Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

This book is intended as a practical tool to facilitate access to the Qumran collection of Dead Sea Scrolls. As such, it is primarily intended for classroom use and for the benefit of specialists from other disciplines (scholars working on the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament or Rabbinic literature, specialists on Semitic languages, on the History of Judaism or on the History of Religions, among others) who need a reliable compendium of all the relevant materials found in this collection. As such, it is not intended to compete with, let alone to replace, the editio princeps of the materials published in the series Discoveries in the Judaean Desert or outside this series, or the preliminary publications of materials which have not yet appeared in the DJD Series. The plates printed in the critical editions, as well as the transcriptions, translations and commentaries of the first editors are, and will always remain, the basis of all serious work on the Scrolls.
Whereas the evidence of the biblical manuscripts from Qumran will be shortly available in The Qumran Bible by E. Ulrich, this book offers a fresh transcription and an English translation of all the relevant non-biblical texts found at Qumran, arranged by serial number from Cave 1 to Cave 11. By biblical scrolls we understand here the copies of the books that subsequently emerged as the traditional Hebrew Bible, as well as the remains of tefillin and mezuzot which only contain quotations of those biblical books. In several cases the distinction between biblical and non-biblical texts is not clear-cut. Thus, the so-called Reworked Pentateuch consists mainly of the biblical text of the pentateuchal books, be it sometimes in a different order, but also has some sections with material that is not included in the Hebrew Bible; likewise, we have included the non-biblical psalms from the Psalms Scrolls 4Q88, 11Q5 and 11Q6. Not included are the scant remains of Ben Sira from Cave 2. The inclusion in the edition of these ‘additions’ does not imply a judgment on their ‘biblical’ or ‘non-biblical’ character. In three cases we have included texts not found at Qumran, but related to manuscripts from Qumran; this goes for the remains of the mediaeval copies of the Damascus Document and the Aramaic Levi Document found in the Cairo Genizah, and for the copy of the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice recovered at Masada.
The transcriptions of the material included in this edition are fresh transcriptions made by the authors, though it is a very pleasant duty to recognize the debt to all previous work by teachers and colleagues. Our transcriptions rely not only on the identification and placement of the many tens of thousands of fragments achieved by the original editors of the non-biblical scrolls, who arranged the fragments for the photographs made by the Palestine Archaeological Museum in the 1950s and 1960s, and the subsequent editions of these materials by the original editors, but also on all the editions done by other scholars.
Although we have consulted the available editions of the individual manuscripts, the responsibility for the transcriptions here presented is entirely ours. We have checked all the proposed readings against the photographs accessible to us: the photographs provided by the published editions, the photographs included in the Brill microfiche edition and the photographs available in the Oxford-Brill’s CDROM. In most cases one will find no or few significant differences from other transcriptions because these readings are imposed by the univocal manuscript evidence. In the case of ambiguous manuscript evidence, and in view of the practical purpose of this book, we have often adopted the suggestions of previous editors, rather than presenting alternative readings for the sake of originality and difference, even when such readings would be palaeographically or otherwise possible. The restorations of the text offered in the transcriptions are on the whole relatively sparse. The main exceptions are reconstructions based upon the preserved text of parallel copies of the same manuscript.
A considerable part of the materials was already accessible in translation in The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated. That translation has served as the base-text of the translations presented in this edition, but has been thoroughly checked and corrected by the authors. Of the greatest help for this revision was the Dutch translation by A.S. van der Woude included in F. García Martínez & A.S. van der Woude, De Rollen van de Dode Zee Ingeleid en in het Nederlands vertaald (Kampen: Kok, 1994, 1995). Although we have consulted most other translations of individual manuscripts, the responsibility for the translations here presented is also ours. The practical purpose of the book has shaped the final translation: to a large extent literal, neutral and close to the transcribed text, even if the outcome lacks finesse and is less fluent than some other presently available translations. On the whole the translation aims to be a translation of the transcribed text on the facing page. Exceptions have been made for texts like Tobit, Jubilees and 1 Enoch, where the translation fills in the lacunae on the basis of the known non-Hebrew versions for the benefit of the readers. Although we have tried to be generally consistent in the translation of technical terms, we have not established a chart of translation-equivalents to avoid imposing an uniform meaning upon texts which may be of different origin or of different epochs. Other differences of translation, and also, to some extent, method of transcription, may be attributed to the procedure followed by the authors: each author prepared his own lot, and revised the lot of the other author.
The practical purpose of the book has also governed the selection and the presentation of the materials. We have selected the materials on the basis of their extensiveness  and interest, discarding most of the minute fragments which add little to our knowledge. On some occasions we have hesitantly opted for the inclusion of very small and insignificant fragments, only to provide some idea of the material remains of certain compositions, and in order not to leave too many entries empty. On the other hand, larger but, in our opinion, less interesting fragments from manuscripts have been omitted. This means that, in general, we present the largest fragments of a manuscript, and a selection of the smaller ones. Even so, many Q numbers from the different caves are exclusively made up of  unidentified or unclassified fragments, and we have not attempted to reproduce these snippets. In spite of this, we consider this edition relatively complete for the nonbiblical scrolls, and as such it could be useful as a companion volume with transcriptions and translations for the users of the microfiche or the CD-ROM editions of the photographs of the manuscripts.
This same practical purpose has governed the presentation of the transcriptions. We have avoided all diacritical marks which indicate the degree of certainty of a reading. Readings which in our view are sufficiently assured or have a high degree of probability, even if the remains are minimal, are transcribed outside square brackets. When we are not reasonably assured of a reading, we have noted the letter within square brackets, as a reconstruction, or replaced it by one or more dots. We have not reproduced the extent of lacunae; three dots within square brackets ([…]) indicate any amount of missing text and three dots outside square brackets (]…[) any amount of unreadable (either undecipherable or meaningless) letters or words. Readings corrected by a copyist are indicated within accolades. The text printed within accolades ({…}) may represent erasures, letters with cancellation dots, or text otherwise marked by the copyist as not to be read. One particular type of scribal correction, the overwriting and reshaping of individual letters, has not always been presented in the transcription. The indication vacat in the transcription, and Blank in the translation, indicate any amount of space left blank in the manuscript, either intentionally (as indication of a new paragraph) or accidentally. Words written above the line or in Palaeohebrew characters in the manuscript are reproduced as such in our transcription. In only a limited number of cases we have indicated obvious mistakes in the text which have not been corrected by the copyist. Text presented within angled brackets (< >) was written in the manuscripts, but should, in our opinion, be read otherwise or be deleted. Text within round brackets either presents our addition to the text, or indicates our corrected reading of the preceding word or words.
The materials are arranged according to cave and serial number. For the materials which do not have a serial number (1QIsaa, 1QIsab, 1QHa, 1QM, 1QS, 1QapGen, 1QpHab, and the three included non-Qumranic texts)

