The Apocrypha Books

 In this chapter we will take a brief look at the extra seven books included in the Catholic version of the
Old Testament. It should be noted, the Protestant Bible did not exclude these books because they feel they are false or inaccurate. They were excluded because they were not considered to be Holy Scripture. These books offer a very unique and helpful insight into the time between the Testaments. These 400 years are otherwise silent. It is fascinating to see some of the details and events contained in these extra books of the Bible. Others in this grouping were written well before this information void took place.

Baruch - written sometime during the 6th century B.C. - the author is thought to be Baruch, but this is highly debatable. The Book of Baruch encouraged the people to be pro-Babylonian. Not only did he consider resistance futile, but he felt it was God’s desire that the people be in exile.

Baruch lived in the 6th century B.C. and was the scribe or secretary for the prophet Jeremiah. Most scholars agree Baruch came from a prominent family and since he acted as a scribe he was obviously well educated.

Baruch was with Jeremiah during the very turbulent years just before the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.

According to the Septuagint, Baruch took over the duties of Jeremiah after his death and thus became a sage rather than a scribe. What eventually became of Baruch is unknown.

[Sage - a person of maturity who is known for sound judgement.]

Archaeologists have found many bulla’s in Israel. A Bulla is a dollop of clay in which a seal was pressed to mark an official document. They found a large number of bulla bearing the seals of royal officials of Judah. Among these was a bulla with the name of Baruch. This would seem to offer proof of Baruch acting as a scribe, perhaps for Jeremiah. 

Wisdom -or- Wisdom of Solomon - was written around 200 B.C. - the author of this document is unknown. 

The author is attempting to show the vast difference between the way the world thinks, and the way God is. The world is full of foolishness, while God is Wisdom.

Given its title it would be easy to assume the author of this book was Solomon. However, since there are many references made to the Septuagint which was not written until 300 B.C. it is obvious Solomon is not the author. – It should be noted the author never claims to be Solomon, but does not give their name.

In the Book of Wisdom, the author attempts to show that wisdom is an intermediary between God and man. Since God is so superior to man that we cannot possibly understand His ways or His ultimate plan, we have been given wisdom to help us understand what we need to do and how we need to live. The Book of Wisdom makes it very clear idolatry is evil and the way of the foolish. Wisdom is found through prayer and was important in the understanding of the person of Jesus.

Sirach - was written by Ben Sira sometime between 200 and 180 B.C. - The Book of Sirach is known by many names. These include Sira, Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, and also as Ecclesiasticus, which could mean ‘church book’.

The Book of Sirach was originally written in Hebrew and translated to Greek in 117 B.C. - Sirach is the longest of the Apocrypha Books - 

Ben Sira was a scribe and religious teacher in Jerusalem. He was a very devout Jew and believed in the Jewish way of life. He wanted to preserve the Torah and the ministry of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Ben Sira speaks a great deal about women in this book, but most references are in a negative tone. A daughter is seen as a loss to the father as she will likely commit sexual improprieties.

The Book of Sirach is broken up into blocks of short stories or sayings which encourage the reader to constantly seek the wisdom of the Lord.

The Book of Sirach should not be confused with the Book of Ecclesiastes which is considered canonical by almost all Christians.

1 Maccabees - was written during the 1st century B.C. - we do not know the author. 

The Maccabees were a group of Jewish fighters who assumed power in Israel in the second century B.C. The group led a rebellion against Antiochus IV and eventually consecrated the Temple of Jerusalem.

When they consecrated the Temple the Temple menorah burned for eight days instead of one. This miracle is celebrated on the holiday of Chanukah.

[Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah)- also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the consecration of the Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt. When the Menorah was lit there was only enough oil for one day (a single cruse of oil) but the Menorah burned for a total of eight days. This was considered a miracle and is still celebrated in modern times.]

According to the historian Josephus the rebels originally refused to fight on the Sabot and as a result in the first battle 1,000 of their people were slaughtered, including a great many women and children.

The Maccabees then proclaimed the Jewish faith was a faith of the living and declared it was right and just to do battle on the sabot to preserve the life of believers.

