Introducing the Apocrypha Read online

  © 2002, 2018 by David A. deSilva

  Published by Baker Academic

  a division of Baker Publishing Group

  P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

  www.bakeracademic.com

  Ebook edition created 2018

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  ISBN 978-1-4934-1307-2

  Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  In honor of the God

  who was never without a witness in the world

  Contents

  Cover i

  Title Page iii

  Copyright Page iv

  Dedication v

  Foreword by James H. Charlesworth ix

  Preface to the Second Edition xiii

  Preface to the First Edition xv

  Abbreviations xvii

  1. Introduction: The Value of the Apocrypha 1

  2. Historical Context: “The Yoke of the Gentiles” 32

  3. Tobit: “Better Is Almsgiving with Justice” 58

  4. Judith: “Hear Me Also, a Widow” 83

  5. Greek Esther: “The Aid of the All-Seeing God and Savior” 111

  6. Wisdom of Solomon: “The Righteous Live Forever” 131

  7. Wisdom of Ben Sira: “In All Wisdom There Is the Doing of Torah” 161

  8. Baruch: “Return with Tenfold Zeal to Seek God” 211

  9. Letter of Jeremiah: “They Are Not Gods, So Do Not Fear Them” 230

  10. Additions to Daniel: “Let Them Know That You Alone Are God” 239

  11. 1 Maccabees: “The Family through Which Deliverance Was Given” 264

  12. 2 Maccabees: “There Is Some Power of God about the Place” 288

  13. 1 Esdras: “Leave to Us a Root and a Name” 306

  14. Prayer of Manasseh: “The God of Those Who Repent” 324

  15. Psalm 151: “He Made Me Shepherd of His Flock” 330

  16. 3 Maccabees: “Blessed Be the Deliverer of Israel!” 333

  17. 2 Esdras: “The Mighty One Has Not Forgotten” 355

  18. 4 Maccabees: “Noble Is the Contest” 390

  Bibliographies 423

  Works Cited 438

  Scripture Index 464

  Ancient Writings Index 480

  Author Index 486

  Subject Index 491

  Back Cover 501

  Foreword

  Bending the Knee of the Heart in an Apocryphon: A High-Water Mark in Jewish Theology

  JAMES H. CHARLESWORTH

  One of my close colleagues at Duke University for over twenty years was the dean of the chapel, Dr. James Cleland. Pondering whether he was a Christian Jew or a Jewish Christian, Dr. Cleland liked to refer to the Prayer of Manasseh. He would frequently tell the story of a Southern Baptist minister who opened the pulpit Bible and read from this early Jewish prayer. The members of the congregation were amazed at the “Christian” character of the prayer and told him that it was one of the most insightful and meaningful prayers they had ever heard. They confessed, however, that they could not find the text in their Bibles. He told them it was in their pulpit Bible.

  The Prayer of Manasseh is indeed one of the greatest penitential prayers ever composed. Samuel Sandmel once told me that it should have been “canonized” within the liturgy of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). We do not have the fluid liturgy of Yom Kippur that was directed by the high priest and the Levites in the Jerusalem temple before 70 CE, yet I can imagine the Prayer of Manasseh being read at that time of year—not only privately but also publicly in synagogues, both in the land and in the Diaspora. Perhaps some in the temple read it, calling on God as they confessed their sins and asked forgiveness.

  Those who have focused their lives on the study of prayers frequently tell me that the most deeply spiritual prayers are those composed by early Jews. Subsequently, I often hear the Prayer of Manasseh cited. Once, when I thought my interlocutor was only superficially informed about early Jewish prayers, I was startled to hear the following answer: “Well, I do not memorize the titles of prayers you scholars give them. My interest is in the spirituality in a prayer.” The individual then quoted the Prayer of Manasseh from memory:

  And now behold I am bending the knees of my heart before you;

  and I am beseeching your kindness.

  I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned;

  and I certainly know my sins.

  I beseech you:

  forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! (Pr. Man. 11–13)

  Despite what may be heard in sermons and published in books, Jews during the time of Jesus did acknowledge their sinfulness and confess their sins. In fact, in the temple they established a yearly liturgy and ritual for confessing sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. During this ritual, Yom Kippur, even the high priest, having immersed himself in purifying waters and put on elegant and expensive garments, openly confessed his sins. Centuries later Jews remembered his words:

  O Lord, I have committed iniquity, transgressed, and sinned before you, I and my house.

  O Lord, forgive the iniquities, transgressions, and sins, which I have done by committing iniquity, transgression, and sin before you, I and my house. (m. Yoma 3:8)

  Manasseh was ancient Israel’s most wicked king. The Prayer of Manasseh assumes that he recognized and acknowledged his sin. Most scholars, however, conclude that a Jew shortly before the time of Jesus composed this prayer and placed it on the lips of Manasseh. The work is thus both apocryphal (not contained in the canon represented by the Hebrew Bible) and pseudepigraphical (attributed to an ancient Israelite or Jew). Hence, the Prayer of Manasseh has been included in collections of the Old Testament Apocrypha and in the larger corpus of early Jewish religious texts called the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. The Prayer of Manasseh is included in the Greek Orthodox and Slavonic Orthodox Bibles and—of course—widely available to Roman Catholics since it is deuterocanonical. As we ponder the borders of the canon and the texts that contain God’s Word in the words of Scripture, we hear the cry from the heart of the human who prayed the Prayer of Manasseh, someone so distraught and in need of God’s healing forgiveness that he bent the knees of his heart.