This Survey Chart was created for Dr. Andreas Köstenberger and the biblical backgrounds Ph.D. seminar at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for Second Temple Jewish and Greco-Roman literature. This chart surveys the key literature, historical timeline, and information surrounding the Second Temple period as well as offers a select bibliography for each section for further research. This 234 page survey chart is divided into nine major sections: Second Temple History, Greek OT (LXX), OT Apocrypha, OT Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo and Josephus, Targums and Rabbinical Literature, NT Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, and Greco-Roman literature.

Der erste Teil einer unveröffentlichten Einleitung zu den Test XII. Das Manuskript bedarf der Umarbeitung. Stand: ca 2006. Erscheinungsdatum: offen. Neue Ideen lassen sich hier wohl trotzdem finden. Zitation möglich (nach Paragraphenzählung).

Although Fourth Ezra and Second Baruch roughly date to the same era (late 1st to mid-2nd century) and respond to the same catastrophe (destruction of the Second Temple), use the same narrative device of pseudepigraphy and narrative foil (destruction of the First Temple), it has been noted that their theologies and theodicies are markedly different. In addition, the narrative point of view also differs, informed as it is by the chosen narrator personae. Baruch is actually located in Jerusalem and near the Temple Mount in the wake of its destruction, whereas Ezra – by his own account – is removed in time (30 years after the destruction) and space (located in Babylonia). He is thus looking back and looking in.

This paper asks to what degree these different perspectives influence their portrayal of the city of Jerusalem.

It has now been published in: Interpreting 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch. Jason Zurawski, ed. (proceedings volume of the 6th Enoch Seminar, held in Milan (Italy), 26-30 June 2011). London/New York: T&T Clark, 2014: 138-152

This study examines the date of composition, the social setting, the provenance, and the religious affiliation of the eighteen Greek poems known as the Psalms of Solomon, a Palestinian Jewish pseudepigraphon from the first century B.C.E. The book is divided into two major historical units: Pompeian and pre-Pompeian era Psalms of Solomon. A separate chapter examines the remaining Psalms of which the precise historical backgrounds are uncertain. All chapters include a translation of the psalm under examination, textual notes, and a discussion of all the characters mentioned in the text. The book explores the Psalms of Solomon’s use of poetry to document Pompey’s 63 B.C.E. conquest of Jerusalem through a comparison with contemporary classical texts, Dead Sea Scrolls, and archaeology.

This paper is largely crap, I wrote it without knowing about Juan Pedro Monferrer-Sala's "Testamentum Salomonis Arabicum" (Universidad de Córdoba, 2006) which is an edition of the text. Now I obviously disagree with Monferrer-Sala's description/classification of the text as a recension of TestSol and I make a good case against it, describing the text as a composite and a sira of sorts. In addition to that, I identified further manuscripts and pointed out a Coptic connection (and a pretty cool one).

The focal point of this thesis is recent discussions and views on the supposedly lost Book of Noah by three scholars namely Michael Edward Stone, Divorah Dimant and Richard Steiner. Thus, the project examines the scholarly debates or discourse, tensions and discussions that are ongoing among scholars in the field of Pseudepigrapha studies particularly regarding the Book of Noah. It explores the different key moments/turns in the history of the Book of Noah about how scholars at different time periods and contexts have imagined and argued for or against the existence of such entity, and what this discussion may tell us about the development of studies of Jewish Antiquity as a modern discipline. It employs meta-critical literary analysis and Book History as method and theory respectively. The thesis belongs to the discipline History of Religions.

(Follow for Follow - Enjoy your read!!)

All credit goes to Steve Delemarter  for making this work!! 100s of hours spent in 2 summers putting together this Exhaustive work made me tired from just reading the journey and hard work this awesome gentleman put in to just make this work!!

