NEW: Please subscribe to my Substack/newsletter at the bottom of the page. Thanks!
Deuterocanonical
(Apocryphal) Books
(In Neither the Tanakh nor the “Protestant Canon”)
Edited from the Wikipedia article “Biblical apocrypha”[1]
The biblical apocrypha (from Ancient Greek ἀπόκρυφος (apókruphos) “hidden”) denotes the collection of apocryphal ancient books thought to have been written some time between 200 BCE and 100 CE.
The Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches include some or all of the same texts within the body of their version of the Old Testament, with Catholics terming them deuterocanonical books. Traditional 80-book Protestant Bibles include fourteen books in an intertestamental section between the Old Testament and New Testament called the Apocrypha, deeming these useful for instruction, but not inspired and therefore non-canonical, or not included in the canon of Scripture.
While Jews and Yeshua followers from 300 BCE thru the first century CE may or may not have considered the apocryphal books “inspired,” they certainly were aware of them and these writings most certainly informed their worldview. In fact, Yeshua, Kefa (Peter), Ya'akov (James), and perhaps others of the Apostolic writers either paraphrased or aluded to information only found in the apocryphal writings.
The Septuagint, the ancient and best known Greek version of the Old Testament, contains books and additions that are not present in the Hebrew Bible. These texts are not traditionally segregated into a separate section, nor are they usually called apocrypha. Rather, they are referred to as the Anagignoskomena (ἀναγιγνωσκόμενα, “things that are read” or “profitable reading”). The anagignoskomena are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Jesus ben Sira (Sirach), Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah (in the Vulgate this is chapter 6 of Baruch), additions to Daniel (The Prayer of Azarias, Susanna and Bel and the Dragon), additions to Esther, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, 3 Maccabees, 1 Esdras, i.e. all of the Deuterocanonical books plus 3 Maccabees and 1 Esdras
Some editions add additional books, such as Psalm 151 or the Odes (including the Prayer of Manasseh). 2 Esdras is added as an appendix in the Slavonic Bibles and 4 Maccabees as an appendix in Greek editions.
For more information about the apocrypha, see why “Christians Should Consider the Entire Bible.”
Media Disclaimer: Presence of video or audio recordings on this website does not
necessarily indicate agreement with all (or any) of the speaker’s theological position.
What is the Apocrypha
Southern Seminary
The Origins of the Apocrypha Found the Septuagint
Dividing Line Highlights
History of APOCRYPHA, In KJV Bible 274 years, Taken out in 1855
Scourby YouBible Channel
The Untold History of the Apocrypha: Why It’s Not in the Bible
Bible Teaching
Apocrypha EXPOSED: Why It’s NOT in Your Bible
Unlearn the Lies
History of the Apocrypha in the Biblical Canon — Stephen Russell — Ep. 067
Anabaptist Perspectives
What Was Left Out of the Bible - and Why | Bible Secrets Revealed (S1, E3) |
Full Episode
History
Canonization of the Tanakh
The canonization of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) was a gradual process that likely took place between 200 BCE and 200 CE. There is no scholarly consensus on the exact date when it was finalized, but Rabbinic Judaism recognizes the twenty-four books of the Masoretic Text as authoritative.
Some scholars suggest that the canon was fixed during the Hasmonean dynasty (140–40 BCE), while others argue it was not fully established until the second century CE or later. The Book of Daniel, one of the latest books in the Ketuvim (Writings), is thought to have been completed between 168 and 164 BCE, meaning the canon could not have been finalized before this period.
It is commonly taught that the apocryphal books were excluded from the Hebrew canon (the Tanakh) only because the Sages who established the content of the Tanakh arbitrarily decided to exclude anything written after the age of Ezra, who lived during the early Second Temple period, around 480-440 BCE.
Other reasons for canonization were likely tied to:
• Preserving sacred texts: Ensuring continuity of Jewish teachings and traditions.
