The Relevance of Moses Traditions in the Second Temple Period

Abstract

This essay considers the array of Moses traditions in the Second Temple period and their relationship to the Pentateuch. It begins with a discussion of the pluriformity of the pentateuchal text during this period. It then turns to pentateuchal figures and themes in non-pentateuchal texts, analyzing their impact on questions of canon and authority. The essay also examines the term “Torah” itself, demonstrating that, even in the late Second Temple period, this term was not coterminous with the Pentateuch. It concludes with suggestions for how scholarship might take fuller advantage of the insights provided by the Second Temple period texts and manuscripts.