People were allowing the Syrian rulers to influence their lives and lead them away from God. The revolt was to maintain a Jewish way of life and to take back the country and the Temple. - 1 Maccabees deals with the historical elements of the revolt.

2 Maccabees - again we do know the author of this book which was also written sometime during the 1st century B.C. - 2 Maccabees deals with the religious nature of the revolt.

It is interesting that the Book of 2 Maccabees tells us what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. It was taken out of the city and hidden by Jeremiah. It was said it would not be found until such time as God allowed and desired it to be found.

“It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God.” 2:4

Tobit - Like most of the books contained in this chapter the author of Tobit is uncertain. The book was written between 300 and 200 B.C.

The Book of Tobit takes on the feel of one of Jesus’ parables. The messenger is a real person and the moral of the story is true and important.

The story revolves around the character of Tobit and Sarah who are forced to endure many hardships including blindness.

In ancient times blindness was seen as the result of sin and the removal of God’s blessing. It could be the sin of the person, or an ancestor who sinned.

To some there is a similarity between the story of Tobit and Job. Suffering character who remains true to God and is eventually cured and rewarded.

Athanasius (Bishop of Alexandria in the 4th Century) said that certain books, including the book of Tobit, while not part of the Canon, "were appointed by the Fathers” to be read.

Tobit is a love story which shows that prayer and steadfastness will prevail over evil and God will send help when it is needed. Although not always in the form of an angel.

Note: Five fragments of The Book of Tobit were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Judith - was written around 100 B.C. by a Palestinian Jew - The nation of Israel was in danger from the Babylonians and this book shows how it was saved by the actions of Judith.

The Book of Judith takes place in Assyria before Nebuchadnezzar became king.

Some scholars point out there are potential historical inaccuracies in the Book of Judith. It is unclear if these are legitimate errors, or errors in transmission or our understanding of history from 2,100 years ago.

One reason Judith may not be in the canon is because she did not behave like a typical woman of the first century.

Judith used her beauty and feminine charm to seduce and then decapitate the opposing general Holofernes to save her city.

Critics say Judith was wrong for dressing as a man, then tricking her enemy before killing them. Others see her as a brave and cunning warrior who did what was needed to survive and protect her people.

Some believe Judith was too sexy and far too radical to be included in the Canon. Her behavior was considered to be inappropriate for a woman of her time.

No copies or remnants of the Book of Judith were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

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Contents of The Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls contained all but one of the Books from the Old Testament. In all there were some 225 copies of various biblical books found in the caves above and around Qumran. This however, was only a portion of the scrolls discovered in the caves. 

The scrolls which were not Books found in the ancient Hebrew Bible fall into two categories. The first is Non-Biblical Compositions. The second classification is Documents and Letters. 

Most of the Documents and Letters were found in cave 5/6 which came to be known as the Cave of the Letters. Here they found fifty-five documents. Fifteen were military letters stored in a leather waterskin. There were also thirty-five financial documents that were apparently the personal archive of a refugee named Babatha. The final five documents belonged to Eleazar, the son of Shmuel. These were contracts found in a leather purse and one hidden inside a reed.

The Non-Biblical Compositions have been broken down into at least ten different categories depending on their content. Some of these include Apocrypha, Historical Texts, Legal Texts, Sectarian Texts and Poetical/Liturgical texts. We will briefly look at some of the other categories of scrolls found in the various caves above the Dead Sea.

Calendrical Texts - These scrolls show the calendar in some detail. It was found the Qumran community apparently relied on solar calculations rather than lunar calculations. Some of these scrolls were written in a cryptic script which some believe is an indication the contents of the scrolls were considered secret, or possibly restricted.

Sapiential Texts - These texts offer very practical advice concerning daily life and how to combine intellectual with apocalyptic themes. It is felt these scrolls are intended to continue the wisdom found in such biblical books as Job, Psalms and proverbs.

Parabiblical Texts - These books are a re-telling or embellishing of a book from the Bible. These are far different from the ancient Hebrew writings and it is easy to see how their contents could confuse some. It is also possible these expanded editions of biblical texts may have been given scriptural status by some groups.

