A researcher has stated that the Book of Revelation in the Bible deliberately employs language and terminology found in the curse tablets of ancient Rome.
According to a new study, the mysterious language of the Book of Revelation (famous for its strange imagery, including a red beast with seven heads and a female figure symbolizing the wickedness of Babylon) was intentionally crafted to resemble the language used in the “curse tablets” of ancient Rome.
Strange imagery in the Book of Revelation includes the prophet (to the left) and a seven-headed red beast or dragon that may symbolize Satan. This image is from the Flemish Apocalypse, a manuscript of the Book of Revelation created in the 15th century.
The study suggests that the Book of Revelation, a part of the Bible written in the late first century AD, attempted to differentiate true religion from the cults of the Roman Empire by conveying its message in a distinct manner.
Michael Hölscher, a researcher in the Biblical Studies department at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, is conducting a research project examining the similarities between the Book of Revelation and the Roman curse tablets for the German Research Foundation (DFG).
He points to an important example from the Book of Revelation where God is described as “binding” and “casting out” Satan. Similar terminology is found in the Roman curse tablets, known as “defixiones”—a Latin term meaning “to bind”—which refers to forcing a victim to perform a certain action.
Another example is how the Book of Revelation describes its enemies in a manner akin to the curse tablets. For instance, Revelation Chapter 13 prophesies that “the mark of the beast” will be imposed on everyone, regardless of wealth, freedom, or slavery…
The Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation (also known as Revelation to John or the Apocalypse of John) is interpreted by most modern scholars as an effort to prophesy about the end times and the second coming of Jesus Christ.
A lead curse tablet.
According to the Book of Revelation, non-believers will be cast into hell, while Christians will ascend to heaven during the second coming.
Scholar Bart Ehrman states that the author of the Book of Revelation is believed to be a person named John of Patmos, who wrote it around 96 AD after witnessing or hearing about the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
The Book of Revelation depicts the apocalypse with imagery familiar to early Christians. It also introduces the “number of the beast”, which may refer to the Roman Emperor Nero, whose name corresponds to the number “666” in Hebrew numerology and who was notorious for brutally persecuting Christians.
Hölscher notes that not only is the expression in the Book of Revelation inspired by the Roman curse tablets, but also the actions described. For instance, an angel throws a large stone to destroy Babylon, reminiscent of a cursing ritual.
He adds that the influence of the curse tablets is also evident in the linguistic elements stemming from the practice of writing curses. For example, characters associated with the deities in the Book of Revelation often inscribe the names of those deities on their bodies—such as followers of the beast bearing its name or number on their hands or foreheads.
These curse tablets have been found throughout the ancient Roman Empire, from Britain to Egypt, and were widely circulated, although they were considered black magic and were prohibited by Roman law.
They include various curses intended to harm enemies, often inscribed on thin sheets of lead that were then placed in a location only the gods could see.
However, the similarities between the curse tablets and the Book of Revelation are not convincing to all experts and remain a topic of debate.
