Heidegger's Bible Handbook: OT Apocrypha: Detailed Outline

13.  The distribution of the Apocryphal Books, of which some are Ecclesiastical, some removed from the reading of the Church.  A Synoptic Table and Interpreters.

Although the division of these books is wont to be variously arranged, yet to us this partitioning appears advantageous above the rest, whereby those Apocryphal books, concerning which we have been speaking, are divided into Ecclesiastical books, and books removed from the reading of the Church.  Which general division it now pleases to describe in a few words.  Therefore, the Apocryphal books of the Old Testament are of two sorts:

I.  Ecclesiastical Apocryphal books.  So called by the ancients, because they were distinguished from the books properly called Divine and Canonical, they were esteemed of greater worthy than all other Apocryphal books that, having been conjoined with the Canonical books, were read in the Church privately, and in some places also, especially in the Western Church, publicly, for promoting the edification of life out of them, but not for confirming the authority of faith.  Now, those Ecclesiastical books are:

1.  Moral:

a.  Wisdom.  In which book are delivered various lessons in true Wisdom (chapters 1-6), the acquisition of the same (chapters 7; 8), and finally a prayer, wherein one impersonating Solomon strives to gain for himself Wisdom from God by many arguments (chapters 9-19):  Wisdom in nineteen chapters.

b.  Ecclesiasticus, or Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach, in which are set forth Wisdom’s origin and encomium (chapter 1:1-9), and excellent maxims concerning piety and the other virtues (chapters 1:10-43:33), and those of the Holy Fathers, illustrious men, on account of their faith and excellent virtues (chapters 44:1-50:29); and, finally, the Prayer of Sirach ardently poured forth to God (chapter 51):  Ecclesiasticus in fifty-one chapters.

2.  Historical, and those:

a.  Improperly such, or dramatic, with uncertain authors, relating things more similar to fictions than to truth.  Others also are mixed in, displaying the appearance of Prophets.  They are:

α.  Tobit, embracing the history of the life and family of Tobit (chapters 1-13), and also of the death of the same and of his son, Tobias (chapter 14):  Tobit in fourteen chapters.

β.  Baruch, comprehending the history of the book of Baruch (chapter 1:1-14), and the book itself sent to Jerusalem (chapters 1:15-5:9):  Baruch in five chapter.

γ.  Epistle of Jeremiah, wherein is contained a Prophecy concerning the approaching Babylonian captivity (verses 1, 2), and an exhortation to the captive Jews not to worship the idols of the Chaldeans (verses 3-73):  Epistle of Jeremiah in seventy-three verses.

δ.  Judith.  In which are narrated the subsequent events of Nebuchodonosor and Holofernes vexing the Jews (chapters 1-7), and the adversities soon following, with Judith procuring the most sad ruin of Holofernes (chapters 8-16):  Judith in sixteen chapters.

ε.  3 Esdras, recounting the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem (chapter 1), and its restoration (chapters 2-9):  3 Esdras in nine chapters.

ζ.  4 Esdras, including a Prophecy concerning the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles (chapters 1; 2), and prophetic visions and dreams of Esdras (chapters 3-16):  4 Esdras in sixteen chapters.

η.  Additions of Esther, in which are interwoven a dream of Mordecai, and notice of treason given to the king (chapters 1; 2), the edict of Artaxerxes against the Jews (chapter 3), and Esther’s lamentations, prayers, and supplication before the King from the people (chapters 4-6):  Additions of Esther in six chapters.

θ.  History of Susanna, in which are woven together a crime threatened against Susanna by two elders (verses 1-24), the judgment of death brought against Susanna (verses 25-44), and the marvelous deliverance of Susanna (verses 45-64):  Susanna in sixty-four verses.

ι.  History of Bel, in which is narrated the worship of Bel refused by Daniel (verses 1-5), the fraud of Bel and of the Priests of Bel (verses 6-20), and the destruction of the idol of Bel (verses 21, 22):  History of Bel in twenty-two verses.

κ.  History of the Dragon, in which are woven together the deed of Daniel killing the Dragon (verses 23-27), and the history of Daniel cast into a pit (verses 28-40), and delivered out of the same (verses 41, 42):  History of the Dragon in twenty verses.

λ.  Hymn of Azariah, in which are commemorated the piety of Azariah, confessing his sins and praising God (verses 1-10), his deprecation of the Divine anger and of the final destruction of the people (verses 11-22), and finally the outcome of his hymn (verses 23-27):  Hymn of Azariah in twenty-seven verses.

μ.  Song of the Three Children, containing the Doxology of those placed in the furnace (verses 28-65), and surmounting the furnace (verses 66-68):  Song of the Three Children in forty-one verses.

ν.  Prayer of Manasseh, in which Manasseh, narrating the terrible judgments of God, and declaring the grace of God towards the penitent (verses 1-7), confesses his own sins, implores the grace of God (verses 8-13), and expresses his intention perpetually to praise God (verse 14):  Prayer of Manasseh in fourteen verses.

b.  Historical properly such, narrating accomplished history.  Now, these are three:

α.  First Book of Maccabees, in which are set forth the occasion of the history of the Maccabees, namely, the tyranny of Antiochus Ephiphanes (chapters 1; 2), and the history of the Maccabees, with their Leaders, Mattathias, and his three sons, Judas Maccabeus, Jonathan, and Simon (chapters 3-16):  First Book of Maccabees in sixteen chapters.

β.  Second Book of Maccabees, a twofold Letter sent from the Jews of Jerusalem to the Egyptians (chapter 1:1-2:19), including an Epitome of Jason of Cyrene, and a history of Antiochus Epiphanes, Judas Maccabæus, and others (chapters 2:20-12:1), and taking up an Epistome out of Callinicus, or some other, and the history of Judas Maccabæus and Antiochus Eupator, and others (chapters 12:2-15:39):  Second Book of Maccabees in fifteen chapters.

γ.  Third Book of Maccabees, in which is set forth the impious attempt of Ptolemy Philopater to invade the Holy of Holies (chapter 1:1-23), and the animus of the same towards the Jewish people, longing for vengeance, and finally changed for the better (chapters 1:24-7:23):  Third Book of the Maccabees in seven chapters.

II.  Apocryphal books removed from the reading of the Church.  Which were even of old conjoined in the Greek edition, and held in some regard by the Holy Fathers, but omitted from the old Latin and other translations, and so removed from the reading of the Church.  And they are:

1.  Some Fragments, like:

a.  The Appendices of the Book of Job, his genealogy, and the speech of his wife to him, and other things.

b.  An Appendix to the Psalms of David, or Psalm 151.

c.  A Preface to the Lamentations of Jeremiah.

d.  A Fragment of Sirach.

2.  A whole Book, the Fourth of Maccabees, embracing the matters conducted by John Maccabæus, or Hircanus.