Date and Provenance

The Apocalypse of Ezra was probably composed in Greek. Although some have suggested a Hebrew origin, Stone thinks the arguments for this view are “unlikely, unnecessary, or unconvincing” (Stone, Greek Apocalypse, 563). There are two known Greek manuscripts of the work. Tischendorf first published the work in 1866 from a fifteenth-century Greek manuscript (Cod. Par. Graec. 929), which was kept in Paris (Stone, Greek Apocalypse, 563). The manuscript Tischendorf used is corrupt at a number of points, and he suggests several emendations. Stone notes that the Greek style of this manuscript is “inelegant and … often unclear or clumsy” (Stone, Greek Apocalypse, 563). Denis notes another Greek manuscript (Denis, Introduction, 92).

The date of the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra is difficult to determine. Because the work draws from 4 Ezra, a date nearly anytime in the first millennium is possible. James argues that the Canon of Nicephorus (ad 850) refers to this work, which would narrow the date to between ad 150 and 850 (James, The Fourth Book of Ezra, lxxxvii). The place of origin of Greek Apocalypse of Ezra is unknown (Stone, Greek Apocalypse, 563).