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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture I'm intrigued by this reference to the four stages of history. In research that I'm doing on "maps" of apocalyptic time (dispensational charts that attempt a synopsis of Daniel and Revelation while charting the chronology of the end times), I found one in a 17th-century recusant manuscript in the Dean & Chapter Library of Norwich Cathedral. You can view it at: http://www.tncc.cc.va.us/faculty/longt/England2000/RotaMundi.htm I'd be grateful if anyone could point me toward additional analogues or sources. //tl Thomas L. Long, Ph.D. English Department Thomas Nelson Community College PO Box 9407 Hampton, Virginia 23670 USA > -----Original Message----- > From: Hilary M. Carey [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2001 9:38 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [M-R] 4 beasts/evangelists > > This is not completely ridiculous given the joint histories of Jewish > eschatology and astrology, but seems unlikely on numerological grounds. > There is a splendid account of the various sources for interpretation and > creation of the numbers, symbols, emblems and elements of Revelation by > Adela Yarbro Collins, Cosmology and Eschatology in Jewish and Christian > Apocalypticism (Leiden, Brill, 2000). Collins stresses the density, > complexity and variety of interpretation open to writers and readers of > apocalyptic - which exists in Jewish, Christian, Gnostic, Greek, Latin and > Persian literatures. > > On the number four, Collins (76-78) notes that it was often assocatied > with > four kingdoms or ages, as borrowed from Daniel 2 where the image includes > reference to four metallic ages: gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay. She > also notes that the four kingdoms "are always actual, historical regimes," > though not always the same ones and these are often represented by beasts, > as in Rev. 4:7 with the eagle for Rome, the lion for Israel, etc. The > number > four recalled the four winds, the four corners of the earth - and had a > cosmic resonance. Collins gives references to the four kingdom schema in > Roman chronicles, Sibylline oracles, Persian texts and related images in > the > Animal Apocalypse (1 Enoch), 4 Ezra, 2 Abaruch, Daniel 7 and the > Apocalypse > of Abraham. > > ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html