A review of "The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 volume set)". I have also reviewed each volume separately elsewhere on this blog.
I actually have both volumes of this extra-Biblical
Über-collection of “Old Testament” pseudepigrapha, books that never made it
into the Bible (not even on a sufferance as Apocrypha). The collection contains
both Jewish and Christian works attributed to, or featuring, characters from
the standard Hebrew scriptures. My guess is that 1 Enoch and Jubilees are of
special interest to most readers, but you can find all kinds of intriguing
stuff here.
Isaiah is said to have seen a vision of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, but also the descent of Christ (before his birth) through the planetary spheres. Hermetism? Moses and Hermes is the same person. Hellenism? The arch-arch-angel Metatron (a.k.a. Little Yahweh) is the translated Enoch. Kabbalism? Ezra claims that the oceans are smaller than the continents – this “scientific” information was used by Columbus to argue that it was possible to reach India through the Atlantic!
If this makes any kind of sense to you, investing in these two volumes, edited by J H Charlesworth, might be a good idea. If not, you probably are missing out on *something*…
“The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha” doesn't include the Dead Sea scrolls or the standard Gnostic writings, so if those are more your cup of weekend reading, you have to procure them under separate cover. Well, we can't get everything, can we?
Five stars for this "all-in-two".
Isaiah is said to have seen a vision of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, but also the descent of Christ (before his birth) through the planetary spheres. Hermetism? Moses and Hermes is the same person. Hellenism? The arch-arch-angel Metatron (a.k.a. Little Yahweh) is the translated Enoch. Kabbalism? Ezra claims that the oceans are smaller than the continents – this “scientific” information was used by Columbus to argue that it was possible to reach India through the Atlantic!
If this makes any kind of sense to you, investing in these two volumes, edited by J H Charlesworth, might be a good idea. If not, you probably are missing out on *something*…
“The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha” doesn't include the Dead Sea scrolls or the standard Gnostic writings, so if those are more your cup of weekend reading, you have to procure them under separate cover. Well, we can't get everything, can we?
Five stars for this "all-in-two".
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