Apocrypha / Deuterocanonicals

 

A brief study of the books which are included in some Christian Bibles, but not in others.

 

For additional information

Harrington, Daniel J.  Invitation to the apocrypha. Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1999.

            Provides introductory information on all the books in the “expanded”

            apocrypha.

Parallel apocrypha. Ed. John R. Kohlenberger III.  New York : Oxford, 1997.  The

            text of the earliest available full version of each book in the expanded

apocrypha, along with English translations (up to seven) in parallel.

Apocrypha website

            http://www.execpc.com/~gto/Apocrypha

                        Notes from these classes and my seminary course on the Apocrypha,

                        together with links to other sites and some additional information.

                        This address may change in the near future; if so, it will be

                        accessible from                www.nashotah.edu

                                    and                       ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gto

1 October - Additions or Subtractions

            A. Different versions of the Old Testament

                        Hebrew Bible (Tanak)

                        Greek Old Testament (Septuagint)

                        Latin Bible (Vulgate)

            B. Different versions or editions of biblical books

                        Daniel

                                    Supplying words for characters [Song and Prayer]

                                    Detective story [Susanna]

                                    Expanded conflict story [Bel and the Dragon]

                        Esther  [“The Rest of Esther”]

                                    Bringing God into the story - and making Esther kosher

                        Other variant versions

                                    1 Esdras [not in Roman Catholic canon, but in standard

English Apocrypha] - variant of Ezra and some other material

                                    Greek Jeremiah is shorter than Hebrew, but there are added

                                                Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah

                                    Psalm 151  [not in Latin Bible]

                                    Prayer of Manasseh [providing words of Manasseh’s

confession of sin]

                                   

8 October - History and Story

            A. Historical Circumstances

                        Persia - Alexander - Ptolemeys - Seleucids

                        Centre in Jerusalem - major Jewish communities outside the promised

land  [e.g., Babylon, Egypt]

            B. The Crisis

                        Antiochus Epiphanes

                        The Hasmoneans

                        1 and 2 Maccabees  [1- the dynasty; 2- the political hero]

                        Judith [fictional counterpart]

            C. Other stories in historical form

                        3 Maccabees  [not in Latin Bible]

                        Tobit

15 October - Wisdom and Hope

A. Wisdom and Philosophy

            Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sira [Ecclesiasticus]

                        traditional Jewish wisdom for a multicultural age

            Wisdom of Solomon

                        Jewish wisdom as best philosophy for all

B. Hope for the Future

            2 Esdras  [not canonical for the Roman Catholic Church]

                        justifying God after the fall of Jerusalem to Romans

            4 Maccabees [appendix to Greek Bible]

                        Divine law is reasonable way to survive religious persecution

           

 

G. Thomas Osterfield, Nashotah House      gto@nashotah.edu     262-646-6534