Sjef van Tilborg, «The Danger at Midday: Death Threats in the Apocalypse», Vol. 85 (2004) 1-23
This paper proposes a new suggestion in the discussion regarding possible death threats in the Apocalypse. It makes a comparison between relevant texts from the Apocalypse and what happens during festival days when rich civilians entertain their co-citizens with (gladiatorial) games. At the end of the morning and during the break special fights are organized. Condemned persons are forced to fight against wild animals or against each other to be killed by the animals or by fire. The paper shows that a number of texts from the Apocalypse are better understood, when they are read against this background.
The Danger at Midday: Death Threats in the Apocalypse 23
about the courage of Germanicus in his fight with the wild animals
(qhriomaciva 3,1) and the cowardice of Quintus who indeed recoils
(4,1); and then in the second part of the text about Polycarp himself:
his predictions that he shall be killed by fire (5,2); his discussion with
the proconsul in the arena (6,2; 9,2); the reaction of the people who
demands from the asiarch Philip that he unleash a lion on Polycarp and
his answer that the time of the kunhgesiva was finished (12,2); the
death of Polycarp in the fire and with the dagger (13,1-15,2) and,
finally, the refusal to hand over the body and the public burning (17,1-
18,3).
Still more other texts could have been mentioned. The point is
clear. The author of the Apocalypse, presumably indeed on the basis of
what he has experienced, with his prophecies about the death of the
witnesses of Jesus by the dragon and the beast out of the sea, has in any
case foreseen rather precisely what would happen in the future.
Theologische Faculteit, †Sjef van TILBORG
Universiteit Nijmegen
Postbus 9103,
6500HD Nijmegen, Netherlands
SUMMARY
This paper proposes a new suggestion in the discussion regarding possible death
threats in the Apocalypse. It makes a comparison between relevant texts from the
Apocalypse and what happens during festival days when rich civilians entertain
their co-citizens with (gladiatorial) games. At the end of the morning and during
the break special fights are organized. Condemned persons are forced to fight
against wild animals or against each other to be killed by the animals or by fire.
The paper shows that a number of texts from the Apocalypse are better
understood, when they are read against this background.