Linfox

Daniel Gurtner has written an especially important book that I will be recommending to my students for years to come. Let me explain why.

1. Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Full Text
2. New Testament Apocrypha And Pseudepigrapha
3. List Of New Testament Pseudepigrapha

(pssewd eh pih' gra fuh) Intertestamental literature not accepted into the Christian or Jewish canon of Scripture and often attributed to an ancient hero of faith. Ongoing discovery and research provide differing lists of contents. A recent publication listed 52 writings. As a biblical motif, “new creation” resonates throughout the pages of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures, and occupies a central place in the apostle Paul’s vision of the Christian life. Yet the biblical and extra-biblical occurrences of this theme vary widely in meaning, referring to either a new cosmos, a new community, or a new individual. Beginning with the Old Testament and working. Lost Scriptures of the New Testament - Gospel of Philip,Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Apocryphon of John, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Judas, Acts Chapter 29 -Section Four - The Life and Times of Jesus - Infancy Gospel of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Life of Joseph The Carpenter, Letters of Pilate,Life of Saint Issaa - Section Five. Alternate title: The Epistle To Diognetus c. The Epistle to Diognetus is a well-crafted argument extolling the virtues of Christianity over paganism. It is difficult to determine the date of the letter, for it was never referred to in any known ancient writings, but it obviously dates from a period when Christianity was still regarded as a 'mystery' religion.

It is well known that the New Testament writers often draw heavily from the Old Testament. What is less often appreciated is the way that they also use ideas and traditions found only in ancient non-biblical Jewish works (often called “the Pseudepigrapha”). Many of these books were apparently widely read in Jesus’ day. In fact, before later councils set the official canon of Scripture, a few of these works were considered “scripture” and read alongside the biblical books. Given their influence, they are indispensable for understanding certain aspects of the New Testament books.

Take, for example, 1 Enoch. The work is explicitly quoted in the New Testament epistle of Jude:

It was of these also that Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 14-15)

Jude is here quoting from 1 Enoch 1:9, which speaks of the coming of the Lord God. What is interesting about this is that, in context, Jude seems to apply a passage about the coming of the Lord God to Jesus. In effect, Jude identifies Jesus as the divine kyrios (“Lord”). (On this, see Richard J. Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, WBC [Waco: Word, 1983], 96). The point is underscored in verse 17 where Jesus is identified as “Lord” (kyrios): “But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Enoch also has important implications for the study of Paul’s letters, the Gospels–especially Matthew!–and other works such as 2 Peter and Revelation. Given its influence, it is little wonder Ethiopic Christians came to read it as Scripture.

Whenever I teach the New Testament and turn to books like 1 Enoch, students immediately see their significance. “Where can I learn more about books like 1 Enoch?,” they ask. In the past, I did not always have an ideal recommendation. Now I do. Daniel Gurtner has written the perfect introduction to these books.

While there are numerous other books written by contemporary scholars that look at non-biblical Jewish works, many are simply too cumbersome. The standard work has been the two volume set edited by James Charlesworth. In addition to being a bit dated, this work also includes many later texts that have less value for New Testament students. A one volume introduction that is both thorough and up-to-date yet also focused in scope has long been needed. Thanks to Gurtner, one is finally available.

A little about the author. Daniel Gurtner is one of the finest New Testament scholars working in the field today. I consider his published dissertation, The Torn Veil: Matthew’s Exposition of the Death of Jesus, SNTSMS 139 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007) to be one of the most careful and yet also insightful monographs on Matthew ever written. This is a difficult balance. When a scholar has a legitimate insight, he or she often tends to overstate its importance. Insightful scholars are not always as cautious as they should be. Conversely, when a scholar seeks to be careful, he or she often becomes unwilling to say anything new. Cautious scholars are great, but they can often be accused of writing much while saying little. Gurtner is the rare scholar who is both insightful and judicious.

It should also be said that Gurtner is also a recognized expert of the Second Temple period. With Loren Stuckenbruck, Gurtner is co-editor of the premiere resource,T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism. There is no better guide to the state of scholarship regarding Second Temple matters than this fine installment. You can read my glowing endorsement of it here. The only unfortunate thing about this outstanding two-volume work is its price tag – $430! (It is so indispensable for my own work that I had to bite the bullet, but, yikes!)

