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Description of an eagle rising from the sea (1–6). Rule of twelve large wings and two subordinate wings (7–23). Attempts on the dominance of the four accessory wings (24–28). Dominion of the three heads of the eagle (29–36). The appearance of the lion and his denunciation of the eagle (37–46). 3Ezra 11:1 And I saw a dream, and behold, an eagle rose from the sea, which had twelve feathered wings and three heads. 1. The prophet sees in a dream an eagle rising from the depths of the sea (de mari). The eagle has 12 wings and three heads. Eight accessory wings of secondary importance have not yet been named. The eagle symbol was used in connection with the monarchy both in the East, among the Assyrians and Persians, and in the West, among the Romans. Among the Hebrew prophets it is applied both to the whole monarchy and to individuals. Ezekiel depicts the Chaldean (XVII: 3, 12) and Egyptian monarchy (XVII: 7, 15) under the guise of an eagle; Jeremiah - Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar (XLVIII:40; XLIX:22). In the book of Daniel, the first world monarchy, contemplated under the symbol of the lion, is ascribed the wings of an eagle (VII:4). In the Roman Empire, the image of an eagle was used as a state emblem on banners and coins. Since the time of Herod the Great, it has been placed on the Jerusalem Temple itself and on Jewish coins. In this symbol of the royal bird, the author wanted to highlight, on the one hand, the extraordinary power and strength of the Roman Empire, which reigned over almost the entire world, and on the other, its predatory inclinations. The eagle emerges from the sea like the four beasts of Daniel (VII:3). The main components of the vision are taken from the same book: wings and heads. Daniel has a third beast - the leopard has 4 bird wings and 4 heads (VII: 6). 3Ezra 11:2 And I saw, behold, he spread his wings over all the earth, and all the winds of heaven blew upon him, and the clouds gathered together. 2. In Daniel's vision, in the same way, on the great sea, from where the four beasts emerge, all the four winds of heaven fight (VII: 2). Despite the storm, the eagle soars smoothly over the sea and reaches the clouds. 3Ezra 11:3 And I saw that from his feathers came out other small feathers, and from those came out even smaller and shorter ones. 3. The appearance of small or accessory wings, which occurs before Ezra’s eyes, is similar to the appearance of one small horn among the 10 horns of the fourth Daniel’s beast (VII: 8). The names of the components of the vision in the Latin text are not distinct. The 12 large wings are initially called “feathered wings” (alae pennarum) or simply “wings” (alae). In the epithet attached to the word alae, Volkmar sees either a poetic decoration, or a desire to eliminate the possibility of understanding it in the sense of a wing of the army. Be that as it may, the addition had an unfavorable effect on the subsequent text, which is why often (XII:7, 12–13) instead of wings, feathers are mistakenly spoken of. The secondary part of the vision in the Latin translation also bears the name of feathers (pennae) or feathers (pennacula), as a result of which the difference between the 12 original wings and the 8 newly appearing accessory wings completely disappears. In the eastern translations - Syriac, Arabic and Armenian, the organs that subsequently grow on the eagle’s body are called “smaller, thin and short wings” (alae minutae et exiles et modicae, Syr.). Their difference from the 12 large wings in the Latin text is expressed in calling them “opposite feathers” (contrariae pennae), “smaller and short feathers” (in pennaculis minutis et modicis, XI:3) and “underwings” (subalares, XI:31; XII:19). According to Gutschmid's assumption (241–242), the first of these names hints at the fact that they are separated from the main feathers and occupy a perpendicular position in relation to them. However, it is much more natural to consider it an inaccurate translation of the Greek word άντιπτέρυγες or άντίπτερα. The Greek prefix άντι, noting the secondary significance of the subordinate wings, at the same time was supposed to indicate the position occupied by the persons inscribed under this symbol, to the rulers depicted in the form of 12 large wings. If under large wings we mean in most cases (XI:21) the legitimate bearers of power who actually occupied the royal throne (πτέρυξ βασιλεύς), then behind the subordinate or small wings are hidden pretenders to the throne and usurpers who sought to seize the throne (άντιπτέρυξ άντιβασιλεύς ). This view is held by Volkmar (152–153), Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokatyptik, 204–205) and Gunkel (390). Wieseler (271–272) explains this name in the sense that the small wings are placed opposite the large ones, apparently occupying the right side of the eagle (XI:12). The Greek word άντιπτέρυγες, as well as the Latin name subalares, in his opinion, indicates a dependent, subordinate position occupied by the small wings in relation to the large ones. But in the vision itself, the whole difference between them is limited only by the short duration of the reign or the failure of the claims to the throne of the persons depicted in the form of small wings. Therefore, the theories of Gfrerer (I, 88–91), Wieseler (271–281) and Kabisch (164), who see in the 8 small wings the rulers of Palestine from the Herodian dynasty, or the leaders of the last Jewish uprising, are not convincing. 