Apocrypha - Oxford Edition Combined with the 1947 RSV Edition. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) The following books are in the Apocrypha: Books Abbreviation 1 Esdras 1Es 2 Esdras 2Es Tobit Tob Judith Jdt Rest of Esther Est Wisdom of Solomon Wis Ecclesiasticus Ecc Baruch, with the Epistle of Jeremiah Bar Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Holy Children Aza History of Susanna Sus Bel and the Dragon Bel Prayer of Manasses Man 1 Maccabees 1Ma 2 Maccabees 2Ma From the 1947 RSV, no Oxford text 3 Maccabees 3Ma 4 Maccabees 4Ma Psalm 151 2Ps 2) The two prologues to Ecclesiasticus are appended to the end of that book as chapters 52 and 53. The verse number was arbitrarily introduced to these prologues to make it easier to reference. The RSV omits the first prologue which corresponds to chapter 52. 3) RSV verse numbering was followed for "The Prayer of Manasses" to make it easier to reference. 4) The last three books for the Apocrypha were taken from the RSV and are not in the Oxford edition nor were they in the 1973 edition of the RSV. These are used by the Greek Orthodox Church and are not in the Roman Catholic editions. 5) The Apocrypha was dropped when the 1769 edition of the Authorised version was produced. Obvious spelling errors in the Oxford edition were corrected. 6) The Online Bible cross-reference and other facilities do not work with this module. 7) This has never been accepted at scriptures for the following reasons: a) The Jews never considered them part of their sacred canon. b) Christ rejected them by citing the scriptures as the "Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms". The Jews would understand that to be what we now consider the 39 books of the Old Testament. c) They are never quoted in the Bible. d) They are unreliable and contradict known historical facts and doctrines in the Bible. See topic 22551 for a detailed list. e.g. 2 Mac 12:44,45, Wis 13:18 etc. e) The number of books, the verse numbering and the actual verses themselves vary greatly depending on who prints the Apocrytha. This is not definitely something you would want to depend on! 8) Send in the user declaration form to CCAT. See "General Info" on the Mini Menu. 9) The following is the introduction from the Oxford edition of the Apocrypha. THE APOCRYPHA These Books form part of the sacred literature of the Alexandria Jews, and with the exception of the Second Book of Esdras are found interspersed with the Hebrew Scriptures in the ancient copies of the Septuagint, or Greek Version of the Old Testament. They are the product of the era subsequent to the Captivity; having their origin partly in Babylonia, partly in Palestine and Egypt and perhaps other countries. Most of them belong to the last three centuries B.C., when prophecy, oracles, and direct revelation had ceased. Some of them form an historical link between the Old and New Testament, others have a linguistic value in connection with the Hellenistic phraseology of the latter. The narratives of the Apocrypha are partly historical records, and partly allegorical. The religious poetry is to a large extent a paraphrase upon the Poetical and Prophetical Books of the Hebrew Canon. In the paraphrases upon the latter there is often a near approach to New Testament teaching, especially upon God's care for the heathen world. As to their Canonical Authority, Josephus seems to reject it as a whole, but appears from his use of I Esdras rather than our Canonical Ezra to have accepted the authenticity of at least that work. The early Christians differed in opinion respecting them, but received them as part of the sacred literature of Israel. Several of the books of the Apocrypha were more generally accepted than the disputed books of the New Testament Canon. Melito (cir. 170), referring to the Hebrew Canon, separated them from the authoritative and Divine records; while Origen (cir. 230), following the LXX, included in Daniel (and so among the Canonical Books) the history of Susanna; and speaks ambiguously about the Books of the Maccabees. Jerome, a century later, called them "apocryphal" (hidden, secret, and so of uncertain origin and authority), affirming (when speaking of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus) "that the Church doth read them for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine". In the Western Church they gradually rose in esteem, until the Council of Trent affirmed the canonicity of the greater part; but they are treated by the more critical Roman divines as "deutero-canonical", thus making some distraction between them and the books of the Hebrew Canon. A Dissertation on the Apocryphal Writings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ See topic 22551 for a very complete overview on the Apocrypha by John Gill. That material was taken from his Exposition of the whole Bible volume six, pages 777 to 789. This material was written about 1750 before the Apocrypha was deleted from the Authorised Version in 1769.