Thursday, June 21, 2007

Why Apocrypha Was Apocrypha?

Why Apocrypha Was Apocrypha?
2007.06.22 2:02

Apocrypha refers to the collection of books written between the end of Old Testament around 500 BC and the beginning of the New Testament around 50 AD. Basically the Old Testament is a record between 1300 BC to 500 BC and the New Testament between 50 AD to 100 AD. Apocrypha covers those missing links between two testaments.
During that period, Jewish cultures were on the verge of extinction. Overall Hellenisation was on the process in those Levant area. Antiochus (175 -163)was probably sarcastically called Epiphanes but went too far to proceed this movement. But many important books were written, those include
1 Esdras (Vulgate 3 Esdras) 2 Esdras (Vulgate 4 Esdras) Tobit Judith Rest of Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4-16:24) Wisdom Ecclesiasticus (also known as Sirach) Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremy (all part of Vulgate Baruch) Song of the Three Children (Vulgate Daniel 3:24-90) Story of Susanna (Vulgate Daniel 13) The Idol Bel and the Dragon (Vulgate Daniel 14) Prayer of Manasses 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees
Those Apocrypha were included in Catholic Canon but excluded from Protestant Bible in the Reformation in 16c.
My assumption why Apocrypha was excluded is probably Protestant needed to establish authority against Roman Catholic and Greed Orthodox Churches. Jewish states were reigned by Ptolemaic (323 -198) and Selucid ( 198 to 166 ). Jewish state enjoyed its independence from 142 to 63 after the Maccabean revolt in 167 and following struggle that lasted till 142. Protestant didn't like to follow Roman and Greek authority in Church, so they went too far to hide those scriptures written during that period.
Apocrypha is just hidden, God reveals as Epiphanes.

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