Hb The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
Apocalyptic Literature and Testament - Volume 1
Edited  by - Edited By James H. Charles WorthThe Apocrypha, therefore, includes thirteen documents: 2 Ezra (= 1 Esdras),* Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, 1 Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Azariah with the Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees. Often two pseudepigrapha, 4 Ezra (= 2 Esdras)* and the Prayer of Manasseh,* are considered part of the Apocrypha. The thirteen documents in the Apocrypha, with the exception of Tobit, which may bThe Vision of Daniel, The Death of Abraham (both ed. by A. Vassiliev in Anecdota Graeco-Byzantina, vol. 1. Moscow, 1893), the Hebrew Apocalypse of Elijah (ed. and trans. M. Buttenwieser, Die hebrdische Ellas-Apokalypse. Leipzig, 1897), the Book of Jasher (ed. J. Hive, The Book of Jasher. Bristol, 1829), the Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan (ed. A. Dillmann, Das christliche Adambuch des Orients. Gottingen, 1853; ET: S. C. Malan, The Book of Adam and Eve. London, 1882), the Cave of Treasures (ed. C. Bezold, Die Schatzhohle: Syrisch und Deutsch, 2 vols. Leipzig, 1883, 1888; ET: E. A.
W. Budge, The Book of the Cave of Treasures. London, 1927), the Book of the Rolls (cf. M. D. Gibson, Apocrypha Arabica. Studia Sinaitica 8. London, 1901), the Sin of Solomon (unpublished, probably a homily, cf. Cod. Par. Gr. 1021, fols. 184v-185v in the Bibliotheque Nationale), Pirhe de Rabbi Eliezer (trans. G.
Friedlander, Pirfce de Rabbi Eliezer. New York, 1981 4), the Syriac Apocalypse of Ezra (ed. and trans. J.-B. Chabot,  4 4 L'Apocalypse d'Esdras," Revue semitique 2 [1894] 242-50, 333-46), the Book of the Bee (ed. and trans. E. A. W. Budge, The Book of the Bee. Anecdota Oxoniensia, Sem. Ser. 1.2. Oxford, 1886), and the Questions Addressed by the Queen (of Sheba), and Answers Given by Solomon (trans. J. Issaverdens, The Uncanonical Writings of the Old Testament. Venice, 1901).Josephus Ant Jewish Antiquities Apion Against Apion Life Life of Josephus War Jewish Wars New Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha EBar Epistle of Barnabas GBart Gospel of Bartholomew QuesBart Questions of Bartholomew lClem 1 Clement 2Clem 2 Clement PseudClemRec Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions Did Didache GEbion Gospel of the Ebionites GEgyp Gospel of the Egyptians GHeb Gospel of the Hebrews ShepHerm Shepherd of Hermes Aploan Apokalypsis tou hagiou Idannou Protlames Protoevangelium of James ActsJn Acts of John GMatthias Gospel of Matthias GNic Gospel of Nicodemus ActsPaul Acts of Paul ApPaul Apocalypse of Paul ApPet Apocalypse of Peter GPet Gospel of Peter PrPet Preaching of Peter ActsPhil Acts of Philip GPhil Gospel of Philip RevSteph Revelation of Stephen ActsThom Acts of Thomas ApThom Apocalypse of Thomas GThom Gospel of Thomas GTr Gospel of Truth ApVirg Apocalypse of the Virgin Early Fathers AdvHaer Epiphanius, Adversus haereses AposCon ApostoApMos Apocalypse of Moses AsMos Assumption of Moses PrMos Prayer of Moses TMos Testament of Moses BkNoah Book of Noah Ps-Orph Pseudo-Orpheus PJ Paraleipomena Jeremiou PhEPoet Philo the Epic Poet Ps-Philo Pseudo-Philo Ps-Phoc Pseudo-Phocylides FrgsPoetWrks Fragments of Poetical Works LivPro Lives of the Prophets HistRech History of the Rechabites ApSedr Apocalypse of Sedrach TrShem Treatise of Shem SibOr Sibylline Oracles OdesSol Odes of Solomon PssSol Psalms of Solomon TSol Testament of Solomon 5ApocSyrPss Five Apocryphal Syriac Psalms Thai Thallus Theod Theodotus T12P Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

Some Pseudepigrapha  and other Ancient Works +
Other Syriac and English , Arabic , Greek works listed below I myself can obtain if you message me !

Table of Contents

1. The Life of Adam and Eve (Apocalypse of Moses) (Arabic)
2. The Testament of Adam (Syriac and Arabic)
3. The Cave of Treasures (Syriac and Arabic)
4. The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan (Arabic)
5. ​The Book of Adam (Codex Nazaraeus; Mandean Fragment) (Syriac)
6. Life of Abel, by Symmachus (Syriac)
7. Syriac Book of Seth (Syriac)
8. 1 Enoch (Syriac)
9. Apocalypse of Enoch (Syriac)
10. Tractate of Shem (Syriac)
11. The Testament of Abraham (On the Death of Abraham) (Arabic)
12. History of Melchizedek (Syriac and Arabic)
13. Joseph and Asenath (Recension Two) (Syriac)
14. History of Joseph (Syriac)
15. History of Joseph, Son of Jacob [Version A] (Arabic)
16. History of Joseph, Son of Jacob [Version B] (Arabic)
17. History of Joseph (Arabic)
18. Dormition of Joseph, the Son of Jacob (Arabic)
19. Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (Syriac)
20. The Names of the Wives of the Patriarchs (Syriac)
21. The Conversation of Moses with God (Syriac and Arabic)
22. The Book of Jubilees (Syriac)
23. The Life of Moses (Arabic)
24. Instruction of David to Solomon (Arabic)
25. The Palace of Solomon (Arabic)
26. Questions of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon (Syriac)
27. Testament of Solomon to Rehoboam his son (Arabic)
28. The Final Counsel of Solomon (Arabic)
29. The Death of Solomon (Arabic)
30. Aphikia (2 Recensions) (Arabic)
31. History of the Rechabites (Syriac and Arabic)
32. History of the Prophet Elijah (Arabic)
33. ​History of the Prophet Elijah and the son of the Widow (Arabic)
34. ​​History of the Prophet Elijah and his Ascension (Arabic)
35. ​​Sermon of Elisha the Prophet on Sinners (Arabic)
36. ​​​Sermon of the Prophet Elisha on the necessity of purification (Arabic)
37. ​​​Prayer of Manasseh (Syriac and Arabic)
38. ​​​Prayer of Manasseh (Cited from the Apostolic Constitutions) (Syriac and Arabic)
​​​​39. Prayer of Manasseh (from the Byzantine Horologion) (Christian Palestinian Aramaic and Syriac)
​​​40. ​4 Esdras (The Apocalypse of Ezra) (Syriac and Arabic)
41. ​​​​​The Apocalypse of Ezra on the reign of the Arabs (Syriac)
42. ​History and Wisdom of Ahiqar (Syriac and Arabic)
43. ​​5 Maccabees (Syriac)
44. ​​History of St. Shamuni (Arabic)
45. ​​Syriac Apocryphal Psalms (Syriac)
46. ​​Odes of Solomon (Syriac)
47. ​​History of Job (Arabic)
​48. ​Psalms of Solomon (Syriac)
49. ​​The Lives of the Prophets (Syriac and Arabic)
50. ​​The History of Jonah (Syriac and Arabic)
51. ​​Habakkuk Apocryphon (Arabic)
​​52. History of Isaiah the Prophet (Arabic)
​​53. Apocryphon of Jeremiah on the Captivity of Babylon (Arabic)
​54. Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (2 Baruch) (Syriac and Arabic)
55. Epistle of Baruch (Syriac)
​​56. Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius (Syriac and Arabic)
​​​57. On our Lord and on the end written by the youth Daniel (Syriac)
​​58. ​ Fourteenth Vision of Daniel (Arabic)
​​​59. Apocalypse of Daniel (Arabic)
60. On Daniel and the boy Caleb (Arabic)
61. Conversation of Joseph and Nebuchadnezzar (Arabic)
​​​​62. The Tiburtine Sibyl (Syriac and Arabic)

