Bibliography
| Title: Essene Polemic in the Apocalypse of John Secondary Title: Legal Texts and Legal Issues. Proceedings of the Second Meeting of the International Organization for Qumran Studies Pages: 453-460 Type: Book Section Year: 1997 Abstract: Fitzmyer, Joseph A. in: OTA 21.2 (1998), 303: "After a survey of problems surrounding the interpretation of the Book of Revelation (authorship, date, meaning) and of the identity of the Qumran community as Essene, G. considers the hints given in Revelation so support this thesis, that "the Apocalypse of John shows influence of Essene thought, including Essene polemic ... John, the author of the Apocalypse, shared much of the Essene worldview and may have been an Essene before he became a Christian."" the hints: John associates himself with prophets, not apostles; Josephus describes Essene prophecy and three individual Essenes as prophets, and Essenes wrote Pesharim on the prophets. O. Böcher has compared 1 QpHab 8:1-3 ("all observers of the Torah ... Because of their faith in the Teacher of Righteousness") with Rev 14:12 ("those who keep the commandments and the faith of Jesus"; cf. Rev 12:17). Compare Rev 2:9; 3:9 ("those who say they are Jews, but are not") with 1QH 2:22 (Essenes against the congregation of Belial). The warlike opposition the Romans in Revelation (Especially 12:10) is similar to the Essene War Scroll, which shows no enthusiasm for war, but looks to God and his angels to obliterate the enemy. The seventh and final blessing in Rev 22:14, in its patristic (=original) form, "Blessed are those who do his commandments", echoes an Essene sentiment of emphasis on Torah observance". |