Ethiopic Apocalypse of Ezra

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Halévy's transcription of the start of the Apocalypse

The Ethiopic Apocalypse of Ezra,

Geʿez (Ethiopic) that circulated among the Beta Israel (Falasha) and foretold the divine destruction of Islam
.

Textual history

The Apocalypse, or at least its second part,[3] appears to be an original composition in Ethiopic.[4][5] As it stands, it is a Jewish text with heavy Christian influences.[6] For example, it calls the Messiah the Word and quotes from the New Testament.[6] Richard Bauckham considers it "a de-christianized version of an originally Christian text",[7] a view shared by Steven Kaplan.[4]

The text begins, "This is what God said to Ezra."

1 Thessalonians.[8]

critical edition.[4]

Synopsis

The Apocalypse has two clear parts. The first is an account of the last judgment and the resurrection of the dead in

Raphael will sound his trumpet and the dead will be raised to judgement. The just will see God's face and the wicked will be dragged by the angel Bernael to the throne of God, who will hand them over to Temlyakos, the angel of Gehenna.[16]

The second part begins with Ezra fasting in the desert until Uriel gives him a drink like fire that reveals to him the future history of the world.[17] This history is presented from creation until the end times, with special emphasis on the Ethiopian kings and the destruction of the Ishmaelites (Muslims) by the Messiah. Since the kings are unnamed and only initials are given, only King Lalibela (r. 1182–1225) is identifiable from reference to his rock-hewn churches.[6]

Under Lalibela, there will be abundance and peace. Under his successor, Ye (perhaps

1 Kings), kill the Ishmaelites and reign for forty years. Then he will go into hiding. Gog and Magog and a certain Guga will rampage and a false messiah, the devil, will reign for three years, six months and three days before God strikes him down to Sheol.[18]

Because of its concern with Muslim rule, Lisbeth Fried calls it "a polemic against the Muslim invasion"

Syriac Apocalypse of Ezra.[11]

Notes

  1. ^ Also spelled Esdras, as in James 1895, p. lxxxviii.
  2. ^ Bauckham 2013, p. 511n. It is called the Falasha Book of Ezra in Stone 1982.
  3. ^ a b Stone 1983, pp. 563–564.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kaplan 1999, p. 116.
  5. ^ Stone 1982, p. 5.
  6. ^ a b c Fried 2014, pp. 113–114.
  7. ^ Bauckham 2008, p. 15n.
  8. ^ a b Fried 2014, p. 114.
  9. ^ Halévy 1902, p. xviii.
  10. ^ Bauckham 2013, p. 511n.
  11. ^ a b c d Fried 2014, p. 113.
  12. ^ Halévy 1902, pp. 57–79.
  13. ^ Halévy 1902, pp. 178–195.
  14. ^ Halévy 1902, pp. xviii–xxii.
  15. ^ James 1895, p. lxxxviii.
  16. ^ Fried 2014, pp. 114–115.
  17. ^ Fried 2014, pp. 115–116.
  18. ^ a b Fried 2014, p. 116.
  19. ^ Fried 2014, p. 117.

Bibliography

  • Bauckham, Richard (2008). The Jewish World Around the New Testament. Mohr Siebeck.
  • Bauckham, Richard (2013). "The Latin Vision of Ezra: A New Translation and Introduction". In Richard Bauckham; James Davila; Alex Panayotov (eds.). Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Vol. 1. William B. Eerdmans. pp. 498–528.
  • Fried, Lisbeth S. (2014). Ezra and the Law in History and Tradition. University of South Carolina Press.
  • Halévy, Joseph (1902). Te'ezaza Sanbat (Commandements du Sabbat). Librairie Émile Bouillon.
  • James, Montague Rhodes
    (1895). "Introduction". The Fourth Book of Ezra. Cambridge University Press.
  • Kaplan, Steven (1999). "The Literature of the Beta Israel (Falasha): A Survey of a Biblical-Hebraic Tradition". Христианский Восток [Xristianskij Vostok]. n.s. 1 (7): 99–123.
  • JSTOR 23957555
    .
  • Stone, Michael E. (1983). "Greek Apocalypse of Ezra (Second to Ninth Century A.D.): A New Translation and Introduction". In James H. Charlesworth (ed.). The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vol. 1, Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments. Doubleday. pp. 561–579.
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