A History of the End of the World

A Theology for the Social Gospel (Rauschenbusch)

Therese of Lisieux

Thompson, Damian

Thompson, Hunter S.

Tiburtine Sibyl

Tolkin, Michael

Torah

Torrey, Reverend Reuben A.

Tribulation

Trinity (Atomic bomb, 1945)

Tripoli Prophecy (Cedars of Lebanon Prophecy)

The Twelve Caesars (Suetonius)

two witnesses vision

Tyconius

Tyler’s Rebellion (1381)

Ubertino da Casale

Vermeer, Jan

Voltaire

Waco Branch Davidians cult

Watchers (angels)

Watts, James

wealth/possessions

Weber, Timothy P.

Weinberger, Caspar

Wesley, John

West, Samuel

Whisenant, Edgar

Whiston, William

White, Ellen

The White Goddess (Graves)

White Jacket (Melville)

White, James

Who Wrote the Bible? (Friedman)

Wieseltier, Leon

Wigglesworth, Michael

Wilkerson, David

William the Conqueror

Wills, Garry

Winthrop, John

woman (pregnant)/red dragon symbolism

women: Beguines community of; condemning attitude toward; inquisitor actions against; John’s attitude toward sexual conduct and; Revelation readings by

World War I

World War II

year 1000 belief

Yeats, William Butler

Yeshua bar Yosef. See also Jesus (historical)

Zealots (Franciscan order Spirituals)

Zealots (Jewish)

Zelazny, Roger

Zevi, Shabbatzi

Zionism: Christian; Jewish

Zoroastrian writings

Zwingli, Ulrich

Acknowledgments

As always, my first thought is for my wife and lifelong best friend, Ann Benjamin Kirsch, and my children, Jennifer Rachel Kirsch and Adam Benjamin Kirsch, whose love, encouragement and support were and are indispensable to the writing of this book and to every aspect of my life and work.

Along with my family, this book is dedicated to my brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Caroline Kirsch, my sister and brother-in-law, Marya and Ron Shiflett, and my aunt, Lillian Conrad Heller, cherished relations and, more than that, gracious and generous human beings.

I am deeply grateful to Gideon Weil, my editor at HarperSanFrancisco, and Laurie Fox, my agent and friend, who have brought their vision and wisdom to bear in the making of this book.

Among the many people at Harper San Francisco with whom I also worked, with both pleasure and admiration, were Michael Maudlin, Mark Tauber, Kris Ashley, Krista Holmstrom, Lisa Zuniga, Cynthia DiTiberio, Carl Walesa, and Joseph Rutt.

All of my work is supported and improved, literally every day of the week, by my colleague and dear friend, Judy Woo.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Jack Miles, Karen Armstrong, and K.C. Cole, whose books have always been a source of illumination and inspiration, and whose friendships are among the greatest rewards of my life.

I am also grateful for the support of David Noel Freedman, Leonard Shlain, Don Akenson, and David Rosenberg, each of whom has offered encouragement at crucial moments and in an important ways.

I have been supported and encouraged by family, friends, and colleagues to whom I now express my heartfelt appreciation:

My beloved daughter-in-law, Remy Elizabeth Holzer, and her family, Harold, Edith and Meg Holzer.

My niece, Heather Kirsch, and my nephew and his wife, Joshua and Jennifer (Kibrick) Kirsch.

Eui Sook (Angie) Yoon, Charlie Alexiev, Jacob Gabay, and Inge-Lise DeWolfe.

Leslie A. Klinger, gifted author and attorney.

Candace Barrett Birk and Raye Birk, Maryann Rosenfeld and Shelly Kadish, Pat and Len Solomon, John Rechy and Michael Ewing, Diane Leslie and Fred Huffman.

Jane Fitch, Carolyn See, Bernadette Shih, Dora Levy Mossanen, Rhoda Huffey, and Dolores Sloan.

Linda Chester and her colleagues at the Linda Chester Agency.

Michele Goldman, who provided research assistance into Jewish apocalyptic texts and traditions.

David Ulin, Nick Owchar, Orli Low, Kristina Lindgren, Sara Lippincott, Susan Salter Reynolds and Ethel Alexander at the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

Doug Brown, Tom Crouch, Barbara Morrow, Maret Orliss, and Kristine Erbstoesser at the Los Angeles Times.

Jan Nathan and Terry Nathan at the Publishers Marketing Association.

Sarah Spitz and Ruth Seymour at KCRW-FM.