The word Apocrypha is a plural word used to designate specific Jewish and Christian books. The word originally comes from the Greek apocryphos, which means "hidden" or "secret." These books often present themselves in one of three ways:
as works from famous biblical persons,
as revelations from God, and
as key teaching on biblical faith.
The Apocrypha were well known and often used by both Jews and Christians. However, people debated whether they should be accepted as Scripture. Over time, the word Apocrypha came to describe books that were not considered inspired or authoritative in the same way as the books of the Bible.
Some Christian traditions, including the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, accept certain ancient Jewish books as part of their Bible. These books were written during the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament. These traditions call them the Deuterocanon (meaning “second canon,” or “second list” of books recognized as Scripture). In Bibles from these traditions, these books are often placed between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Introduction
The books of the Old and New Testaments were not the only books written on biblical faith in ancient times. The Old Testament occasionally mentions some books that have been lost since, such as the Book of Jashar (Joshua 10:13). The New Testament also contains some allusions to written sources outside the Bible (see, for example, Jude 14–15).
Jewish Background and the Old Testament Apocrypha
Some books of that kind were included in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that was completed in the second century BC). The books included in the Septuagint are known as the Old Testament Apocrypha. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church consider many of these books as deuterocanonical, although they do not agree on which books should be included in the deuterocanonical list. Jewish communities and most Protestant churches do not accept these writings as part of the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
Christian Use and the New Testament Apocrypha
Some writings from the early Christian era are called the New Testament Apocrypha (a group of books that imitate or expand the stories of the New Testament). Some of these were valued for devotion or moral teaching, but many were quickly recognized as teaching ideas that did not agree with biblical truth and were rejected as heretical (false or opposed to accepted faith).
All of the New Testament Apocrypha have been excluded from the Biblical canon (the official list of books recognized as inspired and authoritative). Only some parts of the Eastern Orthodox Church consider a few of these writings to be canonical.
Authorship and the Pseudepigrapha
Most of the writers of apocryphal books did not include their names. However, some presented their writings as if they were written by a well-known Old Testament person or a famous early Christian leader.
The Old Testament Apocrypha became a small yet important part of Jewish literature written between the Old Testament and that of the New Testament. Many of these Jewish writings came from a time when Jewish people felt their faith and way of life were under threat from Greek culture (Hellenism) and later from Roman rule.
A certain number of apocryphal books are also called Pseudepigrapha (from the Greek words pseudes and epigraphe, meaning "false" and "name/inscription"). The term Pseudepigrapha reflects the fact that these books claim:
to have been written by a biblical person (such as Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Bartholomew, or Thomas), or
to contain a revelation originally given to a biblical character (such as Adam and Eve or Isaiah).
In other words, these books falsely claim to have been written by a biblical person or to offer revelation originally given to a biblical person.
Pseudepigraphal books often show a strong interest in apocalyptic themes such as the creation of the world, the future of Israel and the nations, the glory of God and his angels, the messianic kingdom, and life after death.
Many of the Pseudepigrapha are Jewish writings that were never accepted by the Jewish or Christian communities. They were written in the same general period as the rest of the Apocrypha (about 200 BC–AD 110). However, the nature of their contents was such that they were only recognized by certain groups. Since some of these books imitate parts of the canonical Scriptures, these groups might have held their authority and inspiration to be comparable to that of biblical books.
Other Religious Writings of the Period
Other religious writings from that time did not claim to be Scripture. These works preserved some Jewish and early Christian traditions. Sometimes, they added legends and other stories that did not record accurate history, or teachings that differ from those of the Bible. At that time, there were not many books about biblical faith outside those of the Bible.
As a result, these few other books tended to be well-known among Jews and Christians. The Torah, or law of Moses, had always been recognized as the standard of theological orthodoxy for the Jews. However, life was difficult for the Jews under pagan rule, and they loved the stories in these other books because they spoke about endurance under persecution or about how some enemies of God's people were defeated.
In the same way, early Christians found many other books related to the New Testament interesting, even if they were not part of the group of approved books, which included the Jewish Old Testament and the books we now know as the New Testament. Those other works often told stories about what Jesus and his followers did and included claims to revelations as well as spiritual teachings. Some of the material in these books was unhistorical and strange. Other material in these books reflected the spirit of Christ and the apostolic teachings to a certain extent.
For the Jews, as for the early Christians, it became important to officially identify a canon, that is, an official list of the books recognized to be the inspired and authoritative as the Word of God. This process helped distinguish the canonical books of the Bible from other books that taught other doctrines, heresies, or made-up stories.
Early Christian Views of the Apocrypha
In the early centuries, some Christian teachers used the word Apocrypha to describe writings that were not accepted into the Old Testament or the New Testament canons. The word comes from the Greek apokrypha, which means “hidden things.” By calling these writings Apocrypha, early Christian scholars meant that they should not be read publicly in worship. They believed that these books contained special knowledge that was not suitable for general audiences.
An example of this distinction between books for general use and those reserved for individuals who had received special instruction is found in 2 Esdras 14:1–6 (2 Esdras is sometimes called 4 Esdras). In this passage, the writer claims that God told Ezra to make some writings (such as the Torah) available to everyone, but to keep other writings secret. These hidden books contained apocalyptic (end-time) traditions about the end of the world.
2 Esdras 14:42–46 speaks of 70 books that evidently were not part of the canon, as they were written after the 24 books of the Hebrew canon. By the end of the first century AD, the Jews had for the most part made the difference between the writings that were fit for public use and those that were not.
