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LauraBizzarro

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VI-Enoch Seminar
Gazzada – Milan 2011
The “meaning of history” in the
5th vision of the Book of 4Ezra.
[Our paper will be about the subject that the author of IV Ezra reflected in the fifth
vision (4Ez 11,1-12,51) about the destruction of the Second Temple and how it is
related to Daniel 7 and certain pesharim in the Dead Sea Scrolls. As a historian I will
analyze the apocalyptic problem from a historic-exegetic point of view, with the
intention of finding the link and the background between these two texts. We are
interested in discovering whether there was a unique meaning of history in the
Jewish Apocalypticism or whether this was heterogeneous: varying, filling with new
contents and adjusting to the necessities that each apocalyptic circle had to face and
lived in the analyzed periods to which we will refer to.]
Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina.
Lic. Laura Bizzarro.
Laura
Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina
01/01/2001
2
The “meaning of history” in the 5th vision of the Book of 4Ezra.
Our work will only take into account the fifth vision “the Eagle and the Lion” (11,1-12, 51)
in the book 4Ezra. We are especially interested in the global vision and the interpretation the
author offered about the meaning of history, and how it is related to Daniel 7 and some
pesharim in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The apocalyptic circle this book comes from was closely
related to the tradition of Wisdom that was being developed and filled with contents during
the time of the Second Temple (centuries IV BC.-I AD.). From our analysis we intend to find
out whether the question of the eschaton in the Wisdom was important, because, according
to Gerhad Von Rad´s analysis [only from its consideration, the specific element of the
apocalyptic vision of history can appear: the idea of the unity of history.]1
By means of the hermeneutic method, our analysis of the vision of “the Eagle and the
Lion”, will follow this scheme:
a) The Eagle: Who was it? Whom did it represent? What did it symbolize? What relation
did it have with the Kittim in the Dead Sea Scrolls? And the wings: historically
speaking, whom did they make reference to? And what did they symbolize?
b) The Lion: Whom did it represent? Whom could we identify it with? What was its
specific function? Did its appearance have, as an aim in itself, to fulfill with the
eschaton that will put an end to history?
c) Interpretations, teachings and meaning of history derived from the vision of “the
Eagle and the Lion”.
A) The Eagle and the Wings:
From the reading and analysis of the 5th vision, we are interested in deepening the
interpretations about the “Eagle”, in order to establish its parallels, similarities and
differences with previous studies, aiming specifically at finding out whether from such
interpretations we can establish what the meaning of history was for the apocalyptic circle in
which this passage of 4 Ezra was elaborated.
1
VON RAD, GERHARD. Teología del Antiguo Testamento. Salamanca, Sígueme, 1984. Tomo II, p.398.
3
Analyzing the text, we can see how the Eagle is:
11 5And I looked and behold, the eagle flew with his wings to reign over the earth
and over those who dwell in it. 6And I saw how all things under heaven were
subjected to him, and no one spoke against him, not even one of the creatures that
was on the earth. And I looked, and behold, the eagle rose upon his talons, and
uttered a cry to his wings saying: 8 “Do not alt watch at the same time; let each
sleep in his own place and watch in his turn; 9 but let the heads be reserved for the
Iast.” (…) 15And behold, a voice sounded saying to it: 16 “Hear me, you who have
ruled the earth all this time; I announce this to you before you disappear. 17 After you
no ones shall rule as long as you, or even half as long.” 18Then the third wing raised
itself up, arid held the rule u like the former ones and it also disappeared. 19 And so it
went with all the wings; they wielded power one after another and then were never
seen again. (…) Then I heard a voice saying to me, “Look before you and consider
what you see. 2
When “the eagle” is described going out of the sea, the author´s intention is to complete
and explain the vision of Daniel 7. The seer reaffirms that his explanation would complete
the vision of Daniel of the fourth Beast (v. 12:11).
The figure of the “Eagle”, which Romans are identified with, is related with the
Intertestamentary literature and the Dead Sea Scrolls in the apocalyptic Jewish tradition.
In several pesharim, the Kittim, the main hostile strong nation, are identified with the
Romans. If the author´s intention was to complete the vision of Dan 7, these versicles would
show the first prophetic-apocalyptic descriptions which mention the defeat of the hostile
strong nations by Israel: the vision of the destruction of the Gog and Magog kingdom of
Ezequiel 38,19-21, the description of the wicked king of Daniel 11 and the pesharim of
1QpHabacuc:
Col. III 1 and they will advance over the plain, to destroy and pillage the cities of the
country. 2 For this is what he has said: Hab 1:6 «To take possession of dwellings not
theirs». Hab 1:7 It is dreadful 3 and terrible; his judgment and his exaltation arise
from himself. [Blank] 4 Its interpretation concerns the Kittim, the fear and dread of
whom are on all 5 /the peoples/; all their thoughts are premeditated to do evil, and
