According to the Church Fathers, there are 22 canonical books of the Old Testament, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Seventy translators of the Septuagint translated these books from Hebrew into Greek during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (309-246 B.C.).
The twenty-two books are:
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges and Ruth
8. I & II Kings (or I & II Samuel)
9. III & IV Kings (or I & II Kings)
10. I & II Chronicles (also includes the Prayer of Manasseh)
11. I & II Esdras (that is, I Esdras, Ezra, and Nehemiah)
12. Esther
13. Job
14. Psalms (including Psalm 151)
15. Proverbs
16. Ecclesiastes
17. Song of Solomon
18. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
19. Isaiah
20. Jeremiah (that is, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle of Jeremiah)
21. Ezekiel
22. Daniel
(See The Catechetical Lectures, Lecture IV, par. 35, by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 318-386 A.D., vol. 7, p. 27, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, par. 37, by Tyrannius Rufinus, 344-410 A.D., vol. 3, pp. 557-558, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book IV, chapter 17, by St. John of Damascus, 645-750 A.D., vol. 9, part 2, pp. 89-90, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
St. Athanasius the Great listed the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament as follows:
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. I & II Kings (or I & II Samuel)
10. III & IV Kings (or I & II Kings)
11. I & II Chronicles (which most likely included The Prayer of Manasseh)
12. I & II Ezra (that is, I Esdras, Ezra, and Nehemiah)
13. Psalms (including Psalm 151)
14. Proverbs
15. Ecclesiastes
16. Song of Solomon
17. Job
18. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
19. Isaiah
20. Jeremiah (that is, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle of Jeremiah)
21. Ezekiel
22. Daniel
(See Letter XXXIX, par. 4, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 4, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
St. Athanasius omitted Esther from the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament. He separated Ruth from Judges.
These books were called canonical because the Jews prior to the Council of Jamnia held these books to be their Sacred Writings. The Council of Jamnia in 100 A.D. excluded portions of Daniel, portions of Esther, the First Book of Esdras, the Prayer of Manasseh, Baruch, and the Epistle of Jeremiah from the Jewish Canon of Scripture.
There are some other books that ancient Christians included in the Old Testament Canon, but were rejected by the Jews. These books are called the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. They are:
Tobit
Judith
The Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
I Maccabees
II Maccabees
III Maccabees
(See A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, par. 38, by Tyrannius Rufinus, 344-410 A.D., vol. 3, p. 558, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
St. Athanasius the Great included Esther in the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. He did not mention the Books of the Maccabees, however. (See Letter XXXIX, par. 7, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 7, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
In its Second Canon, the Quinisext Council (692 A.D.), speaking for the Church as a whole, accepted the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the Canons of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), and the decretal letters of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Amphilochius of Iconium, and St. Athanasius the Great. The 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the 24th Canon of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), The Metre Poems of St. Gregory the Theologian, The Iambics of St. Amphilochius of Iconium, and Letter XXXIX of St. Athanasius the Great contain lists of books that make up the Canon of Holy Scripture. [See vol. 14, pp. 361 (Canon II, Quinisext Council), 453-454 (Canon XXIV, Council of Carthage), 612, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; Canon 85 of the Canons of the Holy Apostles, vol. 7, p. 505, Ante-Nicene Fathers; and Letter XXXIX of St. Athanasius the Great, vol.4, pp. 551-552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.]
There are some books that Christians in modern times call the "disputed books." Protestants classify these books in the Apocrypha. Roman Catholics classify three of these books and the 151st Psalm in the Apocrypha and the others are called by them "deuterocanonical." None of the Church Fathers ever called any of these books "deuterocanonical." That term was invented in the Sixteenth Century. Actually, many of the Church Fathers considered Baruch, the Epistle of Jeremiah, I Esdras, the History of Susanna (Daniel chapter 1 in the Septuagint), the Song of the Three Holy Children (part of Daniel chapter 4 in the Septuagint), Bel and the Dragon (Daniel chapter 14 in the Septuagint), and the so-called "Additions to Esther" to be canonical Scripture. Psalm 151 and the Prayer of Manasseh are found in the various codices of the Septuagint. Psalm 151 is not used that much, but I have found some evidence that first and second century Christians did use it. The Prayer of Manasseh is not quoted from that much, but I have found evidence that St. Basil the Great (329-379 A.D.) used it. His grandparents and parents were Christians. So, he was at least a third generation Christian. If he used it, then it is reasonable to think that third century Christians had used it, too.
The other books that Protestants unfortunately classify with the Apocrypha are Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and the Three Books of Maccabees. These books are called Ecclesiastical because the Orthodox Church accepts them as part of the Old Testament, but the Jews do not. Although they are called Ecclesiastical, they are part of the Canon of the Old Testament Scriptures. Roman Catholics have placed the Third Book of Maccabees in the Apocrypha. The 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles classified this book with all of the other books that are to "be esteemed venerable and holy." It is never mentioned by any of the Church Fathers as being one of the twenty-two canonical books, though. So then, it is Ecclesiastical. Many of the Church Fathers quoted from or alluded to Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, and Ecclesiasticus in their writings. There are also quotes from and allusions to First and Second Maccabees in their writings. According to St. Jerome (345-420 A.D.), the First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) included Judith into the Canon of Holy Scripture. Origen (185-254 A.D.) said that the Church uses Tobit and Judith, but the Jews do not.
It is important that one know what is the right basis for faith. If there is a record of God's revelation to man, then one needs to know which are the books that contain that record. For this reason, I intend to write more on the subject of the Canon of Holy Scripture in some later blogs.