The word Apocrypha was also used in a negative sense to describe books that should be hidden because they contained harmful or false teachings. These teachings were intended to corrupt rather than build up the faith of the readers. It was easier to prevent the spread of such writings at that time because far fewer copies of books existed and were in circulation.
The Term in the Fifth Century and Later Church Traditions
In the fifth century AD, the word Apocrypha began to be used to mean "not part of the canon." The Church Father Jerome taught that books in the Septuagint and in Latin Bibles that were not present in the Hebrew Old Testament should be considered apocryphal. Jerome believed that people should not reject these writings completely because they are an important part of Jewish literature.
However, he also taught that they should not be used as the foundation for Christian doctrine but could be read for encouragement and inspiration. The Protestant Church follows Jerome’s view in excluding these books from the biblical canon. Some Protestant groups value them for devotional reading, but most do not consider them Scripture.
Formation of the Canon
When Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek in Egypt during the rule of Ptolemy II (285–246 BC), they included several of these additional books. They were not part of the accepted Hebrew canon, but were important to Jewish history and society. This could indicate that at least in some Jewish circles, the distinction between canonical and non-canonical books had not yet been clearly made.
Ancient manuscripts and fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls show that the last of the canonical Hebrew books was probably written several decades before Alexander the Great's conquests in the Near East (356–323 BC). While it is clear that the Torah was regarded as the word of God, the recognition of other books as part of Scripture was a longer process.
It was only after these books had become sufficiently known, read, and compared to the teachings of the Torah that they also became recognized as Scripture. In this way, regular use and general agreement played an important role in helping to distinguish between canonical and apocryphal writings in orthodox Judaism.
Earlier scholars once believed that a council was held at Jamnia in ancient Palestine around AD 100 to decide the list of canonical Old Testament books. This idea was based on references in ancient Jewish sources.
However, later studies have questioned whether such a council ever took place. These studies also show that Jewish leaders at the time viewed non-canonical writings as obstacles rather than helps to faith and devotion.
Books of the Jewish Apocrypha
The Jewish community regarded the following writings as outside their canon and therefore apocryphal:
Several Septuagint manuscripts included some pseudohistorical writings (stories that appear historical but are not) under the titles of 3 and 4 Maccabees. These differences in content among the apocryphal books are reflected in the various manuscript traditions.
Debates in the Early Church
Some Christian scholars from the first centuries disagreed about which books should be included in the Old Testament canon or regarded as Apocrypha. The writings of Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) played a decisive role in advancing the view that the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha were of equal authority with the other writings of the canonical Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. This marked a change from earlier Hebrew and rabbinic tradition.
Although some leaders supported Jerome’s opposing view, the Roman Catholic Council of Trent in 1546 accepted Augustine’s position. This became the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
Many churches in the regions that later split from the Roman Catholic Church and that became the Eastern Orthodox Church also used the Old Testament Apocrypha. Some of these books are officially recognized by Eastern Orthodox authorities, though not always the same ones. In some countries, none are recognized by Eastern Orthodox authorities. Protestant churches consider as apocryphal all the writings found in the Septuagint that are not part of the Hebrew Old Testament canon.
Books Accepted by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches
The Roman Catholic Church officially includes the following writings as part of the Deuterocanonical Scriptures:
The Orthodox Church also includes 3 Maccabees in its Deuterocanonical list. Articles on each of these books are provided in this dictionary.
Christian Apocrypha and Canon of the New Testament
Christians in the New Testament period were already familiar with Jewish apocryphal works, including the apocalyptic speculations found in 2 Esdras. Therefore, not long after most of the New Testament books were written and had been circulating, other people started to write and spread their own works about Christianity. In order to distinguish these books from the inspired and authoritative Scriptures, it was important to clearly define the official canon of the books of the New Testament.
The earliest list of approved New Testament writings that we have, the Muratorian Canon, was not compiled until about AD 200. Therefore, a considerable period of time passed before an official church statement could appear on what was to be considered New Testament Apocrypha. In the meantime, many writings of a predominantly religious nature were written and began circulating. They presented themselves as teaching truth and describing various aspects of historic Christianity. However, New Testament apocryphal literature ultimately failed to achieve its intended purposes because the church recognized it as spurious.
Types of New Testament Apocryphal Writings
For more information on the different types of New Testament apocryphal writings, see:
Apocryphal Gospels: These writings expand on the life and teachings of Jesus.
Apocryphal Acts: These writings claim to tell stories about great deeds of the apostles that are not recorded in the Bible.
Apocryphal Epistles: These letters are attributed to apostles or early Christian figures outside the New Testament.
Apocalyptic Apocrypha: These are visions and revelations about heaven, judgment, and the end times.
Specific Apocrypha Books
Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
These are Jewish writings composed between the Old and New Testament periods that expand, interpret, or retell biblical traditions.
Apocalypses and Testaments
These are revelatory and farewell writings that describe visions of heaven, final judgment, or the final words of great patriarchs.
Wisdom and Moral Literature
These are collections of moral instruction, reflections on virtue, and ethical guidance.
Historical and Legendary Writings
These are narratives that retell early biblical history or legendary episodes to fill perceived gaps in the Old Testament record.
Prophetic and Visionary Writings
These are texts claiming divine visions or oracles that reinterpret Israel’s history and destiny through prophetic insight.
New Testament Apocrypha
These Christian writings imitate the literary forms of the New Testament, expanding on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus and the apostles.
These are stories that expand on the life and teachings of Jesus.
These are stories about the apostles' deeds and missions not found in the New Testament.
These are letters attributed to apostles or early Christian figures.
Apocalyptic Apocrypha
These are visions and revelations concerning heaven, judgment, and the end times.