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Ap o caly p tic E x p ec tatio n s: Co n d e m n a tio n s o r Ben ed ictio n s ?
Apocalyptic Expectations: Condemnations or Benedictions?
ro
Lea
rn f
sco
m
in
n
Pe
rus
e
h
at Ma
What May We Learn from Perusing Archaeological Discoveries and
W
eries a

W
y
v
g
o
ch
aeol
ical Di
Ar
g
d
Ear l y Apo cal y p ses
Early Apocalypses

James Hamilton Charlesworth, Princeton and Ramat HaSharon
James Hamilton Charlesworth, Princeton and Ramat HaSharon 1 1

καὶ οἱ ἄγγϵλοι τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκοῦσιν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν 2 2
καὶ οἱ ἄγγϵλοι τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκοῦσιν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν

Prologue
Prologue
b
J
rl
y
a
nd of
e
e
nd vibra
Ea
e
d fr
ve
re
is
tastrophic
m
ma
uda
J
c
y
. This
a
nt
xist
ism
uda
ti
s
c
a
wa
e
The end of Early Judaism was catastrophic. This creative and vibrant Judaism existed from maybe
The
om
300 B C E to p e rha ps 70 o r 150 C E. I n the y e a r 70, re be ll ious J e ws c a use d fa mi ne in J e rusa
300 BCE to perhaps 70 or 150 CE. In the year 70, rebellious Jews caused famine in Jerusalem so lem so
son.
ble
that horrors unthinkable exploded; for example, a Jewish mother ate her infant son. The
nka
J
that horr
mot
ors

e
unthi
wish
r infa
r a
mpl
he

te
The
x
a
e
ploded; for

, a
nt
e
x
e
he
insurmountable Roman armies, led by two future emperors, razed the monumental structures and
insurmount a ble R oman a rmie s, led b y two futur e e mper ors, ra z e d the mon umenta l struc tur e s a nd
literary creations that had taken over a thousand years to develop and be established. Beginning
li ter a r y c re a ti ons that ha d take n ov e r a thous a nd y e a rs to de ve lop a nd be e stablis he d. B e g inni n g
a
a
dic
e
about 66, with sporadic eruptions earlier in Galilee, Judea, and the Mediterranean coast, an
oa
lee
a
a
ude
nd th
a
n
rr
spor
, J
a
rlie
e
e
n
M
in
e
r
li
st,
e
a
ruptions
, a
G
a
dit
bout
e
c
66, with
n
b
e
c
eventually all-consuming civil war abolished any prior successes of the Maccabees, Hasmoneans,
ivi
c
y
a
sses
d
suc
e
H
f
ing
a
prior
a
she
c
r
n
a
a
boli
ve
y
e
the
a
ns,

ntuall
wa
c
l
o
e
smon
Ma
-
e
s,
onsum
c
ll
a nd He rodia ns. H e rod’ s horr ific dicta torship a nd fina l insanit y led to host il it ies a round a nd in
and Herodians. Herod’s horrific dictatorship and final insanity led to hostilities around and in
a lm os t a ll c it ies a nd vil la g e s withi n the now mi sna med “ Hol y L a nd.” I n 30, J e sus fr om Na z a re th,
almost all cities and villages within the now misnamed “Holy Land.” In 30, Jesus from Nazareth,
was condemned and crucified outside Jerusalem’s western walls. In 70, the Temple was burned
wa s c ond e mned a nd c ru c ifie d outsi de J e rusa lem’ s we ster n wa ll s. I n 70, t he Te mpl e wa s bu rne d
and the Holy City with it. The earliest Christians suffered, as did virtually all other Jews, from
a nd the Hol y C it y with i t. The e a rlie st C hristi a ns suff e r e d, a s did virtu a ll y a ll oth e r J e ws, fr om
a
a
e
fraternal hatred and fears.
n
.
a
e
nd f
fr
d a
ter
l hatr
rs

w
p
the g
e
e
se
E
re
s
thi
–

300 B
–
And during
to
poc
l
me

a
150 C
And during this catastrophic time – 300 BCE to 150 CE – the great apocalypses were composed.
y
a

ompos
t
hic ti
strop
e
s
a
a
t

E
a
c
r
c
C
d.
These masterpieces would include what has remained: Daniel, 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 4 Ezra, 2
These masterpieces would include what has remained: Daniel, 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch, 3 3

1 1 I offer these reflections to honor Gabiel Barkay (יאקרב לאירבג). The contributions to his Festschrift honor the life,
ef
to
c

k
ts
to
h
f
h
tio
li
io
ar
ib
o
n
t
י
is
er
ay
o
s
e
.
f
רב
s
lect
n
u
o
o
r
h
e
r
r
ese r
n
th
o
th
f
e,
n
אק

