12 The “Old Testament Pseudepigrapha” as Category and Corpus

The recent publication of the first volume of Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures offers scholars an ideal vantage point from which to review the major trends in Pseudepigrapha research since the publication of the last milestone collection, James H. Charlesworth’s Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, thirty years ago. Most significant in this regard is the radical expansion of the corpus in the new collection, which signals a return to the “maximalist” conception of the Pseudepigrapha that defined the category during its early history. This chapter discusses the Pseudepigrapha as category and corpus, their historical relationship and the dynamics of change, and the impact of changes over time on issues regarding early Jewish texts and traditions in Christian transmission.