Gurtner’s new book, Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism: Message, Context, and Significance(Baker Academic, 2020), brings together his vast knowledge in an accessible, affordable publication. (You can purchase it for only $35 by clicking the link here or the ones at either the top or bottom of this post.) There is simply no better place to begin than with Gurtner’s meticulously researched, balanced study.

Notably, Loren Stuckenbruck, Gurtner’s co-editor of the T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Judaism, writes a helpful forward. Anything written by Stuckenbruck is worth reading so it was great to see a word from him here.

From the Table of Contents, you can see the breadth and depth of this book, which covers not only apocalyptic works like 1 Enoch and 2 Baruch but also looks at other key texts, including various fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

In addition, I should mention that the endorsements from various scholars the book has received are very impressive. You can read them here.

What is especially helpful here is the way the Gurtner not only summarizes the various works, he also treats their “significance.” If you are curious about why each book is important, Gurtner tells you. He examines what treasures we learn from each work. Some examples:

• 4 Ezra 14 has Ezra writing under the inspiration of the Spirit. The book offers some important insight into what (at least some) ancient Jews thought this must have involved.
• 2 Baruch speaks of how the righteous have a store of good deeds laid up for themselves in heavenly treasuries (24:1). This is the same kind of language used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6:19, 20).
• Sibylline Oracles 4 uses baptismal imagery. Gurtner points out that this is interesting since “scholars generally agree that there are no signs of Christian authorship in Sibylline Oracles 4” (p. 134).
• The Testament of Moses seems to have especially influenced Jude. Famously, Jude describes how Michael and Satan had a confrontation over the body of Moses. This, Gurtner suggests, “likely draws from the now lost ending” (p. 176).

Again, I heartily recommend this fine work to all students of the New Testament. This is the introduction for which we have long been waiting. This should be required reading for any serious student of the New Testament who has not yet explored the Jewish literature of the Second Temple era.

Daniel Gurtner, one of the most impressive and prolific New Testament scholars working in the field today, has written an important new book introducing the Jewish literature of the Second Temple period. This is a must-read for any serious student of the New Testament. I have already written of the remarkable two-volume work he co-edited with Loren Stuckenbruck, the T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism(London: T&T Clark, 2019). This work is now the gold standard of reference works on period. Suffice it to say, Daniel Gurtner is one of the leading experts on the period. That is why I am so excited about his new book–it is sure to contain important insights and helpful information you won’t find elsewhere.

The New Testament is clearly drawing on the imagery of these such books in various places. I have been especially struck of late by the parallels between 1 Enoch and the Gospel of Matthew. The more I study these ancient Jewish works, the more I see how the New Testament writers are breathing the same air they did.

The publisher’s website has the following to say about the book:

This book introduces readers to a much-neglected and misunderstood assortment of Jewish writings from around the time of the New Testament. Dispelling mistaken notions of “falsely attributed writings” commonly inferred from the designation “pseudepigrapha,” Daniel Gurtner demonstrates the rich indebtedness these works exhibit to the traditions and scriptures of Israel’s past. In surveying numerous of the most important works, Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism shows how the Pseudepigrapha are best appreciated in their own varied contexts instead of reading them as mere “background” to early Christianity or emerging rabbinic Judaism.

The book also has a Foreword from Loren Stuckenbruck.

The Table of Contents looks amazing. Gurtner is going to take the reader through all of the key works, including 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, Jubilees, etc.