This is the story of Adam and Eve after they had gone out of Paradise. And Adam knew his wife 2 Eve and went upwards to the sun-rising and abode there eighteen years and two months. And 3 Eve conceived and bare two sons; Adiaphotos, who is called Cain and Amilabes who is called Abel. 1 And after this, Adam and Eve were with one another and while they were sleeping, Eve said to Adam her lord: 'My lord, Adam, behold, 2 I have seen in a dream this night the blood of my son Amilabes who is styled Abel being poured into the mouth of Cain his brother and he went on drinking it without pity. But he begged him to leave him a little of it. Yet he hearkened 3 not to him, but gulped down the whole; nor did it stay in his stomach, but came out of his mouth. And Adam said, 'Let us arise and go 4 and see what has happened to them. (I fear) lest the adversary may be assailing them somewhere.'

Other Syriac and English , Arabic , Greek works listed below I myself can obtain if you message me !
Table of Contents
1. The Life of Adam and Eve (Apocalypse of Moses) (Arabic)
2. The Testament of Adam (Syriac and Arabic)
3. The Cave of Treasures (Syriac and Arabic)
4. The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan (Arabic)
5. ​The Book of Adam (Codex Nazaraeus; Mandean Fragment) (Syriac)
6. Life of Abel, by Symmachus (Syriac)
7. Syriac Book of Seth (Syriac)
8. 1 Enoch (Syriac)
9. Apocalypse of Enoch (Syriac)
10. Tractate of Shem (Syriac)
11. The Testament of Abraham (On the Death of Abraham) (Arabic)
12. History of Melchizedek (Syriac and Arabic)
13. Joseph and Asenath (Recension Two) (Syriac)
14. History of Joseph (Syriac)
15. History of Joseph, Son of Jacob [Version A] (Arabic)
16. History of Joseph, Son of Jacob [Version B] (Arabic)
17. History of Joseph (Arabic)
18. Dormition of Joseph, the Son of Jacob (Arabic)
19. Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (Syriac)
20. The Names of the Wives of the Patriarchs (Syriac)
21. The Conversation of Moses with God (Syriac and Arabic)
22. The Book of Jubilees (Syriac)
23. The Life of Moses (Arabic)
24. Instruction of David to Solomon (Arabic)
25. The Palace of Solomon (Arabic)
26. Questions of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon (Syriac)
27. Testament of Solomon to Rehoboam his son (Arabic)
28. The Final Counsel of Solomon (Arabic)
29. The Death of Solomon (Arabic)
30. Aphikia (2 Recensions) (Arabic)
31. History of the Rechabites (Syriac and Arabic)
32. History of the Prophet Elijah (Arabic)
33. ​History of the Prophet Elijah and the son of the Widow (Arabic)
34. ​​History of the Prophet Elijah and his Ascension (Arabic)
35. ​​Sermon of Elisha the Prophet on Sinners (Arabic)
36. ​​​Sermon of the Prophet Elisha on the necessity of purification (Arabic)
37. ​​​Prayer of Manasseh (Syriac and Arabic)
38. ​​​Prayer of Manasseh (Cited from the Apostolic Constitutions) (Syriac and Arabic)
​​​​39. Prayer of Manasseh (from the Byzantine Horologion) (Christian Palestinian Aramaic and Syriac)
​​​40. ​4 Esdras (The Apocalypse of Ezra) (Syriac and Arabic)
41. ​​​​​The Apocalypse of Ezra on the reign of the Arabs (Syriac)
42. ​History and Wisdom of Ahiqar (Syriac and Arabic)
43. ​​5 Maccabees (Syriac)
44. ​​History of St. Shamuni (Arabic)
45. ​​Syriac Apocryphal Psalms (Syriac)
46. ​​Odes of Solomon (Syriac)
47. ​​History of Job (Arabic)
​48. ​Psalms of Solomon (Syriac)
49. ​​The Lives of the Prophets (Syriac and Arabic)
50. ​​The History of Jonah (Syriac and Arabic)
51. ​​Habakkuk Apocryphon (Arabic)
​​52. History of Isaiah the Prophet (Arabic)
​​53. Apocryphon of Jeremiah on the Captivity of Babylon (Arabic)
​54. Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (2 Baruch) (Syriac and Arabic)
55. Epistle of Baruch (Syriac)
​​56. Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius (Syriac and Arabic)
​​​57. On our Lord and on the end written by the youth Daniel (Syriac)
​​58. ​ Fourteenth Vision of Daniel (Arabic)
​​​59. Apocalypse of Daniel (Arabic)
60. On Daniel and the boy Caleb (Arabic)
61. Conversation of Joseph and Nebuchadnezzar (Arabic)
​​​​62. The Tiburtine Sibyl (Syriac and Arabic)

In a special thematic issue of Journal of Ancient Judaism edited by Jonathan Kaplan and Kelley Coblentz Bautch.

