The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (2Bar) belongs to a group of pseudepigrapha written under the name of Baruch. Other writings of this group are the Apocryphal Book of Baruch (Baruch), the Greek Apocalypse of Baruch (3 Bar) and the Rest of the Words of Baruch (4Bar), also called Paraleipomena Jeremiou (PJ). The last two works were written in the first centuries ad and show considerable Christian influence. (See also the introduction to the Paraleipomena Jeremiou, pp. 213–16.)

In the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah Baruch is mentioned several times. He is a faithful servant of the prophet Jeremiah, acting as his secretary (36:4 and 45:1–2) and representative (36:8 and 13–14). He is called ‘the scribe’ (36:26–7 and 32). In the present work Baruch receives information about the future which he has to reveal to Jeremiah and others (5:5, cp. 2:1). With Enoch and Ezra he has become one of the most famous apocalyptic figures in Judaism.

Documentary evidence

Until recently the Apocalypse of Baruch was only known from a Syriac manuscript dating from the sixth or seventh century ad. Since the beginning of this century two fragments have come to light in Greek (12:1–13:2 and 13:11–14:3) from the fourth or fifth century. Small fragments of the text, again in Syriac, have been discovered in lectionaries of the Jacobite Church.