Deuterocanonicals
an exploration of the 7 Deuterocanonical books
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
January 2011
Almighty eternal God, I acknowledge you as my first
beginning and my last end.
My Creator and my Redeemer, my
sanctification and my consummation.
My God and my all.
I thank you for your lavish gifts to me,
to the whole human race and to all creation.
Lord, teach me not to hold on to life
too tightly. Teach me to take it as a gift.
To enjoy it, to cherish it while I have it, but to let go
gracefully and thankfully when the time comes.
The gift is great, but the Giver is greater still.
You are the Giver and in you is the life
that never ends. Amen.
Deuterocanonical Books
meaning of deuterocanonical?
which books?
when written?
what language?
Deuterocanonical Books
meaning of deuterocanonical?
“second canon”
Deuterocanonical Books
which books?
Tobit, Judith, I & II Maccabees
Baruch, Wisdom, Sirach
Deuterocanonical Books
when written?
Between early 2nd & late 1st Century BC
(2oo)
(100-90)
Deuterocanonical Books
what language?
most in Hebrew, then Greek
some originally in Greek
Deuterocanonicals: Book Lengths
Baruch
6 chapters
Tobit
14 Chapters
II Maccabees
15 Chapters
I Maccabees
16 Chapters
Judith
16 Chapters
Wisdom
19 Chapters
Sirach
51 Chapters
Deuterocanonicals: Genre Categories
Jewish Categories of TaNaK
•Torah – the law
•Neviim – the prophets
•Kethuvim – the writings
Deuterocanonicals: Genre Categories
Christian Categories of OT
•Torah/Pentateuch
•Historical Books
•Wisdom Books
•Prophetic Books
Deuterocanonicals: Genre Categories
Christian Categories of OT
•Torah/Pentateuch
•Historical Books Judith
•Wisdom Books Wisdom
•Prophetic Books Baruch
Tobit
I & II
Maccabees
Sirach
Deuterocanonicals: Dating the Texts
150
200 BC
Sirach
Tobit
Baruch
100
Judith
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Wisdom
Notions of Canon
& 7 Books as Canon
Jewish Scriptures
Christian Scriptures
The 7 Books as Canon
• How did Jews at time of Christ view their sacred
scriptures?
• Was there a Jewish canon? When?
• How did Christians at the time of Christ, and shortly
thereafter, view their sacred scriptures?
• Was there a Christian OT canon?
• Why do Catholics embrace the 7 books, while
Protestants reject them?
How did Jews at time of Christ
view their sacred scriptures?
Was there a Jewish canon? When?
How did Jews at time of Christ view
their sacred scriptures?
Was there a Jewish canon?
• Jews had a very fluid view of canon in the centuries
before and after Jesus
• Torah had a “pride of place” and seen as sacred
scripture by 400 BC
• Prophets garnered same status by 200 BC
• Wisdom literature same status by 90 AD or later
• II Maccabees 15:9 – “law and the prophets”
• Luke 24:44 – “law of Moses, prophets and Psalms”
• Septuagint was critical translation and important to
understanding the Deuterocanonical books
Septuagint: Important for
understanding the Deuterocanonicals
• Septuagint (LXX)– critical in understanding history of
canon & place of Deuterocanonical books
• Greek translation of sacred scriptures for Jews in
Alexandria and in the Diaspora
• Translated between 3rd Century and 130 BC
• “LXX” meaning denotes a sacred translation
• Jews initially accepted the value of the Septuagint and
later rejected it as Christians accepted as their text
• SUMMARY: Jews view of canon was fluid until as late as
3rd Century AD. Rejected Septuagint due to Christian
acceptance.
How did Christians at the time of
Christ, and shortly thereafter, view
their sacred scriptures?
Was there a Christian OT canon?
How did Christians at the time of Christ, and
shortly thereafter, view their sacred scriptures?
• Early Christians’ OT was the Septuagint, the Greek OT
• LXX had all texts, including the 7 Deuterocanonical
books
• The NT writers use LXX most of the time in citing the
OT (>80% of time)
• SUMMARY: Jewish rejection of LXX was two-fold:
• more conservative view of canon, eliminating books written in
Greek (or ones they thought were written in Greek) to solidify
Jewish identity
• the rabbis eliminated any books that Christians were using -(LXX) included the 7 books
Septuagint vs later Jewish Canon
Christian OT
46 Books
(Septuagint)
Used from time of Jesus
and throughout the NT
Septuagint vs later Jewish Canon
Christian OT
46 Books
(Septuagint)
7 Books
Used from time of Jesus
and throughout the NT
Septuagint vs later Jewish Canon
Christian OT
46 Books
(Septuagint)
7 Books
Used from time of Jesus
and throughout the NT
Jewish TaNaK
39 Books
(Palestinian Canon)
Not decided earlier than
90 AD or 3rd Century AD
Deuterocanonicals in the NT
New Testament use of the Deuterocanonicals
• Over 70 references in NT to Deuterocanonicals
• > 30 in Gospels/Acts
• > 20 in Paul
• > 20 in remaining NT (~13 in Revelation)
• Gospels’ use:
• “sheep without a shepherd” (Judith 11:19)
• “seed on rocky ground, no root” (Sirach 40:15)
• Jesus calling God his Father (Wisdom 2:16)
• “takes away branches not bearing fruit” (Wisdom 4:5)
• Paul’s use:
• “sin and death entering the world” (Wisdom 2:4)
• pagan sacrifices are to demons, not God (Baruch 4:7)
• “suit of armor” language (Wisdom 5:17-20)
Why do Catholics embrace
the 7 books,
while Protestants reject them?
(did Catholics “add” them to the Bible?)
