Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred writings

173 Pages·2006·1.37 MB·English

by  William J. Deane

Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain
apocryphal sacred writings of the Jews and
early Christians
by
William J. Deane
About Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred writings of
the Jews and early Christians by William J. Deane
Title: Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred writings
of the Jews and early Christians
URL: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/deane/pseudepig.html
Author(s): Deane, William John (1823-1895)
Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Print Basis: Edinburgh: T & T Clark [n.d.]
Rights: Public Domain
Date Created: 2000-07-22
CCEL Subjects: All; Early Church; History;
LC Call no: BS1700
LC Subjects: The Bible
Old Testament
Special parts of the Old Testament
Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
Table of Contents
About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii
Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3
Original Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 5
I. Lyrical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16
The Psalter of Solomon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16
II. Apocalyptical and Prophetical.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 27
The Book of Enoch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 27
The Assumption of Moses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 46
The Apocalypse of Baruch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 60
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 74
Legendary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 87
The Book of Jubilees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 87
The Ascension of Isaiah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 104
IV. Mixed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 121
The Sibylline Oracles.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 121
Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 151
Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 158
Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 158
Greek Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 161
Hebrew Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 166
Latin Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 166
Index of Pages of the Print Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 169
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Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
iv
Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
i PSEUDEPIGRAPHA:
AN ACCOUNT OF CERTAIN
APOCRYPHAL SACRED WRITINGS OF THE JEWS
AND EARLY CHRISTIANS.
BY THE
REV. WILLIAM J. DEANE, M.A.,
RECTOR OF ASHEN, ESSEX;
AUTHOR OF “THE BOOK OF WISDOM, WITH PROLEGOMENA AND COMMENTARY
(OXFORD: CLARENDON PRESS), ETC. ETC.
EDINBURGH:
T. & T. CLARK, 38 GEORGE STREET.
1891.
PRINTED BY MORRISON AND GIBB,
ii
FOR
T. & T. CLARK, EDINBURGH.
LONDON, . . . . . . HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND C0.
DUBLIN, . . . . . . GEORGE HERBERT.
Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
NEW YORK, . . . . . . CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS.
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Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
PREFACE.
iii
THE present work consists chiefly of a reproduction of certain articles (with additions and
corrections) contributed by me to various religious periodicals during the last few years. It treats
of some curious Pseudepigraphal Jewish and Christian writings composed in the times immediately
preceding or following the commencement of the Christian era, and aims at giving a succinct
account of these productions for readers who are not familiar with the originals. The books comprised
in our English Bibles under the name of “Apocrypha” are excluded, as they have been sufficiently
examined of late years, and commentaries upon them are readily available. Some of the works
treated in this volume are comparatively unknown to English readers, but those (like the Book of
Enoch) which have obtained more currency among us could not be omitted from our survey,
especially as they form an integral part of the literature of the period, and are often referred to and
cited. The whole of the writings here examined have not hitherto been collected into one volume.
The original text or versions of some of them have been printed in Fabricius’ Codex Pseudepigraphus
Veteris Testamenti; and in Fritzsche’s Libri Apocryphi Vet. Test.; the others have been published
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by various editors at various times, as noted in the following accounts.
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Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
CONTENTS.
v
INTRODUCTION, 1
I. LYRICAL—  
  The Psalter of 25
Solomon,
II. APOCALYPTICAL AND  
PROPHETICAL—
  The Book of Enoch, 49
  The Assumption of 95
Moses,
  The Apocalypse of 130
Baruch,
  The Testaments of 162
the Twelve
Patriarchs,
III. LEGENDARY—  
  The Book of 193
Jubilees,
  The Ascension of 236
Isaiah,
IV. MIXED—  
  The Sibylline 276
Oracles,
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Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
INTRODUCTION.
1
IN the times immediately preceding and succeeding the commencement of the Christian era
there arose among the Jews a style of writing to which the name Pseudepigraphic has been given,
because most of the works so composed appeared under the assumed name of some famous person.
They must not be considered in the light of literary forgeries; they are not like Macpherson with
his Ossian, or Chatterton with his Rowley, fraudulent attempts at imposture; but the authors, having
something to say which they deemed worthy of the attention of contemporaries, put it forth under
the ægis of a great name, not to deceive, but to conciliate favour. A writer who ventured to
appropriate a celebrated title would take care to satisfy the expectations raised by his pseudonym,
and readers would believe that no one would dare to challenge comparison with a great original
who was not qualified to sustain the character assumed. The most familiar instance is, perhaps, the
book known as the Wisdom of Solomon, wherein the writer assumes the person of the great Israelite
king, certainly with no idea of deceiving his readers (for the language of the treatise, the date and
place of its composition, alike forbid any notion of fraud), but with the view of supporting his
opinions by the highest authority, and as embodying sentiments which are such as the son of David
might have enunciated. A similar impersonation is familiar to us in the Book of Ecclesiastes, where
