Psalms of Solomon
Encyclopedia
One of the Pseudepigrapha, the Psalms of Solomon is a group of eighteen psalms
(religious songs or poems) that are not part of any scriptural canon
(they are, however, found in copies of the Peshitta
and the Septuagint). The 17th of the 18 Psalms has a similarity to Psalm 72 from the Book of Psalms, which claims attribution to Solomon, and hence may be the reason that the Psalms of Solomon have their name. An alternate view is that the psalms were so highly regarded that Solomon's name was attached to it to keep them from being ignored or forgotten.
The Psalms of Solomon were referenced in Early Christian writings, but lost to modern scholars until a Greek manuscript was rediscovered in the 17th century. There are currently eight known 11th to 15th century manuscripts of a Greek translation from a lost Hebrew or Aramaic original, probably dating from the 1st or 2nd century BCE
. However, though now a collection, they were originally separate, written by different people in different periods.
Politically, the Psalms of Solomon are anti-Maccabee
, and some psalms in the collection show a clear awareness of the Roman
conquest of Jerusalem under Pompey
in 63 BCE, metaphorically treating him as a dragon
who had been sent by God to punish the Maccabees. Some of the psalms are messianic, in the Jewish sense
(clearly referring to a mortal that happens to be divinely assisted, much like Moses
), but the majority are concerned less with the world at large, and more with individual behaviour, expressing a belief that repentance for unintended sin
s will return them to God's favour.
There have been attempts to link the text both to the Essenes of Qumran
, who separated themselves from what they saw as a wicked world, and alternately to the Pharisees
in opposition to the Sadducees
who generally supported the Maccabees.
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
(religious songs or poems) that are not part of any scriptural canon
Biblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
(they are, however, found in copies of the Peshitta
Peshitta
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition.The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated into Syriac from the Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD...
and the Septuagint). The 17th of the 18 Psalms has a similarity to Psalm 72 from the Book of Psalms, which claims attribution to Solomon, and hence may be the reason that the Psalms of Solomon have their name. An alternate view is that the psalms were so highly regarded that Solomon's name was attached to it to keep them from being ignored or forgotten.
The Psalms of Solomon were referenced in Early Christian writings, but lost to modern scholars until a Greek manuscript was rediscovered in the 17th century. There are currently eight known 11th to 15th century manuscripts of a Greek translation from a lost Hebrew or Aramaic original, probably dating from the 1st or 2nd century BCE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. However, though now a collection, they were originally separate, written by different people in different periods.
Politically, the Psalms of Solomon are anti-Maccabee
Maccabees
The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
, and some psalms in the collection show a clear awareness of the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
conquest of Jerusalem under Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
in 63 BCE, metaphorically treating him as a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
who had been sent by God to punish the Maccabees. Some of the psalms are messianic, in the Jewish sense
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
(clearly referring to a mortal that happens to be divinely assisted, much like Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
), but the majority are concerned less with the world at large, and more with individual behaviour, expressing a belief that repentance for unintended sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s will return them to God's favour.
There have been attempts to link the text both to the Essenes of Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
, who separated themselves from what they saw as a wicked world, and alternately to the Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
in opposition to the Sadducees
Sadducees
The Sadducees were a sect or group of Jews that were active in Ancient Israel during the Second Temple period, starting from the second century BC through the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. The sect was identified by Josephus with the upper social and economic echelon of Judean society...
who generally supported the Maccabees.
See also
- ApocryphaApocryphaThe term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
- Deuterocanonical booksDeuterocanonical booksDeuterocanonical books is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible. The term is used in contrast to the protocanonical books, which are...
- List of Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
- Odes of SolomonOdes of SolomonThe Odes of Solomon is a collection of 42 odes attributed to Solomon. Various scholars have dated the composition of these religious poems to anywhere in the range of the first three centuries AD...
- Table of books of Judeo-Christian Scripture
External links
- Psalms of Solomon: text and discussion
- English translation by G. Buchanan Gray (1913): at Wesley Center at Sacred Text Archive
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Psalms of Solomon
- 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: Psalms of Solomon
- Septuagint Psalms of Solomon in Greek
- An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek, Henry Barclay SweteHenry Barclay SweteHenry Barclay Swete was an English Biblical scholar. He became Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1890. He is known for his 1906 commentary on the Book of Revelation, and other works of exegesis....
, Cambridge University Press, 1914, page 282 - Psalms of Solomon entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith