Extra-biblical Jewish literature

1. Second temple period (c. 538 BCE – 70 CE)
   1. Apocrypha (included in Greek OT)
      Best text: New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha – NRSV (augmented 3rd edition)
      What are these writings? (disclaimer)
      Intro. to Apocrypha
      1. Psalm 151 | Intro.
      2. Wisdom of Solomon | Intro.
      3. Susanna | Intro.
      4. 1 Maccabees | Intro. | Commentary
      5. 2 Maccabees | Intro.
      6. 3 Maccabees | Intro.
      7. 4 Maccabees | Intro.
      8. Sirach (also known as Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus) | Intro.
      9. Baruch | Intro.
      10. Tobit | Intro.
      11. Bel & the Dragon | Intro.
      12. Azariah | Intro.
      13. Epistle of Jeremiah (sometimes included as Baruch, chapter 6) | Intro.
      14. Prayer of Manasseh | Intro.
      15. 4 Ezra (also known as 2 Esdras) | Intro.
      16. Judith | Intro.
      17. Additions to Book of Esther | Intro.
      18. 1 Esdras (also known as 3 Esdras) | Intro.
   2. Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
      Best text: James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha volume 1: Apocalyptic Literature & Testaments | volume 2: Expansions of the Old Testament, etc.
      1. 1 Enoch (Ethiopic) – Intro.
      2. 2 Enoch (also known as Book of the Secrets of Enoch) | Intro.
      3. 4 Baruch (also known as Paraleipomena Jeremiou) | Intro.
      4. Life of Adam & Eve Intro. | Transl. of Latin version | Transl. of Slavonic version | Transl. of Greek version (also known as Apocalypse of Moses)
      5. Story of Ahikar | Intro.
      6. Apocalypse of Abraham | Intro.
      7. Apocalypse of Adam (Gnostic) | Intro.
      8. Apocalypse of Moses (fragment) | Intro.
      9. Joseph & Aseneth | Intro.
      10. Jubilees | Intro.
      11. Letter of Aristeas | Intro.
      12. Martyrdom of Isaiah | Intro.
      13. Psalms of Solomon | Greek text | Intro.  
      14. Pseudo-Phocylides | Intro.
      15. Revelation of Esdras | Intro.
      16. Second Treatise of the Great Seth | Intro.
      17. Sibylline Oracles | Intro.
      18. Testament of Abraham | Intro.
      19. Testament of Job | Intro.
      20. Testament of Solomon | Intro.
      21. Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs | Introduction
          1. Testament of Reuben (concerning thoughts)
          2. Testament of Simeon (concerning envy)
          3. Testament of Levi (concerning priesthood & arrogance)
          4. Testament of Judah (concerning fortitude, love of money, & fornication)
          5. Testament of Issachar (concerning simplicity)
          6. Testament of Zebulon (concerning compassion & mercy)
          7. Testament of Dan (concerning anger & lying)
          8. Testament of Naphtali (concerning natural goodness)
          9. Testament of Gad (concerning hatred)
          10. Testament of Asher (conerning the two faces of vice & virtue)
          11. Testament of Joseph (concerning sobriety)
          12. Testament of Benjamin (concerning a pure mind)
   3. Damascus Document (discovered in Cairo in 1896) | Alternate site
   4. Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)
      Best texts – for layman: Geza Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English; for scholar: James H. Charlesworth, The Dead Sea Scrolls Vol. 1 | Vol. 2 | Vol. 3 | Vol. 4A | Vol. 4B | Vol. 5 | Vol. 6A | Vol. 6B | Graphic Concordance to DSS
      1. Basic Facts about the DSS (one-page introduction by Dr. James Tabor)
      2. Index of DSS and the cave of origin for each
      3. Library of Congress synopsis (photos and Eng. transl. of some of the manuscripts)
      4. The Great Isaiah Scroll (photo of each page, with transl. and comments)
      5. Orion Center for the Study of the DSS and Associated Literature (The best site for in-depth study of the DSS)  [TOP]
   5. Philo Judaeus of Alexandria
      1. Intro. to Philo JewishEncyclopedia.com articles
      2. How to read Philo
      3. Additional Philo resources
      4. Works of Philo (Available for purchase at sale price)
      5. Index to Philo's Writings – Eng. transl. by C. D. Yonge (1855, 1890, 1894)
   6. Rabbinic literature (c. 100 BCE – 500 CE)
      1. Jewish Encyclopedia (on-line version of complete 12-volume compendium [1901–06])
      2. Chronological table of the tanna'itic and amoraic periods
      3. Tanna'itic period (10–220 CE) . . .
         1. Targumim
            • Targum Yonatan ben 'Uzziel to the Torah (intro. only)
            • Targum Yerushalmi to the Torah (intro. only)
         2. Mishnah (200 CE. . .)
            Best text: Herbert Danby, The Mishnah
         • Intro. to the Mishnah
         • The Mishna as Illustrating the Gospels by W. H. Bennett (1884)
         • English:
           
           1. Open Mishnah Project (more to be added)
           2. Pirqe Aboth in Tractate Neziqin (Sayings of the Jewish Fathers)
           3. Tractate Middot (description of the Second Temple, c. 100 CE) [TOP]
         • Hebrew (no accompanying English)
           1. Mishna on Demand
           2. Mamre edition of Mishna (no vowels)
      4. Amoraic period (220–500 CE)
         
         • R. Travers Herford – Christianity in Talmud & Midrash (1903) – explores rabbinic references to Jesus and to Christians
         • Recommended for purchase: Hermann Strack, Introduction to the Talmud & Midrash (rev. ed.)
         1. Tosefta (220–230 CE)
            • Intro. to the Tosefta
            • Eng. transl. of excerpts
         2. Talmud
            • Jerusalem Talmud (400 CE)
              • A Guide to the JT by Hershey Zelcer (2002)
              • Intro. to the Palestinian Talmud (JT)
            • Babylonian Talmud (c. 427–560 CE)
              • Intro. to the BT
              • History of the Talmud
              • Intro. to the Talmud: Historical & Literary, Legal Hermeneutics, etc. by Moses Mielziner (1903)
              • Color-coded page of the Talmud
              • Eng. transl. of 10-vol. abridgement transl. by Rodkinson (1918)
              • Eng. transl. of Talmud
              • Soncino Talmud – Eng. transl. Many tractates posted.
         3. Midrash (400–500 CE)
            • Intro. & Eng. transl. of excerpts
            • Tales & Maxims from the Midrash (1907) by Samuel Rapaport (Extensive excepts in English)
         4. Kabbalah (Mystical interpretation)
            • Intro. & excerpts in Eng. transl.
            • Kabbalah Unveiled (1912) by Knorr von Rosenroth, trans. S. L. MacGregor Mathers Extensive introduction to Kabbalah
         5. Haggadah (Legends about biblical characters)
            • What is haggadah? (Encylopaedia Britannica article)
            • Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginsberg  [TOP]
      
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