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Koheleth utters his varied experiences through the mouth of Solomon, “son of David, king in
Jerusalem.” Such a use of fiction has been common in all ages; it is found in classical authors. Plato
and Cicero introduced real characters as vehicles for supporting or opposing their views. The
Apologies of Socrates, the speeches in Thucydides and Livy, are never deemed to be intentional
deceptions; the animus decipiendi is lacking; and though they utter the words of the writers, and
not those of the persons represented, no one sees in them fraud and chicanery, but every one regards
them as legitimate examples of dramatic personation. The Old Testament authors do not prefix
their names to their works, as they write, not for self-glorification, but to serve far higher purposes.
The only exception to this rule is found in the case of the prophets, whose names and credentials
were necessarily required, in order to give weight and credibility to their announcements. In
accordance with this practice the uninspired apocalyptic writers publish their visions, and
lucubrations under the appellation of some earlier worthy, whom with transparent impersonation
they introduce into their compositions. They might also claim the authority of the titles of many
books in the Old Testament which are presented under the names of authors who certainly did not
write them. No one supposes that Ruth or Esther composed the books which bear their names, and
very little of the two books of Samuel are the work of that great prophet. The Psalmists adopted
the designations of David, or Asaph, or the sons of Korah, because they echoed the spirit or employed
the forms found in their prototypes. Those who followed the footsteps of these great predecessors,
3
without their claim to inspiration, thought themselves justified in winning attention to their utterances
by adventitious means, and boldly personated the eminent characters in whose spirit they wrote.1
At the cessation of prophecy among the Jews, when no longer the utterances of inspired seers
denounced abuses, pointed the right way, proclaimed the will of God, great attention was paid by
devout men to the study and interpretation of canonical Scripture. In contrast with the heathenism
of surrounding nations, the Hebrew pored over his Heaven-sent law, and, by attention thereto,
1 See Dr. Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus, i. 37 f.
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Pseudepigrapha: An account of certain apocryphal sacred William J. Deane
writings of the Jews and early Christians
confirmed his abhorrence of idolatry and his adherence to his monotheistic faith. The degradation
of Israel under its pagan oppressors, and the temporary triumph of the chosen people in the
Maccabean period, gave rise to the apocalyptic literature of which we are speaking. An unswerving
zeal for the Law, and a glowing hope of a happy future, formed the character istics of this period.
From the storm and tumult and confusion of their own times good men looked forward to a reign
of peace and happiness, and strove to impart their own hopes to their desponding countrymen.
Taking their tone from, and founding their views upon, the ancient prophets, and more especially
employing the imagery and developing the annunciations of Daniel, these writers, under various
forms, and with very different success, gradually put forth their notions of the future, and anticipate
the kingdom of Messiah. Often in their treatises they enter on the history of the past, putting their
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words into the mouth of an ancient prophet; but all such details are preparatory to the predictive
portion, and lead up to this important element. The grand destiny which awaits Israel fills their
minds; they dream of an universal judgment, followed by the supremacy of the chosen people; they
are fired with an enthusiasm which is not fettered by probabilities, and they boldly announce events
as certain which they have no real claim to foretell, and which nothing but an imaginative and
ardent zeal could have induced them to publish.
The value of these writings is considerable, and this for many reasons; but that which chiefly
concerns us is the light which they throw upon Jewish belief at the most important era. Those which
are plainly antecedent to Christian times have their own special utility; while the later productions,
which belong to the first Christian centuries, show the influence of new ideas even on those who
retained their affection for the old religion. And both series are necessary for every study of the
religious history of the Jews. It is perhaps true that this apocalyptic literature was regarded with
little favour by the Rabbinic schools, and no dogmatic authority was attributed to it; but it can be
used as indicating current thought, just as we refer to any contemporary document to denote popular
opinion, though it be not stamped with the authority of a teaching body. The number of these
writings which are still extant, and the many more of which the titles only have remained to our
times, prove the wide prevalence of the feelings which are embodied in them, and the profound
impression which such thoughts had made on the hearts of the people. Omitting the works which
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either in whole or in part have been submitted to modern criticism, we have notices of the existence
of many other apocalyptic and pseudepigraphic compositions, whose titles pretty fairly explain
their contents. Of course, very many of the works enumerated in the catalogues of extra-canonical
writings are of Christian origin; but even these are framed on the same lines as the earlier, and very
often repeat the ideas and give expression to the hopes found in the others. In the Fourth Book of
Esdras, which is called the Second in our English Bibles, the sacred books are counted as ninety-four,
twenty-two of which would be the received items of the Jewish Canon, and seventy-two apocryphal.
These last, which in round numbers are called seventy, were directed to be reserved for the wise
among the people; “for in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the
stream of knowledge.”2 Hilgenfeld3 reckons the number of those whose titles have survived at
thirty-six. Many of these, however, would scarcely come under our view as Jewish productions,
being of gnostic or heretical origin, and are rather to be reckoned among New Testament
2 2 Esdr. xiv. 44–47. Some Latin MSS., instead of “ninety-four,” give “nine hundred and four;” the Vulgate has “two hundred
and four;” other versions, “ninety-four,” which from what follows seems to be correct.
3 In Herzog’s Encyklop. xii. 341 ff. (ed. 1883).
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