Exegetical Texts - These are a very unique group of scrolls. The Exegetical texts are interpretations of Books of the Bible. The best known of these are the pesharim which included interpretations of Psalms as well as Habakkuk and others. Once again these are not actual scripture, but are books or writings with interpretations of scriptures.

Pesher - These texts are also interpretations of scripture but with a focus on prophecy and the end of days. These scrolls are commentaries on various biblical texts and each uses the word ‘pesher’ to connect the biblical reference to its interpretation.

With the above-mentioned texts interpreting and expanding on biblical books it is not surprising some people claim the Dead Sea Scrolls show the Bible we have today is not the same as the Bible of ancient times. It is important to realize the actual scrolls which contained the Books of the Bible almost exactly match the texts we have today. These other texts are interpretations and modified versions of the Bible texts and should not be confused with actual scripture. All of the texts remain valuable as they offer a rare insight into how people thought and lived more than two thousand years ago. It is crucial to separate the two groups, but also to use both to expand our knowledge of the biblical story and the people who actually experienced it in real time.

There were several huge scrolls found in the Qumran caves, but there were also many small and even tiny scrolls found. These include two very special types of scrolls.

Tefillin - These scrolls are worn in a small container, normally a black box, during daily prayers. The box is designed to be worn between the person's eyes so the smaller the scroll can be, the better. - Approximately 24 Tefillin were included in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Mezuzot - These are also small boxes which hold scripture. These boxes, rather than being worn, are meant to be mounted on doorposts of homes. Again, the tiny size of the box dictates that the scroll be as small as possible. Eight of these were found with the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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The Nag Hammadi Library

Roughly a year before the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a shepherd boy, another major discovery took place in Egypt. Near the city of Nag Hammadi two brothers discovered a collection of ancient writings. The actual circumstances of the discovery remain unclear. 

The brothers who made the discovery were somewhat vague in the details of how and exactly where the discovery took place. It seems clear the writings were found in a grave. It is considered highly probable the brothers were looting an ancient grave when they made the discovery and thus, they were not completely forthcoming with details. Regardless of where or how it was discovered, what they found was truly extraordinary.

In all, the discovery consisted of thirteen leather bound papyrus codices. These codices contained fifty-two separate entries, mostly Gnostic treatises. Perhaps the best known of these is the Gospel of Thomas. The discovery of these texts helped show the vast differences between the early Christians and the Gnostic beliefs. In many instances the Gnostic writers incorporated elements of other religions, including Christianity, into their texts. 

The brothers, having obtained the documents under less-than-ideal conditions, were cautious in their attempts to sell them. One story tells of how the ancient documents were hung on a pole in the brother’s home and their mother would occasionally rip out pages to start her cook fire.

The collection was eventually purchased and can now be seen in the Coptic Museum in Cairo. It remains unclear as to how or why the books were buried. It was a somewhat common practice to bury books in Egypt, but some scholars believe there may have been another reason. In 367 A.D. about the time the Nag Hammadi documents were buried, Saint Athanasius wrote his festal letter in which he condemned the use of any non-canonical books and went on to list which books were considered to be in the canon. It is thought the Nag Hammadi documents were buried in fear of being caught with the prohibited books.

Regardless of how the books came to be in the grave, or how they were eventually discovered, they represent the hope that more such large caches of ancient documents might still exist. While these documents do not contain books of the Bible, they do offer an excellent insight into the struggle of the early church in dealing with such manuscripts.

Top Biblical Discoveries of 2022 (Part Two)

 #4 Oldest Proto-Alphabetic Inscription in Israel Contains the Name of YHWH.

A lead tablet, first discovered in 2019, only recently had its hidden texts revealed. Found during the wet sifting led by Dr. Scott Stripling, the lead tablet contained a curse written in Hebrew text. The wet sifting project was going through the dump piles from Adam Zertal's excavations on Mount Ebal. While researchers knew the tablet contained writing, they were unable to read the inscription until just last year.

Using advanced tomographic scans, researchers were able to reveal the hidden texts. The tablet has been dated to somewhere between 1,200 and 1,150 B.C. While it cannot be confirmed, many believe the tablet may be connected with the renewal of the covenant on Mount Ebal found in Joshua.

