One of the few books of the canonical apocrypha not found in the Septuagint. While it probably was composed in Greek, it has survived only in translations [Latin, Syriac, etc.], except for a small Greek papyrus fragment of ch. 15 [pOxy 1010]. The core of the work [ch. 3-14] is a composite Jewish apocalypse composed in the last 3rd of the 1st. c CE. The anti-Jewish preface & epilogue to the visions credited to the scribe Ezra [ch. 1-2, 15-16] were composed by later Christian scribes. Since early Greek & Latin translations of Nehemiah were entitled 2 Esdras, this book is often identified by the Vulgate title: 4 Esdras (or 4 Ezra).

Other resources on line:

• 2 Esdras - article in Wikipedia's web.

• 2 Esdras - RSV translation [posted by U of Michigan Library].

• 2 Esdras - Peter Kirby's gateway to translations, commentary & related scholarship [Early Jewish Writings].