The Chronology in the Animal Apocalypse of 1 Enoch 85–90

Abstract

The chronology in the Animal Apocalypse (1 En. 89–90) is one of most enigmatic chronological systems in the Second Temple Jewish writings. Its aim is to date the decisive apocalyptic end-time period by using the system of 70 hours (corresponding to yearweeks). While scholars do not see any precise correlation between the chronology of the Animal Apocalypse and the historical periods of antiquity, arguments are presented in this article that the author of 1 Enoch 89–90 had a clear logic behind the numbers.