The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha are the non-canonical writings of Judaism and Christianity, ranging from the 5th century BCE to the 9th century CE. Pseudepigrapha comes from a Greek noun denoting writings with a false superscription or name; however, in modern dialogue surrounding early Christianity and Judaism, it has come to denote non-canonical writings (i.e., Testament of Job, 1 Enoch, Letter of Aristeas) according to the Protestant biblical canon. The Pseudepigrapha are essential to understanding the historical developments and foundations of Judaism and Christianity as they relate to their historical context and demonstrate the various strands of traditions and types of communities.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/893/old-testament-pseudepigrapha/.
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