3Ezra 11:4 His heads rested, and the middle head was larger than the other heads, but also rested with them. 4. After briefly indicating the main characteristics of an eagle (XI:1), the author dwells on them in greater detail (XI:3–4). He distinguishes between large and small wings and heads. It is characteristic that the number of accessory wings has not yet been named. By this the author wants to say that he did not grasp the particulars of the vision immediately, but gradually, as he peered at the eagle soaring high in the sky. – Three emperors from the house of Flavius ​​are represented under the image of three heads of an eagle, because with their destruction of Jerusalem they completed and headed the lawlessness that Rome committed against defenseless Judea. Judea was, as it were, swallowed up by them. Three heads maintain peace (Latin, Syriac), or silence (Eph., Ar., Arm.). Their calmness at the sight of the appendages separating from the 12 main wings hints at the fact that pretenders to the throne and usurpers could play a certain role only with the tacit consent or thanks to the inaction of the Flavians. In their silence one can, in particular, see an indication of the closed nature of the head of the dynasty - Vespasian. When, after the death of Nero, the Roman throne became a toy in the hands of generals who lost it with the same speed with which they seized power, Vespasian did not reveal his ambitious plans by any action. Although, according to Flavius, back in 68 everyone saw him as a future emperor, he swore allegiance to a number of emperors with extraordinary readiness: Galba, Otto and Vitellius. Despite the requests of his friends, he not only does not prevent Galba from taking the throne, but even sends Titus to him to provide imperial honors. He showed the same restraint after the death of Galba. Even when the Pannonian legions proclaimed him emperor and found support in Egypt and Syria, he stubbornly delayed taking the throne (Volkmar, 340). Perhaps, in addition, the name of the last emperor from the house of Flavius ​​awakens in the mind of the Semitic author the thought of silence. In Hebrew and Chaldean, the initial three letters of Domitian's name "dom" mean "silence." At that time they tended to attach a mysterious meaning to initial letters. Vespasian and Titus, who had already died by the time the book appeared, could be called silent, following the example of the surviving Domitian (Gfrorer, 87–68. Wieseler, 269). Under the middle head we mean Vespasian, as the founder of the dynasty. The three heads of the eagle, acting in alliance with each other, accurately reproduce the relationship between Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. Wanting to secure the throne for his family, Vespasian at the very beginning declared both of his sons Caesars, and soon after that he made Titus his co-ruler. At public celebrations he usually appeared among his sons. According to Josephus, such a picture was presented by the triumphal procession on the occasion of the capture of Jerusalem by Titus. Coins dating to the reign of Vespasian usually show all three members of the Flavian house, the father on the obverse and the sons on the reverse. 3Ezra 11:5 And I saw, behold, an eagle flew on its wings and reigned over the earth and over all its inhabitants. 3Ezra 11:6 And I saw that everything under heaven was subject to him, and no one resisted him, not even one of the creatures that exist on the earth. 3Ezra 11:7 And behold, the eagle stood on its talons and let out a voice to its feathers and said: 3Ezra 11:8 Do not watch all together; sleep each in its place, and stay awake one by one, 3Ezra 11:9 And let the heads be reserved for the last time. 3Ezra 11:10 I saw that his voice did not come from his head, but from the middle of his body. 7–10. The eagles depicted in the book of the prophet Ezekiel (XVII: 3, 7 to LXX) have claws. Claws are, according to Volkmar (342), a symbol of the Roman legions, distinguished by their predation and thirst for blood. All the power of the Roman Caesars rests on them. The voice coming out before the accession of the first wing not from the heads, as one would expect, but from the middle of