Malachi to Christ
INTRODUCTION
Malachi to Christ
INTRODUCTION
From Malachi to Christ
When the Old Testament Canon closed, a remnant of the Jews, chiefly of the tribe of Judah and survivors of the priests and Levites that had returned to Palestine under the leadership of Zerubbabel and about eighty years later another company under Ezra, was established in their land with the Temple rebuilt and their religious institutions organized. The greater part of the Jewish people were scattered throughout the Persian Empire.
The last three historical books of the Old Testament, Ezra, Esther and Nehemiah, give us the history of this period for about a hundred years following the decree of Cyrus permitting the Jews to return to their land (536‑432 B.C.). Thus, from Nehemiah to the beginning of New Testament times is a period of a little more than four hundred years. During this time no inspired writer, historian or prophet appeared and it is called the "Period of Silence."
In coming to New Testament times it is important that we know the facts relative to the chosen people from the time of Nehemiah and Malachi. During this extended period there have been great happenings in the world's history, the seat of empire passed from Asia to Europe, and bound up with these events are the fortunes of the Messianic people. For these facts we must rely upon Greek and Latin historians, Josephus and some books of the Apocrypha.
Persian Period
In 538 B.C., Medo‑Persia brought to an end Babylon, the first world‑empire, and that part of Daniel's prediction regarding the four great empires was fulfilled. At the close of the Old Testament Canon the Persian rule had existed for about one hundred years. This rule was tolerant. It allowed the high priest to exercise his religious functions and after Palestine was annexed to the satrapy of Syria, the high priests, under the governors of Syria, enjoyed considerable political power in the government of the country. Owing to its geographical position, Palestine suffered greatly from the wars between Persia and Egypt.
At the close of the Peloponnesian War, when Athens was overthrown by the victorious Spartans, the Greeks attempted to place Cyrus, the brother of Artaxerxes Mnemon, in the Persian throne. They were defeated by Artaxerxes and ruinous wars followed.
Period of Alexander the Great
The ambitions and hopes of Philip of Macedon were realized by his illustrious son Alexander. With the rising of this mighty conqueror the sun of Persia was due to set. The weapon with which the Persian Empire was to be broken to pieces was now prepared. The mighty he‑goat that had been seen two hundred years before in Daniel's vision on the banks of the Ulai, was advancing from the west to overturn the two-horned ram – the vast but now tottering Medo‑Persian Empire.
At the age of twenty (336 B.C.), Alexander came to the throne, and during the brief period of thirteen years altered the course of human history. Thus arose the third world-empire represented in Daniel's vision by the body and thighs of brass. Over Egypt and Western Asia he spread Hellenic civilization and by uniting the East and West prepared the way for their ultimate unity. The distinction between Greek and barbarian was obliterated and the sympathies of men, hitherto so narrow and local were widened, and thus an important preparation was made for the reception of the cosmopolitan creed of Christianity.
Within the remarkably brief period of his reign, Alexander became the master of Greece, Asia, Egypt and Syria. In the battle of Arbela, Persia, the second world‑power was crushed. In 333 B.C., Syria fell into his hands. His favorable treatment of the Jews has been accounted for on the supposition that his attention was called to the predictions of Daniel that two hundred years before set forth his brilliant conquests. He encouraged them to settle in various centers and by this distribution of the Messianic people the truths of the Old Testament were diffused throughout the empire. After reducing Egypt he founded the city of Alexandria which became the meeting place of East and West.
The ruling ambition of this great monarch was not merely that of conquering the world, but of leaving upon nations the impress of Grecian civilization, to transplant these seeds in other soil and thus bring the East under western influences. As the pupil of Aristotle, he was trained in matters of philosophy by that master mind. He gave the world a universal language of culture into which the Old Testament was later translated at Alexandria, paving the way for Christianity.
Alexander appreciated the intelligence, industriousness and steadiness of the Jewish people, and by placing them in Alexandria and other centers they were brought into world‑wide contacts. Away from Jerusalem, from the sacrificial part of their worship, greater attention was given to the Law and the Prophets. The result was that in the countries of their dispersion the expectation of the coming Messiah widely spread.