• Foreword by Loren T. Stuckenbruck
• Introduction
• Section 1: Apocalypses
• 1. 1 Enoch
• 2.4 Ezra
• 3. 2 Baruch
• 4. Apocalypse of Abraham
• 5. Sibylline Oracles3-5, 11
• 6. Additional Writings: 2 Enoch, 3 Baruch, Apocalypse of Zephaniah, Testament of Abraham, and Apocalyptic Material in the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Section 2: Testaments and Related Texts
• 7. Testament of Moses
• 8. Testament of Job
• 9. Aramaic Levi Document
• 10. Testament of Qahat
• 11. Visions of Amram
• 12. Additional Writings: Testament of Solomon, Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Testament of Naphtali (4Q215), and Other Testamentary Material in the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Section 3: Legends and Expansions of Biblical Traditions
• 13. Jubilees
• 14. Biblical Antiquities
• 15. Genesis Apocryphon
• 16. Letter of Aristeas
• 17. Joseph and Aseneth
• 18. Additional Writings: Life of Adam and Eve (Greek), 4 Baruch, and Ezekiel the Tragedian
• Section 4: Psalms, Wisdom Literature, and Prayers
• 19. Psalms 151-155
• 20. Psalms of Solomon
• 21. Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides
• 22. Additional Writings: Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers, Prayer of Joseph, and Prayer of Nabonidus (4Q242)
• Conclusion
• Indexes

The publisher, Baker Academic, also has on its website a long list of impressive endorsements for the book. I have reproduced them here:

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Full Text

“Since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls it has become clear that pseudepigrapha are critical for understanding ancient Judaism and Christianity. Daniel Gurtner provides a much-needed new introduction to these writings, deftly synthesizing cutting-edge specialist research into an engaging and accessible book brimming with insights that will challenge and delight. The result is a perfect resource for teaching as well as an ideal entry point for readers interested in learning more about these fascinating but neglected writings.”

“This is a comprehensive, well-informed, and up-to-date introduction to a large body of literature deriving from early Judaism. Scholars are becoming more cautious about which of the so-called Old Testament Pseudepigrapha we can be confident derive from that milieu. Gurtner rightly gives most attention to those that are generally agreed to be Jewish works from the Second Temple period, but he also discusses others that have often been treated as such so that readers may be aware of the issues of date and provenance that are still uncertain. This is a very helpful reference work, both for those who are new to this field and for those who have already engaged with this fascinating body of literature.”

“The collection known as the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha is an indispensable resource for appreciating developments within Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity–but where is one to begin, and what is one to look for in these texts? Daniel Gurtner’s distinguished history of research in this corpus makes him a reliable guide for the uninitiated explorer. He focuses here on a judicious selection of the most influential and illuminating writings within this collection and orients the reader to what each contributes to our knowledge of the varieties of thought among, the multiform challenges addressed by, and the contributions of these writers, while also giving briefer orientations to other works throughout the larger collection. This is now perhaps the premier point of entry into these writings, which might otherwise seem inaccessible.”

“Throughout Introducing the Pseudepigrapha Daniel Gurtner demonstrates his mastery of this important material. I like the way he has organized and arranged these complicated and diverse writings. I like the way he introduces them, and I like the way he explains why they are important and how they assist us in better understanding Judaism and Christianity in late antiquity. Interpreters of the Bible need this book on their desks.”

New Testament Apocrypha And Pseudepigrapha

“Introducing the Pseudepigrapha of Second Temple Judaism is a work that includes texts from the Hellenistic period that participate in and were composed alongside the biblical corpus. The Pseudepigrapha must be read with the canonical biblical collections because it exemplifies the innovative exegetical imaginations, practices of reading, and emerging beliefs that are essential to understanding the formation of Judaism and Christianity in antiquity. The texts of the Pseudepigrapha are some of our earliest expressions of commentary, hermeneutics, and liturgy from the Hellenistic period. These texts contribute to how we have come to understand performance, pedagogy, and ritual in Jewish antiquity. This is an important new book that integrates new research and new findings with commentaries and introductions to these texts.”

“Gurtner has selected for discussion some of the most influential Jewish pseudepigrapha. By offering fresh overviews and mature introductions to each, he draws on recent research and makes them accessible to contemporary readers. This book holds the door open to anyone interested in scripture interpretation and seeks to let the claims of pseudepigrapha speak for themselves. After all, today, as in the past, they invite theological as well as historical and literary engagement.”

List Of New Testament Pseudepigrapha

I cannot wait to get my copy! Click on the link below to order it from Amazon!