What is the earliest name ascribed to the book of Revelation?
score:12
In many languages, the book is called "Apocalypse", which is Greek for "Revelation". It seems that the modern English convention is to use a translated, rather than transliterated, title. I am not aware of any title other than "Apocalypse", or a translation of "Apocalypse", for this book, in any language.
In the early English translations, there is some dissent about what to call it.
- Wycliffe's Bible (1382-1395) used "Apocalips"
- Tyndale's Bible (1525) used "Revelation"
- Coverdale's (1535) called it "The apocalips or revelacion of S. John"
- Douay-Rheims (1582) uses just "Apocalypse".
The King James (1611) called it "The Revelation of S. John the Divine" and, as the legally authorized English version, its usage seems to have stuck.
I checked the Koine text of Eusebius - he says "τῇ Ἰωάννου λεγομένῃ Ἀποκαλύψει", the relevant word being that middle "legomene". This often means just "called", without a negative slant, as in Luke 22:1 "the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called (legomene) Passover", or Matthew 2:23 "in a city called (legomenen) Nazareth". So I am not convinced that Eusebius is doing anything other than giving the name by which the book is known.
Later in the book (7.25) he says:
Some before us have set aside and rejected the book altogether, criticising it chapter by chapter, and pronouncing it without sense or argument, and maintaining that the title is fraudulent. For they say that it is not the work of John, nor is it a revelation, because it is covered thickly and densely by a veil of obscurity. [...] But I could not venture to reject the book, as many brethren hold it in high esteem. But I suppose that it is beyond my comprehension, and that there is a certain concealed and more wonderful meaning in every part. For if I do not understand I suspect that a deeper sense lies beneath the words.
He does not mention what these others call the book instead, though he does say they attribute it to the heretic Cerinthus. He says that the John who wrote this book was not the same John who wrote the gospel, but he is happy to say on the basis of the text that some John wrote it.
More post
- 📝 Do any denominations believe in reincarnation?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for a one world religion in the end times?
- 📝 How is 1 Corinthians 9:27 reconciled with the teaching that losing salvation is impossible?
- 📝 Are there any well-known Christian nihilists?
- 📝 What was the purpose of creating the world?
- 📝 First Occurrence of "Sea of Forgetfulness" in Christian Literature
- 📝 Committing a sin by eating animal's flesh
- 📝 When did daily mass for the public start to be offered?
- 📝 Who first explicitly understood "works of the law" in Galatians 3:10 as referring to only the ritual law, and not the Mosaic law generally?
- 📝 Mark and Romans: are these the same Rufus?
- 📝 How do Calvinists interpret "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path" and "He shall direct your paths"?
- 📝 Ephesians 4:5 what does "One faith" mean?
- 📝 According to the wider hope/inclusive framework, why does the church still exist?
- 📝 Are there any major Protestant denominations that have rejected salvation by faith alone?
- 📝 What does "son of thy handmaid" means in Psalm 86:16 and Wisdom 9:5?
- 📝 How can Orthodox have saints, if they are heretic? (or vise versa)
- 📝 Why was the first man called Adam?
- 📝 Why is there so little written on the greatness of the happiness in Heaven?
- 📝 Interpreting Acts 2:38 together with John 1:12
- 📝 What is the Mormon explanation for the origins of Islam?
- 📝 According to Chalcedonian Trinitarians, why did Jesus not mention himself at John 4:23?
- 📝 When was the actual Transfiguration of Christ?
- 📝 Athanasian Creed: taking of the Manhood into God
- 📝 Was there a paradigm shift in Jesus' interaction with women between the beginning and end of his public life
- 📝 What is an overview of Protestant critiques of Swedenborgianism?
- 📝 Why does Paul call Peter "Cephas" in his writings?
- 📝 Where does Augustine say that Adam and Eve were in Eden for just six hours before sinning?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for denying the Lord's Supper to those in mortal sin?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, Can God annihilate the soul?
- 📝 What's the difference between apostasy and heresy?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the earliest name ascribed to the book of Revelation?
- 📝 What did the Earliest Church Fathers teach about the Woman of Revelation 12?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for believing in the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 In what countries is it illegal to own a Bible (the most banned book in the world)?
- 📝 What important Mormon doctrines are taught in the book of Mormon that we couldn't find in the Bible already?
- 📝 What is the earliest written surviving liturgy?
- 📝 What is the earliest known instance of a petition directed to Mary?
- 📝 What are scholarly objections to the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 What is the relationship between the Book of Mormon and the Bible?
- 📝 What is the Book of Mormon equivalent of John 3:16?
- 📝 In what language was the Book of Matthew written?
- 📝 What is the earliest historical testimony of the celebration of the nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ?
- 📝 What is the earliest use of the phrase "God the Son"?
- 📝 What is the archaeological evidence for the events in the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 According to Latter-day Saints, what are the strongest apologetic arguments for the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 When Jesus gave Peter his name (rock) what is the significance that he then said upon a ‘different’ kind of rock he would build his church?
- 📝 What happened to the Book of the Law in the time of Josiah?
- 📝 What is the earliest non-Judeo-Christian reference to Jesus?
- 📝 What was the earliest Papal condemnation of slavery?
- 📝 What is the earliest explicit mention of infant baptism?
- 📝 What is the earliest record of using icons to worship God in the Catholic or Orthodox traditions?
- 📝 What is the earliest systematic New Testament commentary?
- 📝 The book of revelation as comfort to persecuted early Christians
- 📝 To what do the seven churches of Revelation refer?
- 📝 What is the earliest point in history where the cross icon started showing up on artifacts related to Christianity?
- 📝 What is the difference between the first and second resurrection in the book of Revelation?
- 📝 What is the earliest extrabiblical teaching of baptism using a trinitarian formula?
- 📝 What is the name of the belief that each of us is guilty for the sins of our neighbors?
- 📝 What is the earliest mention of how often the Eucharist was celebrated?
- 📝 What was the earliest reference to the 3 States of the Church?
