Ashland Theological Seminary 2010 A Bibliographic Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha By David A. deSilva * "Apocrypha" and "Pseudepigrapha" are tenns used to label a large body of early Jewish and early Christian literature written between the third century BCE and the first centuries of the common era. The Apocrypha (or Deuterocanonical Books) exists as a collection because of the reading practices of early Christians, who placed an especially high value on these texts and often included them in codices of their Scriptures (the Septuagint), and by ongoing canonical debates about the extent of the Old Testament within the Christian Church. Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches include these books as part of the Old Testament; Protestant Christians, following the Jewish canon, do not. Hence, the "Apocrypha" is the overlap. The Pseudepigrapha is a much broader collection of extra-biblical literature. "Pseudepigrapha" refers technically to texts with a false attribution of authorship, though the collection has come to include several anonymous texts as well. The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha are of immense value as windows into the development of biblical interpretation, theology, ethics, and liturgy in Early Judaism and Christianity, as well as into the socio-cultural and historical contexts within which these developments occurred. This article is intended to present a bibliographic guide primarily (though not exclusively) to English-language scholarship on the individual texts within these collections as well as the historical and social context within which they were written, as well as direct readers to major critical editions for original language study. 1. Historical Context The texts collected in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha come from a wide historical and geographical span. Many of them are important sources for historical reconstruction of Jewish history during the period. Grabbe (1992) and Davies and Finkelstein (1989) provide comprehensive overviews, with Smallwood (1981) being limited to the Roman Period. Hayes and Mandell *David A. deSilva (Ph.D., Emory University) is Trustee's Distinguished professor of New Testament and Greek at ATS. 61 A Bibliographic Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (1998) cover the general history of Judea, while Barclay (1996) and Modrzejewski (1995) treat historical issues related to major centers of Diaspora Judaism. The attempts at Hellenistic Reform in Jerusalem and the backlash of the Maccabean Revolt mark a particularly determinative series of episodes within Second Temple Period history, one to which many of the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha are directly or indirectly related. Harrington (1988) provides a concise overview of the sources and reconstruction. Bickerman (1979), Tcherikover (1959), and Hengel (1977) offer more detailed studies with sometimes conflicting conclusions. Barclay, J. M. G. 1996. Jews in the Mediterranean Diasporafrom Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE -117 CE). Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. An advanced study of the socio-political and cultural issues besetting Jews in Egypt and other Mediterranean centers of diaspora Jews, with special attention to the levels of assimilation, acculturation, accommodation, and antagonism evidenced in particular texts and authors from the period. Concludes with a synthetic analysis of Jewish identity formation and identity markers in the Diaspora setting. Bickerman, E. J. 1979. The God of the Maccabees. Studies 011 the Meaning and Origin of the Maccabean Revolt. Leiden: Brill. A classic, scholarly study of the Maccabean Revolution. Translation of Der Gott der Makkabiier (1937). Davies, W. D. and Louis Finkelstein (eds.). 1989. The Cambridge History of Judaism. Volume 2: The Hellenistic Period. Cambridge: Cambridge University. A standard reference work by established scholars. Individual entries cover the archeology and the political and social history of Palestine, linguistic developments, the Diaspora, the interpenetration of Judaism and Hellenism, governance in the Jewish community, surveys of Jewish literature, apocalypticism, the Septuagint, and anti-Judaism. 62 Ashland Theological Seminary 2010 Grabbe, L. L. 1992. Judaism from Cyrus to Hadrian. Volume One: The Persian and Greek Periods and Volume Two: The Roman Period. Minneapolis: Fortress. A detailed, scholarly survey of the primary sources for historical inquiry, the historical problems associated with each period, and a painstaking reconstruction of the history of each period. Harrington, D. 1. 1988. The Maccabean Revolt: Anatomy of a Biblical Revolution. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier. A careful, detailed, yet accessible examination of the principal sources for the period (Daniel, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Polybius) and cogent reconstruction of the history. Hayes, J. H. and S. R. Mandell. ] 998. The Jewish People in Classical Antiquity: From Alexander to Bar Kochba. Louisville: Westminster John Knox. A general introduction to the history of Judea from 323 BCE to 70 CEo Hengel, M. 1974. Judaism and Hellenism. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress. The groundbreaking study on the political, economic, and cultural penetration of Hellenism into Judea, together with a judicious recreation of the history of the Hellenistic "Reform" of 175-166 BCE. Translation of the German original, Judentum lind Hellenismus. Modrzejewski, J. M. 1995. The Jews of Egypt From Ramses 11 to Emperor Hadrian. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. An accessible study of the political, social, and cultural history of Jews in Egypt, chiefly during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Smallwood, M. 1981. The Jews Under Roman Rllle. Leiden: Brill. An advanced, careful study of the political history of the period from the beginning of Roman domination in 63 BCE through the third century CEo The focus moves fairly evenly between Jews in Palestine and the Diaspora. 63 A Bibliographic Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Tcherikover, v. 1959. Hellenistic Civilization and the Jews. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society. An advanced but very readable history of Judea under Ptolemaic and Seleucid domination, with a shorter treatment of the political and social structures and cultural climate of Diaspora Judaism during this period. 2. Socio-cultural and Theological Context The often creative, sometimes conflictive, interaction between cultures during the Hellenistic Period made this a time of significant cultural and religious ferment. Hengel (1974) provides the classic study on these developments, while Barclay (1996) attempts to refine the analysis of Jewish responses to Hellenism. Newsome (1992) and Cohen (1987) write broader overviews of trends and movements. Collins (1987) focuses on the emergence of apocalyptic ism, a particularly important development of the period. Nickelsburg (2006) focuses on the development of expectations concerning post-mortem existence as a response to the challenges of the period. Barclay, J. M. G. 1996. Jews in the Mediterranean Diasporafrom Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE - 117 CE). Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. An advanced study of the socio-political and cultural issues besetting Jews in Egypt and other Mediterranean centers of diaspora Jews, with special attention to the levels of assimilation, acculturation, accommodation, and antagonism evidenced in particular texts and authors from the period. Concludes with a synthetic analysis of Jewish identity formation and identity markers in the Diaspora setting. Boccaccini, G. 1991. Middle Judaism: Jewish Thought 300 B.C.£. to 200 C. £. Minneapolis: Fortress. Boccacini proposes a new historiographic term ("Middle Judaism") to name the period of variegated Judaisms one encounters prior to the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism. He includes an extensive annotated bibliography and in depth treatments of Ben Sira, Daniel, the Dream Visions of 1 Enoch, and the Letter ofA risteas (pp. 77-188). 64 Ashland Theological Seminmy 2010 Cohen, S. 1. D. 1987. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Philadelphia: Westminster. An accessible introduction to Jewish-Gentile relations, Jewish religion and its diversity, and social and religious institutions in the Second Temple Period. Collins, J. 1. 1987. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to the Jewish Matrix of Christianity. New York: Crossroad. A definitive treatment of apocalypticism and Jewish literature expressive of apocalypticism. Includes significant treatments of 1 Enoch, Daniel, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, the Sibylline Oracles, and the Apocalypse ofA braham. Hengel, M. 1974. Judaism and Hellenism. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress. The groundbreaking study on the political, economic, and cultural penetration of Hellenism into Judea, together with a judicious recreation of the history of the Hellenistic "Reform" of 175-166 BeE. Newsome, James D. ] 992. Greeks, Romans, Jews: Currents of Culture and Belief in the New Testament World. Philadelphia: Trinity Press International. A general introduction to the history, culture, theological trends, movements, and literature of the late Second Temple Period. Nickelsburg, G. W. E. 2006. Resurrection, Immortality, and Eternal Life in Intertestamental Jlldaism. Expanded edition. Harvard Theological Studies 56. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. A scholarly investigation of the development of ideas of post-mortem existence during the later Second Temple Period, rooted in the exegesis of specific texts. This expansion of the original ] 972 edition includes three additional chapters carrying the original investigation forward into early Christian literature. 65 A Bibliographic Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha 3. General Surveys of the Literature Brief introductions to the content and context of each book included in the Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha can be found in Evans (2005), the individual entries in Evans (2000), Nickelsburg (2005), and Stone (1984). Collins (2000), Delcor (1989), Helyer (2002), and Russell (1987) provide more substantial introductions to a less comprehensive range of texts. Kugel (1998) is distinctive in its arrangement of excerpts from these and other texts groups around particular biblical figures or episodes. Collins, 1. 