Apocrypha

(Greek: hidden) It is used in a general sense to describe a list of books written by Jews between 300 and 100 B. C. More specifically, it is used of the seven additional books accepted by the Catholic church as being scriptural.

The entire list of books of the apocrypha are: 1 and 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Rest of Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, (also titled Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, The Letter of Jeremiah, Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Additions to Daniel, The Prayer of Manasseh, and 1 and 2 Maccabees. The books accepted as inspired and included in the Catholic Bible are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees Wisdom of Solomon Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch.

The Jews never recognized these books as being canonical (inspired). There is no record that Jesus or the apostles ever quoted from the apocryphal books. The Septuagint (LXX) includes the books, not as scripture, but as part of the translation of the Hebrew manuscripts as a whole.

(See also: Apocrypha, New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

A Christian theological definition of Apocrypha according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

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Apocrypha

See also: Apocrypha, Christianity, Body Mind and Soul)

Those arguing in favour of an historical reading of Esther, who usually write from a traditionalist Jewish or Christian perspective, most commonly identify Ahasuerus with Xerxes I (ruled 486 - 465 B.C.E.) or occasionally with Artaxerxes II (ruled 405 - 359 B.C.E.). The Hebrew Ahasuerus is mostly likely derived from Persian Khshayarsha, the origin of the Greek Xerxes. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that Xerxes sought his harem after being defeated in the Greco-Persian Wars. He makes no reference to individual ...

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Book of Esther, Book of Esther - Setting, Book of Esther - Plot Summary, Book of Esther - Authorship and date, Book of Esther - Debate over historicity, Book of Esther - Interpretation of Esther as an allegory of Babylonian Mythology, Book of Esther - Historical reading, Book of Esther - Narrative reading, Book of Esther - Allegorical Reading, Book of Esther - Relation To Other Books In the Bible, Book of Esther - Additions to Esther, Book of Esther - Reinterpretations of the story

Read more here: » Book of Esther: Encyclopedia II - Book of Esther - Historical reading

The angels mentioned in the older books of the Hebrew Bible are without names. Indeed, Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish of Tiberias (230-270 CE), asserted that all the specific names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon, and modern commentators would tend to agree. Of seven archangels in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only three, Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, are mentioned by name in the scriptures that gradually became accepted as canonical. The four others, however, are named in the 2nd century BC Book of Enoch< ...

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Raphael archangel, Raphael archangel - Raphael in Judaism, Raphael archangel - Raphael in Christianity, Raphael archangel - Raphael in Angelology and the Occult

Read more here: » Raphael archangel: Encyclopedia II - Raphael archangel - Raphael in Judaism

We shall now proceed to enumerate the apocryphal books: first the Apocrypha Proper, and next the rest of the Old and New Testament apocryphal literature. Apocrypha - The Apocrypha Proper. or the apocrypha of the Old Testament as considered by English-speaking Protestants, consists of the following books: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Epistle of Jeremiah, Additions to Daniel (Prayer of Azariah, Song of the Three Holy Children, History of S ...

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Apocrypha, Apocrypha - Non-religious usage, Apocrypha - Religious usage, Apocrypha - Apocrypha in Judaism, Apocrypha - Apocrypha in Christianity, Apocrypha - The term apocryphal, Apocrypha - Old Testament apocryphal books, Apocrypha - The Apocrypha Proper, Apocrypha - References, Apocrypha - Other Old Testament apocryphal literature, Apocrypha - Historical, Apocrypha - Legendary, Apocrypha - Didactic or Sapiential, Apocrypha - New Testament apocryphal literature, Apocrypha - Gospels, Apocrypha - Acts and Teachings of the Apostles, Apocrypha - Epistles, Apocrypha - The Council of Jamnia, Apocrypha - Majority Christian usage, Apocrypha - Protestant views, Apocrypha - Latter Day Saint views

Read more here: » Apocrypha: Encyclopedia II - Apocrypha - Old Testament apocryphal books

Asmodeus 'ashmedai (Hebrew) (cf Zend aeshma-daeva from daeva ethereal being, cosmic spirit)

Covetous; an evil demon in later Jewish tradition, son of Naamah (sister of Tubal-cain) and Shamdon. The spirit of lust and anger, he is king of demons, with Lilith as queen, and is sometimes associated with Beelzebub, Azrael (Angel of Death), and Abbadon. In the Talmud he is connected with the legends of Solomon, where he is the destroyer of matrimonial happiness and is forced to help in building the temple.