"At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them." - Joshua 8:30-35

The text, once revealed, read,

"Cursed, cursed, cursed, cursed by the God YHW,

You will die cursed.

Cursed you will surely die,

Cursed by YHW - Cursed, cursed, cursed. "

 

Some point out this provides solid evidence the Bible was written at the time it says it was written, not centuries later as some groups claim.

 

#3 Lost Papyrus Found in Plain Sight

While most discoveries are made in the field during archaeological excavations or through special projects such as wet sifting, other discoveries are waiting in plain sight to be found. This was the case with #3 on our list of the top biblical archaeological discoveries of 2022.

Far from the excavations in Israel and Jordan, the artifact was found in a frame in the home of a woman living in Montana. Experts say they are uncertain of exactly where the artifact came from, but they are certain it is genuine. This is made even more remarkable when you consider the artifact, a piece of papyrus dates to 700 B.C. and is older than the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The papyrus, which is about the size of a postage stamp, contains four short lines written in Hebrew, which includes the name of Ishmael. The item was a gift the current owner's mother when she visited Israel in 1965. The owner has donated the item to the IAA (Israel Antiquities Authority). 

#2 Ancient Ivory Inlays Discovered in Jerusalem

The number 2 item on our lists was yet another discovery made during a wet sifting project. The original material was excavated at a Givati parking lot and was later part of a wet sifting project at Emek Tzurim National Park. In sheer number, this is the largest discovery on the list. Some 1,500 Ivory fragments were recovered. The fragments were dated to the time of the first temple, approximately 1,000 B.C. 

The fragments were parts from 12 square plaques that measured 1.9 inches by 1.9 inches. These plaques were carved with geometric shapes, Lotus flowers and Rosettes. It is believed these came from some type of monumental building that belonged to either Jewish Elites, or even Royalty. These inlays appear to match up with biblical verses.

"Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold."  1 Kings 10:18

"You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments." - Amos 6:4 

It is believed the structures which once held these furnishings were destroyed by the Babylonians in the 6th century B.C. While ivory inlays and decorations are mentioned in the Bible, these are the first such inlays ever to be discovered in Jerusalem. 

#1 Study Confirms Biblical Battles Using Earth's Magnetic Field

The Bible records a great number of conflicts and battles. These battles are in the Old Testament and have been the subject of debate for many years, perhaps centuries. The archaeological evidence can confirm these battles took place, and in many instances where they took place. What has always been debated is exactly when these battles took place. Did they happen when the Bible says they did, or where these dates modified or exaggerated.

With new technology the timeline for these battles may no longer be subject to debate. Recently, a new Paleomagnetic study was published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences".  The study looked at twenty-one destruction layers at seventeen sites in Israel. 

Paleomagnetics studies the ferromagnetic particles contained in objects that have bene heated to a very high temperature. This would be items such as a pottery kiln, or a structure destroyed by fire. This makes it a perfect method to examine and date a battle scene where there were intense fires. By testing the sites of biblical battles the study was able to confirm the battles took place when the Bible said they did.

The results of these tests are considered by many to be one of the most important and significant discovers ever made. If and when these battles took place is significant to determining the accuracy of the Bible. By proving these battles not only took place, but took place where and when the Bible records, is extremely important and exciting.  

You can read more about this study/discovery in Haaretz / Archaeology. 

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Top Biblical Discoveries of 2022 (Part One)

 #8 - Shroud of Turin

A new analysis of the Shroud of Turin reports a potential startling revelation. The Shroud, which many believe was the burial cloth used to wrap the body of Jesus after he was removed from the cross, has always been a subject of controversy and debate. Many believe the artifact to be genuine, while others insist it is a fake from the Middle Ages. 

