730  THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 82, 2020

with Flynn that Yhwh’s dress tends toward the metaphorical, or at least the evocative and
imagistic, Ben Zvi seems to overstate his claim. Many texts that he does not mention do
imagine Yhwh’s clothes, from the fantastical with Yhwh covering his hands with lightning
as if it were gloves to Yhwh donning cloak, mantle, and armor as a warrior-king (see Job
36:30-32 and Isa 59:17; also see Ps 93:1; 102:27; 104:1-2; Lam 3:43-44; and analogously,
see the king girding on a sword, majesty, and splendor in Ps 45:4). True, none of these texts
ruminates on divine or royal clothing at length as the Priestly texts do; the ekphrastic
imagination of priestly clothing is unique to the Priestly traditions. Ben Zvi’s argument,
therefore, holds true for the Priestly tradition and likely for the postexilic readers he seeks
to describe, but not for all of the texts available to those readers.
One of the major highlights of the volume is that the essays display a dense set of
interconnections with one another. The shared connections and echoes among the essays
represent an engaged dialogue as the essays cross-reference and respond to one another.
The primary drawback is that many authors cite rather than reproduce the artistic imagery
they discuss. Whether this represents a limitation of the authors or the publisher, cross-
referencing resources certainly slows the inquisitive reader.

Richard Anthony Purcell, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33803

matthias henze and liv ingeborg lied (eds.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha:
Fifty Years of the Pseudepigrapha Section at the SBL (SBLEJL 50; Atlanta: SBL Press,
2019). Pp. xvii + 448. Paper $54.

This collection of twenty-one essays by leading scholars marks the celebration of fifty
years of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha section at the Annual Meetings of the Society
of Biblical Literature (SBL). Divided into five sections (Introduction; Remembering Fifty
Years of the Pseudepigrapha at the Society of Biblical Literature; The History of the Study
of the Pseudepigrapha; Topics in the Study of the Pseudepigrapha; and The Future of the
Study of the Pseudepigrapha), the contents of this book provide the history, current state,
and future horizons of this group.
The book opens with an introduction by Matthias Henze and Liv Ingeborg Lied, “The
Pseudepigrapha and the Society of Biblical Literature,” in which they recount the origins
of the group in 1969, some of the major topics covered over the years, and summarize the
contributions. In “The Pseudepigrapha Project at the Society of Biblical Literature, 1969–
1971,” Matthias Henze provides a fascinating history of the origins of the Pseudepigrapha
group, augmented by transcripts of correspondence and meeting notes. In three appendixes,
Henze provides a list of (1) the chairs of the unit from 1969 to 2018; (2) topics and paper
presenters at the Annual Meetings from 1970 to 2018; and (3) topics and paper presenters
at the International Meetings from 1983 to 2019. This is a rich unit history and his effort is
appreciated.
The second section, “Remembering Fifty Years . . . ,” has four papers. In the first, “Let
the Living Remember the Dead: Homage to the Departed Pioneers of the Pseudepigrapha
Group—Father George W. MacRae, S.J.,” Robert A. Kraft provides a tribute to George
MacRae, who was involved in the founding of the group but had not yet received sufficient
 COLLECTED ESSAYS  731

recognition. In the second paper, “Early Days of the Society of Biblical Literature Pseude-
pigrapha Group: Pseudepigrapha Studies in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century,”
Michael E. Stone recounts his own experiences with the Pseudepigrapha group and its
pioneering work. The second half of his paper is given to future topics, and he urges the
next generation of scholars to continue to read these texts as unique compositions, trace
their reception, and reconsider the history of Judaism in the Second Temple period and
beyond.
The third chapter, “Memories of the Society of Biblical Literature Pseudepigrapha
Group, 1970–1982,” by James Hamilton Charlesworth, provides a focused discussion on
his role in editing the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 vols.; Garden City, NY: Doubleday,
1983–85) and subsequent resources for the study of the Pseudepigrapha. The final paper in
this section “The Pseudepigrapha at the Society of Biblical Literature: The Early Growth
of a Group,” is by George W. E. Nickelsburg, who recalls how the group first developed
and some of the topics that were initially discussed.
The second section, “History of the Study of the Pseudepigrapha,” contains four chap-
ters. The first, “The History of the Study of the Pseudepigrapha,” by Patricia D. Ahearne-
Kroll, provides an overview of scholarly study of the Pseudepigrapha in the West. Using
the discussion of manuscripts (especially those of Joseph and Aseneth) and the work of
Johann Albert Fabricius as case studies, Ahearne-Kroll shows how pseudepigraphal studies
became prominent following the publication of the Qumran Scrolls.
In “The Pseudepigrapha within and without Biblical Studies,” Benjamin G. Wright
III argues that the study of Old Testament Pseudepigrapha has been constrained by the
priority given to the biblical texts and the organizational frameworks that scholars adopt.
Highlighting the disruptive value of the Scrolls for blurring interpretive categories, Wright
encourages the growing trend of valuing manuscripts and the reception and transmission of
texts in history.
In “Dead Sea Scroll Scholarship and Pseudepigrapha Studies: From Józef Milik to
Material Philology,” Eibert Tigchelaar traces the changing relationship between the Scrolls
and Pseudepigrapha studies from Milik to current philological trends. He presents these
fields as complementary and envisions fruitful engagements in the future. The final chapter
in this section is “Pseudepigrapha and Gender,” by Hanna Tervanotko, in which she traces
the history of feminist and gendered approaches to the Pseudepigrapha. Tervanotko rightly
highlights the need for continuing study on this topic with sensitivity to the diversity of
ancient authors’ perspectives.
The third section, “Topics in the Study of the Pseudepigrapha,” opens with a coau-
thored paper by Liv Ingeborg Lied and Loren T. Stuckenbruck, “Pseudepigrapha and Their
Manuscripts.” This chapter provides a clear overview of tendencies of preserved Pseude-
pigrapha manuscripts. This would be a very helpful chapter for those interested in the topic.
“Manuscript Research in the Digital Age,” by Lorenzo DiTommaso, dovetails well with the
contribution of Lied and Stuckenbruck. Here DiTommaso traces the development of manu-
script research over the past three hundred years with regard to technological development
and increasing opportunities.
Martha Himmelfarb (“The Pseudepigrapha in Greek: Translation, Composition, and
the Diaspora”) argues strongly that understanding the language of composition and transla-
tion practices of pseudepigraphal works can aid in our understanding of Diaspora Judaism.
 732  THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 82, 2020