But his description in the apocryphal book of Tobit (3:8), where he is rendered harmless by Tobias and captured by the angel Raphael, is most likely the basis for modern writers (cf IU 2:482).

(See also: Asmodeus, ashmedai, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

The historical accuracy of the Book of Esther is disputed. As early as the eighteenth century, the lack of corroboration of any of the details of the story of the Book of Esther with what was known of Persian history from classical sources led some scholars to doubt that the book was historically accurate. It was argued that the form of the story seems closer to that of a romance than a work of history, and that many of ...

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Book of Esther, Book of Esther - Setting, Book of Esther - Plot Summary, Book of Esther - Authorship and date, Book of Esther - Debate over historicity, Book of Esther - Interpretation of Esther as an allegory of Babylonian Mythology, Book of Esther - Historical reading, Book of Esther - Narrative reading, Book of Esther - Allegorical Reading, Book of Esther - Relation To Other Books In the Bible, Book of Esther - Additions to Esther, Book of Esther - Reinterpretations of the story

Read more here: » Book of Esther: Encyclopedia II - Book of Esther - Debate over historicity

An additional six chapters appear interspersed in Esther in the Septuagint, the Greek translation, which then was used by Jerome in compiling the Latin Vulgate; additionally, the Greek text contains many small changes in the meaning of the main text. The extra chapters include several prayers to God, perhaps because it was felt that the above-mentioned lack of mention of God was inappropriate in a holy book. Jerome recognized ...

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Book of Esther, Book of Esther - Setting, Book of Esther - Plot Summary, Book of Esther - Authorship and date, Book of Esther - Debate over historicity, Book of Esther - Interpretation of Esther as an allegory of Babylonian Mythology, Book of Esther - Historical reading, Book of Esther - Narrative reading, Book of Esther - Allegorical Reading, Book of Esther - Relation To Other Books In the Bible, Book of Esther - Additions to Esther, Book of Esther - Reinterpretations of the story

Read more here: » Book of Esther: Encyclopedia II - Book of Esther - Additions to Esther

The vast majority of the Septuagint coincides with the Jewish Tanakh, although the order does not always coincide with the modern ordering of the books, which was settled some time before AD 200. A few books are differently named. Thus the Books of Samuel and the Books of Kings stand under the name of the four Books of Kingdoms (Βασιλειῶν), and the Books of Chronicles are called Paraleipome ...

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Septuagint, Septuagint - Naming and designation, Septuagint - Dating and critical scholarship, Septuagint - Use of the Septuagint, Septuagint - Jewish use, Septuagint - Christian use, Septuagint - Language of the Septuagint, Septuagint - Books of the Septuagint, Septuagint - Translations of the Septuagint

Read more here: » Septuagint: Encyclopedia II - Septuagint - Books of the Septuagint

Due to the specificity of its prophecy and its place in both the Jewish and Christian canons, the book of Daniel has had great influence in Jewish and Christian history. The Book of Daniel is included in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, in the section known as the Ketuvim (Hagiographa, or the "Writings") . Daniel was considered a prophet at Qumran (4Q174 [4QFlorilegium]) and later by Josephus (Antiquity of the Jews 10.11.7 §266) and the author (the "Pseudo-Philo") of Liber antiquitatum biblicarum (L.A.B. ["Bo ...

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Book of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Narratives in Daniel, Book of Daniel - Apocalyptic visions in Daniel, Book of Daniel - Historical accuracy, Book of Daniel - Darius the Mede, Book of Daniel - Belshazzar, Book of Daniel - Madness of Nebuchadnezzar, Book of Daniel - Date of Nebuchadnezzar's First Siege of Jerusalem, Book of Daniel - Dating, Book of Daniel - Content, Book of Daniel - Language, Book of Daniel - Unity of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Christian uses of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Influence of Daniel

Read more here: » Book of Daniel: Encyclopedia II - Book of Daniel - Influence of Daniel

The importance given to Asmodai in demonology is less than in Judaism, being considered somewhat lower to other hellish authorities by most Christian demonologists (according to The Lesser Key of Solomon he is the thirty second in rank), but all of them coincide on his duty, which is to exacerbate carnal desire. In the Testament of Solomon (dated 1st - 3rd centuries CE) , Solomon invokes Asmodeus to aid in the construction of the Temple. The demon appears and pr ...

