Introduction

The term "Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha" refers to books from the Second
Temple period that are clearly Jewish in origin and are not included in the
Protestant Christian Bible canon. The Apocrypha texts include important
information about Jewish life and philosophy in the years leading up to the
birth of Christianity. On the following pages, an attempt has been made to
study the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in order to become familiar with
these texts in order to better grasp the political, cultural, ethical, and religious
context of Jesus Christ's period.

A. Definition and Application of the Term "Apocrypha"

The term 'apocrypha' refers to a collection of fourteen or fifteen

documents published between the last two centuries of the Roman
Empire and the first century of the Christian era 1. The name "apocrypha"
is derived from the Greek noun apokrypha, which means "hidden." It is
employed throughout the LXX and NT to describe a hidden thing,
whether intentionally hidden (1 Macc. 1:23; Isa. 45:3; Pss. 26:5 [27:5
ET]; 30:21 [31:20]; cf. Deut. 27:15; Isa. 4:6; Pss. 9:29 [10:8]; Mark 4:22;
Luke 8:17); or just unseen (Sir. 23:19; 39:3; 42:9, 19; 48:25; Col. 2:3).
The categorization of these writings as "apocrypha" has an enigmatic
historical history2. From the point of view of those who agreed, They
were viewed as carrying secret or esoteric wisdom, too deep to be
imparted to anybody save the initiated, therefore they were 'hidden' or
withheld from common use. However, other people believed that such
writings should be 'hidden' since they were fake or heretical. As a result,
depending on who used the term, the term has had both a positive and a
negative connotation3. More specifically, the term has been applied to
collections of books found in Greek codices of the Scriptures (and
occasionally the Latin Vulgate) but not in the (Hebrew) MT or the (Greek)

1
Bruce M. Metzer,”An Introduction to the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press,1951).3.
2
2 Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish Writings” in Joel B. Green and Lee Martin McDonald (ed.) The
world of the New Testament: cultural, social, and historical contexts (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013),
291.
3 Bruce M. Metzger, An Introduction…, 5.
4 Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 292.
5 Craig A. Evans, Ancient texts for New Testament studies: a guide to the background literature (Peabody:
Hendrickson, 2005), 9.
3
NT since Jerome4. While Protestants do not consider the Apocrypha to
be inspired or canonical, Catholics do5. The majority of them are
accepted by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox,
and Coptic Churches. Roman Catholics refer to the books Protestants
refer to as "Apocrypha" as "Deuterocanonical."

B. Apocryphal Books' content and literary genre

Some of it was intended to instruct, some toreprove, and others to

just entertain6. Thus Some are historical (e.g., 1 Esdras, 1 and 2
Maccabees), romantic (e.g., Tobit, Judith, Susanna, Additions to Esther),
apocalyptic(e.g., Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus), moralistic (e.g.,
Baruch, Epistle of Jeremiah, Bel and the Dragon), and devotional (e.g.,
Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men). Manasseh's
Prayer). One is doomsday (2 Esdras)7.Although some of these novels'
historical accuracy and moral tone are doubtful (the value of 1
Maccabees for history and Sirach for moral teaching is quite high 8). As a
result, the Old Testament's Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books are a
collection of varied writings with different historical circumstances,
literary forms, rhetorics, contents, and theological perspectives. They are
a part of the larger phenomenon of Second Temple Judaism, and they
provide a window into the world where classical Judaism and early
Christianity developed9.

History. 1 Maccabees, written in the style of the canonical books of

kings, provides a reliable chronicle of Jews in Palestine from the years
preceding the Maccabean Revolt until Simon Barjona's death (175-134-
B.C.E.10). The Second Maccabees is also a historical storey that spans
the years 180 to 161 BC. This book, in contrast to 1 Maccabees, is more
theological in nature, exploring topics such as resurrection, martyrdom,
and the miraculous. In some ways, it overlaps with the events of 1
4

6
D. S. Russell, Between the Testaments (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1981), 78.
7 Craig A. Evans, Ancient texts for…, 10.
8 Everett Ferguson, Background of Early Christianity, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pubs Com, 1998), 414.
79 Daniel J. Harrington, Invitation to the Apocrypha (Michigan: Eerdmans Pubs Com, 1999), 2-3
8
10 D. S. Russell, Between the…78
9

10
Maccabees rather than picking up where that book leaves off. The books
of 1 and 2 Maccabees together form the most important historical source
from the middle of the second century BC 11.

Fiction. In this literature, fiction is well-represented, and there are some

stories of Gentileorigin. Only one of these texts was written in Hebrew;
the others were written in the Aramaic dialect 12. The book of Judith is a
storey of God's ability to help the oppressed pious Israelite. Judith's story
is situated in a national crisis for Israel and was written about the middle
of the second century BC. Nebuchadnezzar sends the general
Holofernes to deal with those who oppose his rule. Judith, who enters
the storey with faith, intelligence, and cunning, seduces and manipulates
Holofernes into losing his head. God is established as the genuine Lord,
the protector of the poor and oppressed, and Israel is saved. The reader
is reminded that Israel's strength comes from God, not from its size 13.

