The non-canonical books referenced in the Bible include known, unknown, or otherwise lost non-Biblical cultures' works referenced in the Bible. The Bible, in Judaism, consists of the Hebrew Bible; Christianity refers to the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament, with a canon including the New Testament. Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible include the Biblical apocrypha and Deuterocanon.

It may also include books of the Anagignoskomena (Deuterocanonical books § In Eastern Orthodoxy) that are accepted in only Eastern Orthodoxy. For the purposes of this article, "referenced" can mean direct quotations, paraphrases, or allusions, which in some cases are known only because they have been identified as such by ancient writers or the citation of a work or author.

Hebrew Bible

The following are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible:

Israelite books quoted or alluded to are:

• The Book of Jasher is mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18 and also possibly referenced in the Septuagint rendition of 1 Kings 8:53. From the context in the Book of Samuel, it is implied that it was a collection of poetry. Several books have claimed to be this lost text, some of which are discounted as pseudepigrapha. Certain members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints secured the copyright to a particular English translation of one of these and republished it in 1887 in Salt Lake City.[1]
• The Book of the Wars of the Lord is mentioned in Numbers 21:14. The Book of the Wars of the Lord is also cited in the Medieval Book of Jasher (translated by Moses Samuel c. 1840, edited by J. H. Parry 1887) (separate from the above Book of Jasher) chapter 90:48 as being a collaborative record written by Moses, Joshua and the children of Israel.
• The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Chronicles of the Kings of Judah are mentioned in the Books of Kings (1 Kings 14:19, 29). They are said to tell of events during the reigns of Kings Jeroboam of Israel and Rehoboam of Judah, respectively. The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel is again mentioned in 1 Kings 16:20 regarding King Zimri, and both books are mentioned no less than 30 other times throughout 1 and 2 Kings.[2]
• The Book of Shemaiah the Prophet and Story of the Prophet Iddo (also called Visions of Iddo the Seer or The Annals of the Prophet Iddo) are mentioned in 2 Chronicles 9:29, 12:15, 13:22. This book has been completely lost to history, save for its title.
• The Manner of the Kingdom (also called The Book of Statutes or 3 Samuel); referenced in 1 Samuel 10:25.
• The Acts of Solomon;[3] referenced in 1 Kings 11:41.
• The Annals of King David (also called The Book of the Annals of King David or The Chronicles of King David, which could be a reference to the rest of 1 Chronicles); referenced in 1 Chronicles 27:24.
• The Book of Samuel the Seer (also called Samuel the Seer or The Acts of Samuel the Seer, which could be the same as 1 and 2 Samuel); referenced in 1 Chronicles 29:29.
• The Book of Nathan the Prophet (also called Nathan the Prophet, The Acts of Nathan the Prophet or History of Nathan the Prophet); referenced in 1 Chronicles 29:29, and also 2 Chronicles 9:29.
• The Book of Gad the Seer (also called Gad the Seer or The Acts of Gad the Seer); referenced in 1 Chronicles 29:29.
• The Prophecy of Ahijah (also called The Prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite, which may be a reference to 1 Kings 14:2–18); referenced in 1 Chronicles 29:29.
• The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel (also called The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah); referenced in 2 Chronicles 16:11, 2 Chronicles 27:7 and 2 Chronicles 32:32. May be the same as 1 and 2 Kings.
• The Book of Jehu (also called The Book of Jehu the son of Hanani) could be a reference to 1 Kings 16:1–7. Referenced in 2 Chronicles 20:34.
• The Story of the Book of Kings (also called Midrash on the Book of Kings); referenced in 2 Chronicles 24:27.
• The Acts of Uzziah (also called The Book by the prophet Isaiah); perhaps the same as the Book of Isaiah. Referenced in 2 Chronicles 26:22.
• The Vision of Isaiah (also called The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah); may be identical to the pseudepigraphal Ascension of Isaiah, and may also refer to the existing Book of Isaiah. Referenced in 2 Chronicles 32:32.
• The Acts of the Kings of Israel (also called The Acts and Prayers of Manasseh);[4] may be identical to The Book of the Kings of Israel. Referenced in 2 Chronicles 33:18.
• The Sayings of the Seers (also called The Acts of the Seers); referenced in 2 Chronicles 33:19.
• The Laments for Josiah (also called Lamentations). This event is recorded in the existing Book of Lamentations, referenced in 2 Chronicles 35:25.
• The Chronicles of King Ahasuerus (also called The Book of Records of the Chronicles or The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia); referenced in Esther 2:23, 6:1, 10:2, and Nehemiah 12:23.

