Includes bibliographical references (pages 445-458) and index.

pt. 1. Text and transmission: -- Hebrew and Greek -- The versions secondary to the Greek -- Relations between the versions -- Group 1: the Latin and Syriac versions -- The Latin version -- The Arabic Latin fragment -- The new Greek fragment -- The second Armenian version -- The Slavonic version -- The second Georgian version -- The Hebrew version -- The Syriac version -- The Syro-Arabic version -- The Arabic 1 version -- Group 2: the Ethiopic, Georgian, and Coptic versions -- The Ethiopic version -- The Georgian version -- The Coptic version -- The Arabic 2 version -- The Armenian version -- Assessment of the textual situation -- pt. 2. Date, place, and original language -- Date -- Place of composition -- Original language -- pt. 3. Chief critical issues -- The chief critical issues -- The source theory -- Theories of literary unity -- Gunkel -- Some subsequent views -- Brandenburger -- Breech -- Hayman -- Knibb -- Thompson -- pt. 4. The present commentary -- Our view of literary unity -- Use of Preexistent sources -- Reuse of existent Gattungen.

Of view on literary unity -- The overall meaning -- The overall meaning in previous scholarship -- Gunkel -- Brandenburger and Harnisch -- Structural aspects of development in version 1-3 -- "The way of the most high" and Ezra's development -- Our approach -- Our analysis of the significance of the framework -- Development inherent in formal structures -- Structural indications of pivotal positions of vision 4 -- Structural elements of the dream visions -- Structural indications in vision 7 -- Conclusions from structure -- Ezra -- Ezra and the angel: Brandenburger and Harnisch -- What happened to Ezra? -- Ezra's conversion -- The odyssey of Ezra's soul -- Ezra and revelation -- Accounting for vision 7 -- Ezra as prophet and "the end of the times"--"The end of the times" and esoteric revelations -- Vision 7 and revealed knowledge -- Vision 7 as revelation of exoteric knowledge -- The central theme of 4 Ezra -- The "message" of the book -- pt. 5. 4 Ezra in Jewish literature -- An apocalypse -- The figure of Ezra -- 4 Ezra and known Jewish groups or sects.

4 Ezra, 2 apocalypse of Baruch and biblical antiquities -- Social matrix and function -- Evidence from Messianism -- Esotericism and sectarianism -- Cognate writings and cognate groups -- The seer in society -- Concluding remarks -- Appendix: 4Q pseudo-Ezekiel -- pt. 6. Ezra in Christian tradition -- 4 Ezra in the early church -- Other writings of Ezra -- Greek apocalypse of Ezra -- Visions of Ezra -- Apocalypse of Sedrach -- Questions of Ezra -- Astrological works of Ezra -- Postscript -- Islamic developments -- Commentary.

Of view on literary unity -- The overall meaning -- The overall meaning in previous scholarship -- Gunkel -- Brandenburger and Harnisch -- Structural aspects of development in version 1-3 -- "The way of the most high" and Ezra's development -- Our approach -- Our analysis of the significance of the framework -- Development inherent in formal structures -- Structural indications of pivotal positions of vision 4 -- Structural elements of the dream visions -- Structural indications in vision 7 -- Conclusions from structure -- Ezra -- Ezra and the angel: Brandenburger and Harnisch -- What happened to Ezra? -- Ezra's conversion -- The odyssey of Ezra's soul -- Ezra and revelation -- Accounting for vision 7 -- Ezra as prophet and "the end of the times"--"The end of the times" and esoteric revelations -- Vision 7 and revealed knowledge -- Vision 7 as revelation of exoteric knowledge -- The central theme of 4 Ezra -- The "message" of the book -- pt.5. 4 Ezra in Jewish literature -- An apocalypse -- The figure of Ezra -- 4 Ezra and known Jewish groups or sects.