Additional information
by James H. Charlesworth (Author), Brandon L. Allen (Editor)
Jews and most Christians know about only 150 "Psalms of David"; they were collected in the Davidic Psalter of the (Masoretic) Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. Since about 200 BCE, the Greek translation of the Davidic Psalter contained 151 Psalms of David. Thanks to research on the Qumran Psalms Scroll and the early Syriac Bible, most scholars know about 155 Psalms of David, and they were included in the well-known Old Testament Pseudepigrapha as "Non-Masoretic Psalms." Virtually unknown to biblical scholars is Psalm 156. It is preserved in a medieval copy found in the Cairo Genizah, as are other major early Jewish compositions, notably the Damascus Document and the Testament of Levi. Psalm 156 is extensive and almost as long as Psalm 119. It preserves visions attributed to David. The work opens new windows for looking into the creative world of Second Temple Judaism.
Author Biography
James H. Charlesworth is George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary and Director and Editor of the Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project. He recently completed a critical text and translation of the Thanksgiving Hymns, which will appear in the Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project as volume 5A.
Brandon L. Allen received his MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary where his research focused on Semitic languages and Early Judaism. He is the Special Assistant to the Editor of the Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project.