1. 2000. Between Athens and Jerusalem: Jewish Identity in the Hellenistic Diaspora. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. An accessible introduction to Jewish Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha emanating from the Diaspora, carefully set in historical and cultural context. Delcor, M. 1989. "The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Hellenistic Period." Pp. 409-503 in vol. 2 of The Cambridge History of Judaism. Edited by W. D. Davies and L. Finkelstein. 4 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. An accessible, scholarly overview of the major texts. Evans, C. A. 2005. Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature. Peabody: Hendrickson. Evans provides brief introductions and valuable bibliographical guides for each text. The Apocrypha are treated on pp. 9-25, the Pseudepigrapha on pp. 26-75. Evans, C. A. and S. E. Porter (eds.). 2000. Dictionwy of New Testament Background. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity. Contains entries on each book of the Apocrypha and the major Pseudepigrapha. Of value to the beginning student and as a starting point for further research. 66 Ashland Theological Seminary 2010 Helyer, Larry R. 2002. Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period: A Guide for New Testament Students. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. An accessible guide to many of the books of the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (and other Second Temple Jewish literature) with particular attention to historical context, theological ideas, and influence upon early Christian literature. Kraft, R. A. and G. W. E. Nickelsburg (eds.). 1986. Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, and Atlanta: Scholars Press. A survey of scholarship (1945-1986) and snapshot of the "state of the question" in regard to the political, religious, and social history of the period and the impact of recent discoveries. Part III (pp. 221-477) provides a survey of scholarship on particular texts grouped by genre. Kugel, James L. 1998. Traditions of the Bible. A Guide to the Bible As It Was at the Start of the Common Era. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Presents excerpts from the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, early Christian literature, and rabbinic texts organized around particular biblical figures and stories. The volume shows how, and analyzes why, earlier canonical stories are retold and expanded through the Second Temple period and beyond. General. Nicklelsburg, George W. E. 2005. Jewish Literature Between the Bible and the Mishnah. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. A general survey of Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and other Jewish literature carefully set in historical context (and presented in chronological order). A revision and expansion of the 1981 edition. Russell, D. S. 1987. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Patriarchs & Prophets in Early Judaism. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. An acce"ssible introduction to the Pseudepigrapha arranged according to the biblical characters about whom these texts tell additional, extrabiblical stories. 67 A Bibliographic Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Stone, M. E. (ed). 1984. Jewish Writings of the Second Temple Period. Assen: Van Gorcum, and Philadelphia: Fortress. A general introduction to the writings of the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (grouped and discussed according to genre: tales, rewritten Bible, historiography, wisdom literature, testaments, apocalyptic literature, and liturgical texts), and the writings of the Qumran community, Philo, and Josephus. Given the scope of the volume, treatments of individual texts are very brief. 4. Introductions to the Apocrypha Because of their special importance in the Christian churches from the beginning to the present day, the Apocryphal books are often given more focused attention. Introductions to the Apocrypha are often the best place to begin one's study of any particular book in the collection. The boundaries of the Apocrypha are somewhat fluid, with some works covering only those books regarded as canonical by the Catholic Church, and other works covering some additional texts (3 & 4 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, and 2 Esdras). DeSilva (2002) provides the fullest general introduction to each book and the landscape of scholarship on each book, covering the broader collection of Apocrypha. Harrington (1999) offers a strong but substantially briefer introduction to the same. Dunn and Rogerson (2003) contains introductions and brief commentaries on each of the texts in the broader collection. Pfeiffer (1949) and Charles (1913) write fulsome, though now dated, introductions' to the shorter collection, with Metzger (1957) offering a brief introduction to the same. Charles, R. H. (ed.). 