There
is good reason to believe that the eight so called Deuterocanical books are inspired. The books I am referring to are Baruch,
the Letter of Jeremiah, Yeshua the son of Sira (Greek pronunciation: Jesus Ben Sirach), Wisdom, Judith, Tobit, and 1st & 2nd Maccabees. These books were
accepted as inspired by both the Aramaic and Greek speaking Jews. Also, content in some of these books are either referenced
or in agreement by undisputed Scripture. Some of them contain prophecy fulfillment.
What I don’t believe are inspired are the additions to Esther and Daniel. Though it is true that both the Aramaic and
Greek translations of the Old Testament contain these additional words, it should be noted that these canons and translations
are not perfect. Cultural forces probably influenced these additions to be added to the books of Esther and Daniel.
The above stated additions
are not in the original text of either Esther or Daniel. For Esther, the Aramaic translation has a commentary on the additional
parts and states that they are not in the original Hebrew text but are in the common (or universal) codex and are also
written down in the language of the Greeks. There is no commentary for the additions to Daniel, but they are probably forgeries.
Biblical stories appear to be in chronological order. However, a younger Daniel in the additional story about Susana appears
at the end of the Book of Daniel (i.e. chapter 13 out of the 14 chapters); breaking the chronological cycle. The additions
appear to be just put in with the original text to give more details about the prior chapters. These additions can’t
be joined together into a single work (or book). There are no connecting words leading to the next events in the following
story.
Reasons to believe in the Deuterocanical
Books:
The books of Tobit and Judith contain history about the nation of Media. Additionally, the books of 1st
and 2nd Maccabees contain history about the Greek nation and its later kingdoms. I would think this information
would be in the Bible because these nations are talked about in prophecy:
“…suddenly a male goat came from the west,
across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.
And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was
no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could
deliver the ram from his hand. Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken,
and in place of it four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came a little horn which
grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land” (Daniel 8:5-9 NKJV). The male goat represents Greece and the notable horn represents
Alexander the Great, Greece’s first king (8:21, Macc. 6:2). Greece defeated the Media-Persia nation which is represented
as the ram. Later, Alexander drank himself to death and died of a fever at the age of thirty-two, and hence the large
horn of the male goat was broken. The four
notable horns that came up afterwards refer to his four generals: Antiochus (1 Macc. 1:10), Ptolemy (1 Macc. 1:18), Lysimachus
(2 Macc. 4:39) and Cassander. From the horn that represented Antiochus who ruled Syria came a little horn.
This little horn was Antiochus IV Epiphanes (1 Macc. 1:10), who persecuted the Jews in the Glorious Land from about 171-165
B.C. He ruled from 175-164 B.C. His brother Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 B.C.), however, came to the throne before him
(2 Macc. 4:7).
(Daniel 8:20-22 NKJV) confirms some of the above interpretations.
Here, the goat represents both Greece and its king.: “The ram which you saw, having the two horns – they are the kings of Media and
Persia. And the male goat is the kingdom (king) of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king. As for the broken horn
and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.” (Dan.
8:20-22 NKJV). The four kingdoms were Macedonia, Asia, Syria and Egypt.
Wisdom of Solomon:
The “breastplate of righteousness” is also spoken of
in the book of Wisdom.
“And he
shall put on the breastplate of righteousness; and put on his head the helmet of judgment without falsehood. And he shall
take the buckler (round shield) of holiness that he shall not be overcome” (Wis. 5:19-20 Peshitta / Wis. 5:18-19 NAB)
[see also Isa. 59:17; Eph. 6:13-17; & 1 Thess. 5:8]
The “gates of Sheol” are referred to in both Wisdom
and Matthew:
“Because you have power over death
and life; and you are causing to descend to the gates of Sheol, and causing to ascend.” (Wis. 16:13 Peshitta)
“…I will build my church; and the doors
(gates) of
Sheol shall not shut upon it (prevail over [subdue] it).” (Matt. 16:18 Lamsa)
Tobit:
“I am Raphael, one of
the angels standing before God.” (Tobit 12:15 Peshitta). Raphael is presumably one of the seven spirits before God’s throne (Rev. 1:4). The Book of Enoch*,
which has some probability of being canonical or inspired also lists Raphael among the seven main angels. The Angels are Uriel,
Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel and Remiel (see Enoch 20:1-6).
* Twenty manuscripts of 1 Enoch were found in the caves at Qumran. All of them in Aramaic. This highly favors
the probability of the book’s original language being Aramaic and not Ethiopic, Hebrew or Greek. Chapters 37 -71 are
missing in those manuscripts and were likely inserted into the original book by apostate Christians. The frequent title “son
of man” (88x) appears in those chapters; so it is likely that the New Testament influenced 1 Enoch’s final form
rather than the reverse. (Reference The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible pgs 480-481).
Nevertheless, Jude did quote (verses 14-15) from an authentic verse from the Book of Enoch (Enoch 1:9). Thus,
the Aramaic book of Enoch may be inspired and part of Scripture.