ACOLYPSE LITERATURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ACOLYPSE LITERATURE - Essay Example The Apocalypse of Abraham is one where the author is not known at present. As a result of this, there have also been several problems in ascertaining its history over a period of time. There have been problems and as a result of this, there was considerable interest in retrieving dates at the very start of its history. The problems that were a part of the ascertaining of the history of this book caused the whole study of it to be disposed of after a certain period of time according to theorists like Robert G. Hall who feel that there has been a â€Å"Christian Interpolation† which introduces certain problems in the interpretation of the figure of Christ (1988, 107). Andrei A. Orlov on the other hand, finds certain strands of Merkabah mysticism in the Apocalypse of Abraham and this can be considered to be one of the reasons as to why these works are considered to be a great part of the traditions of Judaism. Merkabah mysticism is â€Å"the Jewish tradition in which the divine form ideology arguably receives its most advanced articulation† (2008, 53). The apocalypse as far as this book is concerned is the destruction of the temple and this is what is narrated in this book. As a result, one may say that the date of the writing of this book is after 70 A.D. After this point, it is considered to have been translated into Slavonic. There are many versions of history as to what language the original version of the Apocalypse of Abraham was written in. There is however, a certain kind of agreement regarding the fact that the original was written in Hebrew. This is another fact that makes commentators place the work in the tradition of Judaic beliefs. There are theories that there was a stage in between where a translation into Greek was carried out. Translation into English happened, however, during the year 1898. The acquaintance that English audiences have with this work is therefore, limited. This might be