Before Jerusalem Fell

28 BEFORE JERUSALEM FELL
was in turmoil; for example, Harnack offered the widest range of
dates – between A.D. 48 and A.D. 175. The radical critics were
“oscillating wildly” at the turn of the century .35
Regarding Revelation studies in this era between 1850 and 1900,
Schaff admits to having held to a late date originally, only eventually
to accept an early date upon further research.3G Schaff could even
write: “The early date [of Revelation] is now accepted by perhaps
the majority of scholars.”3 7
Even late date advocate William Milligan
admits: “Recent scholarship has, with little exception, decided in
favour of the earlier and not the later date.”3 8
Hort comments that
in his day “the general tendency of criticism has been towards the
view that the circumstances and events present to the writer’s eye are
not those of Domitian’s time, and are those of the time between
Nero’s persecution (about 64) and the fall of Jerusalem (70), i.e. at
least 25 years earlier than on the common view.”3 9
Another late date
advocate, Peake, writes: “In deference to our earliest evidence, the
statement of Irenaeus, the Book was generally considered to belong
to the close of Domitian’s reign; but during the greater part of the
nineteenth century there was a strong majority of ccitics in favour of
a date some quarter of a century earlier. This view was entertained
by both advanced and conservative scholars. But some time before
the close of the last century opinion began to move back to the
traditional date, and for several years it has secured the adhesion of
the great majority of scholars.”m Early date advocates were as confident
then as late date advocates have been later in the present
century. Farrar asserts that “there can be no reasonable doubt respecting
the date of the Apocalypse.”41 He speaks of it as a “certain
Scribners, 1898-1904); B. W. Bacon, Introduction to thz New Evtament (New York: Macmillan,
1900); and Theodore Zahn, Zntrodudion to New lktament, 4 vols. (Leipzig 1897-1899).
35. Robinson, Redating, p. 6.
36. Philip Schaff, Hi.n!ay @ the Chtitian Church, 3rd cd., 7 vols. (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, [1910] 1950) 1:834. See his Hi.rtoU # the Christian Church (1st cd., 1853), pp.
418ff., for his earlier position.
37. Schaffs editorial note to Wartleld’s “Revelation” article in Schaff, Emyclu@dia
3:2036.
38. Milligan, Apoca~pse, p. 75.
39. F. J. A. Hort, The Apoca@e of St, John: Z-III (London: Macmillan, 1908), p. x.
40. Peake, Revelation, p. 70.
41. Frederic W. Farrar, The Ear~ Days of Chri.rtian@ (New York: Cassell, 1884), p.
387.