with cunning and treachery 6 they behave towards all the nations. Hab 1:8 Their
horses are swifter than panthers; they are keener 7 than wolves at night. [Blank]
Their war-horses paw the ground, galop, from afar 8 they come flying like an eagle,
hastening to eat. Hab 1:9 All of them come to use violence; the breath of 9 their faces
is like the East wind. [Blank] Its inter[pretation] concerns the Kittim, who 10 trample
the land with [their] horse[s] and their animals 11 and come from far off, from the
islands of the sea, to devour all the nations, like an eagle, 12 insatiable. With fury they
are he[ated, and with] burning wrath and livid 13 faces they will speak to all [the
2
STONE, MICHEAL. Fourth Ezra: A Commentary on the Book of Fourth Ezra. Minneapolis, Fortess Press, 1990.
Hermeneia Serie. P. 343-44.
4
nations. Fo]r this is what 14 he has said: Hab 1:9 The brea[th of their faces is like the
East wind. And he gathers] captives [like sa]nd. 15 Its [interpreta]tion […] 16 […] 17 […
Hab 1:10 a At kings].3
Together with the Eagle, the wings, which are part of his body, are described. In 4Ezra
we can identify the different wings with the Roman princeps of the Julius-Claudius dynasty4,
that succeeded in the century I A.D. In the text we find a description in the v. 16, of
Octavian-Augustus, first “princeps” of the dynasty and the most important head of the eagle,
whose ruling was the longest.
On referring to the end of the Claudius Dynasty and the institutional crisis that
followed Nero´s death (68 A.D.), the description of the “smaller wings” (vv.20-29) makes a
reference to the year of the three emperors (Galba, Otho and Vitelius), and it is used to give
a picture of the political-institutional change in Rome, when the emperors began to be
appointed by the Roman legions. Besides, the text says that a second head will appear,
(Vespasianus). Then, the third and the fourth heads are described, that is to say, his
children, as his successors.
The references to the dynasty of the Flavius are clear and become evident in the vv.2833. According to the text, the representatives of the princehood are not wings any more, but
the heads of the eagle, and it is emphasized that the power passes to another “big head”:
Vespasianus (v. 31). Furthermore, the text adds about this head: “the head turned with
those that were with it and it devoured the two little wings which were planning to reign.
Moreover this head gained control of the whole earth, and the wings that had gone before.5
These versicles emphasize that the second head receives the universal power with more
force than the first one: Augustus.
3
GARCÍA MARTÍNEZ, FLORENTINO & TIGCHELAAR, EIBERT J.C., The Dead Sea Scrolls: Study Edition. Leiden-New York,
W.Eerdmans Publishing, 1999. 1QpHab Col III,1-16.
4
The wings are: Iulius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudio, Nero; (the generals Glaba, Otho y Vitelius); and the
hear are c Octavianus-Augustus, Vespasianus, Titus Flavius and Domitian.
5
STONE, MICHEAL. Fourth Ezra, 11:31-32.
5
B) The Lion (11,37-44):
The description of the “creature like a lion”, symbolizes the appearance of the Messiah
that implies the destruction of the Eagle. The text says:
37
And l looked, and behold, a creature like a lion was aroused out of the forest,
roanng; and I heard how he uttered a man’s voice to the eagle, and soked, saying
“Listen and I will speak to you. The Most High says to you. 39 ‘Are you not the one that
remains of the four beasts which I had made to reign in my world, so that the end of
the times might come through them?’
40
You, the fourth that has come, have conquered alt the beasts that have gone
before;
and you have held sway over the world with much terror,
and a over ah the earth with grievous oppression;
and for so long you have dwelt on the earth with deceit.
41
And you have judged the earth but not with truth;
42
for you have afflicted the meek and injured the peaceable;
you have hated those who tell the truth, and have Iowd tiars;
you have destroyed the fortifications of those who brought forth fruit,
and have laid low the walls of those who did you no harm.
43
And so your insolence has come up before the Most High.
and your pride to the Mighty One.
44
And the Most High has Iooked upon his times, and behold they are ended, and his
ages are completed! 6
In our interpretation of the figure of The Lion, it represents the Messiah, whose main
function, according to the text, is to defeat and annihilate the “Eagle”. So this vision put
forward the end of the Roman Empire and the end of history: The total destruction of Rome
and the annihilation of the 4th Beast. The meaning of history would be expressed in the
realization of the eschaton already announced in Dan. 7,23-25 and 11,30-45, whose
prophecy from about the middle of the century II BC., warned about the end of the Seleucid
rulings and the 4th Beast Antiochus IV Epiphanes, whose description is the archetype of the
“wicked king” in the Jewish-Palestinian Apocalypsis.7
6
STONE, MICHEAL. Fourth Ezra, 11:37-44.
See our works in II SIHC: International Symposium about Hellenism-Christianism. Presentation: “Hellenistic
Influences in the Conception of the Wicked King, Daniel 11.2-45”.
Web: http://www.sihc.com.ar/pdf/Bizzarro%20Laura.pdf.
7
6
C) Interpretation, teachings and meaning of history derived from the vision of
“the Eagle and the Lion”:
From the integral analysis of the fifth vision, we found that the meaning of history would be
given in:

The defeat of the hostile strong nations, “Rome/the Eagle”, that implied the
establishment of the messianic Kingdom with a Davidic Monarchy, subject that is
dealt with in the sixth vision: “the Man on the Sea”.

The reconstruction of Jerusalem after the year 70, which appears related to the
vision of the woman who represents Zion (4th vision) and 6th vision .

The association of the Eagle and his wings with the 4 th Beast in Dan 7, 23-25 makes
special reference to their bad performance and government in the 4th reign. The
Eagle are characterized as wicked kings. The heads are defeated by the Lion, who
represents the anointed of God: the Masiaj, as an eschatological figure. He must
perform his specific functions: the trial of the wicked king, the mercy for Israel and
the punishment to the wings and the three heads: governors of the hostile nations (a
similar theory appears in several manuscripts of the Dead Sea Scrolls.). Such topic
was central for the Jewish-Palestinian apocalypticism during the
centuries II BC- I
AD.
From all the conceptions, ideas and contents in the 5th vision of 4Ezra, we think that it
responds to properly Jewish contents, because:

It would follow within the same line of the Jewish apocalyptic traditions more related
to Daniel 7, Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish writings of the end of centuries I B.C. (cf.
SalSl 17 and 18, The Scroll of the War 1QM, 1Q33, 4Q285, Sibylic Oracles III and IV).

The concept of the time is linear, with an absolute end. From our analysis of the 5 th
vision comes forth that history has an end: it begins with the Creation in the book of
Genesis, it receives meanings and contents in the prophetic times to finish with the
development of the apocalypsis. During that long and continuous process, emphasis
is placed on the fact that:

Human history has an end: it finishes. Its terminology means the full
realization of the eschaton.
7

It is different from the Greek-Roman concept of history for which history is
cyclic, determined by gods (Homer, Herodotus, Hesiod and Virgil)8 in which
the man cannot change his destiny.

Prophecies by Prophets are fulfilled, since they announced how the end
would be developed: with the trial and punishment of the hostile nations
carried out by Israel and the coming of the eschatological messianic figure.

