Scholarly Reflections
Daly, Robert J. "Part 2: From the Old Testament to the New. Chapter Two: The Pseudepigraphical (Intertestamental) Literature." Christian Sacrifice: The Judaeo-Christian Background Before Origen. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1978, 145-156.
Daly, recognizing that the sudepigraphical literature is an extensive collection, evaluates its ideas of sacrifice using a relatively small sampling of six works.
In the Story of Ahikar, dating from the 5th century B.C. or earlier, sacrifice is tied firmly to intercessory prayer (Daly 1978, 145). Sacrifice is performed in order to obtain requests from God.
The Book of Jubilees, from the late 2nd century B.C., recounts the events of Genesis but adds detailed information and instances of sacrificial rituals (Daly 1978, 146). The author(s) made numerous applications of sacrificial practices, possibly reading back into the patriarchal accounts the significance assigned in their own time.
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, also probably from the late 2nd century B.C., but with many later interpolations, takes an interest in angelic presence, in sacrifice as a spiritual event, and in the priestly role in forgiveness and in prescribing right actions, especially as regards offerings (Daly 1978, 147).
The Fourth Book of Maccabees, from the middle of the first century B.C., shows a combination of Alexandrian and Stoic ideas, as well as a vivid Jewish faith. Sacrifice, including martyrdom, does function as vicarious atonement. At the same time, it is grasped by reason, not passion (Daly 1978, 149).
The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, probably of the first century B.C., but edited by an Alexandrian in the early first century A.D. (Daly 1978, 150), speaks of sacrifice as a means God uses to test his people's faith. The right preparation of the one making the sacrifice is of paramount importance (Daly 1978, 151).
Daly dates the Letter of Aristeas about a hundred years later than the early 3rd century B.C. time it purports to come from, in conjunction with the creation of the Septuagint (Daly 1978, 152). The reasons for its writing is unclear. Sacrifice represents the inner attitudes of the one making the offering. In this work also the distinctions among different types of offering are broken down (Daly 1978, 153).
Daly also considers the Sibylline Oracles nooks three and four to be of valuen. Book three, from the second century B.C., probably in Egypt (Daly 1978, 154) looks for a holy nation making offerings with great honor and piety. Book four, probably from about 80 A.D., describes the temple sacrificial system as an abomination, rightly replaced by worship separated from the things made by hands (Daly 1978, 155).