Period of the Ptolemies
This period of one hundred and sixteen years (320‑204 B.C.) had an important bearing on Jewish interests. Daniel predicted that the empire of Alexander would separate into four parts, that the great horn would be broken and in its place would arise four horns. Following the conqueror's death, his empire was divided between his four generals.
Egypt, and later Palestine, fell to Ptolemy. Great numbers of Jews were settled in Egypt. Ptolemy Philadelphus treated them kindly and during his reign their sacred writings were translated into the Greek. This version of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint and is known as the LXX. This was about 285 B.C., and was one of the great results of the civilizing operations of Alexander. The significance of this version cannot be over‑estimated. Not only were the Scriptures translated into the remarkable language of the Greeks, but could be read and known by the whole Greek‑speaking world. Great predictions had already been fulfilled to the letter which would establish the certainty of future fulfillments of prophecies. The predictions of the coming Messiah would lead to a greater certainty than merely Jewish expectation of Him.
The Syrian monarchy now arose. Seleucus, another of Alexander's generals, founded Antioch which became the western capital of his kingdom, and nearly all of Asia came into his possession. This city became one of the great centers of Christianity. Because of their characteristics, Seleucus induced the Jews to settle in the new cities.
In the conflicts between Syria and Egypt, Antiochus the Great was defeated by Ptolemy Philopator who took possession of Palestine. Under this rule the Jews were bitterly persecuted.
The Jews Under Syrian Kings
This period lasted for thirty‑nine years (204‑165 B.C.). Ptolemy Philopator died and Antiochus seized Palestine and Coele-Syria. At this time the land was divided into five provinces with which the New Testament reader is familiar: Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Trachonitis and Perea.
A bitter period for the Jews began when Antiochus Epiphanes came to the throne. He deposed Onias and placed the priesthood in the hands of Jason. It was reported that Antiochus died in Egypt which caused great rejoicing among the Jews. It was a false report and when he returned in 168 B.C., he slew forty thousand Jews and profaned the Temple by offering a sow on the altar, and erected an altar to Jupiter. This "desolation" is considered the type of the final "abomination of desolation" (Matt. 24:15). The people were forbidden to worship in the Temple and were compelled to eat the flesh of swine. A great massacre followed, women and children were sold into slavery. In terror the people fled from Jerusalem and for over three years Temple worship was abandoned. The Jewish religion was forbidden and the Temple was devoted to the worship of Jove, the Grecian god. This monster Antiochus, a type of antichrist, did everything in his power to obliterate the Jewish religion.
Period of the Maccabees
One of the outstanding pages of history is the revolt of the Maccabees, provoked by the cruelties of Antiochus. Mattathias, a priest and the father of five sons, was the first of the Maccabees. Aroused by his patriotism and religious ardor, a band of determined Jews gathered about him as their leader and began an insurrection that rapidly spread. When their leader died, his son Judas was placed at the head of the band.
In his attempt to crush the rebellion, Antiochus was defeated in three conflicts. While devising new plans for the destruction of the Jews he died of a loathsome disease. Judas Maccabaeus now became governor of Palestine, and this period of the Maccabees lasted about a hundred years (165‑63 B.C.).
Judas purified and rededicated the Temple and religious life of the people was restored. Hostilities were renewed by the Syrians and Judas was slain in battle. The leadership fell to his brother Jonathan who was murdered shortly afterward. The command fell to his brother Simon who appealed to the Romans and was placed in a position of authority. This brought Palestine in contact with a new state.
Simon was succeeded by his son John Hyrcanus. Under Jonathan, Simon and John Hyrcanus, the Hasmonean line of priest‑rulers was established. It was when the two parties, Pharisees and Sadducees, were in bitter opposition to each other that John Hyrcanus succeeded his father.
Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, grandsons of John Hyrcanus, disputed the claims of each other which brought about civil war in Judea. To settle the dispute claims were submitted to Pompey. He favored the claim of Hyrcanus. Unwilling to submit to this decision Aristobulus entered into a conflict with Pompey and the latter took the city. Hyrcanus was appointed governor.
