Instead of opting for one of the standard explanations of eschatology, this study looks for the origin of the concept in antiquity, requiring an examination of the Hebrew Scripture, the New Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, rabbinic literature, the church fathers, and surrounding Greek literature and history. The text involves a study of the legal, hermeneutical, cultural, historical, and political thought forms of ancient expectations. Beliefs and practices related to eschatology are examined fr...