The real history of the end of the world / Sharan Newman.

"Apocalyptic predictions from Revelation and Nostradamus to Y2K and 2012" - Cover.

Includes bibliogr. references and index.

Before the Common Era. Nothing but humankind and the stars ; Akkadians, Babylonians, and Hittites, oh my! ; Ancient Egypt : keeping the world in balance ; Thus spake Zoroaster : the ancient Persian cosmos ; India : the Great Mandala ; The Book of Daniel -- The first five centuries of the Common Era : defining the end. Apocalypses everywhere The first Christians ; John of Patmos and his revelation ; Chinese millennial movements I : the Yellow Turbans : Montanism ; Augustine and the Apocalypse -- The Middle Ages. The calm between the panics ; The prophecies of Merlin ; Setting the clock : the Maya ; Messiahs, the Antichrist,and the Apocalypse in early Islam ; Joachim of Fiore : monk, prophet, and superstar -- All hell breaks loose : the Renaissance and Reformation. Any minute now : the millennial Renaissance and Enlightenment ; The Hussites and Taborites : a scandal in Bohemia ; Savonarola and decadent Florence ; Nostradamus ; Sabbatai Sevi : almost the Messiah ; The Russian old believers, or, "If it was good enough for Grandpa--" ; The fifth Monarchy ; The founders of modern science -- The millennial nineteenth century. Heaven on earth ; The Cherokee Ghost Dance of 1811-1812 ; The Millerites ; The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming : the shakers ; The Mummyjums ; Chinese millennial movements II : Jesus little brother ; The doomsealers -- Doomsday just around the corner : the nervous twentieth century. The new apocalyptic age ; Modern Mahdi : the guided One in world Islam ; Cargo cults, messiahs, and the end of the world : millennial activity in Melanesia ; The fifth world : Hopi prophecy and 2012 ; The Branch Davidians ; The bible Code ; Y2Y : apocalyptic technophobia ; The Rapture, or, "If you hear a trumpet, grab the steering wheel" -- Still waiting for the end. End-time scenarios ; The end of the end.