This fourth volume of Fragments from Hellenistic Jewish Authors con tains Pseudo-Orpheus, a text long regarded as a Jewish composition. In addition, two other fragments that are regularly included in collections of Orphic material are included: OF 248 and OF 299. While the case for Jewish authorship of these texts is less certain, some scholars have sug gested possible Jewish composition. The intent here is to collect in one volume Orphic materials that are possibly Jewish pseudepigrapha.

Once again I acknowledge the generous assistance of Nikolaus Walter, who treated Pseudo-Orpheus in Der Thoraausleger Aristobulos (1964) and subsequently made the results of this study available in JSHRZ 4.3. His work remains a definitive starting point, although much has been done since then. My consultations with him regarding this text have been invaluable.

I have also benefited much from the investigation of these texts by C. Riedweg, JUdisch-hellenistische Imitation eines orphischen Hieros Logos: Beobachtungen zu OF 245 und 247 (sog. Testament des Orpheus) (1993). Throughout my work, I have taken this important study into account. Especially beneficial are his analysis of the poetic style and structure of the work and the numerous parallels he adduces from the Greek epic tradition. Because of their value in assessing the literary achievement represented by this text, I have cited them freely. While I have credited this borrowing at each point, I here acknowledge my indebtedness to Ried weg’s work as a whole.

Others who have assisted include Todd Penner, as well as other Emory graduate students. Ron Heine, Director of the Institut zur Erforschung des Urchristentums in Tubingen, has also assisted me on a number of technical points, including translation.