Wisdom literature: Wisdom Literature is represented by two books:

wisdom of Solomon and Sirach, or thewisdom of Ben sira, which is a
book of wisdom similar to Proverbs. Joshua Ben Eleazar Ben Sira, a
scribe in Jerusalem, wrote it in Hebrew early in the second century
B.C.E., and his grandson translated it into Greek. A poetic acclamation
of wisdom, a climax doxology to God, and a song of honour for Israel's
previous heroes are included in the book. Much of it is instructional in
nature, covering topics like speech, family relationships, and money and
poverty, to name a few, with the advice anchored in wisdom and Torah.
Solomon's Wisdom was most likely authored in Egypt in the first century
BC. Sometime about the beginning of the first century AD It features a
one-of-a-kind combination of Hellenistic rhetorie with Jewish
apocalypticism. The text is written in the form of a narrative by King
Solomon, who expounds on knowledge based on Israel's religious
tradition, portrays Wisdom as a personification, and exhorts all rulers of
the planet.

The adventures of Bel and the Dragon, as well as Susanna's history,

are genuine detective stories14. Susanna, the lovely wife of a Babylonian
Jew, stood firm against the advances of two elderly judges who tried to
11
Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 294.
12
D. S. Russell, Between the…,78
13
Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 293.
14
D. S. Russell, Between the…, 79.
'frame' her by accusing her of having an affair with a young man. She
had been sentenced to death. Daniel, on the other hand, wanted a new
trial, claiming that the two judges had given contradicting testimony.
Susanna was found not guilty, and the judges were sentenced to death.
C. Definition and application of the word "Old Testament Pseudepigrapha"

"Pseudepigrapha" is a transcription of a Greek word that means

"falsely ascribed writing," derived from the words pseuds ("false") and
epigraph ("inscription, superscription"). In the case of the so-called Old
Testament Pseudepigrapha, works are ascribed to or associated to
certain people who appear in the Old Testament's corpus of literature.
Johann Albert Fabricius is thought to have been the first to use the term
in biblical research15. The OT Pseudepigrapha has a wide range of
works. This amorphous collection contains works from a variety of
literary styles. The dividing line between the OT Apocrypha and the OT
Pseudepigrapha is not well defined. The Prayer of Manasseh and the
Book of Enoch are two Apocrypha works. The Pseudepigrapha contains
4 Ezra (contained within 2 Esdras). Three texts from the
Pseudepigrapha, 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, and Psalm 151, are
included in the Apocrypha in some Bible canons 16.

D. The Pseudepigraphic Book's Contents

There are just too many books designated as OT

Pseudepigrapha to list them all. The documents integrated in
Charlesworth are listed below (OTP). The texts are divided into genres
by Charlesworth. A brief explanation of a chosen few documents follows
this list17. 1. Texts a. Apocalypses: 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch, 3 Enoch, Sibylline
Oracles, 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch, 3 Enoch, 1 Enoch, 2 Enoch, 3 Enoch, 1
Enoch, 2 Enoch, 3 Enoch, 1 Enoch Shem's Treatise, Ezra's Questions
Ezra's Revelation, Sedrach's Apocalypse 2 Baruch, 3 Baruch, Ezekiel's
Apocryphon, Zephaniah's Apocalypse, Abraham's Apocalypse, Adam's
Apocalypse, Elijah's Apocalypse 4 Ezra, Greek Ezra's Apocalypse,
Daniel's Apocalypse, Ezra's Vision

15
Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 295.
16
Craig A. Evans, Ancient texts for…, 26-27.
17
Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 299.
b. Testaments: the Twelve Patriarchs' Testaments, Job's Testament,
Moses' Testament, Solomon's Testament, the Three Patriarchs'
Testaments (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and Adam's Testament

c. OT and Legends Expansions:

Aristeas' Letter, Jacob's Ladder, 4 Baruch, Jannes, and Jambres,

Eldad and Modad, the Rechabites' history Joseph's Biography, Jubilees,
Isaiah's Martyrdom and Ascension, Joseph and Aseneth Adam and
Eve's Life, Pseudo-Philo is a pseudo-philosophical term that refers to a
person who (Liber antiquitatum biblicarum), Prophets' Biographies

d. Philosophical Literature and Wisdom:

Pseudo-Phocylides, Syriac Menander Sentences, Ahiqar, 3 Maccabees,

4 Maccabees

e. Odes, Psalms, and Prayers:

More David Psalms, Manasseh's Prayer, Solomon's Psalms, Hellenistic

Synagogal Prayers Joseph's prayer, Jacob's prayer Solomon's Odes f.
Philo the Epic Poet, Orphica, Fragments of Pseudo-Greek Poets, and
Other Fragments of Judeo-Hellenistic Works Eupolemus, Cleodemus
Malchus, Pseudo-Hecataeus, Theodotus, Ezekiel the Tragedian,
Aristobulus, Aristeas the Exegete, Pseudo-Eupolemus, Artapanus,
Demetrius the Chronographer

2. Choose your summaries

This corpus contains a wide range of documents that are both diverse
and complex. For context to the New Testament, a brief summary of a
few documents from this collection that are both Jewish in origin and of
early date of production (approximately anterior to the Bar Kokhba
insurrection, AD 132–135) is offered below.