Roman Period
In 63 B.C., in the closing period of the Roman Republic, Rome came into possession of Palestine. Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus formed the First Triumvirate. The Jews were granted full religious rights and political liberty under the Maccabees, but they were required to pay a yearly tribute. Hyrcanus was made king and Antipater was appointed procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar, who appointed Herod, son of Antipater, governor of Galilee. This was in 47 B.C.
When Caesar was assassinated the empire was divided, Antony receiving Syria and the East. Herod married Mariamne, granddaughter of Hyrcanus, and was made king by Antony. Herod appointed his wife's brother, Aristobulus III, high priest. This was the king Herod when Jesus was born.
Fearful that some member of the Maccabee family would endanger his position, Herod decided to destroy that family. He began by murdering his wife's brother, then Hyrcanus and finally Mariamne. Another disturbing factor was the growing antagonism of the Jews. There was danger of an appeal being made to Rome, and to secure their good will he promised them a new Temple. The second Temple had been in existence about five hundred years. To oversee the work, he appointed a thousand priests having architectural skill. After ten years it could be used and dedicated, but it was many years after that the work was fully completed.
Still dominated by fear that his throne was not secure, Herod murdered his two sons. Torn by these apprehensions, we can understand the terror that seized him when it was announced that the King of the Jews was born. He ordered the slaying of all infants to destroy the infant Jesus.
This brief sketch gives the important historical events from Nehemiah and Malachi to Christ relative to Gentile states and the Jewish people. During this period the second world empire passed away, Alexander's empire arose and fell apart, the Roman Republic ended and the Empire was established. The Jews settled among the nations. The two parties, Pharisees and Sadducees, arose. The Jews in Palestine passed through perilous times. Established in their religious institutions they came at last under Rome, the fourth world‑power, and in the reign of the first monarch of the Empire, Augustus Caesar, when all the world was at peace, the Edenic promise of the seed of the woman is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, the long looked for Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Apocryphal Books
We believe the honest student of Holy Scripture is one who desires and seeks an understanding regarding why the fourteen books Protestants refer to as the Apocryphal, have been placed in the Canon of the Old Testament by the Roman Catholic Church, while being rejected by Protestants. So, regarding the Apocryphal Books, the religious world is divided into two major groups: one believing them to be a part of the Holy Scriptures and that we have no right to exclude them; the other believing they should be rejected.
On page xviii of the Catholic Study Bible, Good news (imprimatur by Archbishop John Whealon), under the heading "The Canon of the Bible," Eugene H. Maly writes: "Only very rarely does a biblical writer mention the inspiring presence of God (Rev. 1:1-3; 1:9-11). This poses a problem. If the biblical books do not give us direct evidence of their inspired character, how do we know which books are inspired? That this is a real problem is evident from the fact that Protestants and Catholics do not agree on the number of inspired books of the Old Testament (they agree with regard to the New Testament). . . . We mentioned that there are some differences between Catholics and Protestants concerning the Old Testament cannon. The books not included by the Protestants are, namely, I and II Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, Baruch, and some additions to the books of Daniel and Ester. There was some question about these books already before the time of the Reformation. But several canons did continue them and Trent clearly included them. Catholics refer to these books as deuterocanonical ('second-listed'), meaning that they were conclusively accepted only after some debate. Protestants include these books among a collection they generally call the Apocrypha, a word which literally means 'hidden,' or 'secret,' but which is here used to mean 'not inspired.' Many Protestants also accept I Esdras, II Esdras, and the Prayer of Manasseh as a part of the Apocrypha. These books have been included in this edition under the section 'Some Additional Books' for the sake of complete information. Protestant scholars recognize the value of these books for an understanding of the late Old Testament period. Some Protestant Bibles include them, especially those used by Episcopalians and Lutherans."
Since the Catholic Church has obviously made a determination pertaining to canonizing the deuterocanonical or apocryphal books and their scholarly reasoning for doing so can easily be found online and in many other writings, perhaps it would be appropriate to herein briefly consider the Protestant point of view. If one will, in fact, study the scholarly reasoning behind acceptance of the deuterocanonical books by the Catholic Church, then, along with a consideration of our brief effort herein to lay out the Protestant view (as well as considering more in-depth works by Protestant scholars), the serious student of Holy Scripture will hopefully be left with the reasoning of both sides and thus can make a sound, personal determination.
The Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha Books
The word apocrypha signifies "secret" or "hidden;" the word deuterocanonical means "second-listed." Both are applied to a class of writings relative to portions of the Old Testament. The deuterocanonical or apocryphal books, with a brief description and outline of content, are:
The Book of Tobit
The Book of Tobit, usually written in Hebrew or Aramaic, is a story which tells of miraculous help to God's faithful people and teaches Jewish piety and morality. The book offers a vivid picture of Jewish religion and culture in the period prior to the New Testament. Outline of Contents: Tobit in Nineveh and Sarah in Media suffer and pray (1:1-3:15); Their prayers are answered (3:16-11:18) – In answer to their prayers God sends the angel Raphael (3:16, 17), Tobit gives advice to his son, Tobias (4:1-21), Raphael travels with Tobias to Media (5:1 -7:12), Tobias marries Sarah (7:13 -9:6), and Raphael returns with Tobias and Sarah, and cures Tobit's blindness (10:1-11:18); The angel Raphael reveals who he is (12:1-22); Tobit praises God and gives advice to Tobias (13:1 -14:15)
The Book of Judith
The Book of Judith depicts a time when the Jewish nation was about to be crushed by an enemy army, Judith, the heroine of the story, is a deeply religious widow who observes all the requirements of the Law of Moses. She depends on God to help her complete the dramatic rescue of the nation by killing Holofernes. Outline of Contents: The Jews are threatened with destruction (1:1-7:32); Judith saves the nation (8:1-14:19); The Jews are victorious (15:1-16:25)
The Book of Esther (Greek Version)
The Book of Esther in Greek is a translation, adaptation, and expansion of The Book of Esther in Hebrew. The chain of events is much the same, but there are many variations in text, including different proper names and a strong religious tone. The six additions, shown as Chapters A-F in the Good News Catholic Study Bible, provide a different introduction and conclusion, introduce documents in an official style, and emphasize the religious elements by the addition of prayers and accounts of how they were answered. Outline of Contents: Esther becomes queen (A:1-2:23); Haman's plot against the Jews (3:1-5:14); Haman is put to death (6:1-7:10); The Jews defeat their enemies (8:1-F:10); Postscript
The Wisdom of Solomon
This book was originally written in Greek by an unknown Jewish author. The book makes use of traditional Jewish material, as well as ideas borrowed from Greek philosophy, in order to teach that God rewards those who are faithful to Him. Outline of Contents: Immortality for the righteous and punishment for the wicked (1:1-5:23); In praise of wisdom (6:1-9:18); Wisdom's protection of God's people and punishment of enemies (10:1-12:27); The foolishness of idolatry (13:1-15:13); Blessing and punishment at the Exodus (15:14-19:22)
The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus, was written in Hebrew by a man named Joshua (or Jesus) and was later translated into Greek by his grandson. The book includes traditional Jewish wisdom material and makes a defense of Judaism by showing that God has given true wisdom to His people. Many subjects of a religious, moral, and practical nature are presented, sometimes at length and sometimes in short proverbial sayings. Outline of Contents: In praise of wisdom [Part I] (1:1-23:27) – Duty, reward, and practical advice (1:1-16:23) and God's wisdom and human response (16:24 -23:27); In praise of wisdom [Part II] (24:1-32:13) – Wisdom and virtue (24:1-32:13), God's wisdom and man's worship and work (32:14-42:14), God's glory in nature (42:15-43:33), and In praise of ancestors (44:1-50:21); Epilogue and Appendices (50:22-51:30)
The Book of Baruch
The Book of Baruch is a collection of four distinct, short discourses, attributed to Baruch, the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:12; 36:4). These discourses, written at various times, probably in Hebrew originally, were later put together into a single document. Outline of Contents: Historical introduction (1:1-14): A prayer of confession and deliverance (1:15-3:8): In praise of wisdom (3:9-4:4): Comfort and help for Jerusalem (4:5-5:9)
The Letter of Jeremiah
The Letter of Jeremiah is in the form of a letter, claiming to be written by the prophet Jeremiah to Jews who are about to be taken into exile. It consists primarily of a lengthy condemnation of idolatry. Outline of Contents: The helplessness of idols (1-40); The foolishness of worshiping idols (41-73)
The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men
The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men is one of the three major additions to The Book of Daniel in the Greek version. This insertion between 3:23 and 3:24 of Daniel gives the prayer of Azariah and the song of the three young men after King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into the blazing furnace. Outline of Contents: Prayer of Azariah (1-22); Description of the fiery furnace (23-27); The song of the three young men (28-68)
The Book of Susanna
The Book of Susanna is a story that was added to The Book of Daniel, evidently when the latter was translated into Greek. The book tells how the beautiful and virtuous Susanna, falsely charged with adultery, is cleared by the wisdom and courage of Daniel. Outline of Contents: Two wicked judges attempt to seduce Susanna (1-27); Susanna is condemned to death (28-41); Daniel rescues Susanna and the judges are condemned to death (42-64)
Bel and the Dragon
Bel and the Dragon consist of two stories which were added to the Greek translation of The Book of Daniel. The first tells of Daniel's wisdom and courage in revealing the falseness of the idol Bel, and the second describes how he destroyed a dragon which was worshiped by the Babylonians. Outline of Contents: Daniel's wisdom defeats the priests of Bel (1-22); Daniel kills the dragon (23-32); Daniel is rescued from the pit of lions (33-42)
The First Book of the Maccabees
The First Book of the Maccabees describes events in Jewish history from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (175 B.C.) to the rise of John Hyrcanus (134 B.C.). The historical interest of the book centers in the Hasmonean, or Maccabean, family and it supports the view that they are divinely chosen to save Israel. The book also has a strong religious theme: God is at work in history and will give victory as a reward to those who are faithful to Him. Outline of Contents: Persecution and the revolt of Mattathias (1:1-2:70); The leadership of Judas Maccabeus (3:1-9:22); The leadership of Jonathan (9:23-12:53); The leadership of Simon (13:1-16:24)
The Second Book of the Maccabees
The Second Book of the Maccabees is a condensation of a five-volume history by Jason of Cyrene. The book reports events in Jewish history from the time of the High Priest. Onias the Third (about 180 B.C.), to the death of Nicanor (161 B.C.), and parallels in part the events described in the early chapters of I Maccabees. There is a strong emphasis on loyalty to the law and on God's reward to martyrs who die for their faith. Outline of Contents: Letters to the Jews of Egypt and Preface (1:1-2:32); Struggles for the high priesthood (3:1-4:50); Antiochus Epiphanes and the persecution of the Jews (5:1-7:42); The victories of Judas (8:1-15:39)
Some Additional Books:
The following books are accepted by some Protestants (especially Anglicans and Episcopalians) as a part of the Apocrypha. I Esdras and The Prayer of Manasseh constituted a part of the Septuagint Greek text of the Old Testament used by Christians during the early centuries of Christianity. The book of II Esdras may not have been in its final form until toward the end of the second century A.D. I and II Esdras and The Prayer of Manasseh are not among those books accepted as canonical in 1546 by the Roman Catholic Church at the Council of Trent. Roman Catholics consider these books as aprocryphal, useful for edifying reading but without the authority of Holy Scripture.
