In this book, Michael Hunter challenges the standard view of the 'Analects' as the earliest and most authoritative source of the teachings of Confucius. Arguing from a comprehensive survey of the thousands of extant sayings and stories from the early period, Hunter situates the compilation and rise of the 'Analects' in the Western Han period (206 BCE-9 CE), roughly three centuries after the death of Confucius. As a study of the growth and development of the Confucius figure over the course of the early period, the book is also meant to serve as a roadmap to those interested in exploring the wealth and diversity of Confucius material beyond the 'Analects'.