Pavel V. Kuzenkov The Eschatological Background of the Islamic Conquests and the Statement of the Eras in the Christendom and the Judaism

Abstract

The Hijra era, in the context of Islam, begins the countdown of a new era in the history of mankind. But few people remember that in the same 7th century, two more eras came into use, which soon became the main ones for the eastern and western parts of the Christian world. There is reason to believe that both of these eras — from the creation of the world «according to the Romans» and after the Nativity of Christ according to Dionysius — came into use in order to respond to the «eschatological» challenge associated with the transition of the world to the 7th («Saturday») millennium (6000–7000 years from Adam) according to the chronology of the Septuagint at the turn of the 5th–6th centuries and the subsequent period of instability. Both eras were based on the concept of the «Christian Year 1000» — a period of world history dedicated to God, mystically comparable to the last day of creation. A little later, already as a response to the Christian idea, the Jewish era of creation came into use, based on the brief chronology of the Pentateuch, accepted in the rabbinic tradition.

Keywords

Сhronology, Eschatology, Apocalyptic, Era, Christianity, Judaism

For Citation

Kuzenkov P.V. The Eschatological Background of the Islamic Conquests and the Statement of the Eras in the Christendom and the Judaism // Historical Reporter. 2025. Vol. 53. P. 96-117. DOI: 10.35549/HR.2025.2025.53.001

Pavel V. Kuzenkov

C.Sc. (History), Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of General History and World Culture, Institute of Social Sciences and International Relations, Sevastopol State University, Sevastopol, Russian Federation.
e-mail: pk407@mail.ru
SPIN-код: 6841-1230
ORCID: 0000-0002-8394-4319
AuthorID: 519018

