Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Old Testament Apocrypha

U. Calgary

L. Eslinger § Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Old Testament Apocrypha

The O.T. Apocrypha is a collection of thirteen works of Jewish literature, originating approximately from 300 BC to 70 AD. As components of a Bible, these books were first included in the old Greek codices of the O.T. (in Codex Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Alexandrinus -- all Christian collections containing both Old and New Testaments, apocryphal books, some pseudepigraphal books and other Christian documents). Although used as religious literature by both Jews and Christians, only Christians included the Apocrypha in their canonical collections of scripture. The Apocrypha is omitted in modern Jewish Bibles and mostly also from Protestant Christian Bibles (though the latter exclusion is moderating under the influence of ecumenicism).

The division between Protestant and Catholic and Orthodox Christians over the inclusion/exclusion of the apocrypha derives from a decision made in the fourth c. AD, when Jerome produced a Latin translation (the Vulgate) from which he omitted the Apocrypha in keeping with the Hebrew (Jewish) original. Jerome's decision was later reversed by the Western (Catholic) church, which reincorporated the Apocrypha in the Vulgate. As part of his 'protestant' rebellion, Martin Luther denigrated the Apocrypha (moving it to the end of his vernacular (German) translation and labeling it "Apocrypha"). The Roman Catholic Church responded by affirming these books' status as Christian scripture (Council of Trent, 1546). For modern Roman Catholics the Apocrypha is, therefore, understood to be a canonical supplement -- "Deuterocanonical." (adapted from James H. Charlesworth "Old Testament Apocrypha," Anchor Bible Dictionary I, 292-94).

There are thirteen books in the O.T. Apocrypha (also known as the "Deutero-canonical" O.T.):

* 1-2 Esdras
* Tobit
* Judith
* Additions to Esther
* Wisdom of Solomon
* Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
* Baruch
* Letter of Jeremiah
* Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Children
* Susanna
* Bel and the Dragon
* Prayer of Manasseh
* 1-2 Maccabees
* 3 Maccabees (O.T. Pseudepigrapha)
* 4 Maccabees (O.T. Pseudepigrapha)
* Psalm 151 (O.T. Pseudepigrapha)

"The Apocrypha (the word is actually plural -- the singular is apocryphon -- but people often think of it as singular) represents several types of writing. Some of the writings are historical (e.g., 1 Exdras, 1 and 2 Maccabees), some are romantic (e.g., Tobit, Judith, Susanna, Additions to Esther), some are didactic (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus), some are moralistic (e.g., Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Bel and the Dragon), and some are devotional (e.g., Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Children, Prayer of Manasseh). One is apocalyptic (2 Esdras)" (Evans 1992:10).

(list adapted from Evans 1992)
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

* 1 Enoch
* 2 Enoch
* 3 Enoch
* Sibylline Oracles
* Treatise of Shem
* Apocryphon of Ezekiel
* Apocalypse of Zephaniah
* 4 Ezra (= 2 Esdras 3-14)
* Greek Apocalypse of Ezra
* Vision of Ezra
* Questions of Ezra
* Revelation of Ezra
* Apocalypse of Sedrach
* 2 Baruch
* 3 Baruch
* Apocalypse of Abraham
* Apocalypse of Adam
* Apocalypse of Elijah
* Apocalypse of Daniel
* Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
o Testament of Reuben
o Testament of Simeon
o Testament of Levi
o Testament of Judah
o Testament of Issachar
o Testament of Zebulon
o Testament of Dan
o Testament of Naphtali
o Testament of Gad
o Testament of Asher
o Testament of Joseph
o Testament of Benjamin
* Testament of Job
* Testaments of the Three Patriarchs
o Testament of Abraham
o Testament of Isaac
o Testament of Jacob
* Testament (Assumption) of Moses
* Testament of Solomon
* Testament of Adam
* Letter of Aristeas
* Jubilees
* Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah (3:13-4:22 = Testament of Hezekiah)
* Joseph and Aseneth
* Life of Adam and Eve
* Pseudo-Philo, Biblical Antiquities
* Lives of the Prophets
* Ladder of Jacob
* 4 Baruch [= Omissions of Jeremiah]
* Jannes and Jambres
* History of the Rechabites
* Eldad and Modad
* History of Joseph
* Ahiqar
* Pseudo-Phocylides
* 3 Maccabees
* 4 Maccabees
* The Sentences of the Syriac Menander
* More Psalms of David
o Psalm 151 (see OT Apocrypha)
o Psalm 152
o Psalm 153
o Psalm 154
o Psalm 155
* Prayer of Manasseh (see OT Apocrypha)
* Psalms of Solomon
* Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers
* Prayer of Joseph
* Prayer of Jacob
* Odes of Solomon
* Philo the Epic Poet
* Theodotus
* Orphica
* Ezekiel the Tragedian
* Fragments of Pseudo-Greek Poets
o Pseudo-Hesiod
o Pseudo-Pythagoras
o Pseudo-Aeschylus
o Pseudo-Sophocles
o Pseudo-Euripides
o Pseudo-Philemon
o Pseudo-Diphilus
o Pseudo-Menander
* Aristobulus
* Demetrius the Chronographer
* Aristeas the Exegete
* Eupolemus
* Pseudo-Eupolemus
* Cleodemus Malchus
* Artapanus
* Pseudo-Hecataeus
* 5 Maccabees

