The Seventh Vision of Daniel A new translation and introduction

The Seventh Vision of Daniel A new translation and introduction by Sergio La Porta The Seventh Vision of Daniel (henceforth, 7Dan) is a lengthy vision composed in the late fifth century which predicts the destruction of the Roman Empire, the coming of the Antichrist, and the end of the world. The work is preserved only in Armenian and is known from five manuscripts. Although the work was originally written in Greek, the title was attached to the text in its Armenian version. As the biblical book of Daniel frequently appears divided into six visions in Armenian Bibles, this extra-biblical vision was considered the seventh.1 The early date of the original composition of this text renders it important for our understanding of the development of the Daniel apocalyptica.2 Contents3 7Dan begins with a brief account of the circumstances of Daniel’s vision. It asserts that three years after all the other visions had been granted to Daniel, the Lord sent the angel Gabriel to reveal the following vision to Daniel. The initial vision foretells disasters that will befall various cities and provinces in the eastern Empire as well as Rome. Following this prophecy, the text presents an overview of Byzantine history from the city’s founding up until the reign of Zeno. Although the identity of many of the emperors and a number of the enigmatic historical references have been deciphered, many allusions remain obscure. The author explicitly mentions the Emperors Theodosius II and Marcian, and refers to Theodosius I through a pun on his name. The author depicts the reign of Theodosius II as a time of prosperity for the Empire, but that the first problems will originate at this time. The ‘groanings’ mentioned are a likely reference to the beginnings of the Christological controversies, to which the author refers more explicitly during the reign of Marcian. From his comments, it is clear that the author of 7Dan was a supporter of the decision at Chalcedon. The historical narrative is presented in greater detail beginning with the reign of Leo I to whom the text refers as ‘the beast’. Leo I himself is praised as a strong ruler, but the text predicts that many catastrophes will befall Byzantium during his reign. The author describes the wars between both parts of the Empire and the Goths and Huns in allegorical terms of beasts, dogs, pups, lions, and dragons. He may refer to Gaiseric’s attack on Rome in 455 and his defeat of Imperial forces in 468. The author devotes much time to the 1. Kalemkiar, “Die siebente Vision,” 111; Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 289; DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 101 and citations in n. 48. 2. On the term, ‘apocalyptica’, see DiTommaso, “The Early Christian Daniel Apocalyptica.” 3. See also the summary in DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 102-3. 410 The Seventh Vision of Daniel intrigues of Aspar the Alan, Leo I’s magister militum, and Leo I’s eventual defeat of this powerful personage. While relating these events, the author also first introduces the reader to Zeno and Basiliscus. The focus of the text then turns to the rise of Zeno and his accession to the throne. Subsequently, the text details the revolts of Basiliscus and Illus that the Emperor Zeno faced during his reign. At this point, the author shifts from history to prophecy and predicts what will happen to the Empire before the arrival of the Antichrist. The text evokes natural disasters and the breakdown of society, but then returns to the historical figures of Verina and Zeno. The author, however, incorrectly predicts Zeno’s murder at the hands of a certain Plakitas. Following the death of Zeno, there will be a time of great violence and warfare during the reign of the fictional ruler Orloghios who should be identified with the king Olibos in the Oracle of Baalbek.4 7Dan specifically mentions the destruction of Bithynia and Nicomedia during this period preceding the coming of the Antichrist, suggesting that this may have been the locus of the text’s original composition.5 The author then briefly describes the return of an Arian emperor or of an emperor named Arianos during whose reign Constantinople will mourn for itself. After the Arian Emperor, the Empire will be beset by violence and the uprisings of barbarians. Constantinople will be spared this violence, but it will suffer from a war that was allotted for it alone and a fiery column will appear stretching from heaven to earth. These events will introduce the coming of the Antichrist, whose physiognomy and character are described in detail. In particular, the author stresses that the Antichrist will imitate the actions of Christ himself, although in an illusory fashion. He will deceive many who will suffer from a devastating famine. They will try to flee but will be unable. God’s chosen, however, who have been hiding in the hills and in caves will be able to flee. Nevertheless, the end will come only after the righteous suffer torments and the seven-hilled city be destroyed. To describe the aftermath of the destruction, the author evokes the image of a woman looking for fruit and embracing an olive-tree as found in the Tiburtine Sibyl. The final paragraph of the vision provides a description of the destruction of the world and the last judgment. This portion of the text is finely constructed around a series of biblical quotes and allusions. It concludes with a short intercessory prayer that will be spoken by the righteous and is inspired by the Lord’s prayer and the Prayer of Manasseh. Manuscripts and Versions The Armenian version of 7Dan is preserved in five known manuscripts. Three manuscripts were used by G. Kalemkiar for his editio princeps and German translation of the text. These are:6 • A. Lambeth Archiepiscopal Library, London, cod. arm. 1209. This manuscript is an Old Testament, written on paper by a priest Yovhannēs (John). Kalemkiar dates the 4. Cf. Paul Alexander’s comments on the name, Oracle of Baalbek, 112 n. 50. The Oracle of Baalbek is translated in the current volume by Rieuwerd Buitenwerf under the title the Tiburtine Sibyl and the latter name for the document is used here from this point on. 5. See also DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 107. 6. The manuscript denotations are those of Kalemkiar, “Die siebente Vision,” 112-13. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” based his French translation of 7Dan on Kalemkiar’s edition. 411 The Seventh Vision of Daniel • • • • • manuscript to the twelfth century.7 7Dan appears between 2 Esdras and Jeremiah. Kalemkiar judged this manuscript to preserve the best text-form of the vision. B. Vienna Mxit‘arist Library, cod. 39. The manuscript is written on paper and was copied by the priest Margarē in 1337 for his brother, Lazar. The manuscript contains: 1. Proverbs; 2. Ecclesiastes; 3. Song of Songs; 4. Wisdom; 5. Job; 6. Twelve prophets; 7. Daniel, which is divided into 6 visions followed by 7Dan, entitled, The Seventh Vision of Daniel about the end of the world. C. Vienna Mxit‘arist Library, cod. 14. This manuscript is a Bible with miniatures written by Yovhannēs, bishop of Ani, in 1375 for the Archbishop Manuel. The book of Daniel is divided into six visions, although the attribution to the fifth vision is not given. At the end of the book of Daniel is written, ‘End of the prophecy of Daniel’; it is immediately followed by 7Dan bearing the ascription, ‘Again, a vision on the end of the world’. In addition to these three manuscripts, S. Yovsēp‘eanc‘ published an additional two manuscripts in 1896.8 These manuscripts have been identified with codices 1635 [D] and 935 [E] of the Venice Mxit‘arist Library.9 D was dated to the fifteenth century by Yovsēp‘eanc‘ based on paleographic evidence. According to Yovsēp‘eanc‘, this text is a copy of that found in the Bible housed at Lambeth Palace [A]. The text of D is damaged in parts. In the notes to the translation, I have placed the corresponding material missing in D in square brackets. E was included in a Bible dated to 1341. It nearly always agrees with BC, particularly with C. Yovsēp‘eanc‘ has proposed emendations of the text of E in places; these have been noted. J. Issaverdens based his English translation of 7Dan on the versions published by Yovsēp‘eanc‘; he relied primarily on the text of D, but he also took the variants of E into account.10 I have investigated several other manuscripts that contain works attributed to Daniel in the National Institute of Ancient Manuscripts (Matenadaran) in Erevan, Armenia, but did not find any further copies of the text. The original language of 7Dan was unquestionably Greek.11 This can be demonstrated on both contextual as well as linguistic grounds. The concerns of the text all revolve around the Roman Empire and, particularly, Constantinople and its environs; neither Armenia nor Armenians have any role in the text. The Armenian version contains at least one scribal error that could only occur at the Greek level of transmission;12 two calques on 7. Kalemkiar mistakenly notes that the famous Armenian scholar, Yovhannēs Imastasēr Sarkawag (Deacon), mentioned by the copyist in the forward to the Psalms lived in the thirteenth century; Yovhannēs died in 1129. 8. Yovsēp‘eanc‘, Uncanonical Books, 237-50, 387-99. 9. Sargisean, Studies, 134-35. See also, Issaverdens, The Uncanonical Writings, 235; DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 101-102. I have assigned the designations D and E to these manuscripts. 10. Issaverdens, Uncanonical Writings, 249-65. 11. This judgment is also shared by, amongst others, Kalemkiar, “Die siebente Vision,” 113-14; Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 290; Brandes, “Apokalyptische Literatur,” 308; DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 101. 