Afterlife and Resurrection Beliefs in the Pseudepigrapha: (Jewish and Christian Texts)

Jan A. Sigvartsen seeks to examine the immense interest in life after death, and speculation about the fates awaiting both the righteous and the wicked, that proliferated in the Second Temple period. In this volume Sigvartsen analyses the texts of the Pseudepigrapha, identifies the numerous afterlife and resurrection beliefs they contain, and presents an analysis of these beliefs and how they functioned in the Second Temple period. A careful reading of these diverse resurrection passages – from testaments to wisdom, philosophical literature, and prayers – reveals that most of these distinct life-after-death views, regardless of their complexity, show little evidence of systematic development relational to one another, and are often supported by several key passages or shared motifs from texts that later became a part of the TaNaKh. This volume examines testaments from Adam to the Twelve Patriarchs, expansions of stories and legends such as Joseph and Aseneth and the ladder of Jacob, and texts such as 4 Maccabees, before finally considering the posthumous body, the nature of the soul, and anthropological implications. Sigvartsen’s study provides a deeper understanding of how texts that later became a part of the TaNaKh were read by different communities during this important period, and the role they played in the development of the resurrection belief – a central article of faith in both Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This volume is a companion to Sigvartsen’s work on afterlife and resurrection in the Apocrypha and the apocalyptic literature of the Pseudepigrapha.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations List of Tables List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Testaments (Often With Apocalyptic Sections) 1. Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs 2. Testament of Job 3. Testament of Abraham 4. Testament of Moses 5. Testament of Adam Chapter 3: Expansions of Stories And Legends 1. Jubilees 2. Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah 3. Joseph and Aseneth 4. Books of the Life of Adam and Eve 5. Pseudo-Philo 6. Lives of the Prophets 7. Ladder of Jacob 8. 4 Baruch 9. History of Rechabites Chapter 4: Wisdom and Philosophical Literature 1. 4 Maccabees 2. Pseudo-Phocylides Chapter 5: Prayers, Psalms, and Odes 1. The Psalms of Solomon 2. Hellenistic Synagogue Prayers 3. Odes of Solomon Chapter 6: Posthumous Body and the Soul Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusion 1. Human Anthropology 2. Nature of the Soul 3. Nature of the Posthumous Body 4. Scope of the Resurrection 5. Number and Function of the Judgments 6. Final Destiny of the Righteous and the Wicked 7. Use of the “TaNaKh” in Support of the Resurrection Belief Appendix: Anthology of Resurrection Passages Bibliography Index of References Index of Authors Subject Index

About the Author :
Jan Age Sigvartsen is a Dozent of Old Testament at the Theologische Hochschule Friedensau, Germany.