The First Book of Esdras
The First Book of Esdras parallels the account given in 2 Chronicles 35-36, Ezra, and Nehemiah 6-8, although there are omissions, additions, and variations in both order and detail. The most distinctive new material is the debate before the emperor in chapters 3 and 4. Outline of Contents: Josiah and the fall of Jerusalem (1:1-58); The return from exile (2:1-30); The debate of the bodyguards before the emperor (3:1-4:63); The Temple rebuilt and dedicated (5:1-7:15); Ezra returns with other exiles (8:1-9:55)
The Second Book of Esdras
The Second Book of Esdras is primarily an apocalypse (or series of visions and revelations) that was written by an unknown Jewish author in Hebrew or Aramaic. This was translated into Greek, and an introduction and appendix of Christian origin were added. The original and the Greek translation have disappeared, and the text is now preserved primarily in Latin. The main part of the work reports seven revelations that were given to Shealtiel (identified with Ezra) and answers questions about the problem of evil, suffering, persecution, the end of the world, judgment, and the new world. Outline of Contents: Introduction (1:1-2:48); The first vision (3:1-5:19); The second vision (5:20-6:34); The third vision (6:35-9:25); The fourth vision (9:26-10:59); The fifth vision (11:1-12:50); The sixth vision (12:51-13:56); The seventh vision (13:57-14:48); Additional prophecies (15:1-16:78)
The Prayer of Manasseh
The Prayer of Manasseh is a beautiful short prayer of repentance. It is presented as a prayer by Manasseh, the wicked king of Judah, referred to in 2 Chronicles 33:12, 18, 19.
Protestant point of view
In order to understand both views, the reader is urged to seek out and study the Roman Catholic Church point of view regarding these books – what they refer to as the Deuterocanonical Books. Below is a brief attempt to look at the Protestant point of view regarding what they refer to as the Apocrypha Books:
Hebrew Canon
The Scriptures of the Old Testament constitute the national literature of the Jews. What is of first importance is what they regarded as their sacred Canon, the full number of writings of which it consisted. There are four general divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures: the Law, or Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Poetical Books and the Prophets. These appeared at different stages of their history, and consequently individual books were prepared and preserved before there was a collection.
In the reign of Josiah (642‑611 B.C.), while the Temple was being repaired, the book of the Law was found. The fact that prophetical writers made use of the works of each other, as in the case of Jeremiah who made use of Isaiah, and the use Daniel made of Jeremiah (Dan. 9:2,11,13), clearly shows that these works were in a specific form and available. The references to the sacred writers following the Exile, also proves that the Scriptures had been preserved during the period of the Captivity (Ez. 6:18; Ne: 8.1).
Josephus, the Jewish historian who was born about 37 A.D., stated what constituted the Old Testament Canon, the Scriptures as recognized by the Jews. He declares that the last of the sacred books was written during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Josephus wrote: "Although so great an interval of time has now passed, not a soul has ventured to add or to remove or to alter a syllable, and it is the instinct of every Jew, from the day of his birth, to consider these Scriptures as the teaching of God, to abide by them, and, if need be, cheerfully lay down his life in their behalf."
Protestants hold that his enumeration and description of these books show that they were the same as those of the Old Testament as we now have it.
Further, Protestants hold that the New Testament does not leave us in doubt as to what constituted the Scriptures of the Old Testament, believing that this was clearly indicated by our Lord when He said that all things must be fulfilled which were written "in the law of Moses, and the prophets and the psalms concerning" Himself. The prophets included the historical books, and in the Hebrew Bible the Psalms is the first book in the third division. With few exceptions, the New Testament quotes directly or refers to all the books of the Old Testament and that is especially true of the various groups of books. Thus they have the highest sanction and acceptance of our Lord and His apostles which establishes for all time their divine and authoritative character.
The Apocrypha in the Septuagint
If the evidence against the canonicity of these books is conclusive, how did they get into the Bible? They were never, at any time, given a place in, the Hebrew Bible, and that fact is of supreme significance when the question is raised as to how they got into the Bible. From time to time they were admitted into the Septuagint Version (283‑30 B.C.) which is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and was used in Alexandria in Egypt almost exclusively by the Greek‑speaking Jews as the Word of God. It was either because of lax views of canonicity, or for the convenience of using these books ecclesiastically, that they were admitted to this version.
This admission of these books is explained in a satisfactory manner by Bissell: "The Septuagint version becoming, subsequently, to the great mass of Gentile Christians, as well as to such Jews as did not understand Hebrew, the authoritative standard, the limits of the true original canon were almost wholly effaced. And in addition to the uncritical character of the period, the difficulty was, for a time, still further enhanced by the controversies carried on between the Jews and Christians, each appealing to his own copy of the Scriptures. The fact, too, that the early translations of the Scriptures into the vernacular of the people, like the Old Latin, were made from the Septuagint, helped to fasten upon and make hereditary in the Church the Alexandrian confusion and mistake."