12. The appearance of Carthage in the list of cities and provinces strikes one as odd as does its association with the Persians in 7Dan 15; however, Paul Alexander has observed that Carthage and Chalcedon were often confused in Greek manuscripts (p. 112 n. 48). He further remarks that in later texts, Chalcedon 412 The Seventh Vision of Daniel Greek terms;13 and a pun on the name of the Emperor Theodosius that is impossible in Armenian in 7Dan 22. We may observe that exact textual parallels with the Tiburtine Sibyl also exist.14 These are significant, as no known Armenian version of this text exists and so the shared material must derive from a Greek textual milieu. Genre, Structure, and Prosody The overall genre of 7Dan conforms to that of an historical apocalypse that contains an ex eventu prophecy without an otherworldly journey and without personal eschatology.15 The author, however, employs several other genres within the composition of the text. We may note the introductory paragraph or preamble that calls the prophet to his vision. This invocation of Daniel to his vision by the angel Gabriel is shared in a number of other texts; the closest parallel is the opening of the Slavonic version of The Vision and Revelation of the Prophet Daniel.16 It is clear that the prophecy of the cities and provinces 7Dan 2-17 comprises a discrete unit. This list of prophetic disasters of cities resembles those that occur in the Sibylline Oracles.17 It is possible that a similar block of material had circulated independently prior to the composition of 7Dan which the author of 7Dan reworked within his text. The original oracular material may have included prophecies concerning the subjugation of the East by Rome and the subsequent transfer of its wealth to the West.18 It is uncertain whether the preamble that includes the attribution to Daniel was originally part of this oracular material or whether the author of 7Dan added it; the latter is more probable. Within the ‘historical narrative’ 7Dan 18-28, we can identify two general motifs: the first is the rise of horns and scepters, prominent in 18-26; the second, the wars of the beasts in 26-28. The portrayal of the historical tribulations of the Byzantine Empire in terms of a succession of scepters followed by series of battles between dogs, beasts, pups, lions, dragons, etc. is common to the Daniel apocalyptica. We may note that while the scepters return within the eschatological portion of the text—in 29-31 and 36-37—the beasts do not. was considered the limit of Assyria. Thus, it is likely that ‘Carthage’ in 7Dan should be taken as Chalcedon, a confusion that could only have occurred in Greek; also noted by Pertusi, Fine di Bisanzio, 62-63 n. 183. We may further note that if we understand Carthage as Chalcedon, then all the cities and provinces mentioned in the list with the exception of Rome belong in the Eastern Empire. 13. These are: 1) ‘seven-hilled’ (e.g., 3:1, 8:1, 18:1, etc), eawt‘nblur, a calque on Gk. heptalophos. The New Dictionary of the Armenian Language does not have an entry for the word. The first recorded instance of its occurrence in Armenian is in a work by Aṙak‘el Bałišec‘i (c.1380-1454), Middle Armenian Dictionary, 1:205. The designation, however, appears in Sibylline Oracles 2 and 13 as well as in nearly all of the Byzantine Daniel apocalyptica; cf. the remark of DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 169 n. 337. 2) ‘having many seats’, ‘polyhedrous’ (17:4), bazmanist; a hapax in Arm., but cf. Gk. polyedros. 14. These have been noted in the footnotes to the translation; see, in particular, 7Dan 38. 15. See Collins, “Introduction: Towards the Morphology of a Genre,” 14. 16. In addition to biblical Dan 8:16, Gabriel addresses the prophet in the Slavonic version of The Vision of the Prophet Daniel on the Emperors and The Vision of Daniel by the River Kebar (Heb.). The angel Gabriel also plays a minor interpretative role in The Apocalypse of Daniel on the Events after al-Mu‘tamid (Arabic), Cook, “An Early Muslim Daniel Apocalypse,” 88-91; see also DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 171. 17. For example, 3.162-95, 295-349, 401-88; 4.130-51; 5.52-92, 111-36, 286-327, 333-60; 7.40-63, 96-117; cf. also the remarks of Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 291 n. 2. 18. In the Sibylline Oracles, Rome is often depicted as having taken the East’s wealth which it will have to repay two-fold in the future; see, for example, 4.145-48 and 8.126-30. The prophecy in 7Dan 3 refers in a general sense to the conquest of Asia by Rome, here, seven-hilled Babylon; 7Dan 6 speaks of the many people who will flee Galatia to Rome; 7Dan 7 apparently alludes to the capture of Karpathos by the Romans in 42 B.C.E. 413 The Seventh Vision of Daniel In 7Dan 28, 30, 32, 35, and particularly in 37, the author interweaves a series of ‘woes’. In 37, we may also detect the motif of the ‘description of the Antichrist’. The final paragraph includes an intercessory prayer modeled on the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 and, possibly, the Prayer of Manasseh. The author of 7Dan has often connected these different textual forms with transitional paragraphs or sentences using the technique of interlocking. The invocation flows naturally into the prophecy of the cities (7Dan 2); the motif of horns and scepters also fairly seamlessly transforms into the struggle between the beasts in (26). Similarly, the transition from ‘historical narrative’ to eschatological prediction (29) is well constructed. Although these two paragraphs seemingly break up the narrative of the historical account, they cleverly add greater ‘authenticity’ to the following prophecy. By inserting the prophetic material in this paragraph about the destruction of civil society between the ‘historical’ account of Zeno’s reign and the semi-historical/semi-prophetic prediction of his assassination at the hands of a certain Plakitas, the author of 7Dan has fused history with prophecy. The reader may have felt certain at the beginning of 29 that he or she had entered the realm of prophecy, but the return of the historical figures of ‘the widow’ and the ‘Salamander’ in 30 clearly disrupt that sense and leave one wondering whether this paragraph is prophecy or history. Date and Provenance Scholars have dated 7Dan anywhere from the fifth to the seventh centuries. Macler19 and DiTommaso20 proposed a fifth century date of composition. Alexander suggested ‘about 500AD’ without providing his reasons;21 he was followed by Brandes.22 Kalemkiar23 thought he could detect references to the reign of Heraclius and dated both the text and translation to the middle of the seventh century.24 Zahn had already doubted this hypothesis, but also dated the text to the seventh century.25 Bousset noted that “the history of Leo I, of Zeno and of the usurper Basiliscus is still clearly related,” and acknowledged Zahn’s hesitations about Kalemkiar’s proposition, but still concluded that “the author of the Armenian Apocalypse of Daniel probably expected the end to come in the time of Heraclius.”26 The original composition of 7Dan is almost certainly to be dated to the reign of Zeno.27 The figure of the Salamander who slays the dragon is to be identified with Zeno who defeated his mother-in-law’s brother, the general Basiliscus.28 The author predicts (7Dan 30) that the Salamander will face a revolt and will unsuccessfully try to flee. Zeno had faced several revolts during his reign and had fled for a time, thus such a prediction was not completely baseless. The author notes that Salamander will then be killed by a certain 19. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 289. 20. DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 103. 21. Alexander, “Medieval Apocalypses,” 1002. 22. Brandes, “Apocalyptische Literatur,” 310. 23. Kalemkiar, “Die siebente Vision,” 113-14. 24. Denis, Introduction, 312, cites both the opinion of Kalemkiar and Macler. 25. Zahn, “Paralipomena 4,” 115-18. 26. Bousset, The Antichrist Legend, 68 and 78. 27. Although there is a possible reference to the Islamic invasions of the seventh century in 7Dan 22, this should be considered a later interpolation. Cf. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 296 n. 1. 28. As witnessed in texts such as the Physiologus, salamanders were the legendary destroyers of basilisks and, hence, an appropriate designation for the Emperor. 414 The Seventh Vision of Daniel Plakitas. As Zeno was not assassinated, this fact must be considered the author’s own prophetic claim. This mistaken prophecy about Zeno’s assassination provides a terminus ante quem of 491, the year of his death. The terminus post quem may be established from the events noted in the reign of Zeno as between 484 and 488. The author refers to the defeat of Basiliscus which occurred in 477; he also alludes to the fall of the ‘youth’ that helped Zeno/Salamander achieve victory and the death of the ‘widow’. The ‘widow’ is to be identified with Verina, Zeno’s motherin-law who died in 484. The ‘youth’ is likely to be identified with the general Illus who defected to Zeno’s party. Illus himself, however, revolted in 483 or 484 and was finally defeated by Zeno and executed in 488. The prophecy is not specific to the youth’s defeat and it is possible that the final blow to the revolt had not yet been dealt. 