Publisher Description
Elaine Pagels explores the surprising history of the most controversial book of the Bible. In the waning days of the Roman Empire, militant Jews in Jerusalem had waged an all-out war against Rome’s occupation of Judea, and their defeat resulted in the desecration of the Great Temple in Jerusalem. In the aftermath of that war, John of Patmos, a Jewish prophet and follower of Jesus, wrote the Book of Revelation, prophesying God’s judgment on the pagan empire that devastated and dominated his people. Soon after, Christians fearing arrest and execution championed John’s prophecies as offering hope for deliverance from evil. Others seized on the Book of Revelation as a weapon against heretics and infidels of all kinds.     Even after John’s prophecies seemed disproven—instead of being destroyed, Rome became a Christian empire—those who loved John’s visions refused to discard them and instead reinterpreted them—as Christians have done for two thousand years. Brilliantly weaving scholarship with a deep understanding of the human needs to which religion speaks, Pagels has written what may be the masterwork in her unique career.
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“Another great read from Pagels. Rife with copious notes, her scholarship is impressive yet delivered in an accessible and interesting way. This short treatise goes well beyond the Book of Revelation attributed to John of Patmos, delving into Pagels’ main area of speciality, formative Christianity. I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in early Christian history, the formation of the church, the creed, or the canon. Her book, _The Origin of Satan_, is also excellent.”
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Ryan (4 out of 5 stars)
