Texts in Conversation
Revelation’s image of a woman seated on seven mountains may be influenced by 1 Enoch’s vision of seven mountains, where the central peak is God's throne. Both use mountain imagery to symbolize power and authority, based on traditions in the Hebrew Bible.
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1 Enoch 24:3
Pseudepigrapha
2 I went beyond it and saw seven magnificent mountains, each distinct from the others, with stones that were magnificent and beautiful, overall glorious in appearance and fair exterior: three towards the east, stacked one on top of the other, and three towards the south, each one upon the other, with deep rough ravines, none of which connected with any other. 3 The seventh mountain was in the midst of these, and it was the tallest, resembling the seat of a throne, with fragrant trees encircling the throne. 4 Among these trees was one that I had never smelled before, unlike any other; it had a scent beyond all scents, and its leaves, blooms, and wood never wither; its fruit was beautiful and resembled the dates of a palm. 5 Then I said: 'How beautiful is this tree, and fragrant, with fair leaves and blooms very delightful in appearance.'
Date: 200-50 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Revelation 17:9
New Testament
8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come. 9 (This requires a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 10 five have fallen; one is, and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction.
Date: 92-96 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The depiction of the woman seated on seven mountains has an antithetical parallel in
the two versions of Enoch's vision of the seven mountains in 1 Enoch 18:6–8 and 24:1, 25:3. In 1 Enoch 18:8, the middle mountain is said to reach to heaven, like the throne of the Lord. In 1 Enoch 24:3, the seven mountains appear to form a throne where the Lord of Glory will sit when he comes to visit the earth (25:3) ..."
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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