the eagle, the interpretation of the vision (XII: 17–18) dates to another moment in the history of the Roman Empire. Here he plays a purely auxiliary role, showing that kings and usurpers, appearing jointly and simultaneously in the overall picture, actually rule or attempt to rule separately, one after another. According to Gutschmid, the eagle’s order not to keep all wings together hints at the replacement of republican rule in Rome with monarchical rule. From this time his worldwide dominion began. The interpretation of the prophet himself dates the voice to the time of the interregnum after the end of the Julian dynasty, when the need for a monarchical system to ensure the continued existence of Rome became especially obvious. 3Ezra 11:11 I have counted his little feathers; there were eight of them. 11. We are talking about accessory wings. 3Ezra 11:12 And behold, one feather rose from the right side and reigned over all the earth. 3Ezra 11:13 And when it reigned, its end came, and its place was no longer visible; then another feather rose and reigned; it reigned for a long time. 12–13. The feather is mistakenly called the large wing in the Latin text. The author consistently sets out the history of the kings, depicted under the image of 12 large wings. Since the history of Rome could only be the subject of his influence from the moment when Rome laid its iron hand on Judea, then, obviously, under the great wings we mean, first of all, the emperors from the house of Julia and subsequent rulers before Vespasian. Since the second wing, distinguished by its extraordinary longevity, undoubtedly denotes Octavian Augustus, Julius Caesar is obviously hidden behind the first. Josephus considers him to be the first Roman emperor (Antiquitates judaicae XVIII, 2, 2; 6, 10). The same account is held by the Sibylline books (V, 10–15), Roman historians - Suetonius (Vitae XII Caesarum), Aurelius Victor and Julian (cited by Renan. Apocalypse, 407) and Christian writers - Theophilus of Antioch (To Autolycus III, 25) and Epiphanius of Cyprus (De pondere et mensuris, 12). If legally the Roman Empire began with Augustus, then in fact the transition from a republican system to a sovereign system was carried out by Caesar. He fell victim to his idea. The unexpected death of Caesar, who left no offspring, was the greatest danger for the emerging system. This event is indicated by the disappearance of the first wing without any traces, so that even its location was not visible. 3Ezra 11:14 When it reigned and its end drew near, so that it would disappear like the first, 14. Augustus, like Caesar, did not leave behind a direct heir. 3Ezra 11:15 and behold, a voice was heard saying to him: 3Ezra 11:16 Listen, you who have possessed the earth for so long! This is what I proclaim to you before you begin to disappear: 3Ezra 11:17 No one after you will rule as long as you, or even half that. 15–17. The author draws attention to the extraordinary longevity of the second king as an exceptional phenomenon in the history of the fourth Daniel monarchy. The riddle was first properly solved by Fabricius (Codex Pseudepigraphus Veteris Testamenti, II, 275), who saw here an indication of Octavian Augustus. The Roman historians Tacitus, Suetonius and Eutronius count the years of his reign, starting with his election as first consul (43 BC - 14 AD). Thus, it turns out to be about 56 years. Josephus determines the duration of his reign at 57 years and a half, since he takes as his starting point the year of Caesar's death. None of the Roman emperors until Constantine the Great reigned even half of this figure. 3Ezra 11:18 And the third feather rose up and ruled as the first, but it also disappeared. 3Ezra 11:19 So it was with all the others: they ruled and then disappeared forever. 19. All the other wings that were on the right side of the eagle “ruled alone” (singulatim). This remark, as well as the ordinary account attached by the author to the first three wings, encourages us to see in the 12 large wings 12 representatives, from Julius Caesar to Vespasian. 3Ezra 11:20 I saw that in time the following feathers rose up from the right side, so that they too might have authority, and some of them were in authority, but immediately disappeared; 3Ezra 11:21 And some of them rose up, but did not receive leadership. 20–21. Since history knows only 9 Roman emperors during this time, it is obvious that the remark that some wings mean usurpers or pretenders to the Roman throne also applies to the 12 main wings. In the Ethiopian translation, indeed, in this place we are talking about large wings located on the left side of the eagle, the turn of which comes when all the right wings disappear. The majority of researchers support this reading (Van der Ulis. Dissertatio critica de Ezrae libra apocrypho, vulgo IV dicto. Amstelodami 1839. P. 61, 136, 182. Lucke, 197. Gutschmid, 247. Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 87. Langen, 129. Gunkel , 391). In accordance with the meaning associated with the right and left sides, the author places to the right 6 emperors from the house of Julia, under whom Rome was in a flourishing state, and to the left the usurpers who followed them, whose appearance threatened Rome with death. The 6 right wings undoubtedly mean: 1) Julius Caesar (60–44 BC), 2) Octavian Augustus (44 BC – 14 AD). 3) Tiberius (14–37). 4) Caius Caligula (37–41), 5) Claudius (41–54) and 6) Nero (54–68). It is more difficult to solve the 6 left wings. The simplest is the assumption of Gfrerer (84–85), Wieseler (270–271), Dielman (Herzogs Real-Encyklopedie. 1 Aufl. XII, 312), Kabisch (113–114), Shirer (326–327) and Gunkel (345), that behind the 6 left or unfortunate wings are hidden three emperors who occupied the throne for only a few months after Nero: Galba (from April 6, 68 to January 15, 69), Otto (from January 15 to April 17 of the same year) and Vitellius, deposed by Vespasian (in December 69), and three pretenders to the throne: Vindex, who raised a rebellion against Nero (67), preparing the accession of Galba, Nymphidius, who tried in vain to rebel the Praetorians against Galba, and, finally, Piso, who was killed along with Galba at the moment when the latter was about to proclaim him his co-ruler. One objection is possible against this explanation: in view of the division of wings into main and subordinate wings adopted by the author, he could hardly classify the three contenders for the throne who were shipwrecked as the main wings. But if you take the author’s point of view, then there will be nothing strange in his assessment of historical figures. During the unrest that tore the country apart after the death of Nero, the Jews greedily caught every rumor from court life that testified to Rome’s proximity to destruction. Small power seekers, almost forgotten by history, like Vindex, Nymphidius and Piso, could be represented under the symbol of large wings, since their claims played an important role in the beginning of the disintegration of the Roman Empire, and Vespasian had great difficulty in restoring its former power. 3Ezra 11:22 After this there appeared no more than twelve feathers, nor two small feathers; 3Ezra 11:23 and there was nothing left in the body of the eagle except two resting heads and six small feathers. 3Ezra 11:24 I saw, and behold, two of the six small feathers were separated and remained under the head, which was on the right side, and four remained in their place. 3Ezra 11:25 Then the underwing feathers tried to rise up and rule; 3Ezra 11:26 And behold, one rose up, but immediately disappeared; 3Ezra 11:27 and those who followed disappeared even more quickly than those who had gone before. 3Ezra 11:28 And I saw: behold, the two remaining feathers also attempted to reign. 3Ezra 11:29 When they made the attempt, one of the resting heads, which was the middle one, awoke, and it was larger than the other two heads. 3Ezra 11:30 And I saw that two other heads were united with her. 3Ezra 11:31 And this head, turning to those who were united with it, devoured the two underwing feathers that attempted to reign. 22–31. It seems impossible to list by name those persons to whom the author gave the modest role of 8 accessory wings. Corrodi (207), Shearer (326) and Gunkel (345) date their performance to the time of the unrest of 68–70. These are the rulers of the provinces, seekers of the throne and simply rebels who raised uprisings for the purposes of personal ambition. Their number could reach up to six. Under the last two small wings, passing under the middle head, we mean, according to Gunkel, the rulers of Syria and Egypt, Mucianus and Tiberius Alexander, who contributed to the accession of Vespasian. Gfrerer (88–91), Wieseler (271–281) and Kabisch (164) suggest that the history of Judea plays a secondary role in the author's broadly conceived picture. What is striking is the arbitrariness with which Gfrerer and Kabisch choose 4 Kings from the house of Herod, adding to them the 4 instigators of the last Jewish uprising. Behind the first two small wings, disappearing simultaneously with the 12 large ones, in their opinion, hide Herod the Great and Agrippa I, behind the next 4 leaders of the Jewish rebels Eleazar, John of Giskala, Simon Bar-Giora and John the Edomite and, finally, behind the two small wings passing under the right head, the contemporary Flavian rulers of Judea, Agrippa II and his sister Veronica. The leaders of the Zealots dreamed of secession from Rome, so the name of the opposite or hostile wings is quite suitable for them. They all attempted to rule, but they did not succeed for long. The first two leaders died at the hands of the Jews themselves, the next two were deprived of power by