Steve
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
The twenty-two books are:
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges and Ruth
8. I & II Kings (or I & II Samuel)
9. III & IV Kings (or I & II Kings)
10. I & II Chronicles (also includes the Prayer of Manasseh)
11. I & II Esdras (that is, I Esdras, Ezra, and Nehemiah)
12. Esther
13. Job
14. Psalms (including Psalm 151)
15. Proverbs
16. Ecclesiastes
17. Song of Solomon
18. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
19. Isaiah
20. Jeremiah (that is, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle of Jeremiah)
21. Ezekiel
22. Daniel
(See The Catechetical Lectures, Lecture IV, par. 35, by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 318-386 A.D., vol. 7, p. 27, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, par. 37, by Tyrannius Rufinus, 344-410 A.D., vol. 3, pp. 557-558, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book IV, chapter 17, by St. John of Damascus, 645-750 A.D., vol. 9, part 2, pp. 89-90, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
St. Athanasius the Great listed the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament as follows:
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. I & II Kings (or I & II Samuel)
10. III & IV Kings (or I & II Kings)
11. I & II Chronicles (which most likely included The Prayer of Manasseh)
12. I & II Ezra (that is, I Esdras, Ezra, and Nehemiah)
13. Psalms (including Psalm 151)
14. Proverbs
15. Ecclesiastes
16. Song of Solomon
17. Job
18. The Twelve Minor Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
19. Isaiah
20. Jeremiah (that is, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, and the Epistle of Jeremiah)
21. Ezekiel
22. Daniel
(See Letter XXXIX, par. 4, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 4, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
St. Athanasius omitted Esther from the twenty-two canonical books of the Old Testament. He separated Ruth from Judges.
These books were called canonical because the Jews prior to the Council of Jamnia held these books to be their Sacred Writings. The Council of Jamnia in 100 A.D. excluded portions of Daniel, portions of Esther, the First Book of Esdras, the Prayer of Manasseh, Baruch, and the Epistle of Jeremiah from the Jewish Canon of Scripture.
There are some other books that ancient Christians included in the Old Testament Canon, but were rejected by the Jews. These books are called the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. They are:
Tobit
Judith
The Wisdom of Solomon
The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
I Maccabees
II Maccabees
III Maccabees
(See A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed, par. 38, by Tyrannius Rufinus, 344-410 A.D., vol. 3, p. 558, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
St. Athanasius the Great included Esther in the Ecclesiastical Books of the Old Testament. He did not mention the Books of the Maccabees, however. (See Letter XXXIX, par. 7, by St. Athanasius the Great, 296-373 A.D., vol. 7, p. 552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.)
In its Second Canon, the Quinisext Council (692 A.D.), speaking for the Church as a whole, accepted the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the Canons of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), and the decretal letters of St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Amphilochius of Iconium, and St. Athanasius the Great. The 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles, the 24th Canon of the Council of Carthage (419 A.D.), The Metre Poems of St. Gregory the Theologian, The Iambics of St. Amphilochius of Iconium, and Letter XXXIX of St. Athanasius the Great contain lists of books that make up the Canon of Holy Scripture. [See vol. 14, pp. 361 (Canon II, Quinisext Council), 453-454 (Canon XXIV, Council of Carthage), 612, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series; Canon 85 of the Canons of the Holy Apostles, vol. 7, p. 505, Ante-Nicene Fathers; and Letter XXXIX of St. Athanasius the Great, vol.4, pp. 551-552, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series.]
There are some books that Christians in modern times call the "disputed books." Protestants classify these books in the Apocrypha. Roman Catholics classify three of these books and the 151st Psalm in the Apocrypha and the others are called by them "deuterocanonical." None of the Church Fathers ever called any of these books "deuterocanonical." That term was invented in the Sixteenth Century. Actually, many of the Church Fathers considered Baruch, the Epistle of Jeremiah, I Esdras, the History of Susanna (Daniel chapter 1 in the Septuagint), the Song of the Three Holy Children (part of Daniel chapter 4 in the Septuagint), Bel and the Dragon (Daniel chapter 14 in the Septuagint), and the so-called "Additions to Esther" to be canonical Scripture. Psalm 151 and the Prayer of Manasseh are found in the various codices of the Septuagint. Psalm 151 is not used that much, but I have found some evidence that first and second century Christians did use it. The Prayer of Manasseh is not quoted from that much, but I have found evidence that St. Basil the Great (329-379 A.D.) used it. His grandparents and parents were Christians. So, he was at least a third generation Christian. If he used it, then it is reasonable to think that third century Christians had used it, too.
The other books that Protestants unfortunately classify with the Apocrypha are Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), and the Three Books of Maccabees. These books are called Ecclesiastical because the Orthodox Church accepts them as part of the Old Testament, but the Jews do not. Although they are called Ecclesiastical, they are part of the Canon of the Old Testament Scriptures. Roman Catholics have placed the Third Book of Maccabees in the Apocrypha. The 85th Canon of the Canons of the Holy Apostles classified this book with all of the other books that are to "be esteemed venerable and holy." It is never mentioned by any of the Church Fathers as being one of the twenty-two canonical books, though. So then, it is Ecclesiastical. Many of the Church Fathers quoted from or alluded to Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, and Ecclesiasticus in their writings. There are also quotes from and allusions to First and Second Maccabees in their writings. According to St. Jerome (345-420 A.D.), the First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) included Judith into the Canon of Holy Scripture. Origen (185-254 A.D.) said that the Church uses Tobit and Judith, but the Jews do not.
It is important that one know what is the right basis for faith. If there is a record of God's revelation to man, then one needs to know which are the books that contain that record. For this reason, I intend to write more on the subject of the Canon of Holy Scripture in some later blogs.
Steve
Bibliography
Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts, D.D. & James Donaldson, LL.D., volumes 1-10, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, edited by Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. & Henry Wace, D.D., volumes 1-14, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., Peabody, Massachusetts
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