The books that are not included in the Bible are often referred to as the “apocryphal” or “deuterocanonical” books. These texts include works like the Book of Tobit, the Book of Judith, and the Wisdom of Solomon, among others, and they are not considered part of the biblical canon by all religious denominations.
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The books that are not included in the Bible, also known as the apocryphal or deuterocanonical books, are a fascinating subject that sheds light on the diverse religious texts and their inclusion or exclusion from the biblical canon. These texts, despite their exclusion from some religious denominations’ Bibles, hold great historical, cultural, and theological significance. Let’s delve deeper into this topic to explore it further.
To quote the renowned biblical scholar Bruce M. Metzger, he stated, “Books that were read and respected by the early Christians, but which were later excluded from the Canons, are called apocryphal.”
Here are some interesting facts about the books that are not included in the Bible:
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Number and Variations: The content of the apocryphal books varies across different religious traditions. For instance, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles include several additional texts, while Protestant Bibles generally exclude them.
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Old Testament Apocrypha: The Old Testament apocryphal books mainly include works such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, First and Second Maccabees, and additions to the books of Esther and Daniel.
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New Testament Apocrypha: The New Testament apocryphal books comprise texts like the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Gospel of Judas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and the Acts of Peter, among others. These texts often contain alternate accounts of Jesus’ life and teachings.
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Historical and Cultural Significance: The apocryphal books provide valuable insights into the historical, social, and cultural context of ancient times. They offer differing perspectives on religious beliefs, practices, and traditions prevalent during the period.
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Inspiration and Canonicity: The question of canonicity and whether these books should be considered divinely inspired has caused debate among religious scholars. While some view them as valuable sources of spiritual wisdom, others argue that they lack the same level of authority as the books included in the biblical canon.
Here is a table showcasing some of the commonly known apocryphal books:
| Old Testament Apocrypha | New Testament Apocrypha |
|---|---|
| Tobit | Gospel of Thomas |
| Judith | Gospel of Mary Magdalene |
| Wisdom of Solomon | Gospel of Judas |
| Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) | Infancy Gospel of Thomas |
| Baruch | Acts of Peter |
| First and Second Maccabees | |
| Additions to Esther and Daniel |
In conclusion, the books that are not included in the Bible, known as apocryphal or deuterocanonical books, offer a significant wealth of historical, cultural, and theological knowledge. While they may not be part of every religious denomination’s canon, they contribute to our understanding of ancient traditions and provide alternative perspectives on spiritual matters. As Bruce M. Metzger aptly stated, they were “read and respected by the early Christians.”
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This YouTube video explores several rejected books of the Bible, including the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Adam and Eve, the Book of Enoch, the Psalms of Solomon, the Odes of Solomon, and the Letter of Aristeas. These books were not considered official scripture and were not included in the Bible for various reasons. The video also mentions other rejected books, such as the Maccabees books, the Story of Ahikar, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the Books of Ezra. The video concludes by inviting viewers to share any other rejected books they are aware of.
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Books Left Out of the Bible
- Book of the Wars of the Lord.
- Book of Jasher.
- Book of Nathan, Book of Gad.
- Book of Nathan, Prophecy of Ahijah, Visions of Iddo.
- Acts of Solomon.
- Book of Shemaiah, Book of Iddo.
- Annals of Iddo.
- Book of Jehu.
The List of 75 Books Removed or Excluded from the Bible
- The Protevangelion
- The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ
- The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
What Are the 14 Books Removed From the Bible?
- Tobit The book of Tobit is about Tobit and his family living outside of Israel as exiles.
- Judith
- The Rest of Esther
- The Wisdom of Solomon
The Gospel of Peter, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Thomas and The Secret Gospel of Mark…these are just a few of the books that were left out of the Bible.
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Considering this, What are the books not included in the Bible called?
The Confession provided the rationale for the exclusion: ‘The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings’ (1.3).
Beside this, What are the 22 books missing from the Bible? As an answer to this: Past of The Lost Books of the Bible
- The Book of Enoch.
- The Protevangelion.
- The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ.
- The Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
- The Book of Jesus Christ.
- The Gospel of Nicodemus (Acts of Pilate)
- The Apostles’ Creed (throughout history)
- The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Laodiceans.
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Consequently, What are the 54 lost books of the Bible?
The Complete 54-Book Apocrypha includes Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, 1–4 Baruch, 1–4 Maccabees, Apocryphal Esther, Apocryphal Psalms, Apocryphal Daniel (including Azariah, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon), 1–2 Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh, Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Jubilees, 1–3 Enoch, Book of Giants (from
Why was Book of Enoch removed from the Bible?
Answer will be: One possible reason for Jewish rejection of the book might be the textual nature of several early sections of the book that make use of material from the Torah; for example, 1 En 1 is a midrash of Deuteronomy 33.
In this regard, How many books are mentioned but not found in the Bible? Answer to this: BooksMentioned, But Not Found, In The Bible There are twenty-two books mentioned in the Bible, but notincluded. The variation is dueto possible double mentions using differing names for the same book. Book of the Covenant
Considering this, Are there different types of Bibles? The Bibles read by Catholics, Orthodox Christians and members of different denominations of Protestantism may contain very different books. There are more academically inclined Bibles that contain references and extra resources and “more complete” Bibles that contain books that were previously removed from the canon.
In this manner, What were some early Christian texts that were not included in the Bible? As a response to this: They had unearthed several early Christian texts including gospels of Thomas, Philip and Mary that had been buried away for around 1,600 years. These gospels were some of the many alternative books about Jesus that weren’t included in the Christian Bible.
Are there extra books in a Bible?
There are more academically inclined Bibles that contain references and extra resources and “more complete” Bibles that contain books that were previously removed from the canon. Which “extra” books are included in these Bibles varies wildly.
Likewise, Are there different types of Bibles?
The Bibles read by Catholics, Orthodox Christians and members of different denominations of Protestantism may contain very different books. There are more academically inclined Bibles that contain references and extra resources and “more complete” Bibles that contain books that were previously removed from the canon.
Hereof, Are there extra books in a Bible? In reply to that: There are more academically inclined Bibles that contain references and extra resources and “more complete” Bibles that contain books that were previously removed from the canon. Which “extra” books are included in these Bibles varies wildly.
What are non-canonical books in the Bible? Response: The non-canonical books referenced in the Bible includes non-Biblical cultures, and lost works of known or unknown status.
One may also ask, What are the two types of Christian books?
The response is: Two basic types of Christian books (both those included and excluded from the Bible) are the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts. The meaning of the word Apocrypha is “hidden.” In other words, some information about them still remains unknown.