In considering the date, reference should be made to a companion volume to 2 Esdras, which curiously reproduces the language and visions of that book, namely, the Apocalypse of liaruch, first pub. in 1866 by Ceriani from a Syr. MS at Milan {Mon. sacra et pruf., torn. i. fasc. ii., and torn. v. fasc. ii. ; also in Fritzsche, Libri Apiicr. V.T. 654). It also is a product of the Jewish literature called forth by the events of A.U. 70, but written before tlie final destruction of Jerus. in 133, which is not foreseen (Apoc. Bar 32 ; Jerus. is to l)e rebuilt, and then again destroye<i [A.D. 70] for a time, and then rebuilt for ever). The similarities in tone and language with 2 Es are so striking that Ewald as- cribed it to the same naithor. Tlie general belief now held is that Banicli is the later, and has u.sed Es, because, e.g.. Bar corrects the crude notions of Es about original sin (cf. Es 7"* ' O tu quid fecisti Adam ? si eiiim tu peccasti non est factum soliua tuns casus sed et nostrum,' with Bar 54, ' Non est ergo Adam causa nisi animn^ sua; tantum ; noa vero unusquisque fuit anima- sun; Adam'): and whereas Ezra complains that Jems, should at least
766 ESDRAS, SECOND BOOK OF
ESHCOL
have been punished by the hands of God (5**), Bar accordingly represents it as destroyed by four angels before the entry of the Chaldiean army (6-8). Some of the parallels are tlie division of each book into seven scenes, separated in most cases by intervals of seven days of fasting : the division of time into twelve parts (Bar 27 = Es 14") : the legend of Behemoth and Leviathan (Bar 29 = Es 6") : the prayer of Baruch (48, cf. the Confessio Esdrae 8*') : the importance of Adam's transgression, prefaced in each by ' O quid fecisti Adam?' (Bar 48 = Es 7"*): the vision of a cloud ascending from the sea (Bar 53, cf. Es 13) : the permanence of the law though the teachers de- part (Bar 77, cf. Es 9") : the interest in the lost tribes, to whom Baruch sends a letter of consola- tion (78-86, cf. Es 13"), besides frequent minute resemblances of language.
The writing is a characteristically .Jewish work in its apocalyptic form, its knowledge of .Jewish traditions (Belieraoth, etc.), its interest in the ten tribes, and its deep concern in the fate of Jeru- salem. There is no ground for supposing that the author was a Jewish Christian : there is a marked contrast between the Christian interpolations (1-2, 15-16, and the insertion of the name Jesus in 7*) and the remainder of the book. The place of writing is given as Rome (Ewald) or Alexandria (Hilgenfeld, Ixii, and most edd.), from which the added chapters certainly emanate ; this would account for the earliest quotation bein^ found in Clem. Alex. On the other hand, the fall of Jerus. would be more impressive to a Palestinian Jew than to an Alexandrian ; and the geography (if Ardat is rightly explained by Rendel Harris) points the same way.
The date of the concluding chs. (15. 16) is I-laced about A.D. 268 by most critics. 15""" refers to the troubles of Alexandria under Galli- enus (260-268), when two-thirds of the population were destroyed by a plague following upon a famine (Eus. HE vii. 21. 22). IS^*"'' refers to the conquests of the Sassanidae (' Carmonii insani- entes'), esp. Sapor 1. (240-273), who overran Syria but was repulsed by Odenathus and Zenobia (' dracones Arabum'), the founders of Palmyra; they, in turn, were defeated by Aurelian. 33 describes the murder of Odenathus at Emesa (266) by his cousin Maeonius. 34 ff. are referred to the invasion of Asia Minor by Goths and Scythians from the N. of the Euxine : Gallienus marched against them, but was recalled by the revolt of Aureolus (38 ' portio alia ab occidente '). 46 ' Asia consors in specie Babylonis ' alludes to the associa- tion of Odenathus in the empire, A.D. 264 (Hilgen- feld, Mess. Jud. 208).
The chapters were written apparently as an appendix to 3-14, and were never current in a separate form.
Chs. 1. 2 are not fixed so definitely, but are probably earlier than the close. They are a com- pilation from various sources, and perhaps a frag- ment of a larger work : they show some relation to an Apocalypse of Zephaniah (T. and S. Ixxix).
Keception. — The early quotations from the book are collected by Dr. .lames (7". and S. xxvii- xliii). The Ep. of Barnabas 12' (Sro* {liXox (tXiffp KOi draoTj «roI Srav ix fiiXou alixa (rriH) is thought to refer to 2 Es 5», and the Rest of the Words of Baruch (A.D. 136), ch. 9, has similar words ; the last scene of that book, where a stone takes the form of Jeremiah and speaks to the people, may be an amplification of ' lapis dabit vocem suara ' of 2 Es. But the first express quotation is Clem. Alex. Strom, iii. 16. 100, who regards it as the work of ' the prophet ' Ezra. It is made use of in an Hippolytiean fragment irepl tov iroiT6j, and quoted in the Greek in the Apost. Constit. viii. 7. The
supposed references in Tert. {de priescr. haret. 3), Cyprian, and Commodian (3rd cent., Cam. Apot. 943, on the lost tribes) are doubtful. But it is quoted very frequently by Ambrose (cfe bono Mortis, 10-12, and elsewhere), who regards it as prophetical : in his time clis. 15. 16 were already current in the Latin version, and probably attached to 3-14. In Spain it was known to PriscUlian and Vigilantius; and in Britain to Gildas, who quotes 15. 16 (Bensly, 36-40). The legend of the restora- tion of the books of Scripture (2 Es 14) is wide- spread, and may be derived from tradition apart from 2 Es (Iren. iii. 21. 2 ; Tert. de cult. /em. L 3 ; Clem. Alex. Strom, i. 22. 149). Jerome is alone unfavourable to it {adv. Vigilantium, 6, Prof, in vers. libr. Ezrce, quoted in last art.). It was perhaps owing to his estimate that the book was excluded from the Canon by the Council of Trent : it now with 1 Es forms an appendix to the Vulg. after the NT. The liturgical use of the book shows its popularity : the words of 2**- " are em- ployed in tlie ' Missa pro def unctis ' of the Breviary ad Usum Sarum, and the word Requiem is derived from this passage ; and 2™- " were formerly used by the En". Church as an Introit for Whit Tuesday. Otherwise no use is made of it in the services of the Church.