"A very useful guide to the Jewish apocalypses and related literature. One will not find a better or more up-to-date survey of this material, which expresses a way of thinking that was so influential on formative Christianity, than in Collins's book." — Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"This is a updated and rewritten edition of a highly acclaimed book that appeared in 1984. In it Collins expertly explains the apocalyptic genre and then examines the Enoch literature, Daniel, various oracles, testaments, and apocalypses, as well as the Qumran material. In the final chapter he addresses the presence of such thinking in early Christianity. Though this is primarily a study of literature, the various pieces are placed within their historical contexts in order to show how they are imaginative responses to events in history. Collins argues that apocalyptic material did not effect change in history, but offered a way to deal with it in a manner that is both courageous and faithful. The book provides important information about an important yet little known corpus of material. It is a valuable resource." — The Bible Today
