Heavenly Realms and Earthly Realities in Late Antique Religions [Paperback]

This book maps the patterns of unity and diversity within the religious landscape of Late Antiquity.The idea of heaven held a special place in the late antique imagination, not only in Judaism and Christianity, but also in the Greco-Roman religious, philosophical, scientific, and magical traditions. Drawing upon the expertise of scholars of Classics, Ancient History, Jewish Studies, and Patristics, this volume explores the different functions of heavenly imagery in different texts and traditions in order to map the patterns of unity and diversity within the religious landscape of Late Antiquity.The idea of heaven held a special place in the late antique imagination, not only in Judaism and Christianity, but also in the Greco-Roman religious, philosophical, scientific, and magical traditions. Drawing upon the expertise of scholars of Classics, Ancient History, Jewish Studies, and Patristics, this volume explores the different functions of heavenly imagery in different texts and traditions in order to map the patterns of unity and diversity within the religious landscape of Late Antiquity.The concept of heaven occupied a special place in the Late Antique imagination, not only in Judaism and Christianity, but also in the Greco-Roman religious, philosophical, scientific, and magical traditions. Drawing upon the expertise of scholars of Classics, Ancient History, Jewish Studies, and Patristics, this volume explores the different functions of heavenly imagery in different texts and traditions in order to map the patterns of unity and diversity within the religious landscape of Late Antiquity.Introduction: 'In Heaven as it is on Earth' Ra'anan S. Bouston and Annette Yoshiko Reed; Part I. Between Earth and Heaven: 1. The bridge and the ladder: narrow passages in late antique visions Fritz Graf; 2. 'Heavenly Steps': Manilius 4.119-121 and its background Katharina Volk; 3. Heavenly ascent, angelic descent, and the transmission of knowledge in 1 Enoch 6-16 Annette Yoshikl£ž