19 Pseudonymity and the Revelation of John

Abstract

All early Jewish apocalypses are pseudonymous. Their revelations are imparted in the name of an authoritative figure from the past, such as Daniel or Ezra. The Revelation of John, the first Christian apocalypse, is strikingly different in this regard. Some scholars suggest that John used his own name because he was personally known to his audience. This, however, implies that John, among all ancient apocalypticists, was unique in this respect. Other scholars contend that Revelation's lack of pseudonymous attribution proves that it is not an apocalypse. But pseudonymity is not a necessary component of the definition of the genre. Pseudonymously attributed early Jewish and Christian apocalyptic prophecies appear in many other genres, including oracles (the Sibylline Oracles ), testaments (the Testament of Moses ), and psalms. Likewise, the Qumran pesharim and several of the letters of Paul attest to the absence of pseudonymity in other genres of apocalyptic writings than formal apocalypses. Keywords: apocalyptic oracles; Christian apocalypse; Jewish apocalypses; John; psalms; pseudonymity; Qumran pesharim; Revelation; testament of Moses