1801.) 
to be a verfion. It contains feveral allu- 
fions to the Apocalypfe, and was confe- 
cuently written alter it. One hardly 
knows when, or how, or why it has ac- 
quired a fort of facred authority; un- 
lefs Jerom’s equal* diflike of the two 
books was underftood to attribute equal 
authority.. The light which ecclefiaftical 
hiftory does not throw on the origin of 
the fecond book of Efdras, mutt be eiicit- 
ed from internal evidence. 
The key of the fanétuary, as the auther 
himfelf obferves, is, to be found in the 
twelfth chapter. An apocalyptic hiftory 
of the Roman empire is there given. Itis 
deferibed as a kingdom (v. 13.) mightier 
than its predeceflors; and governed by 
twelve Celars in fucceffion (v. 14.), of 
whom the fecond (v. 15.), Auguftus, out- 
reigned the others. After the Czefarean 
dynatty arife eight other kings (v. 20.) 
Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, the two Anto- 
nines, Commodus, Pertinax, and Didius 
Julianus. Laftly appear two feathers 
(v. 29.), the two generals Septimius Se- 
verus and Pefcennius Niger, which afpire 
to become heads of the eagle, that is, 
matters of the Roman empire. To Pef- 
cennius Niger, who is alfo defcribed as the 
lion, and the anointed, and the deliverer 
ef the people, is indire€tly but erroneoufly 
(v. 34.) prophefied a fuccefsful termina- 
tion of the ftruggle. The book therefore 
originates with one of his acherents. 
The deaths of Pertinax and Didius Ju- 
lianus by the {word (v. 27.) were already 
known, whereas the ill fuccefs of Pefcen- 
nius was not yet known to this writer: it 
follows that he compofed about the year 
195, during the interval after the ufurpa- 
tion of Septimius Severus, and before the 
defeat and death of Niger. The author 
of the fecond book of Efdras, therefore, was 
writing about thirty years later than the 
author of the Apocaly ple (M. M. X. 410.) 
wrote. ' 
The people of Antioch, and the Chrif- 
tian interefi throughout the Eaft, were as 
eager in the recognition of Pefcennius Ni- 
ger, as they had been in that of Avidius 
Caffius. So powerful a party could not 
but ftimulate into exiftence many an em-: 
bryo Conftantine; and occalion fucceflive 
attempts to change the eftablifhed religion 
and attract the feat of gevernment. At 
* Nec apocryphorum tertii et quarti librj 
fomniis deleftemur; quia et apud Hebrzos 
Efdre Nehemizque fermones in unum volu- 
men coarctantur. | 
Hieronymus in Epi/t, ad Domnionem. 
Concerning the Writings and Readings of Fude. 
19 
Antioch then, and among the Syrian 
Chriftians, muft be fought the author of 
the fecond book of Efdras. Now Eufe- 
bius (VI. 6.) mentions one Jude, as hav- 
ing compofed a paraphrafe of the feventy 
weeks of Daniel, which extended the pro- 
phecy to the tenth year of Severus. Such 
a man ispeculiarly likely to have compofed 
the fecond book of Efdras ; if itfelf be not 
the very work alluded to by Eufebius, then 
current under fome different title. The 
millenarian doétrines of an imminent palin- 
genefy, and of the fpeedy coming of Anti- 
chrift, are by Eufebius attributed to Jude; 
and thefe opinions, in faét, prevail 
throughout the fifteenth, fixteenth, and 
feventeenth chapters of the pfeudo-E(dras. 
The Jude of Eufebius was a Chriftian; 
and many Chriftian notions diftinétly pre- 
fent themfelves in this book, in the fecond 
chapter (v. 45—47.), in the feventh chap 
ter (v. 28—29.), in the thirteenth chap- 
ter (v. 32—43.), and elfewhere. The 
very fame uncommon charaéter of idéa 
pervades alfo a General Epiftle preferved in 
the Chriftian canon: it is seafonable to af. 
cribe both works to one and the fame Jude. 
The Jude of Eufebius brought on the 
Chriftian church a formidable perfecution 
from Severus: his connection with Pef- 
cennius Niger can alone account for fuch'a 
charge. : 
During the perfecution of Severus it 
probably became expedient to deftroy the 
extant copies of the pfeudo-Efdras: and 
hence the lofs of the Greek text. A tranf{-- 
lation may have been conveyed with de. 
‘figned celerity to the Latin churches, where 
as it excited no fedition, it will have pro- 
voked no refearch: accordingly this re- 
mains. It fhould be arranged with the 
General Epiftle, among the apocryphal 
fcriptures of the Chriftians, 
III. Two legendary books are quoted 
with confidence by Jude: the Reception 
of Mofes (v. 9.) and (v. 14.), the book 
of Enoch: Origen too has mentioned them: 
and they had, no doubt, great influence 
on thereligious opinions of that age. 
Of the Reception of Mofes (avarante 
Macews) the original has not been preferved: 
but a modern rabbinical refaccimento, en- 
titled Fetzrath Mofbe, which quotes the 
Talmud and Abenefra, has been edited by 
Wolf inhis Bibliotheca Rabbinica, and by 
Gaulmyn in his De vita et morte Mo/is. 
The fubftance of the legend is this. 
Mofes, unwilling to die, endeavours to 
prevail on Jehova to admit him into Pa- 
Jeftine. Jehova urges the fin of Adam; 
Mofes pleads his own merit agg title to 
Da @XxCepe 
