The Kingdom (Elgar) There is a double chorus with semichorus, and four soloists representing: The Blessed Virgin (soprano), Mary Magdalene (contralto), St John (tenor), and St Peter (bass). The work is in five parts, each played without a break, preceded by a prelude. Words were selected by Elgar from the Acts of the Apostles, supplemented by material mainly from the Gospels. As in Elgar's other mature oratorios, the Prelude introduces the main musical themes and sets the mood. The music is lyrical and mystical, with less narrative drive than in "The Apostles". Its most memorable moments are the ecstatic depiction of Pentecost, Mary's
Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles the origins of Christianity are the "Antiquities of the Jews" by the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus, and the "Church History" of Eusebius. Josephus and Luke-Acts are thought to be approximately contemporaneous, around AD 90, and Eusebius wrote some two and a quarter centuries later. Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles The historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles, the principal historical source for the Apostolic Age, is of interest for biblical scholars and historians of Early Christianity as part of the debate over the historicity of the Bible. Archaeological inscriptions and other independent sources show that Acts contains