7Dan was therefore composed in the last years of Zeno’s reign between 484 or 488 and 491. The text was composed in the Eastern Empire and possibly in Nicomedia or Bithynia more generally. The author was Christian as was his intended audience; and, as noted above, he was also a supporter of the Council of Chalcedon. The date of the translation into Armenian is much more difficult to surmise. The manuscript evidence is not helpful as all the witnesses are rather late. Likewise, citations or references to the text are also late; at present, our earliest reference to the text in Armenian occurs in Mxit‘ar Ayrivanec‘i’s list of apocryphal books (ca. 1285).29 Our primary evidence for dating the translation, then, rests on an analysis of the language. Kalemkiar had posited a seventh-century date for the translation, but he did not give his reasons for such a dating. As he had also dated the original composition to the seventh century, he seems to have attributed a roughly contemporaneous date to the translation. If we accept the late fifth century as the date of the original composition, there is nothing to exclude a sixth century date for the translation. While the language of the translation is often obscure and may not attain to the standard of the ‘Golden Age’ of Armenian composition and translation in the fifth century, there are also no certain indicators that would definitely suggest a much later date. A style of translation known as the Hellenizing style or school flourished in Armenia between approximately between 570 and 730 that aimed at achieving greater precision than their predecessors in the reproduction of Greek vocabulary and syntax.30 Despite the presence of calques and the awkward syntax of 7Dan, the translation does not reflect translation techniques consistent with those found among the translations of the Hellenizing style. Obviously, it does not necessarily follow that the text was translated prior to the development of the style—the translation may have been executed by someone not associated or unfamiliar with the development. Nevertheless, the conspicuous lack of influence of the Hellenizing style does lend some support to the speculation that the translation was completed earlier rather than later. It may be suggested that the translation occurred during 29. Zahn, “Paralipomena 4,” 115-16. The list was more recently published and discussed by M. Stone, “Armenian Canon Lists III”. Although Stone has demonstrated that the list itself is based on non-Armenian sources—most probably Greek—he suggests that the inclusion of 7Dan, cited according to that title, may imply that the text was known to the compiler in its Armenian version (p. 292). 7Dan was not included, however, in the earlier list compiled by Yovhannēs Imastasēr Sarkawag (d. 1129), published by Stone in the same article, 293-95. 30. See Terian, “The Hellenizing School”. 415 The Seventh Vision of Daniel the reign of Justinian (527-565); a period when apocalyptic expectations and speculation were particularly acute.31 We may further observe that the translator was able to identify the biblical allusions in the text. He usually has not rendered these literally, but has employed the corresponding Armenian version. This suggests that the translator recognized the biblical allusion in Greek and was aware of how it was translated into Armenian. The translator’s knowledge of the Greek Bible may allow us to suggest tentatively that he may have been an Armenian who resided in the Byzantine Empire (possibly in the environs of Constantinople) and was learned in both versions of the Bible. The translation would have been executed for other Armenians living within the borders of the Empire. This would also help explain why the text is unattested in Armenian sources until the Middle Ages. It is uncertain whether the translation was executed by and for Chalcedonian or non-Chalcedonian Armenians;32 however, if the translation was executed during the reign of Justinian, who reversed the tolerant policy of the Emperors Zeno and Anastasius towards non-Chalcedonians, a text that predicted the end of the Empire may have been welcome among a non-Chalcedonian community.33 I have already noted that in 7Dan 22 there occurs a possible reference to the Islamic invasions of Byzantium in the seventh century. It is very likely that this remark represents an interpolation, as it disrupts the flow of the narrative. The question remains, however, at what point this insertion was made. On the one hand, if this material was already present in the Greek Vorlage of the Armenian version or if it was inserted by the Armenian translator himself, then the translation could only have been executed in the middle of the seventh century at the earliest. On the other hand, if it was inserted by an Armenian scribe who copied the text, it is possible that the scribe ‘updated’ the prophecy in order to take the Islamic invasions into account. This would support a sixth-century date for the translation. In sum, a sixth-century date of translation would not be inconsistent with the evidence but, for the moment, this solution must remain speculative. Literary Context Sources, Inspirations, and Closely Related Texts Although it is difficult to detect many of the likely sources that the author of 7Dan drew upon, it is clear that the Bible and sibylline oracular literature constitute two of the most important. The impact of Scripture on 7Dan is especially felt in the introductory and eschatological portions of the text. Particularly prominent are allusions to the biblical books of Daniel, the ‘Synoptic Apocalypse’ (Mt 24:1-36; Mk 13; Lk 21:5-36), and the Book of Revelation; echoes of Isaiah, Joel, and the Psalms are also found. As noted, the final paragraph closes with an intercessory prayer modeled on the Lord’s prayer in Mt 6:13 and possibly on the Prayer of Manasseh. The Woe form used throughout the work, too, ultimately reflects the 31. See, for example, Magdalino, “The history of the future”. 32. While the activity of Chalcedonian Armenians in the Byzantine Empire has been well documented (cf. Garitte, Narratio), that of Armenian non-Chalcedonian communities residing in Byzantine territory has been the focus of less scholarly attention. There is evidence, however, that Greek texts purged of their Chalcedonian elements were available to Armenians who traveled to Byzantium at the beginning of the eighth century; see La Porta, The Armenian Scholia, 134. 33. This, of course, assumes that the translator did not recognize the positive references to the Council of Chalcedon. 416 The Seventh Vision of Daniel prophetic books, although the author of 7Dan may have been influenced by other oracular or prophetic literature that also employ this form. 7Dan shares the greatest textual affinity with the Tiburtine Sibyl. The two texts share not only topoi, but also identical phrases and depictions; these have been identified in the notes to the translation. We may observe that all of these examples derive from those sections of the text that Alexander has designated as belonging to the fourth-century ‘Theodosian Sibyl’, and not to those that he ascribes to the sixth-century composer of the Tiburtine Sibyl.34 It therefore does not seem imprudent to conclude that the author of 7Dan was aware of some form of the ‘Theodosian Sibyl’. As noted, the influence of the Sibylline Oracles—or of an oracular text similar in nature to them—is felt in a general manner in the ‘prophecies of the cities’ section of the text. It is possible that 7Dan 2-17 preserves an independent oracle on the destruction of these cities and provinces. The use of the term ‘seven-hilled’ may witness the influence of the Sibylline material, as may the description of Rome’s becoming a ‘three-street town’ (17). Influence on Later Texts If a fifth-century date of composition is accepted for 7Dan, then it is one of the oldest, and possibly the oldest, Byzantine apocalypse ascribed to Daniel.35 It has long been recognized that some of the topoi and motifs in 7Dan appear in the later Daniel apocalyptica.36 Given the early date of 7Dan, it is likely that this text played an instrumental role in creating an associational complex37 between these topoi and the figure of Daniel. Among these later texts, 7Dan shares the greatest affinity with the Vision and Revelation of the Prophet Daniel. The author of the latter possibly abridged the prophecies of the destruction of the cities and provinces found at the beginning of 7Dan.38 That said, several later motifs present in the Daniel apocalyptica are completely absent from 7Dan. 7Dan makes no mention of the coming of the Blond Race, of Gog and Magog, of the barbarian nations enclosed in the north, or of Enoch and Elijah; nor does the author 34. The one exception is the reference to Rome’s being a ‘three street town’. The similar though not identical description of Rome’s become ‘a (mere) street’ occurs in l.105 which Alexander ascribes to the later stage of redaction. However, as noted, the expression—which is a pun in Greek—is already present in the Sibylline Oracles; it is likely that both the author of 7Dan and the redactor of the Tiburtine Sibyl employed the expression independently of each other’s work and possibly under the influence of the Sibylline Oracles. 35. DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 99-100, based partially on an analysis by Schmoldt, has tentatively assigned early dates to two of the Daniel apocalyptica, The Vision of Daniel on the Island of Cyprus (fourth cent.) and The Vision of Daniel on the Blond Race (fifth cent.). However, as DiTommaso admits, both these texts could be much later and the evidence for their dating is poor; both texts merit further study. 36. Many correspondences have also been treated in the works of Alexander, Byzantine Apocalyptic; Pertusi, Fine di Bisanzio; and Berger, Daniel-Diegese. The relationship between these texts is complex. Older scholarship tended to posit a common tradition or Urtext that rested behind the shared material; see, for example, Zahn, “Paralipomena 4.,” 120; Bousset, Antichrist Legend, 66-72; Denis, Introduction, 312. More recent scholarship has questioned this approach; see, K. Berger, Die Griechische Daniel-Diegese, 1-2; Henze, The Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel, 7; DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 224-30. 37. I borrow the phrase ‘associational complex’ from Stone, Features of the Eschatolgy of IV Ezra. This is particularly so for those elements which occur in 7Dan but are not present in the Apocalypse of Ps.Methodius. 38. See the Italian translation by E. Falco of the Slavonic version of this text with Pertusi’s comments in Pertusi, Fine di Bisanzio, 81-90. Cf. the remarks of DiTommaso, The Book of Daniel, 142. It is possible that the author of the Vision and Revelation knew another form of this oracular material. 417 The Seventh Vision of Daniel designate a special role to ‘the last Roman Emperor’. Many of these motifs may be traced back to the Apocalypse of Ps.-Methodius, with which 7Dan shares very little common material.39 This is not surprising given that the narrative and the purpose of the two texts differ markedly. It is noteworthy, however, given the incredible impact the Apocalypse of Ps.-Methodius had on subsequent Daniel apocalyptica. 7Dan’s independence from the Apocalypse of Ps.