Book of Seven Seals

The Book of Revelation is a peculiar text whose special status in early Christianity is manifested by its manuscript attestation, transmission, literary references and discussions among early Church writers. This special status forms the nucleus of these collected essays and is highlighted from various perspectives. Nowadays of course, the Apocalypse has become a treasure trove of famous motifs for artists, composers, poets and novelists. On the other hand, however, it also appears to be something of a bon mot in that its manuscript tradition is rather sparse and highly distinctive. With the help of single phenomena that revolve around the extraordinary attestation and transmission of Revelation, the authors here are able to unveil how its peculiarity was perceived in early Christianity. Its manifestation in manuscripts and in the lively controversy about its value and orthodoxy thus resulted in it being treated as unique.I. The Peculiarity of Majuscules and Minuscules
Giovanni Bazzana: Write in a Book what you See and Send it to the Seven Assemblies - Jeff Cate: The Curious Case of Psalm 43 - Thomas J. Kraus: ʻWhen symbols and figures become physical objects:ʼ critical notes about some of the »consistently cited witnesses« to the text of Revelation

II. The Peculiarity of Reception
Tobias Nicklas: Christliche Apokalypsen in Ägypten vor Konstantin - Lincoln H. Blumell/Thomas A. Wayment: The 'Number of the Beast' - Martin Meiser: Before Canonisation - Michael J. Kruger: The Reception of the Book of Revelation in the Early Church - Jeff Cate: Sisters separated from Birth - Michael Sommer: »Work in progress« - What do Revelation's handwriting tell us about its post-canonical role and function inside the Bible

III. Peculiarities and Miscellaneous
Markus Lembke: Besonderheiten der griechischen Überlieferung des Textes der Offenbarung und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Textkritik - Ulrich Schmid: Editing the Apocalypse in the 21st Century - James H. Charlesworth: The Heavenly Jesus reinterprets Daniel