4QVisions of Amram and the Literary Genres of Second Temple Judaism

The nature of Second Temple apocalyptic writings and whether they can be described as constituting a particular literary genre, has been an intensely debated question. This paper attempts a fresh examination, taking its point of departure from at some of the Aramaic Dead Sea texts, in particular 4QVisions of Amram, which combines a “testament” setting with elements of heavenly visions, remodeling of biblical narratives, and predictions regarding future events.