CHAPTER XII
THE EZRA APOCALYPSE (2 (4) Esdras) 509
I. The Title of the Book 509
II. Chapters i., ii. 510
III. Chapters xv., xvi. 511
IV. The Component Parts of Chapters iii.-xiv. 512
V. The Vision of the Man Rising from the Sea 515
VI. The Eagle Vision 517
VII. The Salathiel Apocalypse 522
VIII. An Ezra Legend 528
INDEXES—
General 533
Passages from the Old Testament 545
Passages from the Apocrypha 547
Passages from the Pseudepigrapha 552
Passages from the New Testament 552
Passages from Rabbinical Literature 553
Introductory
The book here presented is divided into two parts: the first, which is somewhat longer than the second, deals with preliminary questions; the second is occupied with some account of the nature and contents of the books comprised under the term “Apocrypha.” To those whose studies have not been concerned with early Jewish uncanonical literature it may appear that many of the subjects discussed in Part I are inappropriate, or at any rate unnecessary, because they lead, apparently, far away from the main subject to be dealt with. Students of the Apocrypha will know, however, that a really intelligent and adequate study of this body of ancient literature necessitates research into a number of topics which do not at first sight appear to show a direct connexion with the main subject. Nevertheless, for the benefit of those who have not made a study of the Apocrypha, it may be well to justify at the outset the incursion into the many side-issues dealt with in the “Prolegomena” (Part I) by showing that the consideration of them is really indispensable for a proper understanding of the Apocrypha, its origin, and its _raison d’être_.
Now one of the first things that must strike any intelligent reader of the books of the Apocrypha is the extraordinary variety of their contents. We have in the First Book of Maccabees genuine historical records of the highest value; in the Second Book of Maccabees, on the other hand, we have a mixture of history and fiction. In the First (or Third) Book of Esdras we get portions of the canonical Scriptures side by side with records from other sources; and, strange to say, the latter are probably in some particulars more trustworthy than the corresponding portions in the former. In The Rest of Esther and the Prayer of Manasses we have additions to books of the canonical Scriptures which are edifying, though largely the work of the imagination; while in the additions to the Book of Daniel, namely, The Song of the Three Holy Children, The History of Susannah, and Bel and the Dragon, we have examples of fiction which are not always edifying. Of an entirely different character is the fascinating story of a brave and patriotic woman, told in the Book of Judith, in which the writer’s power of dramatic narrative is well exhibited. Interesting from other points of view is the homely tale told in the Book of Tobit, with its developed angelology and quaint demonology. But what is in many respects the most important book in the whole collection is that fine example of the Palestinian Wisdom Literature, the Wisdom of Ben-Sira (Ecclesiasticus), which, apart from its subject proper, gives us much interesting information regarding the conditions of Jewish life and manners during a period of which we have otherwise but meagre sources of knowledge. Baruch, again, is valuable as containing a liturgical piece of considerable antiquity. Very important, too, and of great interest, is that striking product of Hellenistic-Jewish wisdom, The Wisdom of Solomon, as it is called; this book offers an illustration of the profound influence which the Greek spirit had upon the Jews of the Dispersion. And, lastly, we have what is in some respects one of the finest books belonging to the Apocalyptic Literature ii. (iv.) Esdras, revealing as it does in a wonderful way the moral and religious speculations of an earnest mind seeking after the truth, and claiming to have received revelations by supernatural means. Scripture, history, legend, fiction, at least one liturgical piece, wisdom, philosophy, apocalypse—truly it is an extraordinary variety of subjects which is here presented.
But further; when one looks more closely one sees that in these books various thought-tendencies and mental attitudes are represented—political, intellectual, doctrinal, religious; so that questions arise, and demand consideration, as to who the men were among whom these thought-tendencies existed, what it was that first gave rise to them, what the relation was between those who belonged to the different schools of thought represented, and other questions of a similar character. The intelligent reader will want to know, on the one hand, what is reflected in these books concerning such questions, and, on the other, what light they themselves shed on the history of thought and religion during the period, extending over about three hundred years, at which they were written.
Of a different character, but very much to the point, is the inquiry into the position held by these books in the sacred literature of the Jews. They are not assigned a place in the canonical Hebrew Scriptures, but they are found in the Greek Old Testament, which was the Bible used by the New Testament writers and by the Early Church. Who excluded them from the canonical list, and on what grounds were they excluded? What was their position before the Canon was formed, and when was the Canon formed? What is meant by the title “Apocrypha,” by whom was the title given, and when?
These are some of the many questions which suggest themselves to the serious student of the Apocrypha; and a moment’s thought will show that adequate answers to them are required if the contents of the Apocrypha, and all that they imply, are to be properly understood.
The purpose of the “Prolegomena” is to try and give answers to these and many other questions which arise as soon as the study of this body of ancient Jewish sacred literature is undertaken.
The first chapter deals with the Hellenistic Movement. Some consideration of the way in which the Greek spirit influenced the world in general, from the third century B.C. onwards, is altogether necessary because there was no department of life in which the effects of this influence were not to be discerned. For our present purpose the way in which Hellenism affected religious thought is, of course, an exceedingly important subject for consideration. Now the Hellenistic Movement synchronized with the entire period during which the “Apocryphal” Literature was produced. It commenced as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great, and extended well into the times of the Empire; within that period were written the earliest and the latest of the books of the Apocrypha, viz., The Wisdom of Ben-Sira, about B.C. 170, and The Apocalypse of Ezra, about A.D. 100. The Hellenistic Movement was thus, as it were, the intellectual and religious atmosphere of the world during the whole of the period in which the writers of the books of the Apocrypha lived. No apology is needed, therefore, for beginning our study with a brief consideration of the Hellenistic Movement.
Since, like other great movements, this one was a vital process which affected the whole world, the Jews, as just hinted, came under its sway. We have, therefore, devoted two chapters to Hellenistic influence upon the Jews. The extent and effect of this influence upon the Jews of Palestine was not the same as upon the Jews of the Dispersion, so that this part of our subject has to be dealt with under two heads. In discussing the former we touch upon a factor in the discussion which will come before us again and again as we proceed, namely, the Jews as the people of the Law. We referred just now to various schools of thought of which indications are to be seen in the books of the Apocrypha; the most important of these was that which looked upon the Law and its observances as that which should occupy the thoughts and actions of every true Jew, and to which everything else should be subordinated. It was the championship of the Law which checked, and ultimately stamped out, Hellenistic influence upon the Jews of Palestine, though not until that influence had so permeated their minds that some of its elements became incorporated into orthodox Judaism. As will be seen later, these facts help to explain much that is written in the books of the Apocrypha.
But distinct as the marks were which the influence of Hellenism left upon the Jews of Palestine and upon some of their literature, that influence was far less upon them than upon the Jews of the Dispersion. In dealing with this part of our subject a preliminary section is devoted to some account of the Dispersion, special reference being made to Alexandria, the most important centre of the Dispersion. The most notable and far-reaching result of Hellenistic influence here is to be seen in the fact that it was the birthplace of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament; since it is in this Version of the Scriptures that the books of the Apocrypha were incorporated, it stands to reason that some account of it is necessary. While the Septuagint was the most striking literary product of the Hellenistic Movement in the Dispersion, Philo of Alexandria was its most notable personality; a section devoted to him can, therefore, not be out of place.
It was pointed out above that Hellenistic influence was to be discerned in the sacred literature of the Jews. This is a subject upon which differences of opinion exist, especially in regard to some of the later books of the Old Testament; but it cannot well be ignored in dealing with the books of the Apocrypha, so that in