Psalms 146-150, sometimes called "Final Hallel" or "Minor Hallel", are often argued to have been written as a literary end of the Psalter. However, if sources other than the Hebrew Masoretic Text are taken into account, such an original unit of Psalms 146-150 has to be questioned. "The End of the Psalter" presents new interpretations of Psalms 146-150 based on the oldest extant evidence: the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Greek Septuagint. Each Psalm is analysed separately in all three sources, complete with a translation and detailed comments on form, intertextuality, content, genre, and date. Comparisons of the individual Psalms and their intertextual references in the ancient sources highlight substantial differences between the transmitted texts. The book concludes that Psalms 146-150 were at first separate texts which only in the Masoretic Text form the end of the Psalter. It thus stresses the importance of Psalms Exegesis before Psalter Exegesis, and argues for the inclusion of ancient sources beyond to the Masoretic Text to further our understanding of the Psalms.

The Book of Ben Sira, written in Hebrew in the early second century BCE, is often regarded as containing the earliest references to the canon of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. In contrast, Alma Brodersen examines methodological and historical issues regarding the beginning of the biblical canon and Ben Sira, and demonstrates that the book itself - as distinct from the later Prologue to its Greek translation - does not actually refer to texts as canonical. In addition, a systematic analysis of key passages in Ben Sira 38-39 and 44-50 in Hebrew and Greek uncovers similarities with other ancient texts which are not canonical today but preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Far from proving the existence of the biblical canon in his day, Ben Sira's book indicates instead the importance of oral teaching and the relevance of a wide range of traditions.

Psalms 146a150asometimes called the "Final Hallel"aare often thought to comprise an end to the Psalter. Frequently seen as connected to other psalms through catchwords that act as both literary and theological links, these final psalms are thought to originally, and deliberately, close out the entire book of psalms. However, Alma Brodersen questions this purported function of these psalms. The End of the Psalter presents new interpretations of Psalms 146a150 based on the oldest extant evidence: the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Greek Septuagint. Brodersen analyzes each psalm separately in all three sources, complete with a translation and detailed comments on form, intertextuality, content, genre, and date. Based on this rigorous analysis, Brodersen makes detailed comparisons of the individual psalms and their intertextual references that highlight substantial differences between the transmitted texts. Brodersen concludes that Psalms 146a150 were separate texts, which only came to form the end of the Psalter in the Masoretic tradition. Her work underscores the importance of "psalms exegesis" before "Psalter exegesis," and illustrates how the use of ancient sources furthers the understanding of the Psalms.