Apocrypha

Apocrypha is a term used for a set of Jewish texts composed mainly between the third century BCE and the first century CE. These writings were preserved in Greek Bible collections, especially the Septuagint, and circulated alongside other scriptural texts in antiquity. They include historical narratives, wisdom literature, prayers, and expansions of earlier biblical stories. In later Christian tradition, particularly in Catholic and Orthodox contexts, many of these books are called the Deuterocanon, meaning “second canon,” to indicate their accepted but distinct status. Differences in how communities received these texts reflect later debates about authority rather than their importance or use in earlier periods.