The Dawn of Apocalyptic: The Historical & Sociological Roots of Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology

by Paul D. Hanson

Publisher:

Fortress Press

, 1979

Overview

In challenging both traditional and contemporary notions of the nature and history of the Biblical apocalyptic literature, Professor Hanson begins by saying that the origins of apocalyptic cannot be explained by a method which juxtaposes seventh and second century compositions and then proceeds to account for the features of the latter by reference to its immediate environment. "The apocalyptic literature of the second century and after is the result of a long development reaching back to pre-exilic times and beyond, and not the new baby of second century foreign parents. Not only the sources of origin, but the intrinsic nature of late apocalyptic compositions can be understood only by tracing the centuries-long development through which the apocalptic eschatology developed from prophetic and other even more archaic native roots."

In this ground breaking study, Professor Hanson focuses on one strand which can be seen running through the heart of many of the so-called apocalyptic works, the strand of apocalyptic eschatology. He seeks to demonstrate that the rise of apocalyptic eschatology is neither sudden nor anomalous, but follows the pattern of an unbroken development from preexilic and exilic prophecy.

By means of a detailed analysis of the Hebrew text and a new translation of it into English, Professor Hanson demonstrates why scholars must look again at the apocalyptic eschatology. This contextual-typological approach will call for a reexamination of many opinions about this literature.

Key Features

• Examines apocalyptic eschatology in literature
• Explores the rise of interest in apocalyptic eschatology
• Analyzes Scripture with direct references as it develops its ground breaking study on apocalyptic eschatology

Contents

• The Phenomenon of Apocalyptic in Israel: Its Background and Setting
• Isaiah 56-66 and the Visionary Disciples of Second Isaiah
• The Origins of the Post-Exilic Hierocracy
• Zechariah 9-14 and the Development of the Apocalyptic Eschatology of the Visionaries
• An Allegory and Its Explication

Product Details

• Title: The Dawn of Apocalyptic: The Historical and Sociological Roots of Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology (Revised Edition)
• Author: Paul D. Hanson
• Edition: Revised Edition
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Print Publication Date: 1979
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Pages: 444
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Apocalyptic literature; Bible. O.T. Isaiah 56-66 › Commentaries; Zadokites; Bible. O.T. Zechariah 9-14 › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 0800602854, 0800618092, 9780800602857, 9780800618094
• Resource ID: LLS:DWNPCLYPSCHTLGY
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:26:47Z

About Paul D. Hanson

Paul Hanson has taught at Harvard since 1971, and was Lamont Professor of Divinity until July 2009, when he became Lamont Research Professor. After completing his PhD in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in 1970, he spent a year doing archaeological research in Israel, and he has spent sabbatical years in Israel and Germany and most recently at Princeton. In his courses he focuses on Hebrew prophecy, Jewish literature of the Second Temple Period, the religion of the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt, and biblical theology. He is currently working to complete a book examining the interplay between religion and politics, with emphasis on American faith communities rooted in biblical tradition. The titles of his books give an indication of his range of scholarly interests: The Dawn of Apocalyptic: The Historical and Sociological Roots of Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology; Dynamic Transcendence: The Correlation of Confessional Heritage and Contemporary Experience in a Biblical Model of Divine Activity; The Diversity of Scripture: A Theological Interpretation; Visionaries and Their Apocalypses; Old Testament Apocalyptic; The People Called: The Growth of Community in the Bible; and Isaiah 40-66.