The Apocrypha Uncanonical
Most Protestants reject the apocrypha books because they are not in any Hebrew collection of the Scriptures, and they are not in the Hebrew collection because they were regarded as uncanonical. This is further supported by the fact that they never had the recognition of Christ, His apostles and other New Testament writers. In his treatment of the view that there are reminiscences of passages in the Apocrypha in some passages of the New Testament, the scholarly Westcott says, "At least, the point may be considered as well established, that nothing like an authentication of the Apocrypha can be predicated of the New Testament writers, even admitting an acquaintance on their part with its literature, and occasional evidence they were somewhat influenced by it."
It is universally admitted that these books formed no part of the Hebrew Canon. Bleek admits that they are nowhere expressly quoted in the New Testament and makes the further valuable statement that "Among the Palestinian Jews no writing was adopted into the Canon of which it was known that it had not been composed until later than about one hundred years after the end of the Exile. Thus, for example, the book of Jesus Sirach (Ecclus., c. 210‑180 B.C.) found no acceptance because its late origin was known; nor did it claim for itself any, higher antiquity; as also, the Greek translator, the author's grandson, expressly distinguishes his grandfather's book from the canonical writings."
What is true of this book applies to all the Apocrypha since none of these writings were much, if at all, older than Ecclesiasticus.
In brief, the fact that these books are in the Septuagint version in no sense renders them canonical, and the fact that they are excluded from the Hebrew collection is the basic reason why Protestants reject them as uncanonical.
The Date of These Writings
The date of II Esdras has been placed about 30 B.C. There is no certainty as to the author or date of Tobit and Judith. Esther has been assigned to about 165 B.C., and The Wisdom of Solomon to the close of the first century B.C. Ecclesiasticus has been assigned to about 180 B.C., and Bel and the Dragon to the time of the Ptolemies. There is no certainty as to the date of The Prayer of Manasses, and from internal evidence Baruch may have been written after the destruction of Jerusalem, 70 A.D. The date of I Maccabees is placed after 135 B.C., and II Maccabees sometime after 161 B.C..
It will be seen that there is very little certainty as to the date of these writings, and that from the dates assigned they fall in the last half of the period from Malachi to Christ. The book that has the greatest historical value is I Maccabees. It gives the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes from 175 B.C., and carries the history of that period to the death of Simon Maccabaeus in 135 B.C..
Attitude of the Early Fathers
It is a significant fact that the best of the early Fathers adopted the Hebrew Canon as giving the authoritative Scriptures of the Old Testament. Augustine repeatedly stated the distinction between the Hebrew Canon and the Apocrypha, and in discussing a passage in II Maccabees declared that the book did not belong in the Hebrew Canon to which Christ bore witness.
Rufinus positively asserts that "The books of the Hebrew Canon are the inspired Scriptures." While Origen thought there were passages in the Apocrypha that were cited by the New Testament, he emphatically declared, "But this will give no authority to apocryphal writings, for the bounds which our fathers have fixed are not to be removed; and possibly the apostles and evangelists, full of the Holy Ghost, might know what should be taken out of those writings and what not. But we, who have not such a measure of the Spirit, cannot, without great danger presume to act in that manner."
Thus the Protestants believe that these books are spurious as to canonicity, and have no right to a place in the Word of God. In rejecting these books the Protestant Bible takes the Scriptural position in maintaining that the Hebrew Canon contains the only Scriptures of the Old Testament recognized by our Lord and the New Testament writers.
Conclusion
From this writing it is obvious that we have a somewhat knowledgeable, though perhaps limited understanding of the Protestant position, i.e., that these books are spurious as to canonicity, and do not have a place in the Word of God. It is important to keep in mind that the Roman Catholic Church maintains a much different point of view.
The six lessons presented in this section (Malachi, Socrates, Alexandria, Judas Maccabaeus, The Asmonean Dynasty, Herod) represent an effort to make a fair and honest attempt to consider the deuterocanonical or apocryphal books, as well as other ancient writings, as historical information – providing a glimpse of history from Malachi to Christ.
