The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha & the New Testament

Charlesworth demonstrates why the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha are essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the world in which the New Testament originated. He explains the proper method for studying the early Jewish writings preserved in this category and how and why they are important in their own right, revealing a very advanced and sophisticated religion.The pseudepigraphical writings help us grasp both the diversity and creativity of early Judaism. Written before the canon of Hebrew Scriptures were closed, some of these writings in some early Jewish communities rivaled and surpassed the importance of certain writings now claimed by Jews and Christians today as canonical and inspired. Charlesworth suggests how the Pseudepigrapha help us understand Jewish concepts of the Messiah at the dawn of Christianity, and how these writings present challenges and new opportunities for biblical scholars.