-Methodius further lends support, albeit e silentio, to an early date for 7Dan. 7Dan did not exert a significant influence in Armenian tradition. Mxit‘ar of Ayrivank‘, although he cited the text in his list of apocryphal books, did not include it in his compilation of biblical texts which contains a number of other apocryphal works.40 As of yet, no earlier reference to 7Dan has been identified in Armenian literature. Further research may yet yield a greater awareness of this text in medieval Armenian literature. This Translation The English translation presented below is based on Kalemkiar’s edition unless otherwise noted. None of the published editions of the text provide chapter, paragraph, or verse numbers. The paragraph numbers adopted for this translation are those used by Macler in his French translation. I have added the more general section titles as well as the versification. While I have striven to render my translation as readable as possible, I have also tried to provide some sense of the Armenian version of the text. I have indicated those instances in which I have diverged noticeably from a literal translation. Bibiliography Alexander, Paul. The Oracle of Baalbek: The Tiburtine Sibyl in Greek Dress. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, 1967. __________. “Medieval Apocalypses as Historical Sources,” American Historical Review 73 (1968): 997-1018. __________. The Byzantine Apocalyptic Tradition. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985. Berger, K. Die Griechische Daniel-Diegese. Eine Altkirchliche Apokalypse. Leiden: Brill, 1976. Bousset, W. The Antichrist Legend. A Chapter in Jewish and Christian Folklore. Tr. A. H. Keane. London: Hutchinson, 1896. Brandes, W. “Die apokalyptische Literatur.” Pages 304-22 in Quellen zur Geschichte des frühen Byzanz (4.-9. Jahrhundert). Bestand und Probleme. Edited by F. Winkelmann and W. Brandes. Berliner byzantinistiche Arbeiten 55. Amsterdam: Gieben, 1990. Collins, J. J. “Introduction: Towards the Morphology of a Genre.” Semeia 14 (1979): 1-20. Cook, D. “An Early Muslim Daniel Apocalypse.” Arabica 49 (2002): 53-96. Cox, C. “The ‘Songs of Zion’ in Armenian.” In The Armenians in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Edited by M. Stone and R. Ervine. Hebrew University Armenian Studies 4. Leuven: Peeters, 2002. Denis, A.-M. Introduction aux pseudépigraphes grecs d’Ancien Testament. Leiden: Brill, 1970. 39. A possible exception is the legend of Byzas as the founder of Byzantium, which the Apocalypse of Ps.-Methodius also invokes, but his role in that text is much more developed than it is in 7Dan. Byzas also appears in the Discourses of John Chrysostom Concerning the Vision of Daniel, whose source is the Apocalypse of Ps.-Methodius. 40. See Stone, “Armenian Canon Lists III,” 292. 418 The Seventh Vision of Daniel DiTommaso, L. Pages in 333-35 A Bibliography of Pseudepigrapha Research, 1850-1999. JSPSup 39. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001. __________. Pages 100-108 and bibliography on 499-502 in The Book of Daniel and the Apocryphal Daniel Literature. SVTP 20. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2005. __________. “The Early Christian Daniel Apocalyptica.” Pages 269-86 in Apocalyptic Thought in Early Christianity. Edited by Robert J. Daly. Holy Cross Studies in Patristic Theology and History. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic Press, 2009. Garitte, G. La Narratio de Rebus Armeniae. CSCO 132, Subsidia series, vol. 4. Louvain: Peeters, 1952. Henze, M. The Syriac Apocalypse of Daniel. Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum 11. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2001. Issaverdens, J. “Seventh Vision of Daniel.” In idem, The Uncanonical Writings of the Old Testament found in the Armenian mss. of the Library of St. Lazarus. 2nd edition. Venice, 1934. (first edition, Venice, 1901, 1907), 219-34. (English translation based on Yovsēp‘eanc‘’s edition of the text.) Kalemkiar, G. “Die siebente Vision Daniels,” WZKM 6 (1892): 109-36; 227-40. (Armenian edition and German translation.) La Porta, S. The Armenian Scholia on Dionysius the Areopagite. Studies on their literary and philological tradition. CSCO 625, Subsidia series, vol. 122. Louvain: Peeters, 2007. Macler, F. “Les apocalypses apocryphes de Daniel. IV. L’apocalypse arménienne de Daniel,” RHR 33 (1896): 288-309. (French translation based on Kalemkiar’s edition of the text.) Magdalino, P. “The history of the future and its uses: prophecy, policy and propaganda.” Pages 3-34 in The Making of Byzantine History. Studies Dedicated to Donald M. Nicol on his Seventieth Birthday. Ed. R. Beaton and C. Roueché. Aldershot, 1993. Middle Armenian Dictionary (Miǰin Hayerēn Baṙaran ). Erevan, 1987. New Dictionary of the Armenian Language (Nor Baṙgirk‘ Haykazean Lezui). Venice 1836, repr. Erevan, 1978. Pertusi, A. Fine di Bisanzio e fine del mondo. Significato e ruolo storico delle profezie sulla caduta di Constantinopoli in Oriente e in Occidente. Roma: Istituto storico Italiano per medio evo, 1988. Sargisean, B. Studies on the apocryphal writings of the Old Testament (Usumnasirut‘iwnk‘ hin ktakarani anvawer groc‘ vray ). Venice, 1898. Stone, M. E. “Armenian Canon Lists III – The Lists of Mechitar of Ayrivank‘ (c. 1285 C.E.).” HTR 69 (1976): 289-300. __________. Features of the Eschatology of IV Ezra. HSS 35. Atlanta, Ga.: Scholars Press, 1989. __________. “The Armenian Apocryphal Literature: Translation and Creation.” Il Caucaso: Cerniera fra Culture dal Mediterraneo alla Persia (secoli IV-XI). 2 vols. Spoleto: Centro Italiano di Studi Sull’ Alto Medioevo, 1996. 2:611-46. Terian, A. “The Hellenizing School: Its Time, Place, and Scope of Activities Reconsidered.” Pages 175-86 in East of Byzantium: Syria and Armenia in the Formative Period. Edited by N. Garsoian, T. Mathews, and R. Thomson. Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks, 1982. Voicu, S. J. “Gli apocrifi armeni.” Augustin 23 (1983): 161-80. Yovsēp‘eanc‘, S. Pages 237-50, 387-99 in Uncanonical Books of the Old Testament (Ankanon girk‘ Hin Ktakaranac‘). Venice, 1896. (Armenian edition based on two manuscripts of the text.) Zahn, T. “Paralipomena 4. Über einige armenische Verzeichnisse kanonischer und apokrypher Bücher.” Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons und der altkirchlichen Literatur V. Edited by T. Zahn. Leipzig, 1893. 419 The Seventh Vision of Daniel The calling of the prophet Dan 8:16; 9:21 Dan 9:23; 10:11, 19 1. 1In the third yeara, after all the revelation(s)b that had been given to the prophetc Daniel, the angel Gabriel, having been sent to him before, was sent by the Lordd, and he saide to him: 2”Daniel, desirable man, I was sent by the Lord to youf to tell you things and to show you the end of days, which will occur after the coming of the Word, who will be announcedg by me.h 2. 1There will be a virgin in Israeli, and she will receive the Word from the Word, and he will become manj for the sake of the world and he will save many within Israel.k Prophecy of the cities and provinces 2And put to heartl and listen to the impending events at the end of days in all the cities and provinces on account of the iniquity of humanity.” 3And I, Daniel, said:m “Speak, my Lord.” 4And he spoke to me,n after fulfillingo all the prophetical sayings,p concerning all cities and provinces: Asia, Pontus, Phrygia, Galatia, a. ‘In the third year’; omit A; ‘[In the third ye]ar’ D; “After the third year’ CE. b. All mss read ‘revelation’. c. ‘the prophet’; omit AD. d. ‘by the Lord’; omit BCE. e. ‘said’: ‘says’ BCE, in the present tense; AD read, ‘said’, in the aorist. f. ‘to you’ omit CE. g. ‘will be announced’; ‘is announced’ BCE. h. Cf. The Vision and Revelation of the Prophet Daniel [VisRevDanDan], lines 1-7. All references to this text are to the translation of E. Falco in Pertusi, Fine di Bizansio, 81-89, and follow the lineation provided there. i. ‘in Israel’; ‘from Israel’ BCE. j. ‘He will become man’; ‘He will be prophesied’ BCE. k. ‘he will save many within Israel’; lit., ‘he will make many within Israel alive’. Cf. VisRevDan, lines 7-8. l. ‘put to heart’: ‘pay attention’ AD, but cf. VisRevDan line 8. m. ‘I, Daniel, said’; ‘you, Daniel, will say’ C; ‘And say, Daniel’ E; Yovsēp‘eanc‘ emends E in accordance with C. n. “‘Speak, my Lord.’ And he spoke to me”; ‘Lord, speak to me’ BE, ‘the Lord said to me’ C. Yovsēp‘eanc‘ emends E in accordance with C. o. ‘After fulfilling’; ‘I, after fulfilling’ B; ‘I will fulfill’ CE. p. ‘all the prophetical sayings’; ‘all my prophetical sayings’ BCE. 420 The Seventh Vision of Daniel Cappadocia, Karpath<os>,a Smyrna, Antioch, Alexandria, Egypt, Nicaea, Nicomedia, <Chalcedon>,b Byzantium, and Babylon, Rome.c 3. 1Tearsd of sons, and an increase of famine will destroy the productive earth;e your princes will become children of groanings and your possessions which surround you will come into ruin, and they will be removed from you to sevenhilledf Babylon. 4. 1The prince of Pontus will fall and a sword will devour his children; his forces will fall by the edge of a sword; they will transfer many to Byzantium and there they will bury them.g Lk 21:24 [Gk]; cf. Josh 6:21; 10:37, 39 [Arm] 5. 1The children of the Phrygians will be devoured by a famine of bread, and its earth will be rent by water, and they will be turned into food for birds. 2And many of them will flee to <Chalcedon>.h 6. 1In Galatia fire will appear from heaven and thunder and lightning will devour it. 2And the thrones of its princes will be razed to the ground, and its southern part will be burned in blood and fire, and many will flee at that time to Rome. 7. 1In Cappadocia Minor, their children will slaughter each other and imprison each other, and their princesi will be defeated, and they who may dwell around it will be in affliction and in lamentation in Babylonia Minor. 8. 1In Karpath<os>, their sons will be in affliction, they will see conflagrations and will not believe it; there will be a rending (of the earth); everyone will arrive atj hell; many will flee to the seven-hilled (city).k 9. 1In Smyrna, anger will be increased; it will be filled like a cup with blood, and there will be a fall from the heights. Your princes will be removed and your nobles will fall, for the day of the anger of the Lord will be for you. Isa 13:9; Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18, 2:2 10. 