• Defining authoritative scripture: Establishing which texts were divinely inspired.
• Responding to external influences: The rise of Hellenistic culture and sectarian divisions (e.g., Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes) may have pressured Jewish leaders to solidify their scriptures.
The Council of Jamnia (circa 90 CE) is often mentioned as a key moment in the canonization process, though modern scholars debate its actual role. The process was long and complex, shaped by historical, religious, and cultural factors.
The Apocryphal books were excluded from the Tanakh for several reasons, primarily related to authorship, language, and theological consistency:
1. Not Written in Hebrew – Many apocryphal books were composed in Greek, rather than Hebrew or Aramaic, making them less likely to be accepted by Jewish scholars who prioritized texts in their sacred languages.
2. Lack of Prophetic Authority – Unlike the books of the Tanakh, which were believed to be written by prophets or divinely inspired figures, the apocryphal texts did not claim prophetic authorship.
3. Historical and Doctrinal Inconsistencies – Some apocryphal books contained historical inaccuracies or teachings that conflicted with established Jewish doctrine.
4. Not Universally Accepted in Judaism – While some Jewish groups (such as Hellenistic Jews) valued the apocryphal texts, Rabbinic Judaism ultimately rejected them, solidifying the canon around texts recognized by the broader Jewish community.
5. Association with the Septuagint – The Greek Septuagint, which included apocryphal books, was widely used by early Christians. This led Jewish scholars to distance themselves from these texts, especially after Christianity emerged as a distinct faith.
Books on this website
Esther (Greek)
Sirach (aka Ecclesiasticus)
Baruch Bet (Second Baruch)
Makabim Aleph (First Maccabees)
Makabim Bet (Second Maccabees)
Esdras Aleph (First Esdras)
Makabim Gimel (Third Maccabees)
Esdras Bet (Second Esdras)
Makabim Dalet (Fourth Maccabees)
Jubilees
Additions to Daniel in the LXX
Less Commonly Known Apocrypha
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene (only partial)
Pseudepigrapha
Technically, a pseudepigraphon is a book written in a biblical style and ascribed to an author who did not write it. In common usage, however, the term pseudepigrapha is often used by way of distinction to refer to apocryphal writings that do not appear in printed editions of the Bible, as opposed to the texts listed above. Examples include:
- Apocalypse of Abraham
- Apocalypse of Moses
- Letter of Aristeas
- Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah
- Joseph and Aseneth
- Life of Adam and Eve
- Lives of the Prophets
- Ladder of Jacob
- Jannes and Jambres
- History of the Captivity in Babylon
- History of the Rechabites
- Eldad and Modad
- History of Joseph the Carpenter
- Odes of Solomon
- Prayer of Joseph
- Prayer of Jacob
-
Vision of Ezra
Often included among the pseudepigrapha are 3 and 4 Maccabees because they are not traditionally found in western Bibles, although they are in the Septuagint. Similarly, the Book of Enoch, Book of Jubilees and 4 Baruch are often listed with the pseudepigrapha although they are commonly included in Ethiopian Bibles. The Psalms of Solomon are found in some editions of the Septuagint.
For many more “Lost Books” and an interesting history of the apocryphal books, please visit TheLostBooks.org
Tobit
Before the 1952 discovery of Aramaic and Hebrew fragments of Tobit among the Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave at Qumran, scholars believed Tobit was not included in the Jewish canon because of late authorship, estimated to 100 CE. Qumran fragments of the text, which were copied between 100 BCE and 25 CE, evidence a much earlier origin than previously thought. These fragments evidence authorship no later than the 2nd century BC and, likely, contemporary with the date ascribed, by modern scholars, to the final compilation of the Book of Daniel, which did attain canonical status.
