2 Esdras

Abstract In this chapter, Shayna Sheinfeld introduces and analyzes the text and history of the apocryphal book known as 2 Esdras. 2 Esdras is a composite work, comprised of three separate works. The earliest portion, called 4 Ezra, can be found in chapters 3–14 of 2 Esdras. It is a Jewish apocalypse written after the destruction of the second temple around 100 ce. While 4 Ezra claims that it is part of seventy secret books meant for “the wise,” Sheinfeld argues that the text was meant to reach out to a broader Jewish audience. Two Christian additions—5 Ezra (2 Esdras 1–2) and 6 Ezra (2 Esdras 15–16)—bookend 4 Ezra, changing its function from an apocalypse meant to provide meaning for Jews following the destruction of the Second Temple to a narrative that focuses on the rise of Christianity as superseding Israel and on those who will experience persecution because of their beliefs.