1The children of Antioch will be destroyed and its constructed buildings will turn to ruin, and its princes will not enjoy (them). 2An earthquake will befall you, and the abundance of your wealthy will destroy you. a. Karpath<os>; lit., ‘Karpathias’; but cf. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 291 n. 3. b. All manuscripts read Carthage, but see the introduction on the confusion between Carthage and Chalcedon in Greek. c. Cf. VisRevDan, lines 10-13. d. ‘Tears’; ‘mourning’ BCE. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 291 n. 2, justly perceives that this paragraph refers to Asia. e. Cf. VisRevDan, lines 13-14. f. On the designation ‘seven-hilled’, see Introduction. g. ‘them’: omit AD; ‘him’ C. h. All manuscripts: ‘Carthage’, see Introduction. i. ‘imprison each other, and their princes’; omit BCE. j. ‘arrive at’; ‘descend into’ BCE. k. Karpathos fell to Rome in 42 B.C.E. 421 The Seventh Vision of Daniel 11. 1In Alexandria there will be many tumults of war and the neck of its rebellion (will reach) the bowstringsa of its walls. 2Its princes will be chased out. 12. 1The children of the Egyptians will flee, struck by famine;b your possessions will turn to nothing, and the Nile will become dry land, and your princes will be destroyed. 13. 1The daughters of the Nicaeans will be in mourning and grief on account of the captivity of their relatives and husbands by powerful men, and your princes will serve them whom they will not know. 14. 1Woe unto you, O Nicomedia, who have lifted up your horn and ate the bodies of your saints who were in you; you will be destroyed by the blood of righteous men who will recompense you in kind—you will be cast down into hell.c 2Cry and lament, O miserable one, for you will be exterminated with your sons. 3Your princes (will be) princes of groanings, and your priests (will be) lovers of gold and silver, and the beauty of your radiance will be engulfed. 15. 1<Chalcedon> and the nation of the Persiansd—you do not know what will happen to you at the end of days and how much your time will be at the end of ages after all the cities and provinces. 2You, O city, fattened by gold and silver, and (you), O nation, prettified and adorned, will be destroyed by famine. 3Many debaucheries will be for you, and your sons will play with gold and then be destroyed by famine. 16. 1The land of Byzantium and of Babylon will be engulfed, and it will be seized by powerful ones and its foundations will be destroyed, and its power will fall. 17. 1There will no longer be a prince of Rome at that time, but its sworde will be sharpened and its arrow hardened and its deception thickened. 2Many times a prince will arise and again fall. 3It will become a three-street town.f 4And many will fear you on account of the radiance of your princes that have many seatsg and on account of your proud neck and your excessive wealth.h a. ‘bowstrings’; ‘ballistae’ BCE. b. ‘by famine’; ‘by the sword’ C. c. A possible allusion to Maximinus’ massacre of 20,000 Christians in Nicomedia in 311-12; Macler, ‘L’apocalypse arménienne’, 292 n. 4. d. See Introduction. e. ‘sword’; ‘weapon’ AD. f. ‘It will become a three-street town’; cf. Tiburtine Sibyl, line 105 and Alexander’s comments on 87 and 124; also Sib. Or. 3:364, 8:165. g. See Introduction. h. ‘wealth’; ‘pride’ CE. 422 The Seventh Vision of Daniel History of Byzantium from its founding until Marcian 18. 1The sons of Byzantium will becomea a miracle, for a Byzantine man will go from that one to the namedb seven-hilled (city), and he will establish its foundations.c 2Its name will spreadd throughout all the inhabitants of the world until the division of tongues.e 3And a wonder-working manf born of a famous womang will rebuild it.h 4And in his time the desire of his hearti will be completed, and he will find the wood of life. 5And his scepter will become great and he will find the nails which belonged to the Cross, and he will put it in his bridle for the sake of victory in strenuous wars.jk 6And his horn (will be) high and mighty, and his name (will be famous) in every tongue, and an eternal memory will be bequeathed to the city. 19. 1And after him the <second>l scepter will arise, who will shed the blood of righteous men. 2And he will read the commandments but will not know God and he will handle the holy scriptures with a blinded heart.m 20. 1And after him will come a philosopher for you, O seven-hilled Babylon, and he will erect an image in you, on account of which you will not be taken by force.n 21. 1And after all this, elevated horns and very great scepters will arise, and they will be empowered over you, and their memory will be very great.o 22. 1And yet another scepter will be high;p he will be miraculously empowered and elevated on account of the name and revelationq of the Lord, since a ‘gift’ a. ‘will become’; ‘will appear’ BCE. b. ‘named’; omit BCE. c. This is likely a reference to the legend of Byzas of Megara, who, according to Philostratus, founded a Greek colony on the European side of the Bosporus in 657 B.C.E. following a prophecy delivered by the oracle at Delphi. Byzas receives fuller treatment in the Apocalypse of Ps.-Methodius and subsequently in the Discourses of John Chrysostom Concerning the Vision of Daniel; Alexander, Byzantine Apocalyptic, 19, 23, 72. d. ‘Its name will spread’; omit AD; ‘will spread’; lit., ‘will be’. e. Cf. Tiburtine Sibyl, lines 93-4. f. Constantine. g. Helen. ‘of a famous woman’; omit BCE. h. ‘will rebuild’; lit. ‘will build again’; cf. anoikodomēsei (“he will rebuild”), Tiburtine Sibyl, line 91, in reference to Constantine’s rebuilding of Byzantium. Byzantium had been severely destroyed during the campaign of Septimus Severus. ‘will build’ omit BCE. i. ‘heart’; omit BCE. j. ‘strenuous wars’; ‘wars of salvation’ BCE. k. John Chrysostom is the first to mention this detail in his “Homily on the Death of Theodosius”, delivered in 395; Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,’ 293 n. 7. l. ‘second’ DE; ‘third’ ABC. The two are easily confused in Armenian. m. Constantine’s son, Constantius I (337-61), who was an Arian. n. A reference to Jovian (363-64); Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 294 n. 2. o. Valentinian (364-75), Gratian (367-83), and Valens (364-78); Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 294 n. 3. p. ‘high’; omit BCE. q. ‘and revelation’; omit BCE. 423 The Seventh Vision of Daniel from God was in him.a 2Through him life will be great and from his joy all mankind will rejoice, they will be gathered from the cities and provinces in you, and they will reach you, O seven-hilled (city), and each one will do his own work. 3And the scepter of the kingdom will be empowered until it will be ended. 23. 1And two scepters will go forth from the one scepter,b and your one scepter will become a wild beast,c and your second scepter will become an animald in both streets in the seven-hilled (city). 2From Romee an abatement of angerf will reach you and you will have a full bosom and cup. 3First, the song of the city will be a philosophy of chants; and second, your wealth will be a gushing spring for everyone. 4You will appear adorned like a bride and like a widow.g 5Yourh productive grapes which existed at some point will be diminished, and your great glory will be divided and fall. 24. 1The kingdom which is in you will raise up another scepter,i who is called Theodosiusj by name, being in holiness, and his name being dedicated to you, O seven-hilled (city). 2And at his birth your sons will be happy, and each and everyone will do that which he may contemplate. 3Every city and province will serve you, and there will be much rejoicing in your fullness on the earth. 4And the Nile of the Egyptians will give you drink, and you will be a bulwark for churches.k 5There will greatly be fear and trembling in your scepter, and this is the beginning of groanings in your kingdom.l 6And the time of his scepter (will be) long and very great. 7And his scepter will possess (everything) until the ends of the entire earth, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 8And his neck (will be) solid; and his right hand, powerful; and his years, many, as was never for any other king. 9And after all this he will turn his face towards his father,m and the reckoning of his years will be many; and his name will be awesome, and his kingdom will be radiant. 25. 1And yet a third king will be under you in Rome, O seven-hilled (city). 2‘Seven-hilled’ you were called because all the nations of the Persians entered you, O a. A play on the name Theodosius (379-95). b. Honorius (395-423) and Arcadius (395-408). c. ‘and your one scepter will become a wild beast’; ‘and there will be one old scepter’ BCE. d. ‘and your second scepter will become an animal’; ‘a third scepter, an animal scepter’ BCE. e. ‘in both streets in the seven-hilled (city). 2From’; ‘of both in these streets from the sevenhilled Rome’ BCE. f. ‘anger’; ‘elevation’ CE. g. “You will appear adorned like a bride and like a widow”; “it will appear adorned and like a brave (man)” BCE h. ‘Your’; omit BCE. i. ‘and your great glory…another scepter’; ‘its kingdom in you will fall, and another scepter will arise’ BCE. j. Theodosius II (408-50). k. ‘for churches’; ‘for the church’ BCE. l. A reference to the beginning of the Christological controversies. m. A possible reference to the installation of Valentinian III (425-55) as the Emperor of the western Roman Empire. 424 The Seventh Vision of Daniel Rome; they shall not reign until the completion of eternity.a 3And an old man shall reign over you as second, and his name (will be) Marcian, and his scepter will be of lesser duration than the first scepter with his very formidable reign.b 4And that time will be good for some and evil for some. 5And his reign will be for times and for hours and for half an hour,c and the builder having given you, O seven-hilled (city), to him, he will raise it to himself with a letter of faith.d 6And there will be a great schism in his kingdom:e priests will fall from their thrones, there will be a fall of many priests, and there will be many vicissitudes for men, but your rejoicing, O seven-hilled (city), and your extent will not diminish. 7And after all this he too will come to an end with his fathers. The reign of Leo I 26. 