Books Jesus Read

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Books Jesus Read

and what is its impact on the world? The stories and songs of the Apocrypha offer important testimony in answer to these questions. Sources and Layout for Books Jesus Read Books Jesus Read: Learning from the Apocrypha is comprised of abridged selections from the deuterocanonical books included in Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Bibles. Except where otherwise noted, these are based on the text of the Authorized Version, 22 which I have modernized, comparing the selected passages against the New Revised Standard Version, as well as the Septuagint and Jerome’s Vulgate. My goal was to produce a readable but accurate translation. In Books Jesus Read , chapters 1–3 tell the story of Israel’s oppression by Antiochus Epiphanes and subsequent deliverance by the Maccabees. Chapter 4 tells the compelling story of a widow, Judith, and the unorthodox warfare she wages against the enemies of Israel. Chapter 5 presents the “doubled story” of a pious Jew named Tobit, a forerunner of the Pharisees, and Sarah, who becomes his daughter- in-law, both of whom receive healing at the hand of the angel, Raphael. Chapter 6 tells a rather different story about the Maccabean Revolt from the perspective of the Jewish Diaspora, including heart-rending descriptions of the Jewish martyrs. Chapter 7 presents the Apocryphal additions to the book of Daniel, including the stories of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews. Chapter 8, finally, presents excerpts from the wisdom collections of Sirach and Solomon.

22 Authorized Version – the 1611 King James Version.