Translated Texts for Historians 300–800 AD is the time of late antiquity and the early middle ages: the transformation of the classical world, the beginnings of Europe and of Islam, and the evolution of Byzantium. TTH makes available sources translated from Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Arabic, Georgian, Gothic and Armenian. Each volume provides an expert scholarly translation, with an introduction setting texts and authors in context, and with notes on content, interpretation and debates. Editorial Committee Sebastian Brock, Oriental Institute, University of Oxford Averil Cameron, Keble College, Oxford Marios Costambeys, University of Liverpool Carlotta Dionisotti, King’s College, London Peter Heather, King’s College, London Robert Hoyland, University of Oxford William E. Klingshirn, The Catholic University of America Michael Lapidge, Clare College, Cambridge John Matthews, Yale University Neil McLynn, Corpus Christi College, Oxford Richard Price, Heythrop College, University of London Claudia Rapp, Institut für Byzantinistik und Neogräzistik, Universität Wien Judith Ryder, University of Oxford Raymond Van Dam, University of Michigan Michael Whitby, University of Birmingham Ian Wood, University of Leeds General Editors Gillian Clark, University of Bristol Mark Humphries, Swansea University Mary Whitby, University of Oxford LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 1 06/03/2013 08:56 A full list of published titles in the Translated Texts for Historians series is available on request. The most recently published are shown below. Nemesius: On the Nature of Man Translated with introduction and notes by R. W. SHARPLES and P. J. VAN DER EIJK Volume 49: 283pp., 2008, ISBN 978-1-84631-132-1 Sources for the History of the School of Nisibis Translated with introduction and notes by ADAM H. BECKER Volume 50: 217pp., 2008, ISBN 978-1-84631-161-1 Acts of the Council of Constantinople of 553: with related texts on the Three Chapters Controversy Translated with an introduction and notes by RICHARD PRICE Volume 51, 2 vols, 384pp + 360pp, 2009, ISBN 9781846311789 Three Political Voices from the Age of Justinian: Agapetus – Advice to the Emperor, Dialogue on Political Science, Paul the Silentiary – Description of Hagia Sophia Translated with notes and an introduction by PETER N. BELL Volume 52: 249pp, ISBN 978-1-84631-209-0 History and Hagiography from the Late Antique Sinai DANIEL F. CANER, with contributions by SEBASTIAN BROCK, RICHARD M. PRICE and KEVIN VAN BLADEL Volume 53: 346pp, ISBN 978-1-84631-216-8 Orosius: Seven Books of History against the Pagans Translated with introduction and notes by A. T. FEAR Volume 54: 456pp., 2010; ISBN 978-1-84631-473-5 cased, 978-1-84631-239-7 limp The Chronicle of Pseudo-Zachariah Rhetor: Church and War in Late Antiquity Translated by GEOFFREY GREATREX, with ROBERT PHENIX and CORNELIA HORN; introductory material by SEBASTIAN BROCK and WITOLD WITAKOWSKI Volume 55: 2010; ISBN 978-1-84631-493-3 cased, 978-1-84631-494-0 limp Bede: On the Nature of Things and On Times Translated with introduction and notes by CALVIN B. KENDALL and FAITH WALLIS Volume 56: 371pp., 2010, ISBN 978-1-84631-495-7 Theophilus of Edessa’s Chronicle Translated with introduction and notes by ROBERT G. HOYLAND Volume 57: 368pp., 2011, ISBN 978-1-84631-697-5 cased, 978-1-84631-698-2 limp For full details of Translated Texts for Historians, including prices and ordering information, please write to the following: All countries, except the USA and Canada: Liverpool University Press, 4 Cambridge Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZU, UK (Tel +44-[0]151-794 2233, Fax +44-[0]151-794 2235, Email [email protected], http://www.liverpool universitypress.co.uk). USA and Canada: University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, US (Tel 773-702-7700, Fax 773-702-9756, www.press.uchicago.edu) LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 2 06/03/2013 08:56 Translated Texts for Historians Volume 58 Bede: Commentary on Revelation Translated with an introduction and notes by FAITH WALLIS Liverpool University Press LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 3 06/03/2013 08:56 First published 2013 Liverpool University Press 4 Cambridge Street Liverpool, L69 7ZU Copyright © 2013 Faith Wallis The right of Faith Wallis to be identified as the author of this book has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A British Library CIP Record is available. ISBN 978-1-84631-844-3 cased ISBN 978-1-84631-845-0 limp Set in Times by Koinonia, Manchester Printed and bound by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 4 06/03/2013 08:56 To the ‘Bede-niks’ of Kalamazoo and Leeds LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 5 06/03/2013 08:56 LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 6 06/03/2013 08:56 CONTENTS Acknowledgements ix Abbreviations xi Introduction 1. Bede and the Latin Tradition of Exegesis of Revelation 5 1.1 The Roots of Bede’s Major Exegetical Theme 7 1.2 Victorinus of Pettau 9 1.3 Apocalyptic Retreats and Revivals in the Fourth Century 11 1.4 Tyconius 14 1.5 The Tyconian Tradition from Augustine to the End of the Sixth Century 16 2. Bede’s Immediate Sources and How He Used Them 22 2.1 ‘Commaticum interpretandi genus’ 23 2.2 A Mosaic of Quotations 25 2.3 Reconstructing Bede’s Use of Tyconius 28 2.4 The Occlusion of Primasius 30 2.5 Did Bede Read Caesarius? 