There are two references in apocryphal writings which deserve special mention. In the iMst WuriU of Bnrueh [ch. 9) allusion is made to the martyrdom of Isaiah in such a way as to suggest that the Ascensio in its Christian form was known to the writer (see Rendel Harris's edition, p. 20 fl'.). In the Actus Petri Vercellenses (ed. Lipsius, p. 72) we have a quotation iroraAsc. 11". As both tiiese books maj' have been written before the middle of the 2nd cent., their evidence is of special importance.
Two later writings of very small intrinsic worth seem to have used the Ascensio. One is a sermon of Potamius, printed anion" St. Zeno's works ('Verona, 1739, p. 300) : it describes tlie martyrdom, and mentions Belial. The other is the apocryphal Liber Johannis, an Albigensian book, printed at the end of ThUo's Codex Apocn/phus NT,
For further references the student may consult Dr. Salmon's art. in Diet. Chr. Bioqr., \\i\n\iw\C s Altch r. Lilt. p. 854(1'., and Basset's Introduction : in this last he will also find a fairly complete bibliography.
iv. Critical Kemarks. — In the outline given above of the Ethiopic book, Dillmann's critical dissection of it has been in the main accepted. But it may be questioned whether his theory of two separate books, A and B, as we have called them, combined and interpolated at a subsequent period, is not somewhat too rigid. It may be nearer to the truth to suppose that A does indeed reproduce a Jewish book on the Death of Isaiah, but that the whole of the remainder is due to a single Christian hand, which modified the opening section, inserted the apocalyptic vision, and added the vision of the A.scension.
There appears to be no sufficient ground for dis- tinguishing the writer of the apocalyptic section from the author of the Ascension. 'The fact that the Antichrist assumes the form of a m~-.ricidal king does not of necessity take the apocalj-ptic section back into the 1st cent. : the reappearance of Nero as the Antichrist long haunted the imagina- tion of the Christian apocalyptists. The calcula- tion of the duration of his reign apjiears to be simply borrowed from the Book of Daniel, and gives us no guidance.
If there was a separately existing Jewish book, this may be the source of the references of Justin Martyr, of Tertullian, and even of Origen. In this case Jerome and Epiplianius(or Hieracas as quoted by the latter) would be our earliest authorities (other than anonymous) for the Christian book. Yet on internal evidence we should place it not much later than the middle of the 2nd cent. ' Elders and pastors ' are the only titles applied to Christian ministers ; prophecy seems spoken of as still in exercise, though failing in influence ; and th«
ISAIAH, ASCENSION OF
ISHBOSHETH
50 1
description of Isaiah's ecstasy suggests that the writer had ^^■itne3sed Christian trances.
The closest literary parallel may perhaps he found in the Testaments of the XII. Vatriarehs, in which the narrative portions at the coraraence- ment of each Testament are directly taken from Jewish books, esp. from the Book of Jubilees, and the remainder, liomiletical and apocalyptical, is the work of a Christian hand.
V. Interest for Biblical Students.— The ehief points of interest are two — (1) tlie concep- tion of the firmament (as the abode of evil spirits), and of the seven heavens ; (2) the use of the name ' the Beloved ' as a Messianic title. If these features could be regarded as directly derived from Jewish sources, without the intervention of the NT writings, they would be important illustra- tions of the language of St. Paul (Eph 1" 6'', 2 Co 12»-«, also Eph 1"). But on tlie whole it is probable that the apostle's language was familiar to the writer, and was regarded by him as giving a kind of sanction to his conceptions, if it did not actually form their starting-pomt.
1. Kor the conception of tiie seven heavens the student may refer to Mr. Charles' introduction to The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, p. .\xx 11". Our author's idea of the seven lieavens ditiers from other descriptions in that he introduces no physical phenomena (as, e.g., ice and .snow, sun and moon, paradise, etc.) by way of differentiating them. Tradition has supplied him with nothing but the bare number of seven, and he distinguishes one from another only by a constantly increasing glory. On the other hand, he is unwilling to place any element of evil in any of the heavens, and hence he introduces tlie firmament as between the earth and the first heaven, so as to find a dwelling-place for the Satanic powers of the air. Perhaps liis own main interest lay in the exposi- tion of the idea that tlie descent of the Beloved escaped the notice of the dwellers in the lower heavens, in the firmament, anil on the earth. This idea was found in SL Paul's language in 1 Co 2" ' the hidden wisdom . . . which none of the rulers of this age knew ; for, if they had known it, they would not have cnicified the Lord of Glory.' ' The rulers of this age ' are the powers of the firmament in our book ; and the title ' tlie Lord of Glory ' also occurs in it. The same tliouglit is found in tlie well-known words of Ignatius {nd Eph. 19) : icol l\a0€ riv ipxoma toC aluvos toi>tou j) wap$evla 'ilaptas Kcd i Tonerbs (C/r^t, iiuUuis Kal i Bdvaroi ToO Kvptov,