an exploration of the 7 Deuterocanonical books

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Deuterocanonicals

• an exploration of the 7 Deuterocanonical books
• Holy Spirit Catholic Church January 2011
  

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Almighty eternal God, I acknowledge you as my
first beginning and my last end. My Creator and
my Redeemer, my sanctification and my
consummation. My God and my all. I thank you for
your lavish gifts to me, to the whole human race
and to all creation.
Lord, teach me not to hold on to life too
tightly. Teach me to take it as a gift. To enjoy
it, to cherish it while I have it, but to let go
gracefully and thankfully when the time
comes. The gift is great, but the Giver is
greater still. You are the Giver and in you is
the life that never ends. Amen.
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Deuterocanonical Books meaning of
deuterocanonical? which books? when written? what
language?
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Deuterocanonical Books meaning of
deuterocanonical? second canon
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• Deuterocanonical Books
• which books?
• Tobit, Judith, I II Maccabees
• Baruch, Wisdom, Sirach

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Deuterocanonical Books when written? Between
early 2nd late 1st Century BC
(2oo) (100-90)
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Deuterocanonical Books what language? most in
Hebrew, then Greek some originally in Greek
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Deuterocanonicals Book Lengths
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Deuterocanonicals Genre Categories

• Jewish Categories of TaNaK
• Torah the law
• Neviim the prophets
• Kethuvim the writings

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Deuterocanonicals Genre Categories

• Christian Categories of OT
• Torah/Pentateuch
• Historical Books
• Wisdom Books
• Prophetic Books

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Deuterocanonicals Genre Categories

• Christian Categories of OT
• Torah/Pentateuch
• Historical Books
• Wisdom Books
• Prophetic Books

I II Maccabees
Judith
Tobit
Wisdom
Sirach
Baruch
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Deuterocanonicals Dating the Texts
100
150
200 BC
Judith
Sirach
1 Maccabees
Tobit
2 Maccabees
Baruch
Wisdom
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Notions of Canon 7 Books as Canon Jewish
Scriptures Christian Scriptures
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The 7 Books as Canon

• How did Jews at time of Christ view their sacred
  scriptures?
• Was there a Jewish canon? When?
• How did Christians at the time of Christ, and
  shortly thereafter, view their sacred scriptures?
• Was there a Christian OT canon?
• Why do Catholics embrace the 7 books, while
  Protestants reject them?

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How did Jews at time of Christ view their sacred
scriptures? Was there a Jewish canon? When?
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How did Jews at time of Christ view their sacred
scriptures? Was there a Jewish canon?

• Jews had a very fluid view of canon in the
  centuries before and after Jesus
• Torah had a pride of place and seen as sacred
  scripture by 400 BC
• Prophets garnered same status by 200 BC
• Wisdom literature same status by 90 AD or later
• II Maccabees 159 law and the prophets
• Luke 2444 law of Moses, prophets and Psalms
• Septuagint was critical translation and important
  to understanding the Deuterocanonical books

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Septuagint Important for understanding the
Deuterocanonicals

• Septuagint (LXX) critical in understanding
  history of canon place of Deuterocanonical
  books
• Greek translation of sacred scriptures for Jews
  in Alexandria and in the Diaspora
• Translated between 3rd Century and 130 BC
• LXX meaning denotes a sacred translation
• Jews initially accepted the value of the
  Septuagint and later rejected it as Christians
  accepted as their text
• SUMMARY Jews view of canon was fluid until as
  late as 3rd Century AD. Rejected Septuagint due
  to Christian acceptance.

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• How did Christians at the time of Christ, and
  shortly thereafter, view their sacred scriptures?
• Was there a Christian OT canon?

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How did Christians at the time of Christ, and
shortly thereafter, view their sacred scriptures?

• Early Christians OT was the Septuagint, the
  Greek OT
• LXX had all texts, including the 7
  Deuterocanonical books
• The NT writers use LXX most of the time in citing
  the OT (gt80 of time)
• SUMMARY Jewish rejection of LXX was two-fold
• more conservative view of canon, eliminating
  books written in
• Greek (or ones they thought were written in
  Greek) to solidify Jewish identity
• the rabbis eliminated any books that Christians
  were using --(LXX) included the 7 books

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Septuagint vs later Jewish Canon
Christian OT 46 Books (Septuagint)
Used from time of Jesus and throughout the NT
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Septuagint vs later Jewish Canon
Christian OT 46 Books (Septuagint)
7 Books
Used from time of Jesus and throughout the NT
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Septuagint vs later Jewish Canon
Christian OT 46 Books (Septuagint)
Jewish TaNaK 39 Books (Palestinian Canon)
7 Books
Used from time of Jesus and throughout the NT
Not decided earlier than 90 AD or 3rd Century AD
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Deuterocanonicals in the NT

• New Testament use of the Deuterocanonicals
• Over 70 references in NT to Deuterocanonicals
• gt 30 in Gospels/Acts
• gt 20 in Paul
• gt 20 in remaining NT (13 in Revelation)
• Gospels use
• sheep without a shepherd (Judith 1119)
• seed on rocky ground, no root (Sirach 4015)
• Jesus calling God his Father (Wisdom 216)
• takes away branches not bearing fruit (Wisdom
  45)
• Pauls use
• sin and death entering the world (Wisdom 24)
• pagan sacrifices are to demons, not God (Baruch
  47)
• suit of armor language (Wisdom 517-20)

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Why do Catholics embrace the 7 books, while
Protestants reject them? (did Catholics add
them to the Bible?)
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Why do Catholics embrace the 7 books, while
Protestants reject them? (did Catholics add
them to the Bible?) NO
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Why do Catholics embrace the 7 books, while
Protestants reject them?

• Catholics accept the 7 books because they were
  part of the Septuagint, the first OT text of
  early Christianity (Church Fathers)
• Protestants reject them on 2 grounds
• Jews didnt accept the books
• Certain doctrine taught are Catholic doctrines
• Prayers for the dead (Tobit 1212 2 Maccabees
  1239-45) Purgatory (Wisdom 31-7)
  Intercession of those in heaven (2 Maccabees
  1514) Intercession of angels (Tobit 1212-15)
• Protestants accepted the 27 NT books authorized
  by the Catholic Church, but reject part of the OT
  (for faulty reasons)

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Deuterocanonicals Use in Lectionary
Book Chapters Verses Sunday Verses Weekday Verses
I Maccabees 16 922 0 54
II Maccabees 15 556 8 35
Tobit 14 245 0 71
Judith 16 340 0 0
Baruch 6 213 27 44
Wisdom 19 436 42 102
Sirach 51 1372 48 208
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Book of Tobit

• Dating early 2nd Century BC
• Setting 8th Century BC (fall of North 721 BC)
• Text Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
• Length 14 Chapters
• Themes
• God answers prayers and rewards the faithful
• Angels/Demons are active in affairs
• Emphasis on prayer, fasting and almsgiving
• Maintenance of Jewish identity in Exile is
  critical
• Strong sapiential/wisdom themes

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Book of Judith

• Dating mid 2nd early 1st Century BC
• Setting 6th Century BC (assault on Judah)
• Text Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
• Length 16 Chapters
• Themes
• Overt fiction is the literary medium
• Tale of unlikely hero delivering her people
• Strong belief in one God fidelity to the God
  law
• God is in control of history, saving his people
• God delivers in unusual ways

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Book of I Maccabees

• Dating mid-late 2nd Century BC (130s?)
• Setting 175 to 134 BC
• Text Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
• Length 16 Chapters
• Themes
• Allegiance to the law of God
• Preservation of Jewish cult and identity
• Foundational story for Hanukkah
• Connection to Jewish history
• God saved Jews thru the Maccabees

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Book of II Maccabees

• Dating late 2nd Century BC (shortly after 1
  Maccabees)
• Setting overlaps with 1 Maccabees only
  covering 20-25 yrs
• Text Greek (original)
• Length 15 Chapters
• Themes
• Theological reflection on 1 Maccabees
• Stresses martyrdom as a witness to faith
• Introduces new themes/concepts
• Creation out of nothing (ex nihilo) (728)
• Resurrection/Afterlife (79,14)
• Prayers/sacrifices for the dead (1238-46)
• Prayers from the dead (1514)

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Development of Wisdom Literature
Proverbs 10-31 700-400 BCE secular, optimistic
Job 400 BCE religious, pessimistic
Proverbs 1-9 400 BCE religious, optimistic
Ecclesiastes 300-250 BCE secular, pessimistic
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Book of Baruch

• Dating early middle 2nd Century BC (180-150)
• Setting post-Exile Babylon (6th Century BC)
• Text Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
• Length 6 Chapters
• Themes
• Explores finding God outside of Promised Land
• Theologically conservative sin/guilt,
  contrition, deliverance lacking sense of
  afterlife
• Strong monotheistic emphasis
• Prophet plays a strong role in reminding the
  exiles to hope
• Strong connectedness to Jerusalem, even from afar

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Book of Sirach

• Dating 2nd Century BC (200-175) (translation
  132)
• Text Hebrew (original), Greek (surviving)
• Length 51 Chapters
• Themes
• A collection of moral instructions, proverbs
  ethical essays
• Offers a more conservative response to
  Hellenization true wisdom found in Jewish
  history (heavy integration of history)
• Heavy connection of wisdom with Jewish
  cult/priesthood
• Jewish wisdom trumps wisdom of others
• this life orientation (body/soul dichotomy,
  afterlife absent)

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Book of Wisdom

• Dating early 1st Century BC (probably last
  written)
• Text likely Greek (original)
• Length 19 Chapters
• Themes
• Written in Greek, saturated with Jewish themes
• Critique of the traditional notion of retribution
• Sacred history (haggadah) is important to
  identity
• Developed notions of soul/spirit and afterlife
• Personified Wisdom (picked up in NT, applied to
  Jesus)

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In Summary

• Forms/Literary Genres
• Tobit Judith highly fictionalized narratives
  with overarching themes messages
• I Maccabees historical narrative written
  closely to events
• II Maccabees polished theological
  interpretation of I Maccabees
• Baruch prose (opening/close) with poetry
  (middle)
• Sirach Wisdom saturated in proverbs and
  ethical sayings (typical of wisdom literature)

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In Summary

• SHARED Themes
• God is One Rigid Monotheism
• Fidelity to the Law of God
• Extolling the great story of Israel/Jewish past
• Prayer, preceded by a contrite heart, is key
• History is Gods stage

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In Summary

• UNIQUE Themes
• God saves thru the lowly (Judith)
• Angels and demons are amongst us (Tobit)
• Concrete notions of resurrection and afterlife
  emerged later in time (II Maccabees, Wisdom)
• Preservation of cult/law/way of life should be
  achieved at all costs (Judith, I Maccabees)
• Wisdom (personified in Wisdom), found in creation
  law (Baruch) found in history (Sirach)