31 2.6 Bede’s Borrowings from Augustine 32 2.7 Bede Reads Jerome and Gregory 33 2.8 Was Bede’s Exegesis Influenced by Visual Sources? 34 2.9 Bede and the Text of the Bible 38 3. Date and Circumstances of Composition 39 3.1 The Significance of the Date of Composition 39 3.2 The Commentary on Revelation and the Preface to the Commentary on Acts 40 3.3 Obstrepentes causae? 43 3.4 An Apocalyptic Eighth Century? 51 4. Shape and Style of the Commentary on Revelation 58 4.1 The Poem of Bede the Priest 58 LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 7 06/03/2013 08:56 viii CONTENTS 4.2 Bede’s Preface: The Structure of Revelation and the ‘periochae’ 59 4.3 Bede’s Preface: The Methodological Framework 67 4.4. The Unscheduled Future: How Bede Shapes the Meaning of Revelation 73 4.5 Judgement and Reform 82 5. Bede’s Commentary on Revelation: Transmission and Translation 86 5.1 Transmission in Manuscript 86 5.2 The Commentary in Print 92 5.3 Principles Governing the Present Translation 94 Bede: Commentary on Revelation The Poem of Bede the Priest 99 Preface 101 Book 1 107 Book 2 161 Book 3 218 Appendix: The capitula lectionum on Revelation Ascribed to Bede 287 Select Bibliography 292 Index of Sources and Parallels 309 General Index 339 LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 8 06/03/2013 08:56 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The seeds of this translation were sown many decades ago at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto, in the margins (so to speak) of a research essay on Bede’s use of Augustine which I wrote for Prof. Jocelyn N. Hillgarth’s memorable seminar on the medieval transmission and recep- tion of the City of God. These seeds remained buried for some years, as I turned my attention to Bede’s scientific writings on time; but Bede’s exeget- ical reflections on the beginning and end of time always seemed to me to be an essential thread in the complex web of his thinking on this difficult subject. The major obstacle to publishing a translation of the Commentary on Revelation was the want of a reliable modern edition of the original text. This has recently been furnished by Dr Roger Gryson, but even before his edition appeared in print, Dr Gryson gave me very valuable advice, and proposed important corrections to my translations. As the seeds sprouted and put out their first leaves, I had the privilege of a month’s visit, thanks to a Universitas 21 fellowship, from Peter Darby, then a doctoral student at the University of Birmingham. Technically, I was supervising his visiting studentship; in reality, we were exchanging our work, commenting on each other’s drafts (I on Peter’s thesis-in-progress, he on this translation), and enjoying long, digressive conversations about Bede’s views on the course of time, and the events that would announce its end. Peter is now Dr Darby of the University of Leicester, but his generous concern with this transla- tion has remained constant, and I am thankful for his perceptive and careful reading of the penultimate draft. Peter and I first met at Kalamazoo, in one of the legendary series of Bede sessions organized by Prof. Scott DeGregorio. Over the years, these sessions have contributed enormously to my thinking about Bede in general, and the Commentary on Revelation in particular, and Peter is continuing the tradition at both Kalamazoo and Leeds. Scott himself kept up the pressure on me to complete the Commentary, and kindly vetted the Introduction. To honour Scott, Peter, and the other scholars whose devotion to these annual gatherings furnished so much to the project – and whose ‘sapient colloquy’ over cakes and ale is such a pleasure – this volume LUP_Wallis_Bede_Revel_00_Prelims.indd 9 06/03/2013 08:56 x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is dedicated to the ‘Bede-niks’ of Kalamazoo and Leeds. The Bede-niks are an inclusive club, and to thank the members individually would be impos- sible; nonetheless, I cannot miss this opportunity to send particular saluta- tions to George Hardin Brown, Calvin Kendall, Paul Hilliard, Tom Mackay, Jo Story, Alan Thacker, and Josh Westgard.