Vespasian. Wieseler sees in the 8 small wings members of the Herodian dynasty. Its founder Antipater and his son Herod the Great form the first group, ruling until the onset of the Middle Ages; the reign of the three children of Herod, Archelaus, Herod II Antipas and Philip, and then Herod III, who also bears the name of Agrippa I, covers the middle period; Agrippa II and Veronica reign at the very end. The transition of the last two wings under the right head accurately reproduces the attitude of Agrippa II and Veronica to the house of the Julians and Flavians. They were confirmed on the throne by Claudius and Nero, but after the accession of Vespasian they became on the most friendly terms with the Flavians. Veronica was Titus' mistress and almost became his wife. Agrippa II owed her the favor of the Roman Caesars. The behavior of both in the last Jewish war gave the author reason to call them the worst of the small wings (pennacula pessima): they stood on the side of Rome. Despite its greater harmony compared to its predecessor, Wieseler’s interpretation, however, diverges from the text in many significant points. The prophet's remark about the short duration of the reign of the small wings (XI: 20, 25-31) and their disappearance with the speed of lightning is completely inapplicable to the house of Herod: with the exception of Archelaus and Agrippa I, they all reigned for quite a long time. The text of the vision does not give any reason to consider the small wings to act simultaneously with the large ones. On the contrary, the idea is clearly expressed here that the reign of the 6 small wings follows the 12 large wings and precedes the awakening of the three heads. The last two accessory wings rise after the disappearance of the third head. The subordinate position occupied by the small wings in relation to the large ones is not noted in the book, despite the author’s desire to indicate the difference between both groups. The behavior of the middle head, eating the fifth and sixth subordinate wings, does not meet with a similar event in the history of Herod's house. In view of this, Wieseler is forced, contrary to the harmony of his system, to attribute this place to the two kings of Commagene, Antiochus and his son Epiphanes. In alliance with the Parthians, they fought against Rome, but were deposed by Vespasian. Since it is difficult to find an appropriate number of historical figures for 12 main and 8 subordinate wings, the idea arose to somehow reduce this figure in accordance with the data of general history. Ewald (Geschichte des Volkes Israel. 3 Ausg. VII, S. 77–82) and Drummond (106–110) suggest that under 8 subordinate wings, as well as under 3 heads, the same kings are depicted who previously found a place for themselves under the image of 12 large wings. Isolating them into a special group only indicates that the author, in terms of thoroughness, evaluates them from different points of view. In the vision of the eagle we are talking about only 12 Roman Caesars, known to history from Julius Caesar to Domitian. The culprits of the fall of Jerusalem, due to the importance of the role they played in the destinies of Judea, are represented in the form of three eagle heads. 8 придаточных крыльев обозначают 8 императоров, правивших менее 10 лет. Это Цезарь, Калигула, Гальба, Оттон, Вителлий, Веспасиан, Тит и Домициан. Moreover, 12 Caesars, depending on the happy or unhappy nature of their reign, are placed on the right or left side of the eagle. The house of Julius, under which the Roman Empire reached extraordinary splendor, is assigned the right side. The disappearance of 12 large wings (XI:22) along with 2 small ones dates back to the death of Nero. After him, the empire, torn apart by internecine wars, resembles a mutilated eagle, powerless to soar in the skies. Under the two small wings, which disappeared simultaneously with the large ones, are Caesar and Caligula. The group of 4 small wings consists of Galba, who was dethroned shortly after his accession (XI:26), Otto, who lost the throne with even greater speed (XI:27), Vitellius and Vespasian. The most important difficulty arises when trying to understand how Vespasian, depicted as a middle head, destroys himself, among the two small wings that attempt to reign. Ewald, in order to find a way out of this, suggests damage in the text, which supposedly talked about one of the two small wings. Drummond sees here a hint that the former Vespasian, who played the modest role of a small wing during the fight with Vitellius, since he was recognized as emperor only in the East, after the victory was, as it were, absorbed and disappeared without a trace in Vespasian, the great and victorious ruler of the entire empire. Two accessory wings hidden under the right head of the eagle mean Titus and Domitian, who acted together with their