Jubilees is a work that was possibly written in Hebrew around the

second century BC. It was then translated into Greek before being
translated into Ethiopic. It is now only found in Ethiopic in its entirety.
The book expands on the biblical accounts of Genesis 1–Exodus 19 in
fifty chapters. It claims to contain a hidden message conveyed to Moses
on Mount Sinai (Jub. 1.1). The storey follows the biblical timeline and is
divided into jubilees, or periods of forty-nine years. The author tells the
storey of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and his sons, as well as their
Egyptian slavery and escape18.The book of 1 Enoch is a collection of
works dating from the fourth century B.C.E. until the turn of the era,
rather than a single book. It was initially written in Aramaic, as evidenced
by fragments found at Qumran, but it is only preserved in its whole in
Ethiopic, which was translated from a Greek manuscript. All of the
sections are linked to the biblical Enoch (Genesis 5:21–24). The Book of
Watchers (1 En. 1–36), which originates from the late third century BC,
is the first portion. It tells of Enoch's divine visions, the revolt of angels,
or watchers, and the activities of Azazel, the rebellion's commander.
Enoch is commissioned as a prophet of judgement in the heavenly
throne room. This is accompanied by. He traverses the world with a
heavenly company, receiving visions of judgement. The Similitudes, or
Book of Parables(1 En. 37–71), is the second portion of 1 Enoch, and it
dates from the late first century BC to the late first century AD. As the
prophet journeys through God's throne room and the universe, this book
is also a record of Enoch's visions and angelic interpretations 19.

E. The New Testament's Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

The NT contains no explicit citations from the OT Apocrypha,

although the Pseudepigrapha contains at least one definite quotation.
Furthermore, NT authors are familiar with, and expect that readers are
familiar with, several traditions found in both apocryphal and
pseudepigraphic traditions. The Egyptian magicians Jannes and
Jambres are named by name in 2 Timothy 3:8, but their names are not
given in the OT source (Exod. 7:11). In rabbinic sources (Tg. Ps.-J.
Exod. 1.15; 7.11), the DSS (CD 5.17–18), and pagan literature, their
names were mentioned (Pliny the Elder, Nat. Hist. 30.1.11)

Throughout the dominical tradition, there are echoes of Enochic

literature. In the parable of the Marriage Feast (Matthew 22:1-14), the
invader is chained "hand and foot" and put "into the outer darkness,"
according to Matt 22:13. (Matt 22:13). "Bind Azaz'el hand and foot (and)
cast him into the darkness!" is a striking allusion to I En. 10:4, where the
angel Raphael is told to "bind Azaz'el hand and foot (and) cast him into
18
Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 295.
19
Daniel M. Gurtner, “Noncanonical Jewish…, 301.
the darkness!" To be sure, Paul's unusual citation (1 Cor 2:9) references
to passages from Isaiah (cf Isa 52:15; 64:4; 65:17), but it also alludes to
pseudepigraphal traditions (e.g., L.A.B. 26:13; cf the Pseudepigraphal
Traditions). cf. the Coptic version of Jacob's lestament). One thinks of
Heb 11:37 ("they were sawed in half") and Mart. Ascen. Isa. 5:1 ("and he
sawed Isaiah in half with a wood saw"), of Christ's descent into hell in 1
Pet 3:19 and I En. 10:11-15 and Ps.-Jeremiah (apud Justin Martyr, Dial.
72.4, et al. ), and of Jude 1:9, where Michael argues 20.

Conclusion

The release of compilations of primary sources has made

documents more accessible to a larger audience. The "OT
Pseudepigrapha" is a disjointed collection of documents that defies
categorization. Before being evaluated for its place in the study of the
NT, each document must be investigated independently, both in terms of
origin and chronology. One is on firmer ground when it comes to the
Apocrypha, which are all Jewish and predate Bar Kokhba. With enough
caution and regard for these texts first as texts in their own right, the
attentive student of the New Testament has unmatched access to these
sources, which can provide helpful explanations to biblical texts.

Bibliography

Evans, Craig A. Ancient texts for New Testament studies: a guide to the
background literature. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2005.

Ferguson, Everett. Background of Early Christianity. Grand Rapids:

Eerdmans Pubs Com, 1998.

Gurtner, Daniel M. “Noncanonical Jewish Writings” in Joel B. Green and

Lee Martin McDonald (ed.) The world of the New Testament: cultural,
social, and historical contexts. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.

Harrington, Daniel J. Invitation to the Apocrypha. Michigan: Eerdmans

Pubs Com, 1999.

Metzger, Bruce M. An Introduction to the Apocrypha. New York: oxford

university press, 1957.
20
Craig A. Evans, Ancient texts for…, 71-72.
Russell, D. S. Between the Testaments. London: SCM Press Ltd, 1981.