Other scholars have postulated that Tobit was excluded from the Jewish Scriptures for a halakhic reason because Raguel, the bride's father, wrote the marriage document discussed in Tobit 7:13, instead of the bridegroom, as required by Jewish rabbinical law. However, some ancient Jewish rabbinic scholars possibly considered Tobit to be canonical. Midrash Bereishit Rabbah, an aggadic commentary on the Book of Genesis compiled circa 400–600 CE, includes a truncated Aramaic version of Tobit. Tobit was also part of the Septuagint, the first Greek translation of the Bible. In more contemporary times, a number of Jews in Israel have sought to reclaim Tobit as part of the canon.
Daniel (LXX)
The Song of the Holy Children (Daniel 3:24-90, LXX) The Song of the Three Holy Children is an addition to Daniel found in the Greek Septuagint but not found in the traditional Hebrew text of Daniel. This portion is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox Churches. It is found inserted between Daniel 3:23 and Daniel 3:24 of the traditional Hebrew Bible. Here, the verses after 23 from the Hebrew Bible are numbered starting at 91 to make room for these verses.
Deliverance from the Furnace (Daniel 3:91-97, LXX)
The History of Susanna (Daniel 13, LXX) The History of Susanna is translated from chapter 13 of Daniel in the Greek Septuagint. It is not found in the traditional Hebrew text of Daniel. The History of Susanna is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox Churches.
Bel and the Dragon Bel and the Dragon is translated from chapter 14 of Daniel in the Greek Septuagint. It is not found in the traditional Hebrew text of Daniel. Bel and the Dragon is recognized as Deuterocanonical Scripture by the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox Churches.
Fair Use Notice: Under the provisions of 17USC107 (the 1976 Copyright Act), allowance is made for “fair use” of copyrighted materials for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. This article is reproduced here without the permission of the author only for the purpose of education (teaching/scholarship). If you are the copyright owner and want this article removed, please contact me and I will immediately remove it. [Inclusion of this content does not necessarily indicate that I agree with the content or the author.]
The following descriptions of the apocryphal sections of the book of Daniel are reproduced without the permission of the author from ellopos.com, “Additional Texts Witnessed by the Septuagint to the book of daniel”, accessed 07/02/20. Hyperlinks in this section take you to the text on Ellopos.com.
Texts witnessed only in the Septuagint: Table of Contents
[Edited by Ellopos from Wikipedia articles.]
The Septuagint is a witness for three more chapters not found in the Hebrew and Aramaic text of the book of Daniel. These chapters are found in the Greek / Septuagint version of the Old Testament, the earliest Greek translation, which reflects a text that is older than the Masoretic. These additions are accepted as canonical in the Roman Catholic, the Orthodox, and Syriac Bibles. Most Protestant Bibles exclude these passages as apocrypha.
The additions
The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children: Daniel 3:24–90 inserted between verses 23 and 24 (v. 24 becomes v. 91) in the Protestant canon, incorporated within the Fiery Furnace episode.
Susanna and the Elders: before Daniel 1:1, a prologue in early Greek manuscripts; chapter 13 in the Vulgate
Bel and the Dragon: after Daniel 12:13 in Greek, an epilogue; chapter 14 in the Vulgate
The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children
This is a lengthy passage that appears after Daniel 3:23 in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, as in the ancient Greek Septuagint version. The passage is omitted from most Protestant Bibles as an apocryphal addition.
The passage includes three main components. The first is the penitential prayer of Daniel’s friend Azariah (called Abednego in Babylonian, according to Daniel 1:6–7) while the three youths were in the fiery furnace. The second component is a brief account of a radiant figure who met them in the furnace yet who was unburned. This is said to be an angel, or interpreted by Christians as a prefigurement or theophany of Jesus Christ, in the same vein as Melchisedek. The third component is the hymn of praise they sang when they realized their deliverance. The hymn includes the refrain, “Praise and exalt Him above all forever…”, repeated many times, each naming a feature of the world.