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Asmodai, Asmodai - The Persian Asmodai, Asmodai - Asmodai in Judaism, Asmodai - Asmodai in demonology, Asmodai - Asmodai in fiction

Read more here: » Asmodai: Encyclopedia II - Asmodai - Asmodai in demonology

The Peshitta version of the Old Testament clearly draws on Aramaic Targums and the Greek Septuagint. The influence of the Septuagint is particularly strong in Isaiah and the Psalms, probably due to their use in the liturgy. Most of the Apocrypha is translated from the Septuagint, except that Tobit did not exist in early versions of the Peshitta, and the translation of Sirach was based on a Hebrew text. The Peshitta version of the New Testament shows a continuation of the tradition of the Diatessaron and Old Syriac versions, displaying ...

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Peshitta, Peshitta - The name 'Peshitta', Peshitta - History of the Syriac versions, Peshitta - Content and style of the Peshitta, Peshitta - Modern developments, Peshitta - Appendices, Peshitta - References, Peshitta - External links

Read more here: » Peshitta: Encyclopedia II - Peshitta - Content and style of the Peshitta

One of the most troublesome questions about Utopia is Thomas More's reason for writing it. Some of the ideas in it, such as the ease of divorce, euthanasia and both married or women priests, seem to be polar opposites of his beliefs and those expected of the devout Catholic that he was. The concept of religious toleration seem to particularly jar with the information we have about him as Lord Chancellor; that he was a keen persecutor of heretics, i.e. Protestants. Also the communistic life style of a ...

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Utopia book, Utopia book - Plot, Utopia book - Book 1: Dialogue of Counsel, Utopia book - Book 2: Discourse on Utopia, Utopia book - The meaning of the work, Utopia book - Reception

Read more here: » Utopia book: Encyclopedia II - Utopia book - The meaning of the work

The scholarship concerning the question of unity in Daniel differs greatly from the scholarship concerning the dating. Whereas almost all scholars conclude a 2nd century dating of the book in its final form, scholarship varies greatly regarding the unity of Daniel. Many scholars, finding portions of the book dealing with themes they do not believe fit with the time of Antiochus, conclude separate authors for different portions of the book. Included in this group are Barton, L. Berthold, Collins, and H. L. Ginsberg. Some historians who suppor ...

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Book of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Narratives in Daniel, Book of Daniel - Apocalyptic visions in Daniel, Book of Daniel - Historical accuracy, Book of Daniel - Darius the Mede, Book of Daniel - Belshazzar, Book of Daniel - Madness of Nebuchadnezzar, Book of Daniel - Date of Nebuchadnezzar's First Siege of Jerusalem, Book of Daniel - Dating, Book of Daniel - Content, Book of Daniel - Language, Book of Daniel - Unity of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Christian uses of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Influence of Daniel

Read more here: » Book of Daniel: Encyclopedia II - Book of Daniel - Unity of Daniel

Some mystics believe, that a soul is growing in steps from minerals, plants and animals to men. When the human body dies, a soul could become an angel. The Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi wrote in his poem Masnavi: I died as inanimate matter and arose a plant, I died as a plant and rose again an animal. I died as an animal and arose a man. Why then should I fear to become less by dying? I shall die once again as a man ...

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Angel, Angel - Etymology, Angel - Angels in the Tanakh, Angel - Appearance of angels, Angel - Purpose, Angel - Jewish views, Angel - Maimonides and rationalism, Angel - Christian views, Angel - Islamic views, Angel - Latter-Day Saint views, Angel - Other religions, Angel - Hinduism, Angel - Thelema, Angel - Angels as a development step of the soul, Angel - Named angels and archangels, Angel - Bibliography

Read more here: » Angel: Encyclopedia II - Angel - Angels as a development step of the soul

In Wisdom ii. 24 Satan is represented, with reference to Gen. iii., as the father of all lies, who brought death into the world; he is apparently mentioned also in Ecclus. (Sirach) xxi. 27, and the fact that his name does not occur in Daniel is doubtless due merely to chance. Allegedly, Satan was the seducer and the paramour of Eve, and was hurled from heaven together with other angels because of his iniquity (Slavonic Book of Enoch, xxix. 4 et seq.). Since that time he has been called "Satan," although previously he ...

