Sixth Ezra
Sixth Ezra is a brief, oracular treatise included in the biblical Apocrypha as the final two chapters (15-16) of 4 Ezra or 2 Esdras. Cast as the words of God mediated through an unnamed prophet, the work foretells terrible catastrophes that will soon ravage the earth and predicts that only those who remain faithful during persecution will be saved. It stands in the tradition of Jewish and Christian prophetic writings that proclaim God's grievances against a sinful humanity and envisage imminent destruction on earth as a result. Sixth Ezra also exhorts a group of God's chosen people to stand firm and resist sin in order to escape the catastrophes. There has never been a major study or even a complete critical edition of 6 Ezra, and, indeed, little has been written about it since the nineteenth century. Theodore Bergren's new book fills that gap, offering a detailed analysis of the text and addressing issues of social setting, provenance, date, religious affiliation, and recensional history. Bergren makes this text accessible to a wider audience, while also laying a foundation for future study.