Apocalypse Against Empire

 In Apocalypse against Empire, Anathea Portier-Young reconstructs the historical events and key players in a traumatic episode in Jewish history – the experience of state terror and religious persecution during the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes – and provides a sophisticated treatment of resistance in early Judaism. Portier-Young argues that the first Jewish apocalypses emerged as a literature of resistance to Hellenistic imperial rule. In particular, Portier-Young contends, the book of Daniel, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and the Book of Dreams were written to supply an oppressed people with a potent antidote to the destructive propaganda of the empire – renewing their faith in the God of the covenant and answering state terror with radical visions of hope. 

"This is a book of outstanding importance. . . . The best book in general available today on Seleucid rule in Judea. It is required reading for anyone interested in Second Temple times." 

“A landmark study. . . . Portier-Young argues that apocalypses in general were a resistance phenomenon against the various Hellenistic empires ruling Judea.” 

"Make no mistake about it: this is a landmark study. It is theoretically informed and sophisticated, broad-ranging and erudite, historically aware, and hermeneutically sensitive. It breaks new ground in the field and should be required reading for anyone interested in early Jewish apocalyptic literature." 

“Portier-Young has immersed herself in the study of the Seleucid empire in a way that biblical scholars seldom do. Not since the early work of Martin Hengel have we seen such a thick description of Seleucid history and politics in the context of biblical scholarship."

 "The fresh interpretive categories of 'empire' and 'resistance,' applied to biblical texts, have evoked, of late, a significant and extensive literature. In the midst of that large and growing literature, this book is a particularly important contribution that merits careful and sustained attention. Portier-Young's study is deeply grounded in theoretical work on resistance, is rich with particular historical context, and pushes the project toward specific texts. Her book will be a reference point for future study, one that cannot be ignored." 

Anathea Portier-Young's bold proposal demonstrates how the earliest Jewish apocalypses conjured diverse strategies for resistance against imperial power. Her judicious, sometimes daring, application of resistance theories to the historiography of Seleucid Judea sets a challenging precedent for future research. In that cauldron of cultural and political conflict, the apocalypses emerge as creative vehicles for counterimperial theologizing. "
 

"Apocalypse Against Empire portrays the Second Temple Jewish narrative of hope and survival, resistance and courage, with sensitivity and insight. Scholars and students will appreciate the careful research and fresh approach in this beautifully written book." 

"Using methods developed by social scientists for the analysis of state terror and strategies of resistance, Portier-Young brings to life the ancient realities of Seleucid state terror in Judea in a way that few historians have captured. Against that background she makes a compelling case for the audacity of resistance grounded in the apocalyptic imaginations of 1 Enoch and Daniel. Portier-Young brings new depth to the claim that these are political apocalypses."

 "Brilliant analysis of apocalyptic resistance. . . . This book, important not only for the study of apocalyptic literature but also for Hellenistic history, should be required reading for students of both."
 

"Portier-Young's book is exhaustively researched, carefully argued, and grounded in sophisticated theories which cut across many disciplines. . . . An important source for many years to come."