Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books

The 16 extra books found in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible are known as the Deuterocanonical Books by Catholic and Orthodox traditions and as the Apocrypha (meaning “hidden”) in Protestant traditions. Originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, this collection includes the history books of the Maccabees, which outline the successful rebellion of the Jews against their Greek (Seleucid) overlords, the establishment of a sovereign Jewish political and religious state under the Hasmoneans, and its eventual demise under Rome in 63 B.C.E. They also include wisdom books similar to Proverbs (the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach), stories such as Tobit, Judith, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, an extra psalm (Psalm 151), and the Prayer of Manasseh. These books reflect Jewish life and theology from approximately 300 B.C.E. to 70 C.E.