Deuterocanonical Books (Apocrypha) Quiz

Answer: No

Because the inspiration of these books has long been disputed, the Catholics call them "deuterocanonical," which means "second canon." The Jewish and Protestant Bible canons do not include the seven deuterocanonical books and additional chapters of Esther and Daniel, which most Protestants call "The Apocrypha." The Hebrew canon was firmly solidified in 90 AD by the Palestinian Rabbis, though the Hellenistic Jews had been using the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures which also included the books of the Apocrypha.

The early Christian church probably relied on the Septuagint as well. In 1546, the Roman Catholic Council of Trent officially confirmed these books as canonical, partially in response to the Protestant Reformation. Prior to this time, there had been no official list of the Old Testament canon produced by the Church, only by the Jewish rabbis. (The Church had long ago listed the books of the New Testament, however.) Protestants do not consider these books inspired because of historical inaccuracies, uncertain attribution, and issues involving some of the theological content.

Answer: Hidden

The term "Apocrypha" comes from a Greek word meaning "hidden," and it was coined by St. Jerome in the 5th century, who, when making his translation into the Latin for the Vulgate, noticed that the Masoretic text did not include all of the books of the Septuagint.

He was reluctant to translate these texts, but under pressure, he included some of them. Catholics use the term "Apocrypha" differently than the Protestants, to refer to books entirely outside of the Catholic canon; the Protestants in turn call those extraneous books "Pseudoepigrapha," which means "false inscription."

Answer: Tobit

Tobit's son Tobiah, with the help of the angel Raphael, marries Sarah and drives the demon from her bridal chamber by burning a fish's heart and liver with incense.

Answer: Judith

Once Holofernes is drunk, Judith cuts off his head and returns to her people with the trophy, urging them to take victory over the Assyrian forces in the confusion.

Answer: Susanna

Susanna's story is told in chapter 13 of Daniel, which is not included in Jewish and Protestant Bibles. Susanna refuses to give into the elders' demands, who bare false witness against her, and she is sentenced to death. The Lord, however, delivers her through the young Daniel, who speaks in her defense.

Answer: A Dragon

First, Daniel convinces King Cyrus that Bel is not a real god, and Cyrus allows him to destroy the idol. Then, Daniel destroys a second idol, a dragon. The Babylonians, angry with the king, whom they say "has become a Jew," threaten Cyrus into handing over Daniel, whom they throw in the lion's den.

This story is not included in Jewish and Protestant Bibles, which include only the version of Daniel in the lion's den told in Chapter 6 (where Darius is king).

Answer: The Books of Maccabees

I and II Maccabees, originally written in Greek, are not included in the Hebrew Bible. The books tell the story of the desecration of the Temple at the hands of Anitouchus and of the purification that followed, which included an eight day celebration as the altar was dedicated. The second book of Maccabees urges the Jewish people to adopt this new holiday, which they have.

Answer: False

The book was written about 100 years before Christ, long after the death of Solomon, though the author does at times assume the persona of Solomon, issuing wisdom in the form of proverbs. The author was an unknown Alexandrain Jew.

Answer: Ecclesiasticus

This work of wisdom literature is credited to Jesus, the grandson of Sirach. (Not Jesus the Christ.) The alternate title of Ecclesiasticus was given because the Church employed it as a "church book," probably to teach catechumens. Parts of Sirach are still used in the Catholic liturgy today.

Answer: Baruch

The book begins, "Now these are the words of the scroll which Baruch . . . wrote." Baruch is elsewhere in the Old Testament named as Jeremiah's secretary.

Answer: Song of the Three Young Men

In the additional parts of Daniel considered canonical by Catholics, this hymn is sung by Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Answer: Mordecai

Mordecai dreams of noise, confusion, thunder, earthquake, and two dragons ready to fight. There are 107 additional verses in Esther in the Catholic Bible that are not found in Protestant and Jewish Bibles. The additions include a prayer of Esther's and a prayer of Mordecai's, as well as numerous mentions of God, who is absent from English translations of the Hebrew text.

Answer: I and II Esdras

The Catholic Old Testament also omits the prayer of Manasseh found in the Septuagint. In addition to the seven "Apocryphal" books (Judith, Widsom, Tobit, Sirach, Baruch, I and II Maccabees), the Catholic canon includes additional parts of Esther and Daniel.

Answer: Baruch

Some Orthodox Bibles include a third book of Maccabees not in the Catholic or Protestant Old Testaments, as well as a 151st Psalm.

Answer: Yes

Some Protestant Bibles include the Apocrypha as an appendix. It was included in the original 1611 translation of the King James Bible, though it was permanently omitted from all subsequent editions beginning in 1827. The 1539 Great Bible and the 1560 Geneva Bible also include the Apocrypha as an appendix. Tyndale also included them in his translation, but set them apart from the other books and labeled them uninspired.

Some Protestants see these books as down right harmful; most, however, view them as edifying but non-inspired works.