The Origins and Early Development of the Antichrist Myth (Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Fur Die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft) (BEIHEFTE ZUR ZEITSCHRIFT ... KIRCHE) (English and Ancient Greek Edition)

The series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZNW) is one of the oldest and most highly regarded international scholarly book series in the field of New Testament studies. Since 1923 it has been a forum for seminal works focusing on Early Christianity and related fields. The series is grounded in a historical-critical approach and also explores new methodological approaches that advance our understanding of the New Testament and its world. FOREWORD 7 ABSTRACT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 15 LIST OF TABLES 21 ABBREVIATIONS 23 1. THE QUESTION OF THE ANTICHRIST MYTH 29 1.1 The Question of the Origins and Early Development of the Antichrist Myth 29 1.2 Recent Research into the Origins of the Antichrist Myth 31 1.3 The Present Study 52 I. THE ANTICHRIST MYTH IN THE THIRD CENTURY CE 55 2. INTRODUCTION: THE WITNESSES AND THE PERIOD 55 2.1 The Witnesses 55 2.2 The Period 64 2.3 The Method 65 3. USE OF SCRIPTURE TO ELUCIDATE THE MYTH 69 3.1 The Book of Daniel 69 3.2 2 Thessalonians 71 3.3 The Book of Revelation 72 3.4 Other Biblical Passages 73 4. SKETCHES OF THE ANTICHRIST FIGURE 77 4.1 The Antichrist Figure and the Satan Figure 77 4.2 False Teachers and Heretics 88 4.3 The Unparalleled Evil of the Antichrist 92 4.4 The Sinful Pride of the Antichrist 95 4.5 The Antichrist's Claim to Divine Honours 97 4.6 The Sovereignty of God 100 5. THE ACTIVITY OF THE ANTICHRIST FIGURE 105 5.1 The Origins of the Antichrist 105 5.2 The Military Conquests of the Antichrist 109 5.3 The Antichrist's Treatment of the Jews 111 5.4 The Dominion of the Antichrist 114 5.5 The Name of the Antichrist 116 5.6 The Destruction of the Antichrist and his Domain 121 5.7 Ambivalence Towards the Roman Empire in the Antichrist Literature of the Third Century 127 5.8 Summary: The Antichrist Myth in Christian Literature of the Third Century 140 II. ANTECEDENT TRADITIONS TO THE ANTICHRIST MYTH 145 6. INTRODUCTION: THE SEARCH FOR ORIGINS 145 7. DEMONIC POWERS IN EARLY JEWISH WRITINGS 151 7.1 Non-Qumran Literature 152 7.2 Qumran 163 8. ANTIOCHUS IV IN JEWISH TRADITION 181 8.1 The Crisis and the Tyrant 181 8.2 Daniel 183 8.3 The Animal Apocalypse 189 8.4 Jubilees 190 8.5 1 Maccabees 191 8.6 2 Maccabees 192 8.7 The Testament of Moses 192 8.8 Sibylline Oracles 195 9. ASPECTS OF HELLENISTIC JEWISH WRITINGS WITH PARALLELS TO THE LATER ANTICHRIST LITERATURE 197 9.1 False Teachers and Heretics 197 9.2 Lawlessness and the Climax of Evil 200 9.3 The Deceit Motif 201 9.4 The Endtyrant Figure 203 9.5 The Jewish People 211 9.6 Persecution of the Elect 213 9.7 Divine Sovereignty 213 9.8 The Destruction of the Hostile Powers 214 9.9 Ambivalence Towards the Roman Empire 215 III. THE EMERGING ANTICHRIST MYTH 221 10. INTRODUCTION: CONVERGING STRANDS IN JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN LITERATURE PRIOR TO 175 CE 221 11. THE ENDTYRANT TRADITIONS PRIOR TO 70 CE 227 11.1 The Synoptic Gospels 227 11.2 2 Thessalonians 235 11.3 The Book of Revelation 256 12. THE ENDTYRANT TRADITIONS AFTER 70 CE 285 12.1 Sibylline Oracles 285 12.2 The Epistle of Barnabas 296 12.3 4 Ezra 302 12.4 The Apocalypse of Abraham 312 12.5 2 (Syriac Apocalypse of) Baruch 316 12.6 The Odes of Solomon 319 12.7 3 (Greek Apocalypse of) Baruch 322 12.8 The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 325 12.9 Sibylline Oracles 332 13. THE EARLIEST ANTICHRIST TRADITIONS 335 13.1 The Didache 335 13.2 The Testament of Hezekiah 340 13.3 The Johannine Epistles 356 13.4 The Apocalypse of Peter 375 13.5 Polycarp, Epistle to the Philippians 378 13.6 Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 381 14. CONCLUSION: THE ORIGINS OF THE ANTICHRIST MYTH 385 14.1 Points of General Agreement 385 14.2 Matters Still Subject to Debate 387 14.3 The Synthesis Proposed in this Study 390 BIBLIOGRAPHY 395 INDEX 441