The “Song of the Three Holy Youths” is part of the hymn called a canon sung during the Matins and other services in Orthodoxy. It can be found in the Church of England Book of Common Prayer as the canticle called the “Benedicite” and is one of the traditional canticles that can follow the first scripture lesson in the Order of Morning Prayer. It is also an optional song for Matins in Lutheran liturgies, and either an abbreviated or full version of the Song is featured as the Old Testament Canticle in the Lauds liturgy for Sundays and Feasts in the Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Prayer and accompanying Song are not found in the Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Book of Daniel, nor are they cited in any extant ancient Jewish writings. However, the passage does appear in certain ancient witnesses, notably the Greek, Syriac, and Latin. At the end of the 19th century, M. Gaster identified what appears to be an Aramaic original of the song and another, Bel and Draco, also missing from the canonical book of Daniel. The Aramaic text is part of a collection of ancient Jewish texts compiled by a rabbi of about 14th century, and it is known under the name of The Chronicles of Jerachmeel.
The origins of these writings are obscure. Whether the accounts were originally composed in Hebrew (or Aramaic) or in Greek is uncertain, although many modern scholars conclude on the basis of textual evidence that there was probably an original Semitic edition. The date of composition of these documents is also uncertain, although many scholars favor a date either in the second or first century B.C.
Susanna
Susanna or Shoshana, also called Susanna and the Elders, is included in the Book of Daniel (as chapter 13) by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. It is one of the additions to Daniel, considered apocryphal by Protestants. It is not included in the Jewish Tanakh and is not mentioned in early Jewish literature, although the text is part of the original Septuagint (2nd century BC) and was revised by Theodotion, Hellenistic Jewish redactor of the Septuagint text (c. 150 AD).
As the story goes, a fair Hebrew wife named Susanna was falsely accused by lecherous voyeurs. As she bathes in her garden, having sent her attendants away, two lustful elders secretly observe the lovely Susanna. When she makes her way back to her house, they accost her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a young man in the garden unless she agrees to have sex with them.
She refuses to be blackmailed and is arrested and about to be put to death for promiscuity when a young man named Daniel interrupts the proceedings, shouting that the elders should be questioned to prevent the death of an innocent. After being separated, the two men are cross-examined about details of what they saw but disagree about the tree under which Susanna supposedly met her lover.
In the Greek text, the names of the trees cited by the elders form puns with the sentence given by Daniel. The first says they were under a mastic tree (ὑπὸ σχίνον, hypo schinon), and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to cut (σχίσει, schisei) him in two. The second says they were under an evergreen oak tree (ὑπὸ πρίνον, hypo prinon), and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to saw (πρίσαι, prisai) him in two. The great difference in size between a mastic and an oak makes the elders’ lie plain to all the observers. The false accusers are put to death, and virtue triumphs.
The Greek text survives in two versions. The received version is due to Theodotion; this has superseded the original Septuagint version, which now survives only in Syriac translation, in Papyrus 967 (3rd century), and exceptionally in a single medieval manuscript, known as Codex Chisianus 88.
Sextus Julius Africanus did not regard the story as canonical. Jerome (347–420), while translating the Vulgate, treated this section as a non-canonical fable. In his introduction, he indicated that Susanna was an apocryphal addition because it was not present in the Hebrew text of Daniel.
Origen received the story as part of the ‘divine books’ and censured ‘wicked presbyters’ who did not recognize its authenticity (Hom Lev 1.3.,) and remarks that the story was commonly read in the early Church (Letter to Africanus) but also noted the story’s absence in the Hebrew text, observing (in Epistola ad Africanum) that it was “hidden” by the Jews in some fashion. Origen’s claim is reminiscent of Justin Martyr’s charge that Jewish scribes ‘removed’ certain verses from their Scriptures (Dialogue with Trypho: C.71-3). There are no known early Jewish references to the Susanna story.
Bel and the Dragon
The narrative of Bel and the Dragon is incorporated as chapter 14 of the extended Book of Daniel. The text exists only in Greek. The original Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) text survives in Codex Chisianus.