1And another scepter will reign in you, and he will be a beast,f and he will accept the first scepter which will at one point be struck by a dog.g 2And this beast will be like the first great scepter and powerful in words and wisdom, and he will not be held in contempt by his nobles. 3And his neck will be like the neck of an ox,h and his eyes like the eyes of a lion, he will call out terribly and all cities and provinces will be afraid of his horns. 4And in his time a rainbow will appear in heaven, as will various signs in heaven and earth. 5The sound of thunder and the fall of many cities will be heard, and the earth will be rent and buildings will be razed to their foundations. 6Its streets will be fiery and there will be wars in it and in you, O seven-hilled (city).i 7And then the buildingsj of your beauty will be burned by fire, and your elevation will be overthrown to the earth. 8And your sons will lament in you and your great joy will be turned to mourning, and your sons will drag the bodies of the nobles over the earth. 9And suddenly a whirlwind will fall from heaven and cover the earth; and nations in the form of a. This sentence does not reflect any historical situation between the reign of Theodosius II and that of Marcian when Pulcheria ruled; cf. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 296 n. 1. It is likely a reference to the Islamic invasions added by a later scribe. b. The reference to the first scepter is obscure. In 26:1, the first scepter appears to refer to the western Emperor. Here, Marcian’s reign is said to be shorter than that of the first scepter. The reign of Marcian’s western contemporaries, Petronius Maximus (455) and Avitus (455-56), were certainly not longer, nor was that of Majorian (457-61). It is possible that the first scepter should be understood as Valentinian III (425-55). c. ‘for times and for hours and for half an hour’; Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 296 n. 2, understands this to mean times (2 years), hours (1 year) and half an hour (half a year) (cf. Dan 7:25; 12:7). Marcian ruled alone after the death of Pulcheria from 453 until 457, or approximately three and a half years. ‘for times and half a time’ BCE. d. A reference to the decree of the council of Chalcedon. e. I.e., the schism between the churches following Chalcedon. f. ‘The beast’ is Leo I (457-74), cf. Tiburtine Sibyl, line 136. g. Possible reference to Leo I’s support of Anthemius (467-72) as the western Emperor (first scepter) and the attacks on the western Empire by the Vandals. h. ‘ox’; ‘soldier’ BCE. i. Cf. Tiburtine Sibyl, lines 137-38. This work, however, has nothing positive to say about Leo such as 7Dan does. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 297 n. 4, notes that Antioch was destroyed by an earthquake in 458. There was also a fire in Constantinople that lasted four days in 469. j. ‘buildings’; ‘environs’ AD. 425 The Seventh Vision of Daniel dragons will appear on the earth and many will become impoverished and many indigent will become rich, and there will be great confusion in you.a 10Cry out, O forces bearing arms and swords, in Thrace and in Cilicia.b 11And at that time the beast will send his swordc to the East, and he will not be able to conquer, and a certain man in the shape of a dragond in the middle and on top will disdain him; and he will send with him a seconde sword to the west, and he will not be strongf enough to conquer it,g and the dragon will be disdained by the dog.h 12With many presents and gold and with many thingsi the beast will be vexed by the dog,j and the dog will rise upk against the beast and he will raise up his cubs over the thrones and scepters of the beast, and the beast will be destroyed and his den seized by the dog.l 13And the dogs will remove the beast and all men will know that a dog had chased out a lion.m 14And thence the lion will return and kill the dog and his cub, and the lion will call out with a very great roar, and his roar will be heard in every city and region.n 15And there will be fear of him in his den, and men will be confused by each other on account of the roar of the lion and the death of the dog. 27. 1And the second dog,o while changing its tongue to another form, will pursue (him) as far as the den of the lion, and he will depart from that one as he will not be able to overpower him. 2And the pup of the dog will lie hidden for times and a time and an hour, and in his time he will reign, and his name will be ‘pup of the dog’, which translated means ‘scepterp of nations’.q 3And the beastr will erase a. A possible allusion to the attack on Rome in 455 by Gaiseric. b. According to Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 298 n. 2, these are the Goths from Thrace and the Isaurians from Cilicia. c. I.e., Tarasicodissa, later Emperor Zeno the Isaurian. d. I.e., the general Basiliscus, brother-in-law of Leo I. e. ‘second’; ‘third’ BCE. f. ‘strong’; ‘patient’ BCE. g. A reference to Gaiseric’s defeat of the combined forces of the eastern and western Empire under the command of Basiliscus in 468. h. The dog here must be Aspar the Alan, the magister militum of the eastern Empire, whose prominence at court rose again after the defeat of Basiliscus. i. ‘and with many things’; omit BCE. j. Aspar is alleged to have bribed Leo’s soldier’s against him. ‘by the dog’: ‘by the sign (cross)’ C. k. ‘will rise up’; ‘will raise up’ BCE. l. In 469, Aspar’s son, Patricius, received the title of Caesar and was betrothed to Leo’s second daughter, Leontia. m. The ‘lion’ must also refer to Leo. n. In 471, Aspar and his son, Ardabur, were assassinated in the palace by eunuchs; Patricius was wounded, but escaped. He was divorced from Leontia and stripped of the rank of Caesar. o. Macler, “L’apocalypse arménienne,” 299 n. 1, suggests that the second dog may be Ostrogothic king, Theodemir, father of Theodoric the Great. p. ‘scepter’; ‘king’ BCE. q. If the ‘second dog’ is to be identified with Theodemir, then the ‘pup of the dog’ is Theodoric. r. ‘beast’; ‘scepter’ BCE. 426 The Seventh Vision of Daniel the memory of the dog.a 4Knowing (this) beforehand, they will slander him,b and in his city they will erase his image. 5And many in the denc of the beast will contemplate killing him and they will not overpowerd him, and those who share the scepter with him will die in another city by the sword, and they will know well the prayers of the priest on behalf of unknown (things). The rise of Zeno 6And someone among the nobles, a youth from the forces of the beast, will bind many by hand and foot and send them to the beast. 7And then when the beast will receive many slaves from various nations, calling (them) to himself as lord, another man will stand before him and he will receive him into his bosom.e 8And he will persecute military men, and he himself will be persecuted by them.f 9And he will flee from themg on foot, and no one will reach him, because he is fleet of footh and he will flee to the beast and he, who (is) in his bosom, will also present himself to him.i 10And the little beastj will go out and be courageous, and the big beast will seat him on his throne, and will make him a sharer of his scepter and throne in his place; two beastsk will dwell in one cave.l 11The pup will be emboldenedm to an act of war, and the big beast will return to his land whence he came.n 12And the little beast will holdo his place until a time, having not been crowned by anyone, but by his own violence he will come to the densp of the kingdom, and the little beast will turn towards the big beast, and, forsaking the dens of which he himself was the creator,q he will reign in you, O seven-hilled (city), and he will hold you in affliction.r 13His joy will be great, he a. The text seems to return to events concerning Aspar and his family. b. ‘they will slander him’; lit., ‘they will sing slander about him’. c. ‘in the den’; ‘at the door’ BCE. d. ‘overpower’; ‘endure’ BCE. e. This is probably a reference to Zeno, who in 466 or 467 was married to Leo’s eldest daughter, Ariadne. f. Leo created a new imperial guard of 300 men called the Excubitors. It probably consisted of Isaurians of whom Zeno was chieftain; it was intended to combat the influence of Aspar. g. ‘he will flee from them’; ‘they will flee from him’ BCE. h. During his campaign against the Huns in Thrace, some of Zeno’s soldiers, allegedly bribed by Aspar, attempted to assassinate Zeno. The latter discovered the plot and fled to Sardica. We may also note that, according to the author of the second part of the Excerpta Valesiana (Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman History III, LCL 331, 1939), Zeno was an exceptionally fast runner: 9.40. i. Upon his return, Zeno was made magister militum of the East. j. ‘beast’; ‘scepter’ AD. k. ‘beasts’; ‘scepters’ AD. l. This sentence and the rest of the paragraph continue to recount Zeno’s early career and rise. The ‘big beast’ refers Leo I; the ‘little beast’, to Zeno. m. ‘will be emboldened’; ‘will embolden’ AD. n. This is probably a reference to Theodoric Strabo who launched a revolt in Thrace and finally exacted terms from Leo in 473; Leo was born in Thrace. It is possible that the author confused Theodoric the Great, called the pup above, with Theodoric Strabo. o. ‘hold’; ‘receive’ BCE. p. ‘dens’; ‘judgments’ BCE. q. ‘dens of which he himself was the creator’; lit., ‘dens for his creator’. r. Zeno’s son Leo II was proclaimed Emperor after the death of Leo I in 474. As Leo II was 427 The Seventh Vision of Daniel will play and will be loved by the nobles, and hated by many, he will give life and fullness, and the dragona will play with him, and he will lead him along by the hunting scepter of the beast.b The reign of Zeno 28. 1Woec to you at that time, O seven-hilled Babylon, when a widow will reign and the dragond will pursue the stranger, and the stranger, who is called Salamander,e will turn in flight having turned his face to the islands, (taking) gold and silver and precious stones and a crown of scepters.f 2And no one among men will persecute him who is in the bosom of the beast, tripled by the nation of the Persians from <Chalcedon>,g on account of love for the dragon and that great radiance which was in you. 3And he will be moved from land to land and will be vexed by strangers. 