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Satan, Satan - In the Hebrew Bible, Satan - Different uses of the word Satan in the Tanakh, Satan - Biblical description of Satan, Satan - Satan as an accuser, Satan - In Rabbinic literature, Satan - In the Hebrew Apocrypha, Satan - In the New Testament, Satan - Satan in Islam, Satan - Shaitan and Adam and Eve, Satan - Among polytheists, Satan - Syncreto-Paganism, Satan - Neopaganism, Satan - New Age movement, Satan - Satanists, Satan - Skepticism, Satan - Satan in fiction, Satan - Bibliography

Read more here: » Satan: Encyclopedia II - Satan - In the Hebrew Apocrypha

As with 1 Esdras, there is some confusion about the numbering of this book. Some early Latin manuscripts call it 3 Esdras, and Jerome denoted it 4 Esdras. Once Jerome's 1 and 2 Esdras were denoted Ezra and Nehemiah in more recent times, the designation 2 Esdras became the most common. The Russian Orthodox Church, which accords this book canonical status in the Slavonic Bible, calls it 3 Esdras, with Ezra ...

See also:

2 Esdras, 2 Esdras - Naming numbering and language, 2 Esdras - Author and criticism, 2 Esdras - Usage, 2 Esdras - External link

Read more here: » 2 Esdras: Encyclopedia II - 2 Esdras - Naming numbering and language

According to the occultist, Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516), Raphael is one of the 7 angels of the Apocalypse and numbered among the 10 holy sefiroth. Furthermore, Raphael is also denoted as one of the 7 Archangels who stand in the presence of God, as well as a ruler of the Cherubim and Archangel classes in the heavenly hierarchy. The Archangel, alongside Zarachiel, also holds dominion over Raquia, the Second Heaven. Modern occultists sometimes associate Raphael with the color Yellow, the direction East, the element Air, and ...

See also:

Raphael archangel, Raphael archangel - Raphael in Judaism, Raphael archangel - Raphael in Christianity, Raphael archangel - Raphael in Angelology and the Occult

Read more here: » Raphael archangel: Encyclopedia II - Raphael archangel - Raphael in Angelology and the Occult

As mentioned above, the prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Children from the deuterocanonical parts of Daniel are widely used in Orthodox and Catholic prayer. The various episodes in the first half of the book are used by Christians as moral stories, and are often seen to foreshadow events in the gospels. The apocalyptic section is primarily important to Christians for the image of the "Son of Man" (Dan. 7:13). According to the gospels, Jesus used this title as his preferred name for himself. The connection with ...

See also:

Book of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Narratives in Daniel, Book of Daniel - Apocalyptic visions in Daniel, Book of Daniel - Historical accuracy, Book of Daniel - Darius the Mede, Book of Daniel - Belshazzar, Book of Daniel - Madness of Nebuchadnezzar, Book of Daniel - Date of Nebuchadnezzar's First Siege of Jerusalem, Book of Daniel - Dating, Book of Daniel - Content, Book of Daniel - Language, Book of Daniel - Unity of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Christian uses of Daniel, Book of Daniel - Influence of Daniel

Read more here: » Book of Daniel: Encyclopedia II - Book of Daniel - Christian uses of Daniel

The History of Religions school of thought, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, argued against the historicity of the Bible by drawing comparisons between Biblical narratives and pagan myths. In particular, these scholars drew comparisons between individuals in the Book of Esther and various real and alleged Babylonian and Elamite gods and goddesses: Esther was equated with the similarly sounding Ishtar. Her original Hebrew name Hadassah was compared with Akkadian hadashatu said to be a ...

See also:

Book of Esther, Book of Esther - Setting, Book of Esther - Plot Summary, Book of Esther - Authorship and date, Book of Esther - Debate over historicity, Book of Esther - Interpretation of Esther as an allegory of Babylonian Mythology, Book of Esther - Historical reading, Book of Esther - Narrative reading, Book of Esther - Allegorical Reading, Book of Esther - Relation To Other Books In the Bible, Book of Esther - Additions to Esther, Book of Esther - Reinterpretations of the story

Read more here: » Book of Esther: Encyclopedia II - Book of Esther - Interpretation of Esther as an allegory of Babylonian Mythology

The Latin Bible used before the Vulgate is usually referred to as the Vetus Latina, or "Old Latin Bible", or occasionally the "Old Latin Vulgate". This text was not translated by a single person or institution, nor even uniformly edited. The individual books varied in quality of translation and style -- modern scholars often refer to the Old Latin as being in "translationese" rather than standard Latin. Its Old Testament books were most like ...

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Vulgate, Vulgate - Different versions, Vulgate - Relation with the Old Latin Bible, Vulgate - The Clementine Vulgate, Vulgate - Nova Vulgata, Vulgate - The Stuttgart Vulgate, Vulgate - Issues of translation, Vulgate - Influence on Western Culture, Vulgate - Text

Read more here: » Vulgate: Encyclopedia II - Vulgate - Relation with the Old Latin Bible