  Jews and Christians who wish to learn about their ancient roots need to know about—indeed read—the so-called apocryphal books. All of the Old Testament Apocrypha are now included in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. David deSilva’s Introducing the Apocrypha is the best introduction to this ancient corpus. He wisely refuses the glib pronouncement of some professors that the Old Testament Apocrypha are the books added in the Septuagint. This claim fails to observe that such a list varies according to the contents of the ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint. DeSilva thus opts for an inclusive definition of the Apocrypha. He helps the interested reader to comprehend the message, context, and significance of these ancient Jewish compositions. With living and captivating prose, and with erudition and insight, he leads the reader into the thoughts of some great Jewish minds that were imbued with revelation from above. As deSilva makes clear, the Apocrypha are not a threat to faith; they are “a vital witness to faith, specifically the faith of Jewish people living in the period between the third century BCE and the first century CE.”

  What is unique and important about deSilva’s Introducing the Apocrypha? I have found the following features especially helpful.

  It indicates the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, especially in clarifying the transmission of such documents as Ben Sira and Tobit.

  It enriches our perception of the Apocrypha by incorporating social-scientific and sociorhetorical methodologies and insights.

  It discloses the pervasive adaptation of the Deuteronomistic explanation of why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer: that is, a viable explanation of theodicy, especially in light of national woes.

  It shows why these texts are commentaries on Sacred Scripture.

  It helps us comprehend that the authors of the New Testament were reacting not so much to ancient texts as to roughly contemporaneous documents intimately filled with God’s continuing revelation.

  It exposes the fact that the roots of Jesus’s teaching lead deep into the soil of early Jewish theology.

  Many Jews and not a few early Christians perceived God’s Word in the words of the Apocrypha. During the time of Jesus there was no closed and clearly defined canon of sacred writings. One might imagine that the Apocrypha are not only the byways of ancient Scripture but also part of the highways. The list of geniuses who knew and admired the Apocrypha as depositories of God’s Word reads like a Who’s Who of the early church: Tertullian, Origen, Eusebius, Jerome, and Augustine. This way leads to spiritual nurture and a better under
standing of whose we are.

  Did God hear the prayer of the wicked Manasseh? As with virtually all early Jewish prayers, this one affirms that God always answers an honest and contrite prayer. Note how the Prayer of Manasseh ends: affirming that God is “the God of those who repent,” the author concludes with these words:

  In me you will manifest all your grace;

  and although I am not worthy,

  you will save me according to your manifold mercies.

  Because of this [salvation] I shall praise you continually all the days of my life;

  because all the hosts of heaven praise you,

  and sing to you forever and ever. (Pr. Man. 14–15)

  Professor deSilva rightly stresses that the Prayer of Manasseh “shows the boundless forgiveness of God.”

  James H. Charlesworth

  Princeton Theological Seminary

  Preface to the Second Edition

  I was glad to have been entrusted by the editors of Baker Academic with preparing an introductory textbook on the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals, an effort that was rewarding in itself since it afforded me the opportunity to dig deeply and thoughtfully into a corpus that I love; that work has been rewarded with the appreciation expressed in reviews and in classroom use since the publication of the first edition in 2002. I am grateful to Baker Academic, especially my editor, Dr. Bryan Dyer, for the additional investment the press has made in granting me the opportunity to create a revised edition.

  Study of the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals, alongside the study of individual texts from the Pseudepigrapha and the larger historical context of the Second Temple period, has progressed significantly since the appearance of the first edition. Not only have scores of articles trickled out in journals and collections of essays, but whole conferences have also been organized around the study of individual texts, resulting in the publications of the proceedings, while many critical commentaries have also been written on the individual texts. I am happy to have this opportunity to bring my introduction more up to date in light of this blossoming of research in a number of ways. First, this edition contains a greatly expanded bibliography, organized by topic and text. It is my hope that this book may hereby serve more usefully as an orientation to the larger body of literature and as a guide to further study. Second, the contents of every chapter have been revised significantly in light of ongoing research (including my own), which has sometimes supported, sometimes nuanced or supplemented, and sometimes corrected my earlier discussions. I have had to remain conscious of space and true to the original intent and scope of the first edition, such that I have not sought by any means to be comprehensive in my inclusion of new research. I apologize to my peers who will not find their writings mirrored in the current edition to the extent that their work merits in itself.