Modern commentators on the Vitae Prophetarum have tended to assume that every prophet’s burial in this text was considered monumental in scale. A close examination of the language used to describe each burial yields a different picture. The monumentality of tombs is scarcely emphasized. Instead, the prophets are buried in one of three ways: in a more-or-less monumental rock-cut tomb just outside Jerusalem, in a rock-cut tomb on the prophet’s own property, or in an indistinct field grave. This typology agrees with the emerging archaeological record of socioeconomic distinctions in burial practices. Whereas Jewish elites were buried in rock-cut tombs around Jerusalem or, more modestly, on their own estates, non-elites were interred in simple trench graves. This study demonstrates that the Vitae Prophetarum corroborates this relationship between burial types and socioeconomic distinctions, placing priestly elites and landowners in rock-cut tombs but the humbler prophets in trench graves.

The Seventh Vision of Daniel (henceforth, 7Dan) is a lengthy vision composed in the late fifth century which predicts the destruction of the Roman Empire, the coming of the An-tichrist, and the end of the world. The work is preserved only in Armenian and is known from five manuscripts. Although the work was originally written in Greek, the title was attached to the text in its Armenian version. As the biblical book of Daniel frequently appears divided into six visions in Armenian Bibles, this extra-biblical vision was considered the seventh.1 The early date of the original composition of this text renders it important for our understanding of the development of the Daniel apocalyptica.2

The Hebrew Bible Apocrypha is an important segment of the scriptural history of Judeo-Christian religion. In this short article, I will review the Apocrypha, its historical background, factors involved in its exclusion from the Bible, and the canons of various church traditions that recognize the Apocrypha as part of their Bible. I will attempt to show in the coming pages that the apocryphal literature continues to assert influence on the Christian world despite controversies and debates surrounding these books’ questionable canonical status. It is important to understand that the history of sacred writings in the Judeo-Christian religion cannot be complete without analyzing and understanding the role of the Apocrypha within the grand scheme of biblical literature that accommodates sacred scriptures. The apocryphal books may be either sacred or secular in their nature of origin and content, but they do indeed tap into the sacred biblical stream of consciousness and thus find themselves a niche within the Hagiographa of the Jewish and Christian traditions, which many still hold sacred.

The English term Apocrypha is derived from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος, which means "hidden." The word Apocrypha is a specific term used to refer to those particular books that are considered 'Scripture' by the Roman Catholic Church while the Protestants dispute that. The Roman Catholic Church does not term this set of books as the Apocrypha but rather calls them the "Deuterocanonical" (second canon) books.

-By Isaac Preston Cory -Rare Ancient Fragments  -CHALDEAN from - Berossus, Abydenus, Megasthenes, Nicholaus Da- mascenus, Hestiaeus, Alexander Polyhistor, Eupolemus, Thallus, Ctesias, Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Castor, Velleius Paterculus, Asmilius Sura, Plinius and Cicero.
Writings included of The Giants , The Nephilim,  The Rephaim, Anakim!!!

PHOENICIANS -Sanchoniatho AND
Dynasties of the the kings of  Chaldean , Assyrian, Media, Persian , Thebes and Egypt-

From Abydenus, Africanus, Eusebius, Syncellus, Castor, Ptolemseus, Ctesias, Eratosthenes, Manetho, Josephus, Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Theophilus Antiochenus, Malala, Suidas, Diogenes Laertius, Dicsearchus, Arta- panus, Plato, Pomponius Mela and Barhebrseus.

EGYPTIAN
From the Obelisks, Manetho, Chseremon, Diodorus Sicu lus, Lysimachus, Polemo, Ptolemseus Mendesius and Artapanus.
TYRIAN-
From Dius and Menander.

CARTHAGINIANS -
From Hanno and Hiempsal.

INDIAN -
From Megasthenes and Clitarchus.

ATLANTIC and PANCHEAN -
From Marcellus and Euemerus.

ORACLES OF ZOROASTER ,
HERMETIC , ORPHIC , PYTHAGOREAN , TYRRHENIAN - 
From the ancient and modern Hermetic Books, Hora- pollo, Chaeremon, Orpheus, Hesiodus, Aristophanes, Timotheus, Timaeus Locrus, Plato, Amelius, Onomacri- tus, Ion, Philoponus, Plutarchus, Ocellus, Aristoteles, Suidas and Damascius.

CHRONOLOGICAL-
From Berossus, Seneca, Censorinus and Theon
of Egypt, the Hermes Trismegistus, who again appears as from Hestiaeus a very ancient Greek writer, from the Babylonian Sibyl,! and from Eupolemus. I have added also a curious extract from the Sibylline oracles.|| In these fragments are detailed the erection of the Tower, the dispersion of its contrivers, and the confusion of the languages; with the additional circumstances of the violent destruction of the building,^ and the Titanian war, which forms so remarkable an event in all traditions of the heathens.Previously to the erection of the Tower, men appear very generally to have apostatized from the patriarchal worship. About this time a fur ther deviation from the truth took place; and upon the first and more simple corruption was engrafted an elaborate system of idolatry. Upon the rebuilding of Babylon, the Tower was completed most probably on the original plan. It is described by Hero dotus as a pyramid of eight steps, about seven hundred feet high.  Its ruins, which are still known upon the spot as the Birs Nem- brod, or the tower of Nimrod, are described by Sir R. K. Porter, as a prodigious pile of unbumt bricks cemented with mud and reeds in horizontal layers, still rising to the enormous height of account of these deviations will be found in the extracts from Epiphanius, Cedrenus, and the Paschal chronicle.* What is mentioned under the name of Barbarism, was probably the pri meval patriarchal worship. It was succeeded by a corrupted form of superstition which is known among the ancients under the name of Scuthism, or Scythism, which was most prevalent from the flood to the building of the Tower. The new corruption, at that time introduced by Nimrod, was denominated lonism,t or Hellenism : and both are still flourishing in the East under the well- known appellations of Brahmenism and Budd hism ; whose priests appear to have continued in an uninterrupted succession from the Brahmanes and Germanes, the philosophical sects of India mentioned by Megasthenes | and Clitarchus.By the introduction of a more degenerate superstition, Nimrod appears to have aimed at the establishment of an universal monarchy in himself and his descendants, of which Babylon was to have been the metropolis, and the Tower, the central temple of their idolatries.
The Scythian nations of Tourau and the North were generally addicted to the Scythic su perstition ; and whenever they rolled back the tide of war upon their ancient rivals; the idols temples and cities were the objects upon which they satiated their revenge. They were esteemed excommunicated, and of the Giant race, Ne- phelim, Rephaim and Anakim. The Scuths of Iran were also of the Giant race, with Nimrod as their chief. Of the Titanian war there appears to be a double aspect. When the Scuths of Touran are the Giants, the war between them and the Ionim is the subject of the legend ; and they are the Giants cast out into Cimmerian darkness, and buried under mountains. The other view presents both parties conjointly before the schism, as the Nephelim, Apostates or Giants, engaged in carrying on the war against Heaven itself. And in these accounts we find more fre quent allusions to the Tower and its supernatural overthrow The catastrophe at Babel completed the dis persion. On the division of the earth and plant ing of the nations, there are some very curious notices extant.* But whether Nimrod and his immediate adherents survived, and retainedsession of Babylon, or transferred their seat of government to Nineveh and founded the great Iranian empire, or whether that empire and city were founded by Assur and the sons of Shem, is still a subject of dispute. We find Nimrod, how ever, under the well-known title of Alorus, at the head of the two Chaldaean dynasties,* mentioned above: but these appear rather to refer to the antediluvian patriarchs than to the proper kings of Chaldaea.

