pseudepigrapha

English

Examples
The Περὶ Κόσμου of Pseudo-Aristotle. De unius in re publica dominatione by Pseudo-Plutarch. The Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum by Pseudo-Philo. The Liber fornacum of Pseudo-Geber. The Psalms of Solomon by Pseudo-Solomon.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs, “false”) +‎ ἐπιγραφή (epigraphḗ, “inscription”), literally “false title”.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌs(j)uː.dəˈpɪ.ɡɹə.fə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌsuː.dəˈpɪ.ɡɹə.fə/

Noun

pseudepigrapha pl (normally plural, singular pseudepigraphon or pseudepigraph)

1. Writings falsely ascribed to famous persons (historical or mythical) to lend them greater legitimacy, typically composed many centuries after the ostensible author's death.
   • 1906, Henry Barclay Swete, “Authorship”, in The Apocalypse of St. John: the Greek text with introd., notes and indices‎, Macmillan, page clxx:

     The Jewish pseudepigrapha bear the names of Old Testament patriarchs, kings, or prophets.

   • 1916, J. M. Robertson, “The Pauline Problem”, in The Historical Jesus: A Survey of Positions‎:

     Now, the myth theory, as it happens, is neither made nor marred by any decision as to the spuriousness of the Pauline letters. The crucial point is that, whether early or late—and the dating of them as pseudepigrapha is a difficult matter—the cardinal epistles have been interpolated.

   • 2006, George Wesley Buchanan, The Book of Hebrews: Its Challenge from Zion, Wipf and Stock, page 415:

     The difference between a pseudepigraph and a peroration is that the peroration is composed by the author of the main message. A pseudepigraph is composed by a different author, trying to leave the impression that it was the same. Heb 13 is clearly a pseudepigraph.

   • 2021, Gabriella Gelardini, Deciphering the Worlds of Hebrews: Collected Essays, BRILL, page 16:

     The title of her^{[Clare K. Rothschild]} monograph Hebrews as Pseudepigraphon¹³ reflects one of her main claims: "Hebrews should be classified as a Pauline [my italics] pseudepigraphon," because "although Paul's name does not occur in the text, the postscript makes a claim to Paul's authorship, particularly through appropriation of autobiographical details of Paul's life as the author's own."

Related terms

• epigraphy
• pseudepigraphal
• pseudepigraphic
• pseudepigraphum
• pseudepigraphy

 

Translations

writings falsely ascribed

French: pseudépigraphe (fr) m German: Pseudepigrapha pl, Pseudepigraphen f pl or n pl Greek: ψευδεπίγραφα (el) n pl (psevdepígrafa) Irish: bréageipeagrafa m pl Italian: pseudepigrafo m, pseudoepigrafo m Japanese: 偽典 (ja) (ぎてん, giten)

Further reading

• pseudepigrapha on Wikipedia.Wikipedia