5 Ezra 2:10–14: Its place in the book’s structure and in Christian supersessionism

Abstract

5 Ezra (2 Esdras 1–2) is an apocryphal Christian supersessionist tractate dating from the 3rd century. It is structured in three main sections, each of which comprises two contrasting parts. 5 Ezra 2:10–14 is a seemingly anomalous pericope, falling exactly between the two parts of the second main section, but belonging to neither. This article argues that 2:10–14 is actually central to the book’s message. Placed precisely at the middle point of the book’s narrative, it narrates in literary terms the process of transition from Judaism to Christianity that is central to the book’s supersessionist theology. After identifying structural parallels to 2:10–14 in the Gospel of Mark and 4 Ezra, the article continues with a detailed exegesis of 2:10–14. The article concludes by considering the place of 5 Ezra within the larger scheme of Christian supersessionist theology.