Exploring Noncanonical Jewish Apocalypses: First Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra

What are First Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra?

Are they noncanonical or canonical apocalypses?

Answer:

First Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra are noncanonical Jewish apocalypses that are historically significant but not included in the Jewish or Christian canonical scriptures.

First Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra are considered noncanonical Jewish apocalypses. These texts are not included in the canon of Hebrew Scriptures, but they hold significant historical and religious value as part of the Second Temple Jewish literature and have influenced Christian thought, particularly in the development of apocalyptic traditions. Drawing from various sources, including the apocalyptic genre shared among Judaism and Christianity, these texts feature themes of divine revelation and eschatology, prevalent in the religious and philosophical dialogues of the time.

These works do not appear in the standardized Jewish canon, which includes the Torah and other writings of the Hebrew Bible. Similarly, they are not part of the Christian canon, which comprises the Old and New Testaments for most denominations, although some traditions may refer to these writings in other contexts. The influence of Jewish apocalyptic literature can also be seen in canonical Christian texts such as Revelation, which bears similarities in symbolism and prophecy to the Jewish apocalyptic writings.