The papers of the volume investigate how authoritative figures in the Second Temple Period and beyond contributed to forming the Scriptures of Judaism, as well as how these Scriptures shaped ideal figures as authoritative in Early Judaism. The topic of the volume thus reflects Ben Wrights research, whoespecially with his work on Ben Sira, on the Letter of Aristeas, and on various problems of authority in Early Jewish textscreatively contributed to the study of the formation of Scriptures, and to the understanding of the figures behind these texts.

Géza G. Xeravits, Selye J. University, Komárno,Slovakia andGreg Schmidt Goering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, U.S.A.