Apocalyptic literature
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Apocalyptic literature was a new genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians.
"Apocalypse" is from the Greek word for "revelation" which means "an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling" (Goswiller 1987 p. 3). The poetry of the Book of Revelation that is traditionally ascribed to John is well known to many Christians who are otherwise unaware of the literary genre it represents.
The apocalyptic literature of Judaism and Christianity embraces a considerable period, from the centuries following the exile down to the close of the middle ages. In the present survey we shall limit ourselves to the great formative periods in this literature--in Judaism from 200 BCE to 100 CE, and in Christianity from 50 to approximately 350 CE.
See also
- General topics
- Apocalypse (disambiguation)
- Apocalypse
- Apocalypticism
- Revelation
- Christian Eschatology
- Gnosticism
- Millennialism
- Pseudepigraphy
- Summary of Christian eschatological differences
- Related literature
- Acts of the Apostles (genre)
- Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic science fiction
- Epistles
- List of Gospels
- List of New Testament papyri
