The "Animal Apocalypse"

Paper Summary:

The "Animal Apocalypse" perfectly fits the definition of apocalypse. This paper explains that it has a narrative framework where angels mediated a revelation to Enoch in his dream. The vision he saw dealt with eschatological salvation in which the author prophesied during this tumultuous historical and social setting. The author used pseudonymity and ex eventu so as to gain credibility for his actual prophecy. He used eschatological and temporal elements common in other texts of this type, specifically persecution, judgment and destruction of the wicked, cosmic transformation, and resurrection.

From the Paper:

"Jewish apocalyptic literature flourished from the second century BCE throughout the late first century CE. Apocalyptic literature can be defined as: A genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial insofar as it involves another, supernatural world, intended for a group in crisis with the purpose of exhortation and/or consolation by means of divine authority. The historical and social setting of the Jewish community triggered religious scholars to produce an abundance of apocalyptic literature. For example, the Animal Apocalypse was one text composed in response to this particular setting. Basically, this text narrated biblical history from Adam and Eve to the Maccabean revolt and then prophesized the imminent end of the world. The major components of this text include the great flood, the exodus, the entrance of Canaan, the building of the temple, the division of kingdoms, the destruction of Jerusalem, the return from exile, the Hellenistic period, and the Maccabean revolt. This text used certain literary techniques, such as pseudonymity and ex eventu, in order to present the temporal and eschatological elements found in most apocalypses: persecution, judgment and destruction of the wicked, cosmic transformation, and resurrection."

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