The theory of the Oriental propaganda is used again 9. In it the persian-Jewish
prophecy is expressed with respect to the defeat of the West by the East,
which should be fulfilled. Such theory projected a vindication of the oriental
people over Greeks and Romans; especially over the Greeks, who after the
Medic Wars, adding the influence of the Hellenistic culture after the
conquests of Alexander the Great, are present in the Syrian-Palestinian and
Egyptian areas, starting the long process of Hellenization of the Oriental
Mediterrenean, which was highly resisted in several oriental peoples (Ex: The
uprising of the Maccabees and the revolutions of Egypt against the Ptolemaic
Pharaohs).
We notice that there is a change of the prophecy in Dan 7 to the 5th vision in 4Ezra. What
produced it? : The necessity of the apocalyptic circle (to which the author belonged) to
adequate Daniel´s prophecy to the necessities of his entourage so as to explain, update and
complete the vision of the 4th kingdom. The conception of the eschaton is stressed: the end
of history is imminent. In the explanation of the 5 th vision (12, 10-40), when The Lion
annihilates and defeats “The Eagle”, the end of the 4th kingdom is announced. Even if the
prophecy of Dan 7 is post–eventu, it made reference to the Hellenistic kingdom of Antiochus
IV Epiphanes;
in the 4Ezra the Hellenistic kingdom is replaced by the Eagle and the Roman
wings, and the historic events have not been produced yet. Such change of figures and scene
keeps the traditional Jewish scheme of the 4th Kingdom and the defeat of the 4th Beast
intact.
8
CF. mi análisis sobre los pasajes de HESÍODO, “Los Trabajos y los Días”; HERODOTO “Nueve libros de Historia”, en
BIZZARRO, LAURA “La teoría de los Cuatro Imperios como elemento opositor al Helenismo y a Roma”. In Revista
Antíteses, Ahead of Print do vol. 3, n. 5, jan.-jun. de 2010. Descargar de
http://www.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/antiteses/article/view/3493/4917
8
In the Apocalyptic Jewish circles, following the opinion of David Flusser:
“It should be noted that the Jews did not abandon the scheme of four empires,
having Roma as the four and last monarchy; in the Jewish source his concept was
more or less explicitly anti-Roman. The sources learned of course the theory of four
monarchies from Daniel. As they identified the fourth kingdom with Roma, the Greek
empire become third, and Media had to be united with Persia in one kingdom. So a
new anti-Roman list of four empires came to existence, namely: Babylonia, Media,
Greece and Rome, and in this light Daniel was interpreted.” 9
Conclusion:
From the analysis we have made in the 5th vision of 4Ezra, we conclude:

The author of the vision had full knowledge of the events of the Roman history of
centuries I BC -I AD. because through his vision he describes the ruling of the princeps
of the dynasties Julius-Claudian and of the Flavius.

The use of the image he makes of “The Eagle” to describe the fourth kingdom of
Daniel is in agreement with the eschaton of the Jewish-Palestinian apocalyptcism and
it tends to complete the vision of Daniel 7.
This prophet nourishes both on the
canonic texts (Daniel 7 and Ezequiel 38) and on the pesharim of the Dead Sea Scrolls
(the Scroll of the War 1QM, 1Q33, 4Q285); where the Kittim-Romans begin to be
associated to the 4th Beast and in which the idea to defeat the hostiles nations has a
total escatologycal sense.
The statement that comes from the comparison and
analysis of the texts has an aim: to announce the end of history, the arrival of the
Messiah, represented by The Lion and the defeat-annihilation of the hostile nations
“Rome, the eagle and the 4th Beast.

For the author of the vision the end of the history is imminent. He writes with the
hope that this escathon begins in his generation. We can also infer that he wants to
transmit to his contemporaries an idea of hope and political religious justification for
the war of Israel against the hostile nations, typical of the apocalyptic message.
9
FLUSSER, DAVID. “The Four emperies in the Fourth Sibyl an in the book of Daniel”. Israel Oriental Studies 2,
1972, p.157-158.
9
Unlike the prophecy of Dan7 that is post-eventu, the 5th
vision of 4 Ezra is a full
prophecy because it is vincled to all the characteristics of the prophetic announcements of
the OT. It will have to be fulfilled in a not far future. It has not taken place yet. Even if it
informs and retells partial events of the Roman history, it contains all the elements typical of
the apocalyptic Jewish eschatology and we consider that there were not any later chances
from Christians hands referring to the 5th vision.
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