The Antichrist legend, Engl. with a prologue on the Babylonian dragon myth by A.H. Keane

Originally published in German as 'Der Antichrist' in 1895, this seminal work by the theologian Wilhelm Bousset sought to trace the development of the Antichrist myth from its roots in Jewish apocalyptic literature through early Christian tradition. The study was highly influential for its time, as Bousset successfully identified the synthesis of disparate historical motifs, such as the Nero legend and the figure of the primal dragon, into a unified eschatological narrative.

This English translation, released in 1896 by A.H. Keane, was designed to introduce the German historical-critical method to a broader scholarly audience. Keane, a distinguished ethnologist and linguist, provided a prologue that contextualized the work within the framework of the Babylonian dragon myth, aiming to ground Bousset's theological findings in a wider comparative religious history. The volume was received as a rigorous academic contribution, bridging the gap between biblical criticism and the emerging field of folklore studies.