The Apocrypha
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group · Paperback · October 23, 1989
The powerful collection of books from the Greek version of the Jewish Bible—the earliest complete version of the Bible we possess—but that were not included in the final, canonical version of the Hebrew Bible.
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- Who it’s for
- Read ancient Jewish works that illuminate the world between the Temple’s rebuilding and Jesus.
- Themes
- Jewish history, New Testament background, Influence on writers and artists
- Genres
- Other English Bibles, Jewish Scriptures, Old Testament Studies
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Start with this bookAbout this book
The powerful collection of books from the Greek version of the Jewish Bible—the earliest complete version of the Bible we possess—but that were not included in the final, canonical version of the Hebrew Bible. They were called “Apocrypha,” the hidden or secret books, and while they formed part of the original King James version of 1611, they are no longer included in modern Bibles.
Continue reading
Yet they include such important works as The First Book of Maccabees, the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, and the stories of Susanna, Tobit, and Judith, and other works of great importance for the history of the Jews in the period between the rebuilding of the Temple and the time of Jesus, and thus for the background of the New Testament. These works have also had a remarkable impact on writers and artists. Beyond this, they are often as powerful as anything in the canonical Bible. The translation into contemporary English is by Edgar J. Goodspeed.
Beyond the Canon
Read ancient Jewish works that illuminate the world between the Temple’s rebuilding and Jesus.
Come here for
- A wider view of Jewish scripture and its afterlife in art and writing
- Familiar names alongside less familiar works
Expect
- A contemporary English translation by Edgar J. Goodspeed
- Texts valued for their force as well as their historical context
Where it sits
| Other English Bibles | 33% |
|---|---|
| Old Testament Studies | 32% |
| Jewish Scriptures | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Biblical Studies
- History of Religion
- Jewish Scriptures
- Authors
- Edgar J. Goodspeed
- Publisher
- Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
- Published
- October 23, 1989
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Jewish history · New Testament background · Influence on writers and artists
- Reading lane
- Biblical Studies