Description: 2 Baruch is a Jewish pseudepigraphon from the late first or early second century CE. It is comprised of an apocalypse (2 Baruch 1-77) and an epistle (2 Baruch 78-87). Gurtner provides the first publication of the Syriac of both the apocalypse and epistle with a fresh English translation on the opposite page. Also present in parallel form are the few places where Greek and Latin texts of the book.
Brief description: Daniel M. Gurtner (PhD, University of St Andrews) is Professor of New Testament at Gateway Seminary, USA. He has published a number of works on the Gospels and Second Temple Judaism, including the award-winning T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (ed., with Loren T. Stuckenbruck, T&T Clark, 2019).
Review Quotes:
Second Baruch is preserved in two sections, explains Gurtner, an apocalypse and an epistle, and is a thoroughly Jewish text written shortly after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 CE, that tries to make theological sense of the historical tragedy. He offers an accessible edition of the Syriac text of both parts, along with an English translation. The few surviving fragments in Greek or Latin are inserted at the proper location. His introduction pays close attention to the relationship between the book at 4 Ezra, which deals with the same issues in a slightly different manner. Other topics include the text, original language, provenance, genre, and structure and contents." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.