"One of the most curious aspects of the late first-century Jewish apocalypse 4 Ezra is its depiction of the scribe Ezra. Nothing in this text seems to cohere with the Ezra we know from earlier texts. The dating is odd. The setting is odd. Ezra himself is odd and almost unrecognizable. He even has another name! While scholars in the past have dabbled in trying to figure out these various curiosities, modern scholars seem to have given up on explaining these mysteries in order to focus on the “larger” issues within the text. But, if we can explain why the author chose to paint Ezra the scribe in such an odd light, we should be able to go a long way in explaining those important issues and the overall purpose of the text.

Here I argue that the author of 4 Ezra has crafted an “origin story,” the back-story or prequel to the story with which the reader is already familiar. 4 Ezra is a text which describes how Ezra became the Ezra we know—the scribe, the restorer of the temple, the bringer of the Torah. Only by understanding the text in this way are we able to make sense of this odd Ezra. While our name of the text may suggest otherwise, 4 Ezra must be seen as a prequel to the familiar, biblical if you must, story of Ezra. This, more than anything, can explain the dating, the setting, Ezra’s second name, and, ultimately, Ezra’s transformation in the text, from disbelief to belief, from doubter to adherent, from man to superhero."

This is a Handbook about the Prophetic and Wisdom books of the Old Testament, that belongs to the Series of Handbooks for the study of Theology, of the Institute of Religious Sciences of the Eclesiastical University of San Dámaso (Madrid, Spain). In this pdf you can find de introduction to the handbook and the explanation of its content. You can buy this book in: https://tienda.sandamaso.es/manuales-de-ccrr/230-libros-profeticos-y-sapienciales.html

In recent decades, Judaism roughly from the time of Alexander the Great (356– 323 BCE) to the last Jewish revolt against Rome (132– 135 CE), has emerged as an academic fi eld of study in its own right. 1 Scholarship on this period has oft en focused on two interconnected aspects of early Judaism: a number of changes in Judaism, both intellectual and social, and a spike in literary activity that has left us with a wealth of early Jewish writings. Intellectual and social changes were widespread and aff ected virtually all aspects of religious life. Many of these changes were the result of rigorous debates: about the legitimacy of the Second Temple as the dominant institution in Judaism, the advancement of Hellenistic language and culture, the development of apocalyptic thought, about the failed revolts against Rome, among others. Th e articulation and defence of the distinct and oft en contradictory viewpoints expressed in these debates led to the production of a rich corpus of early Jewish writings. Only a few of these texts are preserved in the Hebrew Bible, while most are found outside the Bible. 2 Many of these early Jewish texts are closely modelled on the biblical writings, as authors continued to write in the biblical idiom, for example, by adopting the literary genres of the Bible, or by writing 1. Scholarly designations for Judaism during the period of the Second Temple continue to be a matter of debate. Some prefer the term Second Temple Judaism, while others speak more generally of early Judaism. Th ere are several reasons for the debate.

The 'Animal Apocalypse' in the Ethiopic Book of Enoch (1 Enoch) presents a fascinating rendition of human history, and Israelite history in particular, entirely in an extended metaphor of animals. This article argues that the author's animal symbols are systematically applied, based on his ethical understanding of the Law regarding clean and unclean animals. Under its symbolic imagery the 'Animal Apocalypse' offers an alternative view on human history which combines both the earthly and the cosmic realms. The animal symbolism reveals the author's worldview and carries a depth of meaning which otherwise would be lost in a story told in a literal sense.

The knowledge of the Life of Adam and Eve, or Vita Adae et Evae (VAE), has increased considerably with the edition published in the Corpus Christianorum, Series apocryphorum, 18-19 (Turnhout 2012). First of all, this publication provides a comprehensive picture of the Latin transmission of the VAE due to the work of the late Jean-Pierre Pettorelli, who collected, transcribed and classified more than a hundred manuscripts. Two texts are edited on facing pages: the vulgate recension (Latin-V), in an edition that supersedes the ones by W. Meyer (1888) and J. H. Mozley (1929); the new recension, discovered by Pettorelli in a Paris manuscript (Latin-P). Latin-V is extant in 105 witnesses, divided into eight redactions, each of which is edited separately with a complete apparatus. This exhaustive view of the Latin tradition is of great interest for scholars studying the translations and adaptations of the VAE in vernacular languages (see already B. Murdoch, The Apocryphal Adam and Eve in Medieval Europe, 2009). For the chapters found only in the vulgate recension — Adam’s revelation to Seth (Latin-V 25-29) and the story of the tablets of stone and clay (Latin-V 49-54) —, the new edition gives a better text than Meyer and opens the way for new research about the origin of these additionnal chapters and their function in the composition of Latin-V.
Another outstanding feature of the new edition is the synopsis (CCSA 19, p. 745-904), which allows for a very accurate comparison between the text of the Greek Life of Adam and Eve (or Apocalypse of Moses) and the text of the four ancient versions of the VAE (Latin-V, Latin-P, Armenian, and Georgian) which all derive from the same lost Greek model. This study, illustrated by three extracts of the new synopsis, shows that the original form of the VAE is often best preserved by the Greek model of the versions, and not by the Greek Life as generally held. This applies in particular to the initial chapters telling the story of Adam and Eve’s repentance and of Cain’s birth (VAE 1-21), and for several other elements, the redactor of the Greek Life chose to omit or to rewrite. Finally, the author addresses the question whether the Life of Adam and Eve originated in a Jewish or a Christian milieu. After summarizing the development of the debate in the last decades, he emphasizes the importance of the exegetical observations made by Jan Dochhorn in his commentary (2005); this work has led him to revise his position and to give serious consideration to Dochorn’s hypothesis that the text has been written in a Palestinian Jewish environment in the late first and early second century, in a community of scribes versed in the study of the Bible, both in Hebrew and in Greek. 

