The Origins and Early Development of the Antichrist Myth

FOREWORD
ABSTRACT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIST OF TABLES
ABBREVIATIONS
1. THE QUESTION OF THE ANTICHRIST MYTH
1.1 The Question of the Origins and Early Development of the Antichrist Myth
1.2 Recent Research into the Origins of the Antichrist Myth
1.3 The Present Study
I. THE ANTICHRIST MYTH IN THE THIRD CENTURY CE
2. INTRODUCTION: THE WITNESSES AND THE PERIOD
2.1 The Witnesses
2.2 The Period
2.3 The Method
3. USE OF SCRIPTURE TO ELUCIDATE THE MYTH
3.1 The Book of Daniel
3.2 2 Thessalonians
3.3 The Book of Revelation
3.4 Other Biblical Passages
4. SKETCHES OF THE ANTICHRIST FIGURE
4.1 The Antichrist Figure and the Satan Figure
4.2 False Teachers and Heretics
4.3 The Unparalleled Evil of the Antichrist
4.4 The Sinful Pride of the Antichrist
4.5 The Antichrist\'s Claim to Divine Honours
4.6 The Sovereignty of God
5. THE ACTIVITY OF THE ANTICHRIST FIGURE
5.1 The Origins of the Antichrist
5.2 The Military Conquests of the Antichrist
5.3 The Antichrist\'s Treatment of the Jews
5.4 The Dominion of the Antichrist
5.5 The Name of the Antichrist
5.6 The Destruction of the Antichrist and his Domain
5.7 Ambivalence Towards the Roman Empire in the Antichrist Literature of the Third Century
5.8 Summary: The Antichrist Myth in Christian Literature of the Third Century
II. ANTECEDENT TRADITIONS TO THE ANTICHRIST MYTH
6. INTRODUCTION: THE SEARCH FOR ORIGINS
7. DEMONIC POWERS IN EARLY JEWISH WRITINGS
7.1 Non-Qumran Literature
7.2 Qumran
8. ANTIOCHUS IV IN JEWISH TRADITION
8.1 The Crisis and the Tyrant
8.2 Daniel
8.3 The Animal Apocalypse
8.4 Jubilees
8.5 1 Maccabees
8.6 2 Maccabees
8.7 The Testament of Moses
8.8 Sibylline Oracles
9. ASPECTS OF HELLENISTIC JEWISH WRITINGS WITH PARALLELS TO THE LATER ANTICHRIST LITERATURE
9.1 False Teachers and Heretics
9.2 Lawlessness and the Climax of Evil
9.3 The Deceit Motif
9.4 The Endtyrant Figure
9.5 The Jewish People
9.6 Persecution of the Elect
9.7 Divine Sovereignty
9.8 The Destruction of the Hostile Powers
9.9 Ambivalence Towards the Roman Empire
III. THE EMERGING ANTICHRIST MYTH
10. INTRODUCTION: CONVERGING STRANDS IN JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN LITERATURE PRIOR TO 175 CE
11. THE ENDTYRANT TRADITIONS PRIOR TO 70 CE
11.1 The Synoptic Gospels
11.2 2 Thessalonians
11.3 The Book of Revelation
12. THE ENDTYRANT TRADITIONS AFTER 70 CE
12.1 Sibylline Oracles
12.2 The Epistle of Barnabas
12.3 4 Ezra
12.4 The Apocalypse of Abraham
12.5 2 (Syriac Apocalypse of) Baruch
12.6 The Odes of Solomon
12.7 3 (Greek Apocalypse of) Baruch
12.8 The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
12.9 Sibylline Oracles
13. THE EARLIEST ANTICHRIST TRADITIONS
13.1 The Didache
13.2 The Testament of Hezekiah
13.3 The Johannine Epistles
13.4 The Apocalypse of Peter
13.5 Polycarp, Epistle to the Philippians
13.6 Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho
14. CONCLUSION: THE ORIGINS OF THE ANTICHRIST MYTH
14.1 Points of General Agreement
14.2 Matters Still Subject to Debate
14.3 The Synthesis Proposed in this Study
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX