Guide
What Is Biblical Antiquities?
1st Century
Restricted
Biblical Antiquities is a creative retelling of the biblical narrative from Genesis
through 2 Samuel. The work dates to the first century CE and was likely originally written in Hebrew
but is preserved only in Latin. Biblical Antiquities expands on many of the biblical stories and
includes legends not found in other sources. Because it was once mistakenly attributed to Philo of
Alexandria, the anonymous author is often referred to as Pseudo-Philo.
Related Primary Sources
Primary Source
Deborah Speaks to the People
Biblical Antiquities 30.5–7; 33.1–3
And when the people had fasted seven days and sat in sackcloth, the Lord sent to them on the seventh day Deborah, who said to them, “Can the…
Primary Source
Eluma, Mother of Samson
Biblical Antiquities 42.1–2
Now there was a man from the tribe of Dan whose name was Manoah, son of Edoc, son of Odon, son of Eriden, son of Fadesur, son of Dema, son of Susi, son of Dan. And he had a wife whose name was Eluma…
Primary Source
Moses’ Prayer after the Sin of the Golden Calf
Biblical Antiquities 12.8–9
And then Moses went up to the mountain and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Behold now, you O God, who have planted this vine and set its roots into the abyss and stretched out its shoots to your most…
Primary Source
Joshua’s Prayer for Israel before His Death
Biblical Antiquities 21.2–5
And Joshua said, “You above all know, Lord, what moves the heart of the sea before it rages, and you have searched out the constellations and numbered the stars and regulated the rain; you know the…
Primary Source
Deborah’s Hymn of Thanksgiving
Biblical Antiquities 32.1–18
Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abino and all the people together sang a hymn to the Lord on that day, saying (Judges 5:1), “Behold the Lord has shown us his glory from on high, as he did in the…
Primary Source
Hannah’s Hymn of Thanksgiving
Biblical Antiquities 51.2–6
And Hannah placed the boy before Eli and said to him, “This is the desire I have desired, and this is the request I have asked” (1 Samuel 1:25–27). And Eli said to her, “You have not asked alone, but…
Primary Source
Lament of Jephthah’s Daughter
Biblical Antiquities 40.5–7
And when the daughter of Jephthah came to Mount Stelac, she began to weep, and this is her lamentation that she lamented and wept over herself before she departed. And she said,
“Hear, you mountains…
Primary Source
Yael’s Prayer before Killing Sisera
Biblical Antiquities 31.5
And when Sisera was sleeping, Jael went out to the flock and got milk from it. And when she was milking, she said, “And now be mindful, Lord, of when you assigned every tribe or race to the earth. Did…
Primary Source
Hannah’s Prayer for a Child
Biblical Antiquities 50.4–5
And Hannah prayed and said, “Did you not, Lord, search out the heart of all generations before you formed the world? Now what womb is born opened or dies closed unless you wish it? And now let my…
Primary Source
Biblical Antiquities on Dinah as Job’s Wife
Biblical Antiquities 8.7–8
And Jacob dwelt in [the land where his father had lived as an alien,] the land of Canaan (Genesis 37:1), and Shechem the son of Hamor the Hurrite raped Dinah his daughter and humiliated her (Genesis…
Primary Source
Biblical Antiquities on Miriam’s Prophecy
Biblical Antiquities 9.10
And the spirit of God came upon Miriam one night, and she saw a dream and told it to her parents in the morning, saying, “I have seen this night, and behold a man in a linen garment stood and said to…
Primary Source
Biblical Antiquities on Jephthah’s Daughter
Biblical Antiquities 39.11–40.4
And God was very angry and said, “Behold Jephthah has vowed that he will offer to me whatever meets him first on the way (Judges 11:31)…
Primary Source
Orpah as Mother of Goliath
Biblical Antiquities 61.6
And David went out to Goliath and said to him, “Hear this word before you die. Were not the two women, from whom you and I were born, sisters? And your mother was Orpah, and my mother Ruth. And Orpah…
Primary Source
Biblical Antiquities on Moses’ Prayer at the Sea
Biblical Antiquities 10.4–5
And Moses cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord God of our fathers, did you not say to me, ‘Go and tell the sons of Israel, “God has sent me to you”’ (Exodus 3:14–15)? And now behold you have brought…
Related Guide
What Are the Pseudepigrapha?
ca. 200 BCE–200 CE