The Dawn Of Apocalyptic

Discusses apocalyptic literature by focusing upon the ancient texts in relationship to the social milieu.

Discusses apocalyptic literature by focusing upon the ancient texts in relationship to the social milieu.

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.

2004 Christy Award finalist! From the decks of U.S. Navy carriers patrolling the Mediterranean to Fort Benning, Georgia, and the dusty sands of the Turkish-Syrian border, this new suspense thriller runs side by side with the phenomenal series that has sold more than 50 million copies. New characters and situations are added to those from the already explosive Left Behind series to raise the tension to a fever pitch. With technical accuracy from the same people who create best-selling military thrillers, this new series will satisfy the fans of the original Left Behind series who are looking for more.

What would you do if you were seemingly the last survivor on earth?When everyone around him inexplicably collapses as they go about their day, Mike Proctor is faced with this very question. Driven by a desire to push on in the memory of his wife and daughter, he has a vision. A vision to build a safe haven for the thousands of survivors he hopes are out there, but when they fail to materialise, he must re-evaluate his own existence.As time moves on, a small band of survivors build what they think is a future, but unforeseen events only serve to hinder their progress. One mans obsession threatens to derail their efforts before their journey has really begun, and when disaster strikes, all their lives are at risk.Is it really possible to find something resembling happiness when life as you knew it has crumbled?

Magic, mayhem, and moonshine. Gage came home to the Ozarks to mend fences with the friends he'd left behind. But when a solar storm reconnects Earth to the Fae Nexus, the world is engulfed in magical energy, altering the laws of nature... violently. Fuel, ammunition, and electronics explode, leaving the world in a dark apocalypse. As the flames die down, demons emerge through the Fae Nexus, swarming Gage's hometown and enslaving the survivors. To fight back, Gage and his reunited friends harness Fae powers, becoming the Wizard, Ranger, and Fighter they've always played in their favorite roleplaying game. With the help of a pair of moonshiners turned Alchemists and the ghost of a long-dead gunslinger, Gage and his friends have to level up fast to free their families and defend their home against the demonic horde. He may have walked away once, but this time the only thing Gage is leaving behind are his regrets and a pile of dead demons.

This tightly focused collection of essays, from an invited seminar of international specialists, centres on the question of the apocalyptic worldview around the time of the Maccabean revolt. What was the nature of apocalyptic at this time? Did the Maccabees themselves have a distinct apocalyptic worldview? These questions lead to other, more specific queries: who of the various groups held such a view? Certain of the essays analyse the characteristics of the apocalypses and related literature in this period, and whether the apocalyptic worldview itself gave rise to historical events or, at least, influenced them. The collection begins with two introductory essays. Both the main and short papers have individual responses, and two considered responses by well-known experts address the entire collection. The volume finishes with a concluding chapter by the lead editor that gives a perspective on the main themes and conclusions arising from the papers and discussion.

The year 167 B.C.E. marked the beginning of a period of intense persecution for the people of Judea, as Seleucid emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted -- forcibly and brutally -- to eradicate traditional Jewish religious practices. In Apocalypse against Empire Anathea Portier-Young reconstructs the historical events and key players in this traumatic episode in Jewish history and provides a sophisticated treatment of resistance in early Judaism. Building on a solid contextual foundation, Portier-Young argues that the first Jewish apocalypses emerged as a literature of resistance to Hellenistic imperial rule. In particular, Portier-Young contends, the book of Daniel, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and the Book of Dreams were written to supply an oppressed people with a potent antidote to the destructive propaganda of the empire -- renewing their faith in the God of the covenant and answering state terror with radical visions of hope.