References

1. Ambrose (Polyansky), Bishop. The doctrine of the Kingdom of God based on the work of St. Augustine the Blessed «On the City of God». Tver: Bulat; 2003. 96 p. (in Russ.).
2. Bessonov I.A. Division of Weeks in Dan. 9:25: Origin of the version of Theodotion’s translation and its relation to the masoretic text. Bulletin of PSTGU. Series III: Philology. 2017:52(3):36–47 (in Russ.).
3. Bessonov I.A. Prophecies of the Book of Daniel: Origin, history of exegesis, interpretation. The kingdom of the Saints of the Most High and world history. St. Petersburg: Aleteya; 2019. 552 p. (in Russ.).
4. Butyrsky M.N. Christ – comes Augusti: On the Issue of the Numismatic Iconography of Justinian II. Antichnaya Drevnost’ i Srednie Veka. 2021;(Iss. 49):55–69 (in Russ.).
5. Byzantine historians: Dexippus, Eunapius, and others. Ryazan: Alexandria; 2003. 431 p. (in Russ.).
6. Vinogradov A.Yu., Kuzenkov P.V. Epigraphic evidence of the introduction of the era «from the Creation of the World», in: Only Letters are heard. On the anniversary of Albina Alexandrovna Medyntseva.Moscow: Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2019. P. 89–100 (in Russ.).
7. Voitenko A.A. Ideas of millenarianism in Egypt in the 1^st–4^thDialogue with Time. 2010;33:86–109 (in Russ.).
8. Eusebius of Caesarea. Church history. St. Petersburg: Izd-vo Olega Abyshko; 2013. 545 p. (in Russ.).
9. Kim N., priest. The Millennial Kingdom: Exegesis and history of interpretation of Chapter XX of the Apocalypse. Petersburg: Aleteya; 2003. 331 p. (in Russ.).
10. Kiryanov B., priest. A complete exposition of the truth about the Millennial Kingdom of the Lord on Earth: Theology of the apostolic men. St. Petersburg: Aleteya; 2001. 302 p. (in Russ.).
11. Clement of Alexandria. Vol. I: Books 1–3 (Prep. for ed., transl. and comm. by E.V. Afonasin). St. Petersburg: Izd-vo Olega Abyshko; 2003. 544 p. (in Russ.).
12. Kuzenkov P.V. George (1^sthalf of the 7^thcentury), monk and presbyter, in: Orthodox Encyclopedia. Moscow: Church–Science Center «Orthodox Encyclopedia»; 2006. P. 28 (in Russ.).
13. Kuzenkov P.V. The concept of «kingdom» (βασιλεία) in the 47^thnovella of Justinian the Great (537). Vizantiyskiy Vremennik. 2023;107:67–92 (in Russ.).
14. Kuzenkov P.V. Christian chronological systems. History of chronology in Patristic and Eastern Christian t Moscow: St. Basil the Great Russian Publishing Center; 2014. 992 p. (in Russ.).
15. Kuzenkov P.V. The era of Jubilees in Biruni and the prophecy of Khosrow II in Theophylact: Astrology and eschatology in the Hijra era, in: The Middle East and North Africa: From the pre-Islamic era to the Modern age. History. Geography. Society(Ed. by D.E. Mishin). Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 2023. P. 44–53 (in Russ.).
16. Nebolsin A.G.Tichonius the African – Interpreter of the Apocalypse. Bulletin of PSTGU. Series III: Philology. 2016;48(Iss. 3):102–117 (in Russ.).
17. Rozhdestvensky A.P. Revelation to Daniel about the seventy weeks. The experience of interpreting verses 24–27 of the 9^thchapter of the Book of Prophet Daniel: Master’s thesis. St. Petersburg: Synodal printing house; 1896. 274 p. (in Russ.).
18. Sysoev D.A., priest. Interpretation of the Book of the Prophet Daniel. Moscow: Daniil Sysoev Missionary Center; 2013. 320 p. (in Russ.).
19. Selected Works(Ed. by A.A. Stolyarov). Moscow: Publishing group «Progress», «Kul’tura»; 1994. 448 p. (in Russ.).
20. Babylonian Talmud: The William Davidson edition. Sefaria(web-source). URL: https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Talmud (Accessed on: 01.07.2025).
21. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; 1997. 56 p.
    The Hebrew Bible Stuttgart. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft; 1997. 56 p. (in Hebrew).
22. Daniélou J. Théologie du judéo-christianisme. Paris – Tournai: Desclée et Cie; 1958. 458 p.
    Daniélou J. Theology of Judeo-Christianity. Paris – Tournai: Desclée and Co; 1958. 458 p. (in French).
23. Diekamp F. Der Mönch und Presbyter Georgios, ein unbekannter Schriftsteller des 7. Jahrhunderts. Byzantinische Zeitschrift. 1900;9:14–51.
    Diekamp F. The monk and presbyter Georgios, an unknown writer of the 7^th Byzantine Journal. 1900;9:14–51 (in German).
24. Ioannis Malalas. Chronographia(Ed. by I. Thurn). Corpus fontium historiae byzantinae. Vol. 35. Berlin – New York: Walter de Gruyter; 2000. 551 p.
25. Divinae institutiones(Ed. J.-P. Migne). Patrologia Latina. T. 6. Paris, 1844. Col. 111–822.
    Lactantius. The divine institutions (Ed. by J.-P. Migne). Patrologia Latina. Vol. 6. Paris, 1844. Col. 111–822 (in Latin).
26. Magdalino P. The Year 1000 in Byzantium, in: Byzantium in the Year 1000(Ed. by P. Magdalino). Leiden – Boston: Brill; 2003. P. 233–270.
27. Podskalsky G.Byzantinische Reichseschatologie: Die Periodisierung der Weltgeschichte in den vier Grossreichen (Daniel 2 und 7) und dem Tausendjärigen Friedensreiche (Apok. 20): Eine motivgeschichtliche Untersuchung. München: W. Fink; 114 s.
    Podskalsky G. Byzantine Imperial eschatology: The periodization of world history in the four Great Empires (Daniel 2 and 7) and the Thousand-year Peace Empire (Apok. 20): A study of motif history. Munich: W. Fink; 1972. 114 p. (in German).
28. Rösch G. Ὄνομα βασιλείας: Studien zum offiziellen Gebrauch der Kaisertitel in spätantiker und frühbyzantinischer Zeit.Wien, 1978. 180 s.
    Rösch G. ὌΝομα βασιλείας: Studies on the official use of the imperial titles in late Antique and early Byzantine times. Vienna, 1978. 190 p. (in German).
29. Shoemaker S.J. A Prophet has appeared: The rise of islam through Christian and Jewish eyes: A sourcebook.Oakland: University of California Press; 320 p.
30. Shoemaker S.J. The apocalypse of Empire: Imperial eschatology in Late Antiquity and early Islam. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press; 2018. 272 p.
31. Suidae lexicon(Ed. by A. Adler). Pars III. Stuttgart: B.G. Teubner; 1967. 632 p.
    Suidas’s lexicon (Ed. by A. Adler). Vol. 3. Stuttgart: B.G. Teubner; 1967. 632 p. (in Latin).
32. De resurrectione carnis. Patrologia Latina. T. 2. Paris, 1879. Col. 837–962.
    Tertullian. The resurrection of the flesh. Patrologia Latina. Vol. 2. Paris, 1879. Col. 837–962 (in Latin).