"The present description of the Pseudepigrapha is as follows: Those writings 1) that, with the exception of Ahiqar, are Jewish or Christian; 2) that are often attributed to ideal figures in Israel's past [hence the name "pseud-epigrapha," fake written, i.e., nom de plume]; 3) that customarily claim to contain God's word or message; 4) that frequently build upon ideas and narratives present in the OT; 5) and that almost always were composed either during the period 200 B.C. to A.D. 200 or, though late, apparently preserve, albeit in an edited form, Jewish traditions that date from that period" (Charlesworth 1983:xxv).

(List from Evans 1992)
New Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

* Agrapha
* Abbaton, Angel of Death
* Apostolic Histories of Pseudo-Abdias
* Gospel of the Adversary of the Law and the Prophets
* Acts of Andrew
* Acts of Andrew and Matthias
* Acts of Andrew and Paul
* Epistle of the Apostles
* Memoria of Apostles
* Acts of Barnabas
* Gospel of Barnabas
* Book of the Resurrection of Christ by Bartholomew
* Martyrdom of Bartholomew
* Letters of Christ and Abgarus
* Letter of Christ from Heaven
* Pseudo-Clementines
* Coptic Narratives of the Ministry and the Passion
* Testamentum Domini ("Testament of the Lord")
* Gospel of the Ebionites
* Gospel of the Egyptians
* Book of Elchasai
* Gospel of Eve
* Gospel of Gamaliel
* Gospel of the Hebrews
* Arabic Gospel of the Infancy
* Armenian Gospel of the Infancy
* Latin Gospel of the Infancy
* Acts of James (the Greater)
* Ascent of James (the Greater)
* Protevangelium of James
* Acts of John
* Acts of John by Procurus
* Apocryphal Gospel of John
* Book of John
* 1 Revelation of John
* 2 Revelation of John
* 3 Revelation of John
* Syriac History of John
* John the Baptist
* Narrative of Joseph in Arimathea
* History of Joseph the Carpenter
* Letter of Lentulus
* Acts of Mark
* Birth of Mary
* Gospel of the Birth of Mary
* Passing of Mary
* Questions of Mary
* Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew
* Gospel of the Nazoreans
* Gospel of Nicodemus
* Acts of Paul
* Greek Acts of Peter and Paul
* Apocalypse of Paul
* Correspondence between Seneca and Paul
* Epistle of Paul to the Alexandrians
* Paul's Third Letter to the Corinthians
* Epistle to the Laodiceans
* Martyrdom of Paul
* Vision of Paul
* Acts of Peter
* (Slavonic) Acts of Peter
* Acts of Andrew and Peter
* Apocalypse of Peter
* Gospel of Peter
* Martyrdom of Peter
* Passions of Peter and Paul
* Preaching of Peter
* Acts of Philip
* (Syriac) Acts of Philip
* Gospel of Philip
* Martyrdom of Philip
* Translation of Philip
* Acts of Pilate
* Death of Pilate
* Letter of Pilate to Claudius
* Letters of Pilate and Herod
* Letter of Pilate to Tiberius
* Letter of Tiberius to Pilate
* Report and Paradosis of Pilate
* The Avenging of the Saviour
* Sibylline Oracles
* Revelation of Stephen
* Acts of Thaddeus
* Acts of Thomas
* Minor Acts of Thomas
* Apocalypse of Thomas
* Consumption of Thomas
* Gospel of Thomas
* Infancy Gospel of Thomas
* Martyrdom of Thomas
* The Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila
* Epistle of Titus
* Gospel of the Twelve Apostles
* Apocalypse of the Virgin
* Assumption of the Virgin
* Coptic Lives of the Virgin
* Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena
* Apocalypse of Zechariah

"... these are post-NT Christian apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings, some of which date from the Middle Ages. ... Portions of this large corpus are translated in M.R. James and in E. Hennecke and W. Schneemelcher" (Evans 1992:150).

(List from Evans 1992)
Sources

1. Non-Canonical Jewish and Christian Writings:
There is a wide variety of early Jewish and Christian writings that were not included in the canonical anthologies that came to be known as "scripture" within Judaism and Christianity. For these and other on-line biblical resources, see the collection of the "Web Chapel."
2. J. H. Charlesworth, ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vol. 1. Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1983).
3. C. A. Evans, Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992).
4. E. Hennecke and W. Schneemelcher, eds. New Testament Apocrypha (2 vols.; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1974).
5. M. R. James, The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon, 1924).