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

319 Pages·2019·3.82 MB·English

by  Jay Rubenstein

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Nebuchadnezzar’s
Dream
THE CRUSADES, APOCALYPTIC PROPHECY,
AND THE END OF HISTORY
Jay Rubenstein
1
1
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© Jay Rubenstein 2019
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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