LittleNipper wrote:Saint Ignatius placed the date for Revelatiuon to be about 96 AD and attributed it to one author... The books of First, Second, and Third John are believed by many to have been written between 85-95 AD. That would make Revelation the newest /last book of the Bible written.
But since there is no outside testimony of the book before Iranaeus, should not one also consider the text itself? The St. Ignatiius "tradition" relies solely on that single Iraneaeus statement.
After all your assertion that it was written about 96AD is nothing more than tradition, correct?
For example, if one considers the 7-headed beast to be the 7 roman emperors up to the fall of Israel, then the text must surely pre-date 70 ad.
What about Rev 1:1-3, 2:5, 3:3, 22:6-7, etc...surely the 2nd Advent is being noted as near in time...hardly supportive of 96AD, more likely circa 60AD.
Does not John speak about the people who pierced Christ being present at His return (Rev 1:7)?
Rev 11 speaks of the Temple being destroyed, which occurs 70AD.
...point being there is much more "evidence" that the Book(s) of Revelation were written before 96AD, than just the tradition handed down from St Iggy.