A New Reading of the Animal Apocalypse of 1 Enoch: All Nations Shall be Blessed [Repost]

"A New Reading of the Animal Apocalypse of 1 Enoch" offers a full theological analysis of this second-century BCE allegory and uses this as the basis for a new commentary on the text, presented in a fresh translation.
Olson here presents scholars of Second Temple Judaism with an exemplary work of rigorous research and balanced argument that moves the discussion constructively forward, leaving the reader busily thinking and directed to areas of promising further research." David R. Jackson, William Carey Christian School, Prestons, NSW, Australia It is not uncommon to encounter explanations of the Animal Apocalypse of 1 Enoch (AnAp) that reduce the work's complicated allegory to the mere identification of its symbolic actors. However, as Olson has shown, AnAp's allegory is strategically crafted in light of several theological, political, and historiographical concerns. The close consideration of these aspects opens new questions regarding the ancient contexts of AnAp's writers and readers. Olson's reading provides a model of how all of these aspects of the text might come together in a single conversation. His handling of several difficult interpretive impasses and his expert navigation of the primary texts will no doubt serve as a departure point for additional fresh readings of this ancient work.