CHAPTER XV

THE OLD TESTAMENT APOCRYPHA

The word Apocrypha means literally "secret" or "hidden," and was applied first to books or manuscripts laid away because they were worn out or were defective. Later the term was used to designate books defective in orthodoxy, and this is its meaning to-day when applied to the non-canonical books of the Old Testament. The Hebrews declare that there are only thirty-nine authentic books in the Old Testament, and that they were written in Hebrew and at a time long before the non-canonical ones were written. It is clear that the apocryphal books were, with the exception of a few parts, written originally in Greek. Altogether there are at least forty apocryphal books of the Old Testament, but only fourteen of these books and parts of books are accepted to-day by the Roman Catholic Church as belonging to the canonical Scriptures. It is evident that these fourteen and a few others were ranked as sacred writings in the early centuries of the Christian era because in the copies of the Septuagint Bible dating from the fourth century, these apocryphal books are mingled indiscriminately with the other books, Second Chronicles being followed by Esdras 1 and 2; Nehemiah, by Tobit and Judith; and the Song of Solomon, by Ecclesiasticus and The Wisdom of Solomon. The following are the fourteen separate parts of the Apocrypha as found in the Roman Catholic canon:

Esdras 1: made up mainly of extracts from 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Its original part is a legend of a trial of wisdom in debate between Zerubbabel and two other young men before Darius, king of Persia.

Esdras 2: apocalyptic literature, the message being in the form of visions. These visions appeared to Ezra

through the medium of the angel Uriel in the thirtieth year after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans.

The Book of Tobit: it contains a narrative of the piety, misfortunes, and final prosperity of Tobit, an exile in Nineveh.

The Book of Judith: it relates the exploits of Judith, a Jewish widow distinguished alike for her beauty, courage, and devotion to her country. She killed Holofernes, general of Nebuchadnezzar, and freed Bethulia in Judea. Additions to the Book of Esther: these consist of six chapters, and nine additional verses added to chapter 10.

The Wisdom of Solomon: Solomon being to the ancient Hebrews the representative of all wisdom, the author of this book personates Solomon and speaks in his

name.

Ecclesiasticus: the Greek title is "The Wisdom of Sirach." It is a copious book, rich in its content, embracing the whole domain of practical wisdom.

Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremiah: this book is formed after the model of Jeremiah, and is ascribed to his friend Baruch.

Three additions to the Book of Daniel: the Song of the Three Holy Children in the Fiery Furnace; The History of Susanna; and the Story of Bel and the Dragon. The first is found in the third chapter of Daniel and is a song of some power and beauty. The two other parts are discussed at some length later in this chapter.

The Prayer of Manasses: this is given as a prayer by Manasses, king of Judah, when he was a captive in Babylon.

Maccabees 1: this book is a narrative of the long and bloody struggle of the Jews under their Maccabean leaders against their Assyrian oppressors.

Maccabees 2: this book opens with two letters purporting to have been written by the Jews of Palestine to their brethren in Egypt. To these letters is appended an epitome of the five books of Jason of Cyrene, containing the history of the Maccabean struggle from about 180 B. C. to 161 B. C.

The limits of this chapter will not allow a discussion of all these books, interesting as they are. But brief

accounts will be given of Ecclesiasticus, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Judith and Tobit.

ECCLESIASTICUS.

This book may be said to be intermediate between the exclusive Jewish thought and the thought of the Gentile world; intermediate also between sacred and secular literature. The date of Ecclesiasticus is about 200 B. C. In its structure it is divided into four books; all four rich in thought. There is vigor and vim, a clearness and force that is refreshing. The thoughtful and beautiful monologue on Wisdom in Ecclesiastes finds a parallel here in the preface to the second book. Wisdom is described as the breath of the Most High, as covering the earth like a mist, throned in the pillared cloud, moving in loneliness over the circling heavens and the bottomless abyss, until the Creator bids her take up her tabernacle in Jacob.

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In the wisdom literature of the canonical Bible special attention is given to the sluggard; at him a multitude of maxims are aimed; but in this book the fool takes the place of the sluggard. "Lay not thyself down for a fool to tread on.' The heart of fools is in their mouth; but the mouth of the wise is in their heart." "He that teaches a fool is as one that glueth a potsherd together." These are good examples of the terse and trenchant sayings of the book. Others are: "Seven days are the days of mourning for the dead; but for a fool and an ungodly man, all the days of his life;" "The heart of a fool is as a cart wheel and his thoughts like a rolling axletree."

We are taught the evils of pride and vanity: "Glory not in the putting on of raiment and exalt not thyself in the day of honor. "Commend not a man for his beauty, and abhor not a man for his outward appearance; the bee is little among such as fly, and her fruit is the chief of sweet-meats."

The proverbs of all nations are full of advice concerning the use of the tongue. It is said to be the most unruly, the most dangerous of all the members of the

body. The son of Sirach tells us: ment is better than a slip with the the wicked shall come speedily.'

"A slip on the pavetongue; so the fall of "A lie is a foul blot in

a man; it will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant." "A thief is better than a man that is continually lying."

"A whisperer defileth his own soul,

And shall be hated wheresoever he sojourneth."

"Many have fallen by the edge of the sword;

Yet not so many as they that have fallen by the tongue."

There is a very charming sentence about friendship: "A faithful friend is a medicine of life." In speaking further of friendship the wise man says: "Sweet words will multiply a man's friends, and a fair-speaking tongue will multiply courtesies. Let those that are at peace with thee be many, but thy counselors, one of a thousand.'

There are some exquisitely naïve suggestions on table manners. The one at table is advised not to be greedy, not to reach across the table, not to fall over himself in the dish when he dips for anything. "Stretch not thy hand whithersoever it looketh, and thrust not thyself with it into the dish." "Consider thy neighbor's liking by thine own. "If thou sittest among many, reach not out thy hand before them." "Be first to leave off for manner's sake." We are told, too, that it is very bad manners to talk while music is going on: "Hinder not music; pour not out talk where there is a performance of music.

The topic of woman is variously treated. The wise man assumes a lordly superiority over women in general. He considers all women as available but not all equally worth having. "A woman will receive any man; but one daughter is better than another," he declares. Still he says graceful and good things about woman and her influence over man: Forego not a wise and good wife, for her grace is above gold." Yet he charges that "All malice is but little to the malice of a woman. Evidently a woman of few words is to his liking: "As the going up a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a

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