Beginning with an account of Alexander the Great's conquests, it proceeds to cover around 220 years of Jewish history from Antiochus IV Epiphanes's accession in 175 BCE to Pontius Pilate becoming procurator of Judaea in 26 CE.
[1][2] The main manuscript source for Gyðinga saga concludes with an epilogue which attributes its translation into Old Norse to Brandr Jónsson (d. 1264), bishop of Hólar.
This date can be pushed back to 1263 as the epilogue refers to Brandr as 'priest' not 'bishop'; he served as bishop of Hólar from 1263 until his death the following year.
[6] In AM 226 fol, Gyðinga saga is split into 39 chapters; these fall into 3 sections based on different sources.
The final section, chapters 33–38 are based on a precursor to Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend.