This book is a critical review of apocalyptic Jewish literature, with a focus on the books that are believed to have influenced Jesus and the apostles. The author discusses the historical context of these books, their literary styles, and their theological significance. This book will be of interest to anyone interested in the history of religion or biblical scholarship. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.