19l3. The Apoclypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. Volume I: Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford University. A translation of the shorter collection of the Apocrypha with critical introductions and extensive annotations for each book. Despite the· age of the volume and the bias of some writers, this remains a valuable resource. deSilva, D. A. 2002. Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, Context, & Significance. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. An in-depth introduction to each of the books of the Apocrypha (including 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, and Psalm 151). Each chapter surveys the structure and contexts, issues in textual transmission, 68 Ashland Theological SenzinGlY 2010 . the historical setting and purpose, fonnative resources, theology, and influence, as well as issues particular to the contents of each book. Contains a fairly up-to date bibliography. Dunn, James D. G., and John W. Rogerson (eds.). 2003. Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans. A one-volume commentary on the Bible for general users. This volume is significant for its inclusion of the Apocrypha (including 2 Esdras and 3 & 4 Maccabees) and 1 Enoch. The commentary follows a paragraph-by-paragraph fonnat rather than verse-by-verse, making it very readable. Harrington, D. 1. 1999. Invitation to the Apocrypha. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. A brief introduction to each of the books of the Apocrypha (including 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, and Psalm 151). Alongside matters of historical context and general overview, Harrington considers how each of the texts responds to the problem of suffering. Metzger, B. M. 1957. An Introduction to the Apoclypha. Oxford: Oxford University Press. A brief introduction to each of the books of the Apocrypha (not including 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees). The second half of the book provides a valuable introduction to the history of the Apocrypha in the Christian Church and the influence of these texts on literature, art, music, and society. Pfeiffer, R. H. 1949. History ofN ew Testament Times. With an Introduction to the Apocrypha. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1949. Part I contains an overview of Jewish political, religious, and literary history, though under the now anachronistic headings of "Palestinian" versus "Hellenistic" Judaism (see Hengel 1977). Part II (pp. 233-522) presents a general introduction to the shorter collection of the Apocrypha. 5. Texts and Translations of the Apocrypha The Old Testament Apocrypha is readily accessible is many Bible translations. Catholic Bibles (e.g., the Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible) include them interspersed throughout the Old 69 A Bibliographic Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Testament. Protestant and ecumenical Bibles group them generally between the testaments (e.g., the New Revised Standard Version) or, in rare cases, at the end (as in the English Standard Version with the Apocrypha). The latter collections include a broader sampling of Apocrypha than the Catholic canon, adding 1 & 2 Esdras, 3 & 4 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, and Psalm 151. Kohlenberger (1997) provides a useful synopsis of multiple texts and translations. Metzger and Murphy (1991) offer a helpful study edition. Pietersma and Wright (2007) gives English readers reliable access to the complete Septuagint, including the broader collection of the Apocrypha (minus 2 Esdras). Rahlfs (2006) gives convenient access to the Greek text and major variants, though the individual volumes in the G6ttingen Septuagint (see entries under individual books below) are the preferred resources for text-critical work. Kohlenberger III, 1. (ed.). 1997. The Parallel Apocrypha. New York: Oxford University Press. This Synoptic Apocrypha presents the Greek text from Rahlfs's Septllaginta (Latin Vulgate for 2 Esdras) alongside the translations of Apocryphal books found in the King James Version, Douay Old Testament, Holy Bible by Ronald Knox, Today's English Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible. Metzger, B. M. and Roland Murphy (eds.). 1991. The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha. New York: Oxford University Press. The New Revised Standard translation of the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals with annotations by established scholars. Pietersma, Albert, and Benjamin G. Wright (eds.). 2007. A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included Under That Title. New York: Oxford University Press. A first-rate English translation of the Septuagint undertaken by a team of Septuagint specialists. Read-only files for each book may also be downloaded from the official website: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition. Rahlfs, Alfred, and Robert Hanhart (eds.). 2006. Septuaginta. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. A critical edition of the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures, together with the Apocrypha, based largely on the major 4th_ and 5th-century 70