Egyptian books quoted or alluded to are:

• Instruction of Amenemope; referenced in Proverbs 22:17–29 and 23:1–12.[5]

Deuterocanon / Apocrypha

Further information: Deuterocanonical books, Biblical apocrypha, and Book of Sirach § References in Sirach and pre-modern texts

Aramaic books quoted or alluded to are:

• Book (or Wisdom) of Ahikar; referenced in Tobit 1:22, 2:10, 11:18, and 14:10.[6]

Greek books quoted or alluded to are:

• Aesop's fable of The Two Pots; referenced in Sirach 13:2–3.[6]
• "five books by Jason of Cyrene" referenced in 2 Maccabees 2:23: the author of 2 Maccabees here states that their work is abridged from the history by Jason.
• "letters of the kings" referenced in 2 Maccabees 2:13.[6]
• "the king's letter" referenced in 2 Maccabees 11:22.[6]

Egyptian books quoted or alluded to are:

• The Egyptian Satire of the Trades, or another work in that tradition[7] referenced in Sirach 38:24–39:11.

Israelite books quoted or alluded to are:

• Annals of John Hyrcanus referenced in 1 Maccabees 16:23–24.[6]
• "The archives" referenced in 2 Maccabees 2:1.[6]
• Memoirs of Nehemiah referenced in 2 Maccabees 2:13,[6] which may be the same as the Book of Nehemiah.

New Testament

Mennonite scholar David Ewart has mentioned that Nestle's Greek New Testament lists some 132 New Testament passages that appear to be verbal allusions to paracanonical books.[8]

Israelite books quoted or alluded to are:[9]

• Book of Enoch (Jude 1:4, 6, 13, 14–15, 2 Peter 2:4 and 3:13,[10][11] and John 7:38).[12]
• Book of Jubilees (Matthew 26:52); "For this reason it was ordained on the heavenly tablets; the instrument with which a man kills his neighbor with the same shall he be killed." Not a word for word quote. May have been a common colloquialism. However, Jubilees interprets this as an extension of the law give in Exodus 21:23.
• Life of Adam and Eve (2 Corinthians 11:14, "Satan as an angel of light", and 12:2, "Third Heaven").[13]
• A lost section of the Assumption of Moses (Jude 1:9 "Michael... body of Moses").
• Ascension of Isaiah (Hebrews 11:37, "they were sawn in two").
• An unknown messianic prophecy possibly from a non-canonical source, quoted in Matthew 2:23 that states "he will be called a Nazorian" (ὅτι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται). "Nazorian" is typically rendered as "Nazarene" ("from Nazareth"), as in Acts 24:5, where Christians are referred to as "the sect of the Nazorians/Nazarenes" (τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως). This is speculated[by whom?] to be a vague allusion to a quote about Samson in Judges 13:5 that uses a similar-sounding word: "the child shall be a Nazirite" (ναζιρ).
• An unknown version of Genesis (possibly a targum, midrash or other commentary), quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:45, as a reference to Christ's being "the Last Adam who became a life-giving spirit" (οὕτως καὶ γέγραπται· Ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν· ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζῳοποιοῦν). It has been speculated[by whom?] that Paul is simply paraphrasing Genesis 2:7, but there is no clear indication that this is not a complete quote.
• An unknown text quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9, suggested by Origen to be a lost apocryphal book:[14] "But as it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him." This may also be an allusion to the similar Isaiah 64:4, "For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.'"
• An unknown messianic prophecy, possibly from a non-canonical source, quoted in Luke 24:46, speculated to be a vague allusion to Hosea 6:2: "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day."
• An unknown messianic prophecy, possibly from a non-canonical source, quoted in Mark 9:12, speculated[by whom?] to be a vague allusion to Isaiah 53: "and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought."

