61-1^ ; and he is ordered to fast for seven days.
2ftd Vision, 621-6W. E. renews his complaints, and Is told why God 'doeth not all at once' so as to hasten the judgment ; an<f of the degeneracy of the world, which cannot produce such children as of old '(.^i^ff-). The next world is to follow this as closely as Jacob followed Esau from the womb (610). More 6igiis of the end follow, and E. il a^ain bidden to fast for seven days.
3r(f Vimon, 6S»-9». E. recounts the works of creation. In- cluding the creatures Behemoth and Leviathan, who were re- served to be meat for the saints (6*»-i^ (this idea is met with also in Enoch 60', Apoc. Bar 29*] ; and asks, why, if the world was made for us, we do not possess our inheritance. He is tnid that the narrow way must be traversed before the large room of the next age be attained (71-*8). Then follows a picture of the Messianic a^e, the appearance of ' My Son ' [or * Mv Son .lesus' : the nanie is omitted in the Oriental versions] witli His attendants, their reign of 400 years, succeeded by the death of ' .My Son Christ ' and all linnp, and the return of the world for Bevrn days into 'the old silence," and then the resurrection (7«>-S5). The ' missing fragment ' describes the pit of torment and the paradise of deliglit over-against it : ineffectual inter- cession of E. for the wicked, leading him to exclaim that the
beasts are more fortunate than man : the seven ways of punish ment for the wicked, and the ' seven orders ' of blessings fol the righteous : the seven days' respite after death, before tb souls are gathered to their habitations : and the severe declara- tion of the inelficacy of intercr-s.sion for the departed (786.108)^ K. says it were better if Adam had never been born {' O tu quid fecisti Adam," cf. Apoc. B;ir48), but acknowledges Clod's mercy. Ch. a contains the same theme, * Many are created, but few shall be saved,' and fresh intercession in the Confessio Esdro. In answer to the question. When shall the end be? fresh isigns are given.