with Dr. Matthias Henze

In recent years, the twin Jewish apocalypses, 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra, both composed during the late first century C.E. in Israel, have attracted a fair amount of attention. In this talk I will discuss the specific status of 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra vis-à-vis the emerging biblical canons. It will be helpful to organize our discussion around three questions. First, I begin by considering the scriptural basis of 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra. Which ancient texts and associated traditions are already considered authoritative in these two apocalypses and exactly how are these base texts used? Next, I wonder about the authoritative status of the two apocalypses themselves. What claims to authority do the authors of 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra make for their own books, and how are these claims made? Finally, I turn to the reception histories of 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra. What can we say about the transmission of 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra, their manuscript traditions, and their status in early Judaism and early Christianity?

The Workshop on Late Antiquity is co-sponsored by the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies and the Department of Religous Studies