Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: The Crusades, Apocalyptic Prophecy, and the End of History

319 Pages·2019·42.852 MB·English

by  Rubenstein, Jay

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Nebuchadnezzar’s
Dream
THE CRUSADES, APOCALYPTIC PROPHECY,
AND THE END OF HISTORY
Jay Rubenstein
1
1
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.
It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship,
and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of
Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries.
Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America.
© Jay Rubenstein 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press,
or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with
the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning
reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the
Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above.
You must not circulate this work in any other form
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rubenstein, Jay, 1967– author.
Title: Nebuchadnezzar’s dream : the Crusades, apocalyptic prophecy, and the
end of history / Jay Rubenstein.
Description: New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2019] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018008319 | ISBN 9780190274207 (hardback : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Crusades—First, 1096–1099. | Crusades—Second, 1147–1149. |
Jerusalem—History—Latin Kingdom, 1099–1244. | End of the world—History
of doctrines—Middle Ages, 600–1500.
Classification: LCC D161.2 .R746 2019 | DDC 956/.014--dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2018008319
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc.
United States of America
For Edward

CONTENTS
List of Figures ix
List of Tables xi
Maps xiii
Preface xvii
part i: Prophecy and the First Crusade 1
chapter 1: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, 600 bce 3
chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, 1106 ce 7
chapter 3: Building Blocks of the Apocalypse 21
chapter 4: The Oncoming Madness of Antichrist 35
chapter 5: Sacred Geography 49
part ii: Warning Signs 65
chapter 6: Crusaders Behaving Badly 67
chapter 7: Troubling News from the East 80
part iii: Prophecy Revised (1144–1187) 99
chapter 8: The Second Crusade’s Miraculous Failure 101
chapter 9: Translatio imperii: Leaving Jerusalem 123
chapter 10: Apocalypse Begins at Home 143
part iv: The New Iron Kingdom 165
chapter 11: Jerusalem Lost 167
chapter 12: The Crusade of Joachim of Fiore 181
vii
viii Contents
conclusion: The Ongoing Madness of Antichrist 208
Acknowledgments 221
Notes 223
Select Bibliography 259
Index 269
LIST OF FIGURES
figure 1: Michael Battling the Dragon
figure 2: Augustus Caesar at the Fulcrum of History
figure 3: Lambert’s Illustration of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
figure 4: Antichrist Seated on Dragon
figure 5: Antichrist’s Activity from the Book of Revelation
figure 6: The Saint-Bertin Map of Jerusalem
figure 7: A Crocodile
figure 8: Alexander the Great
figure 9: Rome and Babylon in Otto of Freising’s Two Cities
figure 10: Augustus Caesar in Otto of Freising’s Two Cities
figure 11: Otto the Great in Otto of Freising’s Two Cities
Figure 12: Henry IV Faces Henry V at the Regen River
figure 13: Antichrist Emerges from the Loins of the Church
figure 14: Frederick Barbarossa on the Eve of Departing for Jerusalem
figure 15: Joachim’s Red Dragon
figure 16: Two Trees, Representing Joachim’s Two status of History
ix