Why do Catholics embrace
the 7 books,
while Protestants reject them?
(did Catholics “add” them to the Bible?)
NO
Why do Catholics embrace the 7 books,
while Protestants reject them?
• Catholics accept the 7 books because they were part of the
Septuagint, the first OT text of early Christianity (Church Fathers)
• Protestants reject them on 2 grounds:
• Jews didn’t accept the books
• Certain doctrine taught are “Catholic” doctrines
• Prayers for the dead (Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45)
• Purgatory (Wisdom 3:1-7)
• Intercession of those in heaven (2 Maccabees 15:14)
• Intercession of angels (Tobit 12:12-15)
• Protestants accepted the 27 NT books authorized by the Catholic
Church, but reject part of the OT (for faulty reasons)
Deuterocanonicals: Use in Lectionary
Book
Chapters
Verses
# Sunday
Verses
# Weekday
Verses
I Maccabees
16
922
0
54
II Maccabees
15
556
8
35
Tobit
14
245
0
71
Judith
16
340
0
0
Baruch
6
213
27
44
Wisdom
19
436
42
102
Sirach
51
1372
48
208
Book of Tobit
•
•
•
•
•
Dating: early 2nd Century BC
Setting: 8th Century BC (fall of North 721 BC)
Text: Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
Length: 14 Chapters
Themes:
•
•
•
•
•
God answers prayers and rewards the faithful
Angels/Demons are active in affairs
Emphasis on prayer, fasting and almsgiving
Maintenance of Jewish identity in Exile is critical
Strong sapiential/wisdom themes
Book of Judith
•
•
•
•
•
Dating: mid 2nd – early 1st Century BC
Setting: 6th Century BC (assault on Judah)
Text: Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
Length: 16 Chapters
Themes:
•
•
•
•
•
Overt fiction is the literary medium
Tale of unlikely hero delivering her people
Strong belief in one God & fidelity to the God & law
God is in control of history, saving his people
God delivers in unusual ways
Book of I Maccabees
•
•
•
•
•
Dating: mid-late 2nd Century BC (130s?)
Setting: ~175 to ~134 BC
Text: Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
Length: 16 Chapters
Themes:
• Allegiance to the law of God
• Preservation of Jewish cult and identity
• Foundational story for Hanukkah
• Connection to Jewish history
• God saved Jews thru the Maccabees
Book of II Maccabees
•
•
•
•
•
Dating: late 2nd Century BC (shortly after 1 Maccabees)
Setting: overlaps with 1 Maccabees – only covering 20-25 yrs
Text: Greek (original)
Length: 15 Chapters
Themes:
• Theological reflection on 1 Maccabees
• Stresses martyrdom as a witness to faith
• Introduces “new” themes/concepts
• Creation out of nothing (ex nihilo) (7:28)
• Resurrection/Afterlife (7:9,14)
• Prayers/sacrifices for the dead (12:38-46)
• Prayers from the dead (15:14)
Development of Wisdom Literature
Proverbs 10-31
~700-400 BCE
Proverbs 1-9
~400 BCE
Job
~400 BCE
secular, optimistic
religious, optimistic
religious, pessimistic
Ecclesiastes
Sirach
Wisdom
~300-250 BCE
secular, pessimistic
~200-180 BCE
religious, realistic
~100-90 BCE
religious/Greek, realistic
Book of Baruch
•
•
•
•
•
Dating: early – middle 2nd Century BC (180-150)
Setting: post-Exile Babylon (6th Century BC)
Text: Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
Length: 6 Chapters
Themes:
• Explores finding God outside of Promised Land
• Theologically conservative: sin/guilt, contrition,
deliverance – lacking sense of afterlife
• Strong monotheistic emphasis
• Prophet plays a strong role in reminding the exiles to hope
• Strong connectedness to Jerusalem, even from afar
Book of Sirach
•
•
•
•
Dating: 2nd Century BC (200-175) (translation 132)
Text: Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
Length: 51 Chapters
Themes:
• A collection of moral instructions, proverbs & ethical essays
• Offers a more conservative response to Hellenization –true
wisdom found in Jewish history (heavy integration of
history)
• Heavy connection of wisdom with Jewish cult/priesthood
• Jewish wisdom trumps wisdom of others
• “this life” orientation (body/soul dichotomy, afterlife absent)
Book of Wisdom
•
•
•
•
Dating: early 1st Century BC (probably last written)
Text: likely Greek (original)
Length: 19 Chapters
Themes:
•
•
•
•
•
Written in Greek, saturated with Jewish themes
Critique of the traditional notion of retribution
Sacred history (haggadah) is important to identity
Developed notions of soul/spirit and afterlife
Personified Wisdom (picked up in NT, applied to Jesus)
In Summary
Forms/Literary Genres
• Tobit & Judith – highly fictionalized narratives with
overarching themes & messages
• I Maccabees – historical narrative written closely to
events
• II Maccabees – polished theological interpretation of
I Maccabees
• Baruch – prose (opening/close) with poetry (middle)
• Sirach & Wisdom – saturated in proverbs and ethical
sayings (typical of wisdom literature)
In Summary
SHARED Themes
•
•
•
•
•
God is One: Rigid Monotheism
Fidelity to the Law of God
Extolling the great story of Israel/Jewish past
Prayer, preceded by a contrite heart, is key
History is God’s stage
In Summary
UNIQUE Themes
• God saves thru the lowly (Judith)
• Angels and demons are amongst us (Tobit)
• Concrete notions of resurrection and afterlife
emerged later in time (II Maccabees, Wisdom)
• Preservation of cult/law/way of life should be
achieved at all costs (Judith, I Maccabees)
• Wisdom (personified in Wisdom), found in
creation & law (Baruch) found in history (Sirach)