Psalms of Solomon as Solomonic Discourse: The Nature and Function of Attribution to Solomon in a Pseudonymous Psalm Collection

Abstract

This article explores the significance of an author or later editor's decision to ascribe the psalms collected in Psalms of Solomon explicitly to Solomon. Drawing on the work of Hindy Najman, this study concludes that associations with Solomon (and particularly with earlier psalms and prayers ascribed to Solomon) are central to the discourse of Psalms of Solomon and critical to promoting the teaching of this psalm collection. In particular, the attribution of these psalms to Solomon appears to have provided a means of undermining the claims of Herod the Great as a Jewish king in the tradition of Solomon, while at the same time reinforcing the authors’ Deuteronomic perspective on the events of their era.