ESDRAS
295
ESDRAS
The three versions were all made directly from a Greek text. This is evidently the case with regard to the Latin (Liicke, Versuch einer voVst. Einkitung, i, 149) and the Ethiopic (Van der Vlis, Disputaiio critica de Ezrce lib. ajjocr. p. ; 5 sq.), and apparently so with regard to the Arabic. A clear trace of a Greek text occurs in the Epistle of Barnabas (c. xii = 2 Ezra v, 5), but the other supposed references in the apostolic fathers are veiy uncertain (e. g. Clem, i, 20; Herm. Past, i, 1, 3, etc.). The next witness to the Greek text is Clement of Alexandria, who expresslj' quotes the book as the work of " the prophet Ezra" (Strom. iii, 16, § 100). A question, however, has been raised whether the Greek text was not itself a translation from the Hebrew (Bretschneider, in Henke's Mus. iii, 478 sq., ap. Liicke I. c.) ; but the arguments from lan- guage, l)y which the hypothesis of a Hebrew (Aramaic) original is supported, are wholly unsatisfactory ; and, in default of direct evidence to the contrary, it must be supposed that the book was composed in Greek. This conclusion is farther strengthened by its internal char- acter, which points to Egypt as the place of its compo- sition.
The idea of a Hebrew original has now been pretty generally given up by scholars, despite the positive assertion of Galatinus (De Aixanis Catholicce Veritatis) that a copy of it was reported to exist among the Jews at Constantinople in his day, and it is commonly be- lieved that it was written in Greek. Although the Greek is lost, j'et there can be no doubt that the Old Latin version, througli which alone this boolv has been known to us till lately, was a translation from that language. This is evident from the fact that it imi- tates the Greek idiom in mailing the adjective in-the comparative degree govern a genitice case., and not, as in Latin, an ablative., and introduces other Grascisms, which are barbarous, in the version (comp. ii, 24 ; v, 13, 26, 39; vi, 25, 31, 46, 57; vii, 5; viii, 7, 8, 38, 44; ix, 14 ; xi, 42). This is, moreover, corroborated by the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, as well as the quota- tion from this book in the fathers (see below, sect, v), which prove the verj' early existence of it in Greek. It is, however, equally certain that many of the things contained in this book are of Palestinian origin, and are still to be found in Hol)rew or Aramaic dispersed through the Talmud and Jlidrashim.
The common Latin text, whicli is followed in the Englisli version, contains two imjjortant interpolations (ch. i, ii ; XV, xvi) which are not found in the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, and are separated from the gen- uine Apocalypse in the best Latin MSS. Both of these passages are evidently of Christian origin : they contain traces of the use of the Christian Scriptures (e. g. i, .'10, 33, 37 ; ii, 13, 26, 45 sq. ; xv, 8, 35 ; xvi, 54), and still more tliey are pervaded by an anti-Jewish spirit. Thus, in the opening chapter, Ezra is com- manded to reprove the people of Israel for their con- tinual rebellions (i, 1-23), in consequence of which God threatens to cast them oft" (i, 24-32), and to " give their houses to a people that shall come." But, in spite of their desertion, God offers once more to receive them (ii, 1-32). The oft"er is rejected (ii, 33), and the hea- then arc called. Then Ezra sees "the Son of God" standing in the midst of a great multitude "wearing crowns and bearing palms in their hands" in token of their victorious confession of the truth. The last two chapters (xv, xvi) are different in character. Thev contain a stern jirophec}'- of the woes which shall come upon Egj'pt, Baliylon, Aria, and Syria, and upon the whole earth, with an exhortation to the chosen to guard their faith in the midst of all the trials with which they shall be visited (^? the Decian persecution; comp. Liicke, p. 186 sq.). Another smaller interpo- lation occurs in the Latin version in vii, 28, whcro Jilius meus Jesus answers to "iify Messiah'^ in the Ethiojiic, and to " 3fg Son 3fess!nh" in the Arabic (comp. Liicke, p. 170, n., sq.). On the other hand, a long passage oc-
1 curs in the Ethiopic and Araliic versions after vii, 85 I which is not found in tlie Latin (Ethiop. c. vi), though j it bears all the marks of genuineness, and was known 1 to Ambrose (Z)e bono mart, x, xi). In this case tlie omission was probably due to dogmatic causes. The chapter contains a strange description of the interme- diate state of souls, and ends witli a peremptory denial of the efficacy of human intercession after death. Vig- ilantius appealed to the passage in support of his views, and called down upon himself by this the severe re- proof of Jerome {Lib. c. Vigil, c. 7). This circum- stance, combined with the Jewish complexion of the narrative, may have led to its rejection in later times (comp. Liicke, p. 155 sq.).
Despite the arbitrary division into chapters in our English version wliich sometimes interrupts a vision in the middle of a sentence, few readers will fail to see the intimate connection and the beautiful adjustment of these angelic revelations, and how ever}' one of them forms an essential part in leading us furtlier and farther till we reach the climax of the apocalypse. It is owing to this remarkable unit}' which the whole work displays that the numerous interpolations made for dogmatic purposes have so easily been detected.