The debate seemed to be settled, at least to many, in 1988 when a portion of the shroud was subjected to carbon 14 dating. These tests showed the fabric to be from the Middle Ages and thus had to be a fake. Almost instantly, however, critics began to point out apparent flaws in this theory. The portion of the shroud tested, they pointed out, was a patch, not the original fabric. Also there have always been problems in accurately dating textiles with carbon 14. This is due to the porous nature of fabric. Many critics of the carbon 14 dating pointed to the fact the Chapel where the Shroud was kept experienced an intense fire. The heat was so severe it actually melted the silver frame the shroud was stored in. Critics claim the heat and smoke from this fire make carbon 14 dating all but impossible.

Now, Doctor Liberato De Caro has performed a new battery of tests on the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud was exposed to wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) which measures the structural degradation of fabric due to natural ageing. The results were then compared to textiles with well documented ages. After comparing the test results it was found the best match for the Shroud of Turin came from the first century, showing dates of between 55 and 74 A.D. 

These new studies do not prove the Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus. What they can prove, at least to many, is that the fabric is from the first century which at least opens up the possibility for the artifact to be genuine. While these new test results are very interesting, it is highly unlikely this will settle the debate over the Shroud of Turin.

#7 - New Information on Hezekiah's Tunnel

King Hezekiah created one of the great biblical architectural marvels when he had a tunnel built from the Gihon spring into the city of Jerusalem. The tunnel is 1,750 feet long and was dug from both ends at the same time. The tunnel is still in existence today and still carries water. While it was an ingenious plan to bring the water into the city by way of a secret tunnel, it has long been questioned how the water level in Hezekiah's tunnel would have been controlled in times of floods. A new discovery has found the answer, and it makes Hezikiah's tunnel that much more of an engineering marvel.

Grooves cut in the walls of the tunnel are believed to have been used with a Sluice gate. The gate appears to have been placed at the only location in the tunnel where it could have worked. It would have prevented the complete draining of the upper pool, which may have alerted Hezekiah's enemy of the existence of the tunnel, and also controlled the water during times of flooding. 

The location of the Sluice Gate was in an area with high ceilings and ancient iron bolts along with petrified wood were found in the walls. Explorers also discovered a vertical shaft that extended all the way to the surface. This shaft would have allowed the gate to be raised and lowered by means of a rope. This new discovery makes Hezekiah's tunnel just that much more amazing.

#6 - Ivory Lice Comb

This tiny artifact, some 3,700 years old, contains a Canaanite inscription. In fact, it is the first complete reliable sentence in a Canaanite dialect, written in the Canaanite script. The artifact measures 3.5 by 2.5 cm and has teeth on both sides. It was intended to comb hair lice from the scalp and from facial hair. Made of ivory, the comb was originally found in 2016. The artifact was so badly encrusted with dirt that it was originally tossed into a bag of assorted bones. Not until recently did researchers realize what they actually had.

The 17-letter inscription is in an early pictographic style. The comb is believed to have been first used as far back as 1,700 B.C. The inscription on the comb reads.

"May this tusk root out the lice of the hai[r and the] beard."

#5 - Lead Trade was brisk during the Time of Judges

There has always been a debate over just how civilized the Holy Lands were in the time of David and Solomon and even in the time of Judges. Many critics of the Bible insists this area was little more than a dusty crossroads with no formal government and little if any commerce. Recent discoveries can now cast this time period in an entirely different light.

In 2019 a shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Israel which contained Tin Ingots that had been mined in Cornwall England some 3,200 years ago. Just last year another shipwreck was discovered off of Israel which contained a vast hoard of lead ingots. Tests on the lead show it came from mines on the Italian island of Sardinia. Furthermore, it was shown the lead had been mined sometime between 1,500 and 1,200 B.C. These two discoveries show there were vast commercial trade routes in place even before the time of King David, dating back to the time of judges.

This would seem to confirm several biblical verses in which they reference ships and seaports during the time of Judges as well as mentions of the tribe of Asher working with various bars of metal. As more and more information is gathered, the facts and stories in the Bible are confirmed and proven accurate over and over again. These shipwrecks show there was a significant level of commerce taking place on what was then a global scale. There seems little if any reason to doubt the biblical stories of a major kingdom in Israel which traded with faraway lands.

See Top Biblical Discoveries of 2022 (Part 2) for discoveries 1 through 4.