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Abstract
This study will investigate Jewish messianic expectations through the texts of the Pseudepigrapha that contain the noun Messiah, or a translation equivalent from ca. 100 BCE to 100 CE. The first chapter will introduce the subject matter, problems in this area of research, a discussion of the original meaning and derivation of Messiah, and a short explanation of the Pseudepigrapha. The body of this thesis, chapters two through five, will detail the four texts that meet the established criteria of the study. The texts, The Psalms of Solomon, the Parables (Similitudes) of Enoch, 4 Ezra, and 2 Baruch, will be addressed chronologically and each will begin with a discussion of language, date, and provenance to provide the context in which each was written, and will be followed by an investigation into the messianic expectations presented in each text. The final chapter will detail the similarities and differences between the texts.