The Story of the Apocrypha
A historical survey of the Apocrypha — the collection of ancient Jewish and early Christian writings that appear in Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments but were excluded from the Protestant canon. This volume examines the content, background, and theological significance of books such as Tobit, Judith, Maccabees, Sirach, and the Wisdom of Solomon.
History & Background
The Apocrypha (Greek: 'hidden things') refers to a body of texts written between roughly 300 BC and AD 100 that were included in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) and later incorporated into the Latin Vulgate. The Council of Trent (1546) formally declared them deuterocanonical for Catholics. Protestant Reformers, following Jerome's distinction, excluded them from the canon but recognized their historical value. This book offers a readable introduction to their origins, contents, and contested status across Christian traditions.
Canon Proximity Rating
Covers the deuterocanonical/apocryphal books accepted by Catholic and Orthodox traditions but excluded from the 66-book Protestant canon. Included here as a historical and comparative religious reference.