Preliminary Material /Susan Niditch -- Introduction /Susan Niditch -- Stage I of the Symbolic Vision Form /Susan Niditch -- Stage II, A Literary-Narrative Direction in the Visions of Zechariah /Susan Niditch -- The Baroque Stage of the Symbolic Vision Form /Susan Niditch -- Conclusions /Susan Niditch -- Bibliography /Susan Niditch.

Unlocking the Dream Vision: The secret history of creation will take you on a profound journey into the mysterious mystical esoteric symbolism of the largely forgotten Dream Vision that is buried deep within the ancient Book of Enoch. It is a unique and captivating journey that reveals one of the most heretical, blasphemous, and controversial accounts of creation ever told, for both believer and skeptic. Within its pages you will learn of the ancient system of mystical symbolism and initiation that was born in the religious temples that ruled the city-states of the first civilizations. You will also be introduced to the radical 2,000-year-old theory from the legendary Library of Alexandria that the true story of our own mysterious origins lays within the system of allegories and mystical symbolism of the mythologies and sacred writings of the ancient world. A system that was first created by the professional class of writers known as the scribes, in order to conceal and protect the forbidden knowledge of the gods and the secret history of creation itself. By using this non-traditional approach, you will discover how the highly symbolic Dream Vision, written by the righteous scribe and mysterious lost prophet of the Bible, Enoch, is the key to unlocking this ancient system of mystical symbolism and the secret history of humanity. It is the same secret that is still hidden within the symbolism of the mysterious esoteric brotherhoods, secret societies, and hidden orders of the world. It is through this exceptional system of mystical symbolism created by the ancient scribes that the origin and true meaning to all the mystical symbols, like the pentagram, the all-seeing-eye, and the unfinished pyramid, are revealed. You will also learn the answers to some of the greatest mysteries concerning the biblical story. For you will find that the mystical symbolism of the Dream Vision contains the secrets of the Watchers, the Giants, the great Flood of Noah, and so many more mysteries, which are uncovered for the first time. Not only are the hidden secrets of the Bible uncovered through the mystical symbolism, but it will also reveal the greatest secrets of mythology and the ancient world. You will understand the secret meaning to the ever-famous symbol of the Bull, the Twin Brothers of legend, and even the monsters of myth like the terrible Hydra. You will even learn the real reason why the Great Pyramid was built, the real secret of the Pleiades cluster, the lost city of Atlantis, and the other mysterious lost civilizations of the Ice Age; moreover, with the conclusive evidence of the terrible cataclysm that befell them all. You will also be presented with an entirely new theory on the identity and true origins of the mysterious figures our ancient ancestors worshiped as the 'gods' without invoking ancient aliens or endless religious speculation.

"Rethinking Biblical Scholarship" brings together seminal essays to provide readers with an assessment of the archaeological and exegetical research which has transformed the discipline of biblical studies over the last two decades. The essays focus on history and historiography, exploring how scholarly constructs and ideologies mould historical, literary and cultural data and shape scholarly discourse. Most of the essays illustrate the development of what has been called a "minimalist" methodology. Among the many central topics examined are the formation of the Jewish scriptural canon and how the concepts of "prophecy" and "apocalypse" illuminate the emergence of Judaism in the late Persian and Hellenistic periods.

Melvin traces the emergence and development of the motif of angelic interpretation of visions from late prophetic literature (Ezekiel 40-48; Zechariah 1-6) into early apocalyptic literature (1 Enoch 17-36; 72-82; Daniel 7-8). Examining how the historical and socio-political context of exilic and post-exilic Judaism and the broader religious and cultural environment shaped Jewish angelology in general, Melvin concludes that the motif of the interpreting angel served a particular function. Building upon the work of Susan Niditch, Melvin concludes that the interpreting angel motif served a polemical function in repudiating divination as a means of predicting the future, while at the same time elevating the authority of the visionary revelation. The literary effect is to reimagine God as an imperial monarch who rules and communicates through intermediaries-a reimagination that profoundly influenced subsequent Jewish and Christian tradition.

"This is a complete revision of the Gold Medallion-winning commentary series. It is up to date in its discussion of theological and critical issues and thoroughly evangelical in its viewpoint."--Publisher description.