L’édition publiée dans le Corpus Christianorum, Series apocryphorum, 18-19 (Turnhout 2012) enrichit et renouvelle considérablement notre connaissance de la Vie d’Adam et Ève (VAE). D’une part, grâce à l’extraordinaire travail de recherche, de collation et de classement des manuscrits réalisé par le regretté Jean-Pierre Pettorelli, la publication donne une image très complète de la transmission de la VAE dans le monde latin. Deux textes sont édités en regard : la recension traditionnelle ou « vulgate » (latin-V), dans une édition qui remplace celle de W. Meyer (1888) et celle de J. H. Mozley (1929) ; la recension, jusque-là inconnue, conservée dans un manuscrit de Paris (latin-P). Les 105 témoins de latin-V se répartissent en huit « rédactions », qui font par ailleurs chacune l’objet d’une édition séparée. Ce tableau exhaustif est d’un grand intérêt pour les spécialistes qui étudient les traductions et adaptations de la Vie d’Adam et Ève dans les diverses langues vernaculaires (voir déjà B. Murdoch, The Apocryphal Adam and Eve in Medieval Europe (2009). Pour l’étude des parties qui sont propres à la recension traditionnelle, la révélation d’Adam à Seth (latin-V 25-29) et l’histoire des tablettes de pierre et d’argile (latin-V 49-54), la nouvelle édition fournit une base textuelle plus solide que l’édition de Meier et pose de manière nouvelle la question de l’origine de ces parties propres et des raisons possibles de leur intégration dans le texte de latin-V. 
D’autre part, la synopse qui accompagne la nouvelle édition (CCSA 19, p. 745-904) — et dont trois extraits sont reproduits ici — permet de comparer très précisément le texte de la Vie grecque (ou Apocalypse de Moïse) et celui des quatre versions anciennes de la VAE (latin-V, latin-P, arménien, géorgien), qui dérivent toutes d’un modèle grec aujourd’hui perdu. La présente étude montre que le modèle grec sous-jacent aux versions conserve souvent la forme première de la VAE (contre la thèse généralement admise de l’antériorité de la Vie grecque). Cela vaut notamment pour les chapitres initiaux racontant la pénitence d’Adam et Ève et la naissance de Caïn (VAE 1-21), et pour une série d’autres motifs, que le rédacteur de la Vie grecque a choisi d’omettre ou de modifier. Enfin, sur la question du milieu d’origine, juif ou chrétien, de la Vie d’Adam et Ève, l’auteur résume l’évolution récente du débat ; il souligne l’importance des observations exégétiques réunies dans l’ouvrage de Jan Dochhorn (2005), qui l’ont amené à revoir sa position et à prendre en considération l’hypothèse d’un texte juif palestinien, composé au tournant du Ier et du IIe siècle, dans un milieu de scribes versés dans l’étude de l’Écriture, tant en hébreu qu’en grec.

Judaism has never recognized Tobit as a canonical book, perhaps because of its roots in the northern Israel. Its reflections in the New Testament are scarce. Ancient Christian witnesses are usually favorable to the canonicity of the book of Tobit. It is present in many ancient biblical manuscripts (א, B, A, more then 30 minuscules). It was quoted by at least 79 authors, by many as Scripture. Some canon lists include it, other ones does not – when they are influenced by the Jewish canon. Some authors who failed to list Tobit in the canon have quoted it as Scripture. Accordingly, arguments for the canonicity prevail. Later ages accepted Tobit as canonical book. Protestants, despite some initial positive interest, have eliminated it. Tobit is canonical in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. It contains valuable teachings, especially on family and marriage – it is the only biblical book concentrated on these subjects.

SUMMARY A new analysis of the so-called Inscription on the Chalice of Solomon (known mostly from literary documents in Slavonic) is based on the totality of the available sources, including a recently published (2000) Greek recension and recently found (2013) but so far unpublished two Latin ones. It is argued that the text was written in Hebrew in the late Second Temple period, being therefore roughly contemporaneous to the Damascus Document and some other Dead Sea Scrolls and representing a similar but different liturgy and theology. The original liturgical setting of the Chalice as a liturgical utensil is some kind of New Wine festival.

Angelology of the Intertestamental period was more elaborate than that of the OT and NT. However, the shift in the first century AD from multiple archangels to a single archangel in Jewish literature identified Michael as the only archangel, a thought that is also present in the NT. In the light of the above, this study seeks to ascertain the identity and rank of Michael the archangel in Jude 9. In view of the content and OT background of the Epistle of Jude, this study concludes that (1) Angelology is not the main focus of the Epistle of Jude; (2) It is difficult to establish whether or not Jude borrowed his angelology from the Jewish OT apocrypha and pseudepigrapha; (3) The roles assigned to Michael in the Jewish literature of the Intertestamental period are superfluous in the light of the role assigned to Michael in the Hebrew OT and NT; (4) The use of the third person formula by Michael in Jude 9 to rebuke Satan over Moses finds a persuasive mirror in the OT (Zech 3:2), where God employs the same formula to rebuke Satan over Joshua; (5) Michael in Jude 9 is a divine Being, the commander of the angelic hosts, in a legal sense in context.