  I wrote the first edition on my own. I have been wiser in my approach to the revised edition, soliciting the suggestions and criticisms of scholars who have distinguished themselves in the scholarship of particular texts. With deep appreciation for their sharing of their time and considerable expertise, I thank the following colleagues for their valuable assistance: Robert Littman (Tobit), Deborah Gera (Judith), Benjamin Wright and Jeremy Corley (Ben Sira), Sean Adams (Baruch and Letter of Jeremiah), Robert Doran (2 Maccabees), and Clayton Croy (3 Maccabees). I also wish to express appreciation to the board of trustees, administration, and faculty colleagues of Ashland Theological Seminary, who granted me a study leave during fall semester 2016, during which these revisions were undertaken.

  Finally, I add a word of apology to my Catholic and Orthodox readers for referring to this corpus consistently as “Apocrypha” in the main text, in keeping with my own location as a Protestant. “Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals” is just too unwieldy to use throughout. I intend no disrespect thereby to the decisions of your communions concerning the canonicity of these books.

  Preface to the First Edition

  My journey with the Apocrypha began as a thirteen-year-old when I noticed, leafing through the Book of Common Prayer during a not-so-engaging sermon, that there were several Scripture readings prescribed for special days from books that I did not recognize as coming from the Bible. I finally found the titles listed as “Apocrypha” in the church’s Articles of Faith, being recommended therein as edifying literature. So I borrowed a copy of the RSV Apocrypha from the church library and skimmed through Wisdom of Solomon and Wisdom of Ben Sira. I was aware that I was reading special books, even though they were not part of my Bible, and I made a mental note to return to that collection in earnest someday. Twenty years later, I had my chance.

  The reader of this book is urged to have a copy of the Apocrypha at hand and to use this book as an aid to reading those primary texts. When this volume refers to a passage from the Apocrypha, the reader would do well to look up the verses and read them. While this will make for a slower read through the present text, it will be far more rewarding in the long run.

  I wish to thank those who have been most instrumental in supporting me in the writing of this volume. I had the benefit of excellent teachers who cultivated in me a love and zeal for Second Temple period Jewish literature, J. H. Charlesworth and C. R. Holladay being the most influential in this regard. Jim Weaver received my proposal graciously and conveyed the publisher’s commitment to the project. Jim Kinney, his successor at Baker Academic, was kind and generous in his support of a project he inherited rather than chose. His editorial and production staff, of course, deserves high praise for their efforts in turning the manuscript into this handsome book. The trustees and president of Ashland Theological Seminary granted me a quarter’s leave to begin this project, and for their support of this, as well as all my academic endeavors, I am truly thankful. My research assistant, Rev. Jeffrey Vanderhoff, labored many hours gathering the books and articles I requested and helping to prepare the bibliographies. Finally, I thank my wife, Donna Jean, and my three sons for allowing me the hours of the workday to devote to this book. The evenings, of course, belonged to lightsaber duels, dinosaurs, and LEGO!

  Abbreviations

  Apocrypha

  Tob. Tobit

  Jdt. Judith

  Add. Esth. Additions to Esther

  Wis. Wisdom of Solomon

  Sir. Wisdom of Ben Sira = Sirach

  Bar. Baruch

  Let. Jer. Letter of Jeremiah

  Add. Dan. Additions to Daniel

  Pr. Azar. Prayer of Azariah

  Sg. Three Song of the Three Jews

  Sus. Susanna

  Bel Bel and the Dragon

  1 Macc. 1 Maccabees

  2 Macc. 2 Maccabees

  1 Esd. 1 Esdras

  Pr. Man. Prayer of Manasseh

  Ps. 151 Psalm 151

  3 Macc. 3 Maccabees

  2 Esd. 2 Esdras; composed of 5 Ezra; 4 Ezra; 6 Ezra

  4 Ezra 4 Ezra = 2 Esdras 3–4 = 4 Ezra in the Pseudepigrapha (below)

  5 Ezra 5 Ezra = 2 Esdras 1–2

  6 Ezra 6 Ezra = 2 Esdras 15–16

  4 Macc. 4 Maccabees

  Old Testament

  Gen. Genesis

  Exod. Exodus

  Lev. Leviticus

  Num. Numbers

  Deut. Deuteronomy

  Josh. Joshua

  Judg. Judges

  Ruth Ruth

  1 Sam. 1 Samuel

  2 Sam. 2 Samuel

  1 Kings 1 Kings

  2 Kings 2 Kings

  1 Chron. 1 Chronicles

  2 Chron. 2 Chronicles

  Ezra Ezra

  Neh. Nehemiah

  Esther Esther

  Job Job

  Ps(s). Psalm(s)

  Prov. Proverbs

  Eccles. Ecclesiastes

  Song Song of Songs

  Isa. Isaiah

  Jer. Jeremiah

  Lam. Lamentations

  Ezek. Ezekiel

  Dan. Daniel

  Hosea Hosea

  Joel Joel

  Amos Amos

  Obad. Obadiah

  Jon. Jonah

  Mic. Micah

  Nah. Nahum

  Hab. Habakkuk

  Zeph. Zephaniah

  Hag. Haggai

  Zech. Zechariah

  Mal. Malachi

  New Testament

  Matt. Matthew

  Mark Mark

  Luke Luke