)
ג
i
T

iel B
I
לאירב
tr
n
h
Gab
(
f
Fes
co
h
I
m
.
o
ec

r
n
h

o
d
w
n
o
i
h
f
es
a
cu
k
e
v
ad
a
io
n
s

y
b
i
licat
n
a
al
ad
w
s
s
f
o
u
n
o
,
s
io
v
ca
ted
at
p
ed
h
s
d
n
a

n
ex
ir
h
an
m
o
s
d
f
ed
c
lar
excavations, and publications of an admired scholar. I have known him for decades and always noted his focused
dedication to scientific research and the assessment of past lives lived here in Israel. I was moved when I visited him
d ed icatio n to s cie n ti f ic r esear ch a n d th e as s es s m e n t o f p ast li v es liv ed h er e i n I s r ae l. I w as m o v ed w h e n I v is ited h i m
in Ketef Hinnom where he recovered two small silver scroll amulets that preserve the oldest biblical inscription; it is
in Kete f Hin n o m w h er e h e r ec o v er ed t w o s m all s il v er s cr o ll a m u lets t h at p r eser v e t h e o ld est b ib lical in s cr ip tio n ; it is
2
ac
r
en
l
all h
6:
-
o
ec
2
ei
y
it
4
m
B
w
b
o
i Z
o
w
um

rs
w
ed
r
N
ae
be
y
h
iest
ar
e
.
n
t
c
p
I
o
ch
h
is
s
t
g
f from Numbers 6:24-26 and contains the priestly benediction. I recall how with archaeologist Zachi Zweig, Barkay
n
a
o
tain
ictio
r
,
ka
h

g
6
r
l
d
an
Z
estab lis h ed “ th e T e m p le Mo u n t Siftin g P r o j ec t , ” th at w a s f u n d ed b y th e I r Dav id Fo u n d atio n . I t is d ed icate d to
established “the Temple Mount Sifting Project,” that was funded by the Ir David Foundation. It is dedicated to
y t
e
th
e
h
u
le Mo
T
n
o
e
p
b

Wa

m

r
t
m
ical
o
f
a
ti
ad
s
ar
r
o
th
ae

g
ea
lo
o

r
tr
4
0
0
m
lo
ts
f
ac
u
f
ck

h
o
v
o
er
g
m
in
r
recovering archaeological artifacts from 400 truckloads of earth removed from the Temple Mount by the Waqf and
f
ec
qf
v
ed
r
nd
c
ar
e
tu
r
9
o
d
ae
ts
r
o
–

2
I Israeli Islamic Movement during 1996–2001. Moreover, I also wish to honor with this study Robert Deutsch. For
s
9
6
M
nt
er
d
m
s
m
R
la

e
ve
i
n
ic
g 1
b
ur
y
t Deu
li I
0
h
h
.
o

,
eo
th
n
to
er
v
I
i

s
w
r

also

it
w
h
c
0
i
s
h
1
s
M
.
o
Fo
r
o
decades, I have been amazed at his eye for antiquities, his gentleness, and his devotion, even brilliance, in exploring
d ec ad es, I h av e b ee n am az ed at h is e y e f o r an tiq u i ties , h i s g en tle n ess , a n d h is d ev o tio n , ev en b r illi a n ce , in ex p lo r in g
our ancient heritages.
o u r an cien t h er ita g es.
2
.
n
See
2 2 See note 32.
te 3
o
3 3 Florentina Badalanova Geller, a specialist in Slavonic, is convinced (following Sokolov) that the long recension of
a
lo
ce
tin
in
llo
(
f
o
g
Flo
r
w

n
r
en
en
f
s
d
ec
a
,
o
h
s
k
ic,
n
at
o
lo
v
in
ialis
)
t
p
n
Slav
t
ec
Geller
alan
i
o
B
ad
g
e
v
io
is
v
a
n
th
So
o
co
n
2 Enoch antedates the short version, that the astronomic and calendrical knowledge in 2 Enoch is “kindred” to that in
2 E noc h an ted ates th e s h o r t v e r s io n , th at t h e astro n o m ic an d ca len d r ical k n o w led g e i n 2 E n oc h is “ k i n d r ed ” to th at in
the Dead Sea Scrolls (the 364-day calendar). She shows that Slavonic Enoch “shared a common intellectual
th e Dea d Sea Scr o lls ( th e 3 6 4 - d ay ca le n d ar ) . Sh e s h o w s th at S la vo n ic E n o ch “ s h ar e d a co m m o n in te llect u al
ed
iev
l
m
a
ta
men
ts
Th
e
Tes
o
elve
P
a
f th
e
Tw

k
g
r
background” with The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. She thus sees ancient traditions in the late medieval
ba
c
oun
i
t
h
d”

w
tr
t tr
ad
itio
an
cie
n
n
th
e
late
s
i
n
s
s
.
Sh
ia
r
ch
s
s
ee
e
th
u
1