The Apocrypha 1

What books were left out of the Bible and why? First issued in 1926, this is the most popular collection of apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature ever published. Here, in one place, are the infancy gospels, the letter of Jesus to Abgarus, the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Legends of Paul and Thecla, the Epistles of Clement and Barnabus, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Books of Adam and Eve, the Secrets of Enoch, the Psalms and Odes of Solomon, the many Testaments of the Patriarchs, and many more ancient books which were highly revered, but ultimately left out of the Bible.

This is a book for anyone interested in the political and cultural results of the entry of the small state of Judah and its capital Jerusalem into the wider Hellenistic world in the second century BCE. In particular it forms a helpful introduction to the biblical writing called 1 Maccabees, which is preserved in the Apocrypha. 1 Maccabees is a history of the rebellion of the Jews against their Syrian rulers in the 160s BCE. The rebellion's leader was Judas Maccabee, and from his family and its success sprang a dynasty that ruled Judah for the century before the arrival of Herod the Great. The author of 1 Maccabees was a keen supporter of that dynasty, and saw their early rulers as made in the mould of the early kings of Israel. The present book introduces the student to modern scholarly research on 1 Maccabees and its author.

This is the only modern translation of the complete collection of deuterocanonical books known popularly as "The Apocrypha" that also includes Enoch, Jasher, and Jubilees. Aside from Jasher, they were included as secondary works in the canon of Scripture for most of the Church's history. The Literal Standard Version (LSV) is a modern translation that stays true to the original manuscripts. This handsome 6" x 9" edition features a matte finish with thick, high-quality, cream-colored pages and 8-point Times New Roman font for elegance and easy reading. The Complete Apocrypha offers a staggering two-thirds as much material as the canonical 66 books of the Holy Bible. Additionally, the apocryphal versions of Esther and Daniel are included in their entirety.The Complete Apocrypha includes Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Maccabees, 1st and 2nd Esdras, Prayer of Manasses, Enoch, Jubilees, Jasher, Psalm 151, and all of the apocryphal additions to Daniel and Esther (including The Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon). This collection is published by Covenant Press, the publishing arm of the Covenant Christian Coalition.

The Biblical apocrypha (from the Greek ἀπόκρυφος, apókruphos, meaning "hidden") denotes the collection of ancient books found, in some editions of the Bible, in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments or as an appendix after the New Testament.

Presents the original teachings of Jesus written by his contemporaries and early followers

This comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament apocryphal books summarizes their context, message, and significance. The first edition has been very well reviewed and widely adopted. It is the most substantial introduction to the Apocrypha available and has become a standard authority on the topic. The second edition has been substantially revised and updated throughout to reflect the latest scholarship. The book includes a foreword by James H. Charlesworth.

The Bible, as we hold it today, is esteemed by many religious institutions and especially Conservative Christians to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God. This doctrinal position affirms that the Bible is unlike all other books or collections of works in that it is free of error due to having been "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). While no other text can claim this same unique authority, Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal literature such as contained in this volume of The Researchers Library of Ancient Texts (Volume One--The Apocrypha: Includes the Books of Enoch, Jasher, and Jubilees), provides literature that often precedes or follows the chronology of biblical texts, which frequently are used or assigned as supplemental works within academic settings to help students and scholars discover or better understand cultural and historical context within the Word of God. Whether or not the information contained in the apocryphal literature is entirely precise--as is the canon of Scripture--these ancient texts provide commentators' valuable insight into what many ancient Jews and early Christians believed when, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets" (Heb. 1:1). The Researchers Library of Ancient Texts is therefore intended to be a supplemental resource for assisting serious researchers and students in the study of the Bible and Bible times. Contained in this volume: The Book of Enoch, The Book of Jasher, The Book of Jubilees, 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, Susanna, Prayer of Azariah, Prayer of Manasseh, Bel and the Dragon, and Laodiceans.