Greek books quoted or alluded to are:[9][15]

• Paul's letter to the Corinthians before 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:9, "I wrote to you in my letter...")
• Paul's letter to the Ephesians before Ephesians (Ephesians 3:3, "As I wrote afore in few words..."); this is disputed as many translations of the Greek term προγράφω ("to write before[hand]") interpret it as referring to what has been written earlier in Ephesians itself.[16]
• Epistle to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16, "read the epistle from Laodicea").
• Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres, according to Origen (2 Timothy 3:8 "... as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses").
• Menander's Thais 218,[17] quoting Euripides,[18][19] "Evil company corrupts good habits" (1 Corinthians 15:33).
• Epimenides' Cretica 1,[20] (Titus 1:12–13 where Paul introduces Epimenides as "a prophet of the Cretans"; see Epimenides paradox).
• Aratus' Phaenomena 5, (Acts 17:28, where Paul refers to the words of "some of your own poets").

See also

• Agrapha
• Biblical apocrypha
• Biblical canon
• Jewish apocrypha
• List of Gospels
• List of names for the biblical nameless
• List of Old Testament pseudepigrapha
• New Testament apocrypha

References

1. Edward J. Brandt, "The Book of Jasher and the Latter-day Saints," in Apocryphal Writings and the Latter-day Saints, ed. C. Wilfred Griggs (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1986), 297–318.
2. Results for the text search
3. Also called The Book of the Acts of Solomon Archived 2006-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Lost Books of the Bible?". Archived from the original on 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
5. Glanville, S. R. K. (1942). The Legacy of Egypt. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 246–248. ISBN 9780837190921.
6. See footnote to the Biblical passage in The Jerusalem Bible, Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1966
7. Rollston, Chris A. (April 2001). "Ben Sira 38:24–39:11 and The Egyptian Satire of the Trades". Journal of Biblical Literature. 120 (Spring): 131–139. doi:10.2307/3268597. JSTOR 3268597.
8. Ewert, David (1 July 1990). A General Introduction to the Bible: From Ancient Tablets to Modern Translations. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310453710 – via Google Books.
9. Holloway, Gary (1 January 1996). James & Jude. College Press. ISBN 9780899006383 – via Google Books.
10. Witherington, Ben (9 January 2008). Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1–2 Peter. InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830829330 – via Google Books.
11. Porter, Stanley E.; Pearson, Brook W. (19 December 2004). Christian-Jewish Relations Through the Centuries. A&C Black. ISBN 9780567041708 – via Google Books.
12. Book of Enoch (Ethopic Version), accessed 3 November 2018
13. Martin, Ralph P. 2 Corinthians Word Biblical Commentary 40,
14. "1 Corinthians 2:9 Commentaries". biblehub.com.
15. Charlesworth, James H. (24 October 1985). The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament. CUP Archive. ISBN 9780521301909 – via Google Books.
16. Danker, Frederick William, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed., 867
17. Jerome, Commentarium ad Titum 100.1
18. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates ... , London: George Bell, 1897. book III, chapter 16, verse 114, page 194. See also the introductory essay to Samson Agonistes by John Milton, Of that sort of Dramatic Poem which is call'd Tragedy Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine.
19. Loeb Classical Library Euripides VIII, fragment 1024
20. "Epimenides Cretica 1 | Acts 17:28". Intertextual Bible. April 2026. Retrieved January 1, 2026.

-Wiki-

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The Apocrypha is a list of 14 books that were left out of the Hebrew Bible canon. In this article, we identify the 14 books, describe them for you briefly, and tell you why they were left out of the Jewish canon. (((Why ? There are surely other additional reasons for exclusion of certain books than is officially declared, but it is to a large extent unchartered territory and opens up for endless speculations regarding validity, authorship, relevance or unconvenient information/knowledge for a controlling establishment ))).    

What is the Meaning of Apocrypha?