4And forced (by the strangers) from nourishment and from ways, he will sigh to the Creator with his innocent ones. 5And the hunting scepter, which was from the beast, will be allied with the dog,h and the dragon will hold the place of affliction and ceremony and will be attended by vain thrones.i 6And he will persecute the place of holiness, and <the dragon will heap rebuke>j with his tongue on holy men and holy relics. 7And he will obstruct the leadership of the patriarchs,k and he will hold captive the churches of holiness.l 8And they who may be dwelling in the caverns and caves and hollows of the earth, they will become wanderers in the desert (and) will come to you, O seven-hilled (city), forced by the dragon. 9And after all this, they will shake off the dust of their feet in you, and be martyred in you.m 10Then the beauty of your splendor will be burned by a fire.n 11And a certain youth (will) escape under the pretext of bringingo with his hunting scepter the first scepter that is called a minor, his father was proclaimed co-Emperor. Leo II died in the same year, possibly having been poisoned by his own family, and Zeno was proclaimed sole Emperor. a. Basiliscus, the brother of Zeno’s mother-in-law. b. This refers to the Isaurian general, Illus, who, at first, had joined Basiliscus in his overthrow of Zeno. c. ‘Woe’; ‘he gives’ E. d. The ‘widow’ is Verina, the widow of Leo I and the mother-in-law of Zeno. The ‘dragon’ is Basiliscus, her brother-in-law, who ousted Zeno in 476-77. e. Zeno is called Salamander because he eventually killed the dragon (basilisk), Basiliscus. f. At the outset of the rebellion, Zeno sailed to Chalcedon and then headed to his homeland, Isauria. He took with him a tremendous amount of wealth. g. See Introduction. h. The ‘hunting scepter’ is again Illus; the ‘dog’ likely refers to Theodoric Strabo who, as an enemy of Zeno, was supportive of Basiliscus’ coup. i. ‘to the islands…vain thrones’; omit BCE. j. ‘he will rebuke the dragon’ AD; ‘he will slaughter the dragon’ BCE. k. ‘patriarchs’; ‘chiliarchs’ B; ‘legitimate ones’ CE. l. Basiliscus was an opponent of the council of Chalcedon and favored the Alexandrian Patriarch Timothy Aelurus; he is supposed to have removed the Asiatic sees from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Constantinople. m. The monks seemed to have played a particularly important role in forcing Basiliscus to change his mind. ‘in you, and be martyred in you’: ‘in you, testified by him’ BCE. n. During the reign of Basiliscus, a tremendous fire damaged Constantinople and, in particular, the Basilica, the library founded by Julian. o. ‘bringing’; ‘capturing’ CE. 428 The Seventh Vision of Daniel Salamander.a 12And then at that time the dragon will be persecuted and will be seized by his successorsb and will be bound by those at his left, and no one will receive him since he shed the blood of saints in the cities and provinces. 13And he will flee into the holy temple that he had formerly taken captive, and no one will receive him as there will be heavenly scourges upon him. 14And the youth will reach Salamander, and he will <urge on>c the stranger against the dragon, and the dragon, seeingd (that), will flee from him. 15And the stranger will not kill the dragon, he will take away his honor.e 16And the youth will fall with a mightyf fall, and the widow will not survive.g 17And they will showh the stranger and the sharer of his throne to him, and theyi will become tributary in his tent that he created. 18And the blood of his father will be sought on his throne. 19And the stranger will become great for a shortj period, and there will be fullness in you, O seven-hilled (city), as well as the death of many men who had gathered in you from the cities and provinces. Predictions of disaster 29. 1Then there will be earthquakes in various places and they will hear the voice of many and they will not believe.k 2And your wealth and your glory saddened you in your becoming proud and arrogant, and your love of glory humbled you; but your abundance and beauty will become much in you. 3The end of time will reach you, and the hunting scepter, which is from the beast, will go out from you, and will gol to the places of strangers. 4And your daughters will adorn themselves for (being) a stumbling block for youths to corrupt many, and your nobles will fall, there will be much affliction and agitation. 5At that time the angel of deathm will strike you with all the cities and provinces, and violent deaths will be sent from heaven. 6Suddenly itn will be angry at the earth, the earth will be moved and temples will fall, and their houses will become a. Basiliscus had dispatched Illus to capture Zeno, but Illus, encouraged by certain ministers at court, changed sides and allied himself with Zeno. ‘Salamander’; ‘Theodosius’ BCE. b. ‘successors’; ‘leaders’ BCE. c. ‘he will urge on’; I propose this emendation against all mss which read, ‘he will teach previously’. d. ‘the dragon, seeing’; omit BCE. e. ‘will take away his honor’; lit. ‘will separate him from his face’. Basiliscus, however, was sent to Cappadocia and beheaded. f. ‘mighty’; omit BCE. g. Illus himself eventually became estranged from Zeno. He was sent as Magister militum of the East in 481-82 and subsequently revolted against the Emperor. Illus supported the Patrician Leontius as Emperor. Verina, his old opponent, also joined his cause and crowned Leontius Emperor in Antioch. Verina died in 484 (see below) after the defeat of Illus’ forces. Illus managed to persevere until 488 when he and Leontius were captured and executed. h. ‘they will show’; ‘he shows’ BCE. i. ‘they’; ‘he’ BCE. j. ‘short’; om BCE. k. Earthquakes afflicted Constantinople in 480 and eastern Anatolia in 488. l. ‘will go’; ‘they will go’ AD. m. ‘angel of death’; lit., ‘the death-bearing angel’. n. I.e., heaven. 429 The Seventh Vision of Daniel Ps 49:11 [48:11 Arm] tombsa, and the sea will bring the waves up to a boil and will cover mankind, and whoever they may beb who will flee, they will also live.c 7Then there will be a crowd of angels, and they will stand in front of and pray before the throne. 8Then, O seven-hilled Babylon, you will weep over your sons, while donning the sack-cloth and spreading ashes over (your) headd, and seeing humanity fall on account of sins and transgressions. 9Men will be destroyed with sons and women with suckling babes for the anger of the Lord is upon (them). 10Your walls will be rent and your tabernacles will be razed to the ground.e 11Children will beseech Godf with their mouths burnedg at the breast, and your priests, scraping, will mourn your scepters. 12Your nobles will cry and your citizens will be very grieved, and your travelers will be straitened, and your bunches of grapes will fall and your vineyards will be depleted. 13The earth will be rent by agitation and will destroy men both young and old.h 14But the Lordi will not destroy you completely, O seven-hilledj (city), as the time of your destruction has not yet arrived; although (He is prepared) to cover humanity in an abyss, He will not cover (them), since your time has not yet arrived. 15Torments are prepared for you, for you have committed every iniquity in you, taking the earth in your bosom.k 16People’s thoughts will be greatly agitated until the Lord will command from above to destroy humanity; but the Lord’s plan will be evident, whence the punishmentl will come to be. 17And those who have taken refuge in you will receive torments; the people who hoped in you and the hunting scepter will destroy you.m 18And cub will put cub to flight seeking the blood of his fathers, and he will willingly deliver himself to strangers, to dogs and to his friends; and he will raise languages and peoples and he will rule over many nations. 19And twon dogs will fight with each othero and they will destroy each other. Prophecy concerning the death of Zeno 30. 1Woe, when the widow will reign, and she will move with deceptionp against the strangers, and the other stranger will seek her destruction and through deception he will eradicate her.q 2And these days will be cruel and evil. 3Sons of a. ‘and their houses will become tombs’; omit AD. b. ‘whoever they may be’; ‘in four’ BCE. c. ‘they will also live’; omit BCE. d. ‘head’; ‘heads’ BCE. e. ‘to the ground’; omit BCE. f. ‘God’; ‘Lord’ BCE. g. ‘burned’; ‘pacified’ AD; ‘unhappy’ B. h. ‘both young and old’; lit., ‘up to suckling babes and old’. i. ‘the Lord’; ‘God’ BCE. j. ‘O seven-hilled’; omit BCE. k. ‘bosom’; ‘work’ AD. l. ‘punishment’; ‘occurrence’ BCE. m. ‘and the hunting scepter will destroy you’; omit BCE. n. ‘two’; ‘second’ AD. o. ‘each other’; ‘similars’ AD. p. ‘with deception’; ‘with affliction’ BCE. q. Verina first plotted against Illus but then, possibly under duress, sided with him in support of Leontius against Zeno. The forces of Illus, Verina, and Leontius were defeated by Zeno’s army in 484. Verina fled to the security of the fortress Cherris and died a few days later. 430 The Seventh Vision of Daniel the scepters will be in dispute and battle with each other, and then humanity will (suffer) much affliction and evil such as has never been. 4And the prince, having believed, will not have confidence in Salamander, since he is a stranger; and they will receive from his peoplea that which they did not ask. 5And Salamander will want to flee and he will not be able, and they will reach himb and Plakitasc will kill him. 31. 1And another scepter will rule in you, O seven-hilled (city), and there will be many labors. 2A poor man who will not know gratitude will arise—arrogant, proud, avaricious, loving war—and his name will be Orloghios,d and his throne (will be) few in days, and (he will be) easily angered. 3And his nobles will hate him, and his citizens will be vexed by him. 4There will be heavenly anger in hise days; many times it will trouble Babylon. 5In the time of his reign, voices of lamentation will reach you, and forces of barbarians will trouble you and they will not be fought. 6And another violent king will arise, and he will battle and persecute him openly;f and he will slay him with great sorrow and groaning. 