What Every Christian Ought to Understand - the Rabbinical Manipulation of the Old Testament after Christ. Examining The Source for the Underlying Hebrew Old Testament Text aka the C11th AD Masoretic Text as used in Reformation and Post Reformation era Bibles. Why the older extant C4th AD Greek Septuagint LXX A (not B) is the superior OT text closest to the original now non-extant Hebrew Urtext. A Rebuttal of Gail Anne Riplinger of her short article - “The Art of Deceit.”

Сказал рабби Симеон: «Истинно, хотя члены Братства-ученики истории Творения, обла дающие познанием чудес и восприятием пу тей Святого, да будь Он Благословен, но даже среди них мало кто знает, как истолковать ее в связи с тайной великого дракона». Зогар II.34б

This study concentrates on the divine image traditions found in biblical and Jewish pseudepigraphical accounts by exploring the function of the imago Dei as the personified divine knowledge. It demonstrates that in the Hebrew Bible, the divine image was intended to be a visual revelation of the deity’s nature, attributes, and shape. Often, in these traditions the divine image is understood as a cultic divine statue. The study argues that although idolatry was discouraged in the Jewish religious milieu, the idea of the cultic statue as a manifestation of the divine presence and a deposit of the iconic divine knowledge was paradoxically perpetuated in Israelite traditions about the imago Dei. This study then closely explores Adam's role as the imago Dei. It shows that in the earliest Jewish accounts, Adam’s role as the deity’s icon was closely related to the symbolism of the divine Glory or Kavod. In this epistemological setting Adam is often understood as a hypostasis or a personification of the iconic divine knowledge, through which the concealed God is revealed to creation. The study demonstrates that the tradition of the divine image as the personified divine knowledge became developed further in the stories of Enoch, Jacob, and Moses.

The Book of Judith is relatively often discussed nowadays, mainly because of its interest for feminist studies. However, the subject of its ethical attitudes in this book is rarely mentioned, although this book raises important moral questions, even if indirectly. They concern the problem what is good or evil in war and public life. The moral teaching of Judith is communicated mainly by the narrative and personal examples, but also by some direct comments. The book condemns aggression and praises patriotism and piety of freedom fighters. It shows responsibility of kings and generals for the aggression and the difficult choices standing before the leaders of the defense. It seems moreover that for the author lies, illicit sex (which is clearly alluded to) and terrorist killing – things Judith is guilty of – are allowed if they serve good cause. In the context of the whole Bible it cannot be sustained, as in the case of extermination practices described in Joshua and 1-2 Maccabees. However, such acts committed in desperate situation deserve some understanding.

In his discussion of the nature of the resurrection body in 1 Cor 15:35–49, Paul employs the metaphor of God’s sowing of the natural/earthly body and the raising of the spiritual/heavenly body, distinct bodies fit for their respective habitats. In order to demonstrate this, Paul enumerates a list of the creatures who inhabit the earth followed by those who inhabit the heavens, the resurrection body being likened to the later. Scholars have generally understood the background of this list to be found in the creatures from Genesis 1, even though they do not follow the same order. Some suggest the reason for this discrepancy is that the list simply evokes the cosmology of popular Greek philosophy. This article seeks to propose an alternate answer to this problem. The enumeration of terrestrial and celestial creatures here in 1 Cor 15:39–42 follows the same order as the aniconic discourse of Deut 4:15–19. If this is the text to which Paul alludes, he is likely drawing on an exegetical tradition in the Second Temple period. This tradition reads Deut 4:15–19 as part of a wider Deuteronomic scriptural matrix employed to describe the nature of the cosmos, constructed and administered by God, having appointed the celestial bodies as divine or angelic delegates in his cosmic polis (e.g. Philo, Spec. Laws 1.13–19). This reading not only supplies a strong argument for Paul’s particular enumeration of creatures, but also provides a more robust account of the passage in its wider context, connecting the language of the abolishing of the principalities and powers (1 Cor 15:24) with his earlier discussion regarding the judgment of the cosmos and the angels (1 Cor 6:2–3).

In whatever form belief in Messiah (מָשִׁ֖יחַ) has dwelled at the core of spiritual and political Jewry, the ancient literary record would presumably reflect the evolution of the messianic ideal. The scope of messianic expectation at the time of Jesus’ presentation to Israel will be appraised through the chronological development of the concept of Messiah (מָשִׁ֖יחַ) in the biblical and ancient extra-biblical literature.

In Rom 4:18, Paul cites the “promise” to Abraham in LXX Gen 15:5, “so shall your seed be” (οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου) in relation to what it means to “become the father of many nations” from Gen 17:5. Modern scholars have traditionally understood the relationship Paul sees between these two texts quantitatively, as promising a multitude of descendants made up of Jews and Gentiles. Conversely, some early Jewish interpreters of Gen 15:5 (and related texts such as Gen 22:17; 26:4) such as Philo, Sirach, and the author(s) of the Apocalypse of Abraham understood the promise qualitatively, as speaking not only of multiplication but of transformation into the likeness of the stars and assumption of their power. Reading Paul’s use of Gen 15:5 in light of this qualitative interpretation places him within the context of already well-established deification or angelomorphic traditions in early Judaism that see the destiny of Abraham’s seed as replacing the stars as the divine or angelic inheritors of the nations. This tradition may provide a more fitting explanation of the relationship Paul sees between Gen 17:5 and 15:5 in the wider context of the argument of Rom 4. This reading could illuminate the relationship between a complex nexus of ideas that Paul sees implicit in the one promise to Abraham in Gen 15:5. The promise of becoming as the stars of heaven would encompass the inheritance of the cosmos, becoming a father of many nations, and the resurrection from the dead.