Appraising the Myth of Nero Redivius in the Interpretation of Revelation

Abstract

"According to the most widely accepted interpretation of the book of Revelation, the Emperor Nero, the Roman Empire, and the imperial cult in Asia Minor loom large in the symbolic foreground of the book, reflective of the conviction that John is addressing the historical situation contemporary to him. To Wilhelm Bousset, “the observation that the core of the prophecy in the Apocalypse refers to the then widely held expectation of Nero redivivus is in my opinion an immovable point that will not again be surrendered, the rocher de bronce of the contemporary historical interpretation against which all contrary points of view so far have been dashed to pieces.”1 While Bousset’s view of the myth of Nero’s return in Revelation has occasionally been challenged, the tone of his statement implies that anyone wishing to question it runs the risk of having his or her reputation diminished, if not dashed to pieces"