William Adler (“Origen and the Old Testament Apocrypha: The Creation of a Category”),
traces the legacy of Origen in forming the concept of “apocrypha” and how early Christian
reception history has shaped the categories employed by scholars. Using 3 Baruch as a case
study, John J. Collins (“Pseudepigrapha between Judaism and Christianity: The Case of
3 Baruch”) reprises the debate of pseudepigraphal authorship, arguing that the authorship
of 3 Baruch is still an open question. In the last essay in this section, “Pseudepigraphy as
an Interpretative Construct,” Hindy Najman and Irene Peirano Garrison provide a multi­
disciplinary investigation into the nature of the construct of pseudepigrapha, using Greek,
Latin, and Jewish authors to challenge modern hermeneutical categories.
The final section of the book (“The Future of the Study of the Pseudepigrapha”) con-
sists of five chapters that address future avenues and opportunities in Pseudepigrapha stud-
ies. In “The More Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Project,” describes the current state of the
project, its contributions, and its forthcoming volume. In “Encomium or Apologia? The
Future (?) of the Society of Biblical Literature Pseudepigrapha Section,” Randall D. Ches-
nutt argues the case for why the Pseudepigrapha Section should continue, even if the name
is not ideal. John R. Levison (“Looking Ahead: The Pseudepigrapha and the New Testa-
ment”) provides some thoughts about the benefits and pitfalls of identifying parallels
between texts. Judith H. Newman’s article, “Fifty More Years of the Society of Biblical
Literature Pseudepigrapha Section? Prospects for the Future,” outlines avenues for future
research, including reception history, new philology, and embodiment. The final chapter,
by John C. Reeves, “Future Trends for the Study of Jewish Pseudepigrapha: Two Recom-
mendations,” mirrors that by Newman, arguing that scholars need to pay more attention to
the afterlife of these texts and the transmission of noncanonical texts and lore.
The history of our discipline is important. However, it is often not captured until major
events in the future cause us to look back and remember. Fortunately for the Old Testament
Pseudepigrapha Group there are sufficient members surviving to preserve lived events. This
volume provides a rich understanding of Pseudepigrapha study over the past fifty years. It
is interesting, full of personal stories and anecdotes, and provides a strong introduction to
the field of pseudepigraphal studies. The suggestions for future research will be helpful for
students and early-career scholars to determine their desired approach. The primary draw-
back of the book is its repetition. There is substantial overlap among the contributions,
sometimes with varying details about events. Nevertheless, this collection is worth reading
by those interested.

Sean A. Adams, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, G12 8QQ

marvin a. sweeney (ed.), Theology of the Hebrew Bible, vol. 1, Methodological Studies
(SBLRBS 92; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2019). Pp. x + 259. Paper $39.95.

This collection of articles grew out of papers given at SBL’s Theology of the Hebrew
Scriptures Section (2013–2016), which emphasizes theological dialogue between Jews and
Christians. The articles alternate between Jewish and Christian authors except the last two
chapters, both by Christians. The chapters cover a range of topics from varying academic
perspectives. Some scholars argue for methodologies that others deem insufficient; some
Copyright of Catholic Biblical Quarterly is the property of Catholic Biblical Association of
America and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv
without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print,
download, or email articles for individual use.