authorship and pseudepigraphy in early christian literature 43
Lucian, Pseudologista 30
In the second century ce, lucian of samosata reported the production
of a pseudepigraphon under the name of the rhetoric teacher tisias of
syracuse (fifth century bce) out of greediness.58
you will permit me to praise one thing, anyhow, that very pretty perfor-
mance of yours when you yourself—and you know it—composed the
“tisias’ handbook,” that work of an ill-omened crow, thus robbing that stu-
pid old man of thirty gold pieces; for because of tisias’ name he paid seven
hundred and fifty drachmas for the book, gulled into it by you.
Martyrdom of Isaiah 4:20–21
the pseudepigraphical Martyrdom of Isaiah (probably from the first cen-
tury ce) purported to contain revelations received by the biblical prophet
Isaiah on the second coming of the lord that had not been published in the
canonical book by the same author. In a passage that may be of Christian
origin, Pseudo-Isaiah explains: 59
and the rest of the vision about the lord, behold it is written in parables in
the words of mine that are written in the book which I prophesied openly.
and the descent of the Beloved into sheol, behold it is written in the section
where the lord says, “Behold, my son shall understand” (Isa 52:13).
Martyrdom of Isaiah 11:36–39
In another passage, the pseudepigraphical author of the Martyrdom of
Isaiah explained why the content of his pseudepigraphical book had not
been published during Isaiah’s lifetime: his words were not received into
the biblical canon because they were destined for future generations
and therefore needed to be kept secret for centuries. this explanation
implies that Pseudo-Isaiah (and by analogy authors of similar books) was
not merely claiming to have interpreted and contemporized the teaching
of the historical Isaiah. rather, Pseudo-Isaiah pretended to be the historical
figure Isaiah.60
(Isaiah) spoke to hezekiah the king and said, “these things I have spoken.
and the end of the world and all this vision will be brought about in the last
generation.” and Isaiah made him swear that he would not tell this to the
58 trans. by a. M. harmon, lCl 302:411.
59 trans. by M. a. Knibb, OTP 2.162–63.
60 trans. by Knibb, OTP 2.176.
