The Seventh Vision {W'^) is given three days after the sixth, under an oak. This is the familiar legend of Ezra's restoring the lost Scriptures. But it begins with a command to keep his present
vision secret (14'-"). A prayer of Ezra follows, in
Lord for rewriting the lost Scriptures (14"-''). Tlie jjrayer
which he beseeches the
for the privilege of
, ; The
is answered, and E together with .^ concludes witli :i The above d..( found in the L;i the chapter <li\ Version has .-il-
current tiaiisluti.Mis nit.. Kimhsh O'/ir I Apocrypha, by C. .1. Hall, and in Wace's Holy Bible, 'Apocrypha,' by Lupton). These four chapters are universally regarded as later addi- tions by a. strongly anti- Jewish Christian author,
ost books
The book
ase.
lid 15. 16,
^^■ basis of
'he Latin
of some
appended respectively to the beginning and end of the Latin Version. The other versions do not contain them. They have been detached and pub- lished together as 5th Esdras by Fritzsche {Lib. Apocr. Vet. Test. 'Liber Esdrii? Quintus,' pp. 640- 653).
Literary qncstinnfi. — The book is a unity, and comparatively free from interpolations and editorial tampering. The author '-- whom problems of theodicy especially
was a devout
had a considerable fascination, broader and more constant qut ^ious sphere with every i;fenerc his own age, and finds no sign o and recog:nition of God in thi accordingly plants
also interested hich recur in the reli- [e naturally looks into hteousness jrces that work there. He world to come. Kabisch has indeed analyzed the work into four different pro- ductions fused together into unity by clumsy redactors (Das Vierte Buck Esra, 1S89), and his theory has been substantially accepted by de Faye, but his observations would lead rather to the composition of the book from pre-existing sources than to the bringing together of independent books of documents by a redactor. The impression of unity is too strong to be destroyed by such considerations as Kabisch allei^es.
'The date of the book cannot be earli.i- Hi.ni the f.-ill of Jeru- salem, as that event is distinctly alhi.t-.l i . i (.- l"'- I'l-). The Temple is destroyed and the service ill ' • A still
later chronological starting-point is ^ death of Titus (ll^^) ; the author i Domitian (12-'- ■■»). It is safe, therefoiv. i,i ,..^l d.y.\n llic j ear 90 as approximately the time of composition.
Editions.— The book exists in Latin, Syriac, Ethiopic, Arabio(2}, and Armenian versions. The original was in Greek. This is made evident by the characteristic differences of the versions. They are all easily accouiitcl i Latin text was first edited < i ii i. Fritzsche (i*. Apocr. V<i. I lishedin Ceriani's Jl/on«*;^ n' ■ ' i , also m
ghotolithographic reprodiii 1 1 n. nn.i'i ni.> in i nmstatio ijro-Peseitto Veteris Tenia,,,,,,!,, n.. (i^ i'-'"^'; . .'yain by E. Bensly, with an introd. by M. K. James (7V.rr< and Studies, Canib. iii. 2, 1896). The Ethiopic was published by Lawrence (1820), the Arabic by Gildemeister (1S77), the Armenian by the Mechitharists in Venice (1806).
rramlatiom.— English: Bissell (Lan.-'<! rv„„ ,„.„.„,.„, isso), Lupton(Wace's'Apocrypha,'1888).-i.. 11" "I \<.li iini- (1883), Ewald (Abhatuil. d. Gbtt. Gesellsch. . " i J -1863),
Zockler(K'.i7/. iTom. 1891). Atranslaii 'i i., made
and published by Hilgenfeld (Jtfeif«'('-s- . /
Literature.— Corrodi, Krit. Gesch . . / - - 1 . vol. i.
pp. 179-230; Gudschmid, 'Die Apor. i! i 1860; Volkmar, Handbuch d. Einh,' i
WieseIer,'DasVierteb. Ezra' inSA', i-:m :■ Bas Vierte B Ezra, 1889; Schiefler, /i- ,-/ i. -i scheii Anschautuigendes IV Ezra Btu-lii >^, utiil ; Glen 1898, pp. 237-246 ; Schurer, GJ V'3 iii. 232 II. [UJT n.
ath of
ek. The
A,.^ pub-
1893;
. 93£f.]
6. The Syplac Baruch. — Baruch is mentioned as Jeremiah's companion and helper during the try- ing days which ended in the destruction of Jeru- salem and the deportations under Jehoiakim and Zedekiah (Jer 32i-- '^ 36. 45). The fact that he wrote under Jeremiah's direction seems to have stimulated the tendency to publish alleged pro- phecies and revelations in his name. The first of these was the book that passed into the group of OT Apoci-ypha. One of Ceriani's many contribu- tions to apocalyptics was the discovery, translation into Latin (1866), and later publication of a Syriac text of a Book of Baruch {Monumenta Sacra, v. 1871, pp. 11-18).
Contents.— The book is divided into two main parts, i.e. the Apocalypse proper (chs. 1-77) and the Letter to the Nine Tribes and a Half (chs. 78-87).
Part I. may again be subdivided into seven sec- tions. (1) The first section (1-12) begins with the announcement of the impending fall of Jerusalem, and the captivity of Judah ; next comes the por- traiture of the advancing Chaldoeans, the hiding of the treasures of the Temple, and the destruction of the walls by angels, so that the Chalda3an3 might not claim the glory of the capture of the city. The next day the city is occupied by the enemy (6-8). Baruch stays amid the ruins of the city, wliile Jeremiah, by Divine command, accom- panies the exiles to Babylon (9-12).— (2) The second section (13-20) contains a vision given to Baruch while standing on Mount Zion. He is assured that the calamity just fallen on the chosen people has
APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE
APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE
been inflicted in mercy (13); he complains that good men are no better tlian others, hut is answered that sui in one who possesses the Law is worthy of being punished (14. 15). He exjiresses other mis- givings which are answered. He is then promised a new revelation (16-20). — (3) The third section (21-34) opens with Baruch's appearance at the end of seven days in the place appointed. Here he exi)resses his thoughts in the form of a prayer (21) ; he is shown that his knowledge is imperfect tliat the time is coming when God's judgment will mature (22-25) ; he mshes to know of the distre e^ of the last days (26), and is given a revelation concerning the order of the times. The tub iH tion wUl come in twelve stages (27) tl e w 1 le earth will be affected, but those in the cl o en land will escape ; the Messiah will appear hr t to bring blessings to the righteous on the eaith (^8 29), and then, as He returns to His gloiy to laise from the dead both the righteous and the un righteous, and consign them respecti\ ely to haj pi ness and perdition (30). Baruch then sumn on the elders of the people, and announces to tl ei i that the ruined Zion shall be rebuilt ai d le tro> e I again, and finally restored in glory to 1 t foi e ei (31-34).— (4) The fourth section (35-46) ^ncs vision which Baruch saw as he slept ai 1 1 tl e i a of the Holy Place. On one side theie 1 1 eaied