The Greek word "apocrypha" simply means "hidden." It only came to mean "books outside the biblical canon" during the Protestant Reformation many centuries after the books of the Apocrypha were written.

Martin Goodman notes that this term was never used in antiquity to designate a group of separate books outside the canon. However, it was sometimes used in the ancient world to refer to books that had secret or enigmatic teachings. Some early Christians also used the term to refer to books they considered inauthentic or heretical.

When were the Books of the Apocrypha Written?

The Apocrypha, while often referred to as a single entity, actually consists of a diverse set of books written over a long period of time. In fact, the books were written roughly between 400 and 200 BCE. It's possible that some people thought that books written so recently couldn't be holy Scripture.

The period of history when the books were written has also sometimes been considered problematic. The Hellenistic period went from the death of Alexander the Great up to just before the 1st century CE (323 BCE– 32 BCE). This was a time when Jews, both in Palestine and the diaspora, absorbed a lot of Greek language and culture.

Part of the result of this was that many Jews were writing new religious texts in Greek rather than Hebrew (remember that the entire New Testament, for example, was written in Greek). Some Jews may have seen these writings as being less authentic than books written in Hebrew.

Did the New Testament Authors know the Apocrypha?

The Apocrypha is intimately tied to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. All the writers of the New Testament referred to the Septuagint for their quotations. For this reason, the Septuagint was mostly transmitted to the world through Christian writers' references rather than Jewish scribes who were mostly writing in Hebrew.

Although Goodman writes that no New Testament author quotes directly from the Apocrypha, many New Testament authors refer to expressions and images from the Apocrypha. Scholars don't know for sure whether those authors were reading Apocryphal books or whether the stories they referred to were already part of Jewish culture in the 1st century.

For example, both Paul and the anonymous book of Hebrews use imagery that is very similar to that in an Apocryphal book called the Wisdom of Solomon. Likewise, Hebrews 11:35-37 mentions the martyrdom story from another book called 2 Maccabees.

All this indicates that for some Christians in the 1st century, these books might have been considered canonical.

Did Early Church Fathers Know the Apocrypha?

While the New Testament authors may have made references to the books of the Apocrypha, several early Church Fathers actually quoted directly from them. The late-1st-century document called 1 Clement quotes from the Wisdom of Solomon. The Epistle of Barnabas, another early Christian document, quotes from several other books, and an early Church father named Polycarp referred indisputably to a story from apocryphal additions to the book of Daniel.

This shows that many in the early Church accepted the apocryphal books as Scripture.

This may be why Catholic Bibles have given the Apocrypha a section all its own. In fact, seven Apocryphal books (Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach or Ecclesiasticus, and Baruch), are considered as equally divinely inspired as any other part of the Catholic Bible. We will review these Apocryphal books and others below.

Aside from the Catholic Bible, however, other forms of the Christian Bible do not include the Apocrypha.

Jewish Views on the Books of the Apocrypha

It's not entirely clear when the Hebrew Bible canon became solidified. Goodman says that it's highly likely that the writings of the Apocrypha were initially taken by many Jews as inspired Scripture.

However, early rabbinic writings only refer to one book – Sirach – and seem wholly unaware of all the others. As I said earlier, this may be because the apocryphal books were only available in Greek, although several books had been translated to Greek from Aramaic and/or Hebrew. On the other hand, there is evidence that rabbinic writers may have viewed apocryphal books as contradicting some of the principles from the rest of the Hebrew Bible.

The Books, Dates of Composition, and Summaries

Tobit, written 225-175 BCE

This book tells the story of two Israelite people, a blind man named Tobit living in Nineveh and a woman named Sarah, living in a city called Ecbatana. Tobit sends his son Tobias to retrieve some money he'd left in another city. An angel named Raphael guides Tobias to Ecbatana, where he meets Sarah. Raphael saves Sarah from a demon and Tobias marries Sarah. They return to Tobit who has been miraculously cured of his blindness.

Judith, written about 100 BCE

Judith, a Jewish widow, attracts and seduces an Assyrian general besieging her city. Having ingratiated herself with him, she waits until he is drunk and then decapitates him, saving the capital Jerusalem from total destruction.

