What are the Apocrypha?
The Apocrypha are Jewish writings produced between the Old and New Testaments — books like Tobit, 1–2 Maccabees, Sirach. Catholics and Orthodox include them in the Old Testament; Protestants accept them as historically useful but not Scripture.
The Apocrypha includes books like Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1–2 Maccabees. They illuminate the centuries between Malachi and Matthew.
Jews did not include them in the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus and the New Testament writers never quote them as Scripture, though they were known.
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches received them as deuterocanonical ("second canon"). The Protestant Reformers respected them historically but did not regard them as inspired. Read them for context; ground doctrine in the 66 books all Christians agree are Scripture.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.