father. Vespasian, presented in the vision as the founder of the dynasty under the image of the middle head, could also be depicted as the right head, as happier than his sons in terms of the length of his reign. At the same time, the right head is a symbol of Domitian, and the left one is of Titus, who died at the hands of his brother. The fact that two small wings are not located under both extreme heads, but under one right one, with which they disappear (Vulgate), probably indicates that in Domitian, the murderer of Titus, the author saw the culprit of the short duration and misfortunes of both his own and the previous reign. Ewald and Drummond's explanation completely ignores the chronological sequence that the author outlines in the reign of large wings, subordinate wings and heads (XI:22; XII:2). У Корроди (207–208) и Томсона (457) включаются в состав 12 больших крыльев 3 головы. Thomson even makes an attempt to list by name the pretenders to the Roman throne and the usurpers, corresponding to the 3 small wings of the eagle. These are the two Pompeys, father and son, Brutus and Cassius, Antony, Piso, Nymphidius and Vindex. However, the chronological relationship between the small and large wings, as well as the struggle between the two small wings and the middle head of the eagle, are left without attention here. Langen (131–133) sees the numerical data regarding the large and small wings as round numbers. In his opinion, the author, who knew Roman history like any other Jew (Gfrorer. I, 79), very superficially and did not represent anything clearly enough for the ancient period of the empire except the longevity of Augustus, could not care about accuracy. He associated the numbers not with historical, but with mystical meaning, which was used in apocalyptic writing. He only noted that there would be more legitimate emperors than pretenders to the throne and usurpers. Under the large wings the author meant 6 Caesars from the house of Julia, under the third and fourth subordinate wings Galba and Otto, under the fifth and sixth usurpers who died at the hands of Vespasian, and under the seventh Nerva. Langen's assumption sharply diverges from the interpretation of the prophet himself, which clearly speaks first of 12 (XII:14), and then of 8 (XII:20) kings. Volkmar (338–358), Renan (365–366), Dielman in recent times (Ueber das Adlergesicht in der Apokalypse des Esra. Sitzungsberichte der Berliner Akademie, 1888. S. 215–237), Wellhausen (241–245) and Klemen (242–243) It is suggested that the solution to the digital vision data lies in the paired counting of the wings, with each pair corresponding to one emperor. This reduces the number of Caesars to 10. In the history of the Roman Empire, 6 pairs of large wings correspond to 6 Julians, 3 pairs of small wings ruling in the interregnum, Galba, Otto and Vitellius, and the last pair of them, rising after the disappearance of the right head, Nerve. In support of this understanding, they refer to the paired counting of small wings that takes place in the book (XI:22, 27–31; XII:2, 20–21). Only a pair of wings located on both sides of the eagle was a completely successful symbol of the Roman Caesar. A bird can fly only if it has both wings in action. In this symbol there was a hint that the Roman emperor was the ruler of the East and West. For all its simplicity, this explanation largely contradicts the text of the vision, and especially the interpretation attached to it. According to the latter, 12 Kings, depicted in the form of 12 large wings, reign one after another (unus post unum, XII:14); in a similar way, the 8 small wings correspond to 8 kings, who will occupy the throne for a very short time (XII:20). The paired counting of the small wings is not at all maintained with such rigor as to extend it to the large wings (XI:26). The large wings, behind which it is more natural to recognize the guiding significance in explaining the entire vision, are constantly counted one at a time: the author speaks of the accession of the first, second and third of them (XI:12–13) and extends this law to the rest (XI:19). In view of this, Dilman suggested that the interpretation of the vision was redone at the beginning of the 3rd century in order to coincide the prophecy of Ezra with the events of 216. Wellhausen (241–245) and Klemen (242–243) extend Dilman’s opinion to the text of the vision itself. The main objection to them is the striking agreement of all translations in those particulars of vision and interpretation in which they would like to see the work of later generations. Undoubtedly, they all came from the pen of the author himself. The darkness of the vision, as well as the interpretation, is explained not by their alteration in relation to the events of the beginning of the 3rd century, but by purely arbitrary corrections made by later scribes who did not understand the meaning hidden in them. 31. Vespasian took the throne with the assistance of his sons. When he was proclaimed emperor, Titus took command of the troops in the east, and Domitian acted in favor of his father in Rome itself. 