Esther, written around 115 BCE

Although the Hebrew version of Esther is canonical, the Greek translation adds six sections to it. Esther is the story of an Israelite woman who saves her people from an anti-Israelite Persian plot. The canonical story makes no mention of God. The additions, however, mention God more than 50 times and also speak of the inner thoughts of the main characters.

Wisdom of Solomon, written around 50 BCE

This book centers on the importance of Wisdom as related to humans and to God. It may have influenced the famous prologue of the Gospel of John, with wisdom replaced by the "Word."

The Book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus, written 200-175 CE

This is the only book of the Apocrypha for whom we know the author, Jesus son of Sirach. We know this because his grandson, Ben Sira of Jerusalem, translated the original Hebrew document into Greek and wrote a prologue. The book is entirely based on ethical teachings.

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Baruch, written 200-100 BCE

Baruch consists of contemplations by a Jewish writer about past Jewish exiles from Babylon. It includes theology and thoughts on wisdom.

The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children, written 1st century BCE

These are Greek additions to the Hebrew/Aramaic book of Daniel. The first part is the prayer of Daniel's friend Azariah (called Abednego in in Daniel 1:6–7) while he, Shadrach and Meshach are in the fiery furnace. The second part talks about the angelic figure in the furnace with them. The third part is a hymn of praise to God for saving them.

Story of Susanna, written 333-160 BCE

Another Greek addition to the book of Daniel. A married woman named Susanna is seen bathing by two elders. In their lust, they go to her and demand that she have sex with them. She refuses and they have her arrested, falsely claiming that she had sexual relations with a young man.

As she is about to be executed, the prophet Daniel interrupts, demanding that her accusers be questioned. The men's deceit is exposed and they are executed instead.

The Story of Bel and the Dragon, written 200-100 BCE

These are also Greek additions to the Book of Daniel. In it, the king of Babylon insists that his Bel, a Babylonian god represented by an idol, is really a god, since he eats and drinks the food offered to him every day. Daniel disagrees and discovers that the priests of Bel are eating and drinking the offerings.

In the story of the dragon, there is an actual animal called a dragon which the king claims must be a god. Daniel promises to kill it without a sword, and does so by giving the dragon poisonous food, thereby proving the dragon is not a god.

The Prayer of Manasseh, written 1st or 2nd century BCE

A brief prayer ascribed to Manasseh, one of the kings of Judah. In the Hebrew Bible, this king worships idols and then is taken prisoner by the king of Assyria. In captivity he prays for mercy – this prayer is supposedly his actual prayer – and when he is freed, he stops worshiping idols.

1 Maccabees, written about 100 BCE

This is the story of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire, whose King Antiochus IV Epiphanes issues decrees demanding that Jews forget Jewish culture and accept Greek language and culture.

2 Maccabees, written 150-100 BCE

More stories of the Maccabean Revolt against King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. It ends with the defeat of the Seleucid Empire by Judas Maccabeus, the leader of the Maccabees.

1 Esdras, written 2nd century BCE

Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Book of Ezra. Very similar to the Hebrew version of Ezra–Nehemiah, although stories of Nehemiah are removed, and some material is added.

2 Esdras, written 70-218 CE

One of many apocalyptic Jewish books written in the 1st to the 3rd centuries CE. The author claims to be (but cannot be) Ezra, a scribe and priest of the fifth century BC.

Conclusion: The Apocrypha

What is the Apocrypha? The Apocrypha consists of 14 books that were ultimately excluded from the biblical canon.

Why were these books left out of (most) Bibles? There are many reasons. Their late date of composition may have made them seem too recent to be considered Scripture. In addition, the fact that they were in Greek may have alienated some Jewish thinkers who may also have found some content that conflicted with earlier Jewish teachings.

Do Christians accept the Apocrypha? Most Christian Bibles leave out the Apocrypha. Catholic Bibles, however, give them their own section. While Catholics encourage people to read these books, they emphasize that they are not divinely inspired Scripture.

-bartehrman.com-

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