Knowing the End From the Beginning: The Prophetic, Apocalyptic, and their Relationship (The Library of Second Temple Studies, 46)

Knowing the End From the Beginning: The Prophetic, Apocalyptic, and their Relationship (The Library of Second Temple Studies, 46)

Much study has taken place of the prophetic and apocalyptic writings in recent decades, but the relationship between the two has been little explored. A major explicit debate on the question is very much needed and is now provided. This collection of essays addresses the subject from a variety of points of view, including studies on the issues of definitions, ancient Near Eastern "prophecies", social anthropology and modern apocalyptic movements. In the introduction, Lester Grabbe argues that many scholars operate with subconscious assumptions about how apocalyptic writings relate to the prophetic writings, but that many of these assumptions now need to be questioned in the light of the essays in this volume. Such a comprehensive attempt to tackle the main theoretical issues arising from the study of the prophetic and the apocalyptic has not been attempted for some time. This volume brings fresh questions and insights that both specialists and students will want to consider. This collection is a must read for serious students of apocalyptic literature. it does clarify several points of debate and offers the opinions of most of today s finest scholars of apocalyptic literature and its relationship to prophecy. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 67, 2005 Lester L. Grabbe is Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism at the University of Hull. He is founder and convenor of the European Seminar in Historical Methodology. A recent book is Ancient Israel:What Do We Know and How Do We Know it? Robert D. Haak is Professor of Religion, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.