3Ezra 11:32 This head terrified the whole earth and ruled over the inhabitants of the earth with great oppression, and held power on the globe more than all the wings that were. 3Ezra 11:33 After this I saw that the middle head suddenly disappeared, as did the wings; 3Ezra 11:34 there remained two heads, which in a similar manner reigned over the earth and over its inhabitants. 3Ez.11:35 And behold, the head on the right side devoured the one that was on the left. 35. The left head is undoubtedly Titus. His position on the throne was very precarious. Domitian constantly plotted against him (Suetonius. Titus, p. 10). After the death of his father, he declared that his brother was proclaimed emperor alone as a result of a forged will (Dio Cassius, LXVL, 26). When Titus died of a fever, popular rumor blamed Domitian for his death. According to historians, the latter hastened to proclaim himself emperor even when his brother was in agony. A rumor spread among the people that Domitian ordered the dying Titus to be thrown into a box of snow in order to hasten his death (Dio Cassius. Ibid Domitianus, 2). Other historians suspected that Titus was poisoned by his brother, and from his own words before his death it can be concluded that he suspected Domitian of her (Aurelius Victor. Caesares, pp. 10–11). According to the Sibylline books, Titus died from a double-edged sword (XII, 120–123). In the same way, the interpretation of Ezra himself says that the sword of one of the Caesars, represented in the vision under the image of the right head, will devour the other (XII: 27–28). In this detail the author is not a prophet, but a historian, writing after the death of Titus. Therefore, the opinion of Corrodi (207–208) and Ewald (76, 81–82), who attribute the appearance of the book to the reign of Titus (79–81), around 80, cannot be considered convincing. 3Ezra 11:36 And I heard a voice saying to me: Look before you, and think about what you see. 3Ezra 11:37 And I saw: behold, a lion running out of the forest and roaring, let out a human voice to the eagle and said: 37. The idea of ​​the Messiah in the form of a lion is inspired by Jacob's prophecy about Judah, from whose line the Messiah would come (Gen. XLIX:9; Rev. V:5). 3Ezra 11:38 Listen to what I will tell you and what the Most High will say to you: 3Ezra 11:39 Are you not the one left from among the four living creatures, whom I made to reign in My age, so that through them the end of those times might come? 3Ezra 11:40 And the fourth of them came, conquered all the former animals and kept the century in great trembling and the whole universe in fierce oppression, and with the most painful oppression of those under its control, and for such a long time dwelt on earth with deceit. 39–40. The author here refers to Daniel’s (VII: 3–27) vision of 4 living creatures emerging from the depths of the sea. The vision of an eagle, according to the author himself, explains only what was not explained to the prophet Daniel (XII:11). In the fourth Daniel monarchy, contemporary Judaism saw the author as a symbol of Rome (Flavius. Archeology, X, 9–11; On the Jewish War, VI, 5, 4; IV, 6, 3). 3Ezra 11:41 You have not judged the earth with righteousness; 1Ezra 11:42 You have oppressed the meek, you have oppressed the peace-loving, you have loved liars, you have destroyed the houses of those who did you good, and you have pulled down the walls of those who did you no harm. 41–42. The cruel attitude of Rome, and in particular the house of Flavia, towards Judea is depicted. In the destruction of homes and the destruction of city walls, an echo of the second destruction of Jerusalem is heard. This was the height of injustice: the meek and peace-loving inhabitants of Judea obediently paid tribute and did not harm anyone. 3Ezra 11:43 And your offense went up to the Most High, and your pride went up to the Mighty One. 3Ezra 11:44 And the Most High looked upon the times of pride, and behold, they ended, and the measure of her wickedness was fulfilled. 44. In the manuscripts this place has a different meaning. “And the Most High looked upon His times, and behold they ended, and His ages reached their fullness” (complete sunt). The author wants to say by this that the period appointed in Divine plans for the development of evil on earth has expired (cf. Gal IV: 4). 3Ezra 11:45 Therefore, disappear, O eagle, with your terrible wings, with your vile feathers, with your evil heads, with your cruel claws and with all your worthless body, 3Ezra 11:46 so that the whole earth may rest and be freed from your violence, and hope for the judgment and mercy of its Creator.