7And this one, having been made king, will hold the scepterg which is in you, O seven-hilled (city), and he will be great among very great and radiant thrones, and that man (will be) skillful from the right and from the left. 8And in his time, there will be a great famine and not small, and the earth will be destroyed by humanity and torrents of water will pour out,h and black air will be agitatedi, and your vineyards will become few, and your splendors will be constrained, and the days will become less and the day will be six hours. 32. 1Woe to people who will be at that time, and the king will turn his face to the West. 2Then woe to you, O seven-hilled (city), when your king (will be) a youth. 3At that time you will suffer great affliction. 4A man whoj will have his brother’s wife; a son, his mother; and daughter will ascend to her father’s bed; brother (will have) his sister; and blasphemies, homicides, oaths, slanders, mendacities, filth, pains,k depredations, sibling hatred, turmoils, the shedding of blood of the holy servants in the temple will increase. 5And kings (will rise up) against kings, princes against princes; the powerful from the poor will rise up, and the rich and the poor will fall. 33. 1And Bithynia, which is on the seashore,l will be razed to the ground by an a. ‘his people’; ‘his peoples’ B; ‘strangers’ CE. b. ‘him’; om BCE. c. This Plakitas is clearly not a historical figure, although the name is found among the Coptic Papyri. d. ‘Orloghios’; ‘Lucius’ BCE; cf. Olibos in the Tiburtine Sibyl, line 187. e. ‘his’; ‘those’ BCE. f. ‘openly’; ‘against him’ BCE. g. ‘this one, having been made king, will hold the scepter’; omit BCE. h. ‘will pour out’; ‘will reach’ BCE. i. ‘black air will be agitated’; ‘black airs will be mixed’ BCE. j. ‘who’; ‘when’ BCE. k. ‘pains’; omit BCE. l. ‘seashore’; ‘sea’ BCE. 431 The Seventh Vision of Daniel earthquake, and the waves of the sea will rise up and will surge and will cover the foundations of Bithynia as far as the junior town of Nicomedia. 34. 1And then again another king will arise, and his time (will be) brief in days, evil and utterly terrible; and thenceforth there will no longer be good times, but evil. 2And his son will battle against him and he will consume him with the sword. 35. 1And another king will arise from another cult,a who is Arianos; he will draw everyone to himself.b 2Woe to you at that time, O seven-hilled (city), for more than everyone you will mourn for yourselfc and for your borders. Mt 24:24, Mk 13:22, Jn 4:48 36. 1And then kings and princes and leaders and champions will arise against cities and provinces and places, and people will be agitated and confused. 2And a nation of barbarians will arise against cities and provinces,d and the earth will sink seventy-three cubits from the multitude of people. 3And you will not be troubled by them at that time, O seven-hilled (city), but a special war will tormente you, and the splendor of the earth will be diminished in you. 4Heavenlyf anger and a great blow will be upon you; and a fiery column will be apparent, (stretching) from heaven to earth. 5Andg thenh youri kingdom will be changed and you having remained corrupted by sin, will also be in faminej. 6Then in this way, the second scepter will be rentk and broughtl to the other city by a nothing prince, and fiery arrows will rain from heaven; there will be many signs and wonders. The coming of the Antichrist 37. 1At that time the Antichrist will reign and people will be led away from the worship of God to disbelief from the coming (of him) whom they were not seeking, and were not expecting, that one in whom they did not believe, who was contrary to everything. 2This one whom they were not seekingm will be conceivedn and born from a defiled virgin.o 3And the scepter of deception will seize a. ‘from another cult; ‘from strangers’ AD. b. ‘he will draw everyone to himself ’; ‘he [will draw every]one [to himself]’ D; ‘to draw everyone to himself ’ E. c. ‘you will mourn for yourself ’; omit AD. d. ‘and places…and provinces’; omit BCE. e. ‘will torment’; ‘will be in’ BCE. f. ‘Heavenly’; ‘But heavenly’ BCE. g. ‘And’; omit BCE. h. ‘And then’; ‘When’ BCE. i. ‘your’; ‘[your]’ D. j. ‘by sin will also be in famine’; ‘[by sin will also be in famine]’ D; ‘by sin also in famine’: ‘eternal’ E. k. ‘the second scepter will be rent’; ‘[the second scepter will be rent]’ D. l. ‘brought’; lit. ‘bring’. m. ‘whom they were not seeking’; omit BCE. n. ‘will be conceived’; ‘will be’ AD. o. Cf. Apoc. Dan. 9:8-11, although there the virgin is impregnated by a fish, see Berger, Daniel Diegeses, 104-14. 432 The Seventh Vision of Daniel the human race; for three times and half a time he will lead the souls of many to perdition;a to be co-inheritors of everlasting Gehenna. 4Then the angels will be agitated when they see the signs that <he showed>b previously. 5And those people who love Godc will understand this, recognizing and seeing the one contrary to everyone who is human, of which these are the signs:d bound and unable to bend at the knee, crippled in eyee, smooth-browed, hook-fingered, pointy-headed, graceful, a braggart, wise, with a sweet laugh, a seer, prudent, quick, meek, calm, working miracles, having the souls of the damned near him, taking bread from stones, giving sight to the blind, making the lame walk, and he will move mountains from place to place.f 6He will do all this illusorilyg and many will believe in him. 7Woe unto those who will believe in him andh receive his mark. 8Their right handi will be bound so that one will not return to him in whom they had previously hoped. 9Then there will be a veryj great famine, the heavens will not grant raink, and the earth will not sprout forth verdure; all fruits will be dried up and then all the cities and provinces will lament for themselves. 10They will flee, and they will not (be able to) fleel from east to west nor from west to east; but they who will dwell in mountains and caverns and caves and hollows of the earth, they alone will be able to flee until the second coming (of him) who was born from the virgin. 11Then his chosen will be revealed when they see the eternal coming of the Lord. 12Hem will come forth and many will be judged. 13There will be troubles from heaven and then there will be terrible agitation over the universe. 14Woe to pregnant women and to those who suckle in the last days!n 15Woe unto the impatient who believed in the adversary! 16Woe unto those who worshipped him and were revealed on account of his coming! Rev 13:17, 19:20 Mt 24:19; Mk 13:17; Lk 21:23 38. 1And after all this happens and (after) righteous people, inspired by Godo, who had been afflicted by necessity and by violencep, bear tortures, then the end will arrive. 2And some people having been shown a sign will recognizeq the seven-hilled (city) and will say: ‘Indeed had this been a city?’r 3And a woman will tread the land in the East, in the West, in the North and in the South, and a. ‘for three times and half a time he will lead the souls of many to perdition’; omit BCE. b. This is Kalemkiar’s emendation; all mss read: ‘he caused to go’. c. ‘who love God’; ‘who love Christ’ AD. d. ‘of which these are the signs’; lit. ‘of which this sign is’. e. ‘in eye’; ‘in soul’ BCE. f. The Antichrist’s imitation of the acts of Christ is common to many texts; cf., e.g, Apoc. Dan. 13; Apoc. El. (C) 3:5-10; Gk. Apoc. Ezra 4:27. g. ‘illusorily’; lit., ‘to the eyes’. h. ‘many will believe in him. Woe unto those who will believe in him and’; ‘which’ BCE. i. ‘hand’; ‘eye’ BCE. j. ‘very’; omit BCE. k. ‘will not grant rain’; ‘will not rule to give rain’ AD. l. ‘10They will flee, and they will not (be able to) flee’; ‘They will flee’ BCE. m. ‘He’; ‘They’ BCE. n. ‘in the last days’ AD; ‘in those days’ BCE (with Mt 24:19; Mk 13:17; Lk 21:23). o. ‘inspired by God’; ‘God’ BCE. p. ‘and by violence’; omit BCE. q. ‘having been shown a sign will recognize’; ‘will show a sign having recognized’ BCE. r. Cf. Tiburtine Sibyl, line 200, and Oracle of Baalbek, p. 114 n. 59. 433 The Seventh Vision of Daniel she will not find fruit, but she will only find an olive-tree, and embracing the olive-tree, she will give up her spirit and will say: ‘Blessed is that one who has planted this olive-tree.’a 4And her soul will go up from her thence in that place. Jl 2:31; Acts 2:20; Rev 6:12 Isa 34:4; Rev 6:13-14 Dan 9:23 Rev 20:12 Rev 8:7, 8, 10, 12, 13; 9:1, 13; 11:15 Rev 20:13 Mt 6:13 PrMan 15; Mt 6:13 39. 1Then the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, the stars will fall like leaves, and the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll, and the sea will boil (and) come up from its depths to cover menb, and everything will be burnedc and desiccated by the airs. 2Fiery angels will descend from heaven, and a fire will flare up through the universe. 3There will be miced in the form of fire and bronzee, and that which is like them, and beasts that eat corpses will come out of the mountains. 4And hef will not fear that one whom they were not seeking and he will destroy the land of the impious. 5And the righteous will be carried away to the Father, for a command came forth from the Lord. 6Thrones will fallg and books will be opened ,h and judgments will be written up; angels will sound a trumpet, and the righteous will dance; they will offer up praise to the Father and they will be judged each according to his deeds; but only the Lord (is) a righteous judge. 7And all his works and all peoples will open their mouths beseeching and saying: “Lord, Lord, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evili, for you, Lord, know and recognize that we are not able to persevere, for we are corporeal,j but like a beneficent and philanthropick father have pity on us, for yoursl is the glory, now and for ever, and unto ages from ages. Amen . a. Cf. Tiburtine Sibyl, lines 200-204 and Oracle of Baalbek, p.115 n. 60. b. ‘will boil (and) come up from its depths to cover men’; ‘having come up and covered the earth’ BCE. c. ‘will be burned’; ‘to destroy’ A; ‘having been destroyed’ D. d. ‘mice’; ‘children’ BCE. e. ‘and bronze’; omit BCE. f. ‘he’; ‘they’ BCE. g. ‘will fall’; ‘are set up’ BCE. h. E ends here. i. ‘evil’; ‘evils’ B. j. ‘corporeal’; lit., ‘a body’. k. ‘and philanthropic’; omit BC. l. ‘have pity on us, for yours’; ‘may you have pity on us, and may you have mercy on us, for you created us and yours’ BC. 434