This chapter, along with chapter 13, is rejected by Rabbinic Judaism, but is viewed as canonical by both Catholic and Orthodox Christians. It is considered apocryphal by Protestants. The chapter contains a single story that may previously have represented three separate narratives, which place Daniel at the court of Cyrus, king of the Persians: “When King Astyages was laid to rest with his ancestors, Cyrus the Persian succeeded to his kingdom.” There Daniel “was a companion of the king, and was the most honored of all his Friends” (14:1).
Bel
The narrative of Bel (14:1–22) ridicules the worship of idols. In it, the king asks Daniel, “You do not think Bel is a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?” to which Daniel answers that the idol is made of clay covered by bronze and thus cannot eat or drink. Enraged, the king then demands that the seventy priests of Bel show him who consumes the offerings made to the idol. The priests then challenge the king to set the offerings as usual (which were “twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine”) and then seal the entrance to the temple with his ring: if Bel does not consume the offerings, the priests are to be sentenced to death; otherwise, Daniel is to be killed.
Daniel then uncovers the ruse (by scattering ashes over the floor of the temple in the presence of the king after the priests have left) and shows that the “sacred” meal of Bel is actually consumed at night by the priests and their wives and children, who enter through a secret door when the temple’s doors are sealed.
The next morning, Daniel calls attention to the footprints on the temple floor; the priests of Bel are then arrested and, confessing their deed, reveal the secret passage that they used to sneak inside the temple. They, their wives and children are put to death, and Daniel is permitted to destroy the idol of Bel and the temple. This version has been cited as an ancestor of the “locked room mystery”.
The dragon
In the brief but autonomous companion narrative of the dragon (Daniel 14:23–30), “There was a great dragon which the Babylonians revered.” In this case the supposed god is no idol, but an animal. However, Daniel slays the dragon by baking pitch, fat, and hair (trichas) to make cakes (mazas, barley-cakes) that cause the dragon to burst open upon consumption. In other variants, other ingredients serve the purpose: in a form known to the Midrash, straw was fed in which nails were hidden, or skins of camels were filled with hot coals, or in the Alexander cycle of Romances it was Alexander the Great who overcame the dragon by feeding it poison and tar.
The parallel with the contest between Marduk and Tiamat, in which winds controlled by Marduk burst Tiamat open, has been noted by many informed readers; barley-cake plays the same role as the wind.
As a result, the Babylonians are indignant, and threaten the king if he does not give them Daniel. Daniel is handed over, and thrown into a lions’ den. The prophet Habakkuk is miraculously recruited and brought to share a meal with Daniel in the den. When Daniel is found alive in the den seven days later, the king throws his persecutors to the lions, who eat and kill them.
The lions’ den
The third narrative (14:31–42), Daniel in the Lions’ Den, may be a retelling of Daniel’s first trip from (6:1-28) or may describe a separate incident. It has been made into a consequence of the preceding episode, but the Septuagint precedes it with the notice, “From the prophecy of Habakkuk, son of Joshua, of the tribe of Levi.” Daniel remains unharmed in the den with seven lions, fed by the prophet Habakkuk, who was taken to the lion’s den by an angel. “Upon the seventh day the king went to bewail Daniel: and when he came to the den, he looked in, and behold, Daniel was sitting. Then cried the king with a loud voice, saying, Great art thou, O Lord God of Daniel, and there is none other besides thee. And he drew him out: and cast those that were the cause of his destruction into the den: and they were devoured in a moment before his face.”
1. Information on Wikipedia, while often quite interesting and informative, cannot be considered in any way authoritative because anybody with a Wikipedia account can post and edit articles. In fact, I have a Wikipedia account and have written a few articles and edited a few others. And, for goodness sake, please do not consider me authoritative! [BACK]
|
 |
Subscribe to my Substack/newsletter |
ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
