General
True or False:
Since the reformers were trying to prune the church and return to the most authoritative scriptures, the King James Bible was the first English Bible printed without the Apocrypha.
False
The King James Bible, along with the Tyndale and Geneva Bibles, all included the Apocrypha.
The first Bible printed in English without the Apocrypha was the Robert Aitken Bible in 1782.
True or False: The Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches all agree on which books are part of the Apocrypha.
False.
There are 18 books that have been given Apocrypha status across denominations.
- The Anglican Church recognizes 15 books.
- The Roman Catholic Church recognizes 12 books.
- The Eastern Orthodox recognize 17 books each.
What is another name for Ecclesiasticus?
A) Ecclesiastes
B) Wisdom
C) The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
D) Sirach
C) The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
D) Sirach
True or False:
The story of Judith suggests a mutual love between Judith and Holofernes.
False.
The relationship was manipulative on both sides. Holofernes wanted to get Judith in bed, and Judith wanted Holofernes dead.
The True Love in this story is God's love for Judith and His love for her and her people.
The Prophet Jeremiah
What three great empires heavily influenced the holy lands during the 400 years of silence?
1) Alexander the Great's Empire
2) The Seleucids
3) The Roman Empire
A) No. The Apocrypha isn't mentioned in any of the Gospels.
B) Yes, they clearly did as seen through text introductions such as, "for as it is written."
C) No. Even though the writings from the Apocrypha are mentioned, they are not referred to as scripture.
D) Due to a significant lack of evidence to the contrary, the church traditionally believes they did.
Answer B.
Whenever Jesus and the disciples refer to the TNK, they tend to refer to it as the scriptures, or use phrases such as, "as it is written."
However, when citing the Apocrypha, they do not add any introductory material to establish authority. Instead, they are inserted into conversation much like movie and poem quotes are.
What book in the Apocrypha is known for having the best description of the Temple services that has come down to us from Hebrew antiquity?
A) The Wisdom of Solomon
B) Tobit
C) Ecclesiasticus
B) Tobit
Which romantic tale of the Apocrypha might be considered the raunchiest?
The Book of Judith
What's the difference between Canonical Esther and Apocrypha Esther?
A) Hairstyles
B) Canonical Esther was secular with no mention of God, taking full credit for saving her people.
C) Apocryphal Esther was praying and trusting God every step, giving God the glory...
Both B and C.
B) Canonical Esther was secular with no mention of God, taking full credit for saving her people.
C) Apocryphal Esther was praying and trusting God every step, giving God the glory...
The primary resource used for the Old Testament in the Early Church was a Greek translation of the TNK. That translation was called, the __________.
A) The Q Source
B) The Torah
C) The Septuagint
D) The King James Bible
Answer C:
The Septuagint was the Greek Translation of the TNK (Tanakh).
The TNK included:
- The Torah (Teachings)
- The Navi'im (Prophets)
- The Ketuvim (Writings)
True or False:
In contrast to their contemporaries in Hellenized Alexandria, Palestinian Jews did not accept the Apocrypha as canonical.
True.
Even though the Apocrypha was primarily written in and around Jerusalem, Palestinian Jews did not accept these additional writings as Canon.
True or False:
In contrast to the Wisdom of Solomon, which focuses on theology, the Wisdom of Sirach focuses on ethics and general human conduct.
True.
The Wisdom of Solomon focuses on theology, whereas the Wisdom of Sirach focuses on ethics and general human conduct.
In the Book of Tobit, who are the lovers?
Tobit's son (Tobias) and the 7-times widow (Sara).
The Second verse of which Advent Hymn is derived from the Wisdom of Solomon?
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
The second verse comes from Wisdom 8:1
"O come, though Wisdom from on high, Who orderest all things mightily."
When was the Apocrypha written?
A) After the 1st Century AD
B) Between the 4th Century B.C. and 0 A.D.
C) Between the 3rd Century BC and the 1st Century A.D.
D) It wasn't written during any of these times. It was an Oral Tradition until the early church.
Answer C.
The Apocrypha was written between the 3rd Century B.C. and the 1st Century A.D.
The Apocrypha has been defined as:
A collection of books, or parts of books, which are found in the Septuagint but are not found in the _______.
The Apocrypha has been defined as:
A collection of books, or parts of books, which are found in the Septuagint but are not found in the Hebrew Bible (or TNK).
Which books in the Apocrypha explicitly address the relapse of Jews to paganism and its perceived folly?
The Book of Wisdom and Bel and Dragon.
What supernatural being assisted Tobit, Tobias, and Sara in their quest?
Raphael the Angel
What is one of the reasons Baruch was written?
A) to give context to Jeremiah's childhood
B) to call the Israelites to repentance and ownership of the sins that led to their exile
C) Because what else was Baruch supposed to do in exile?
D) To encourage the people not to participate in the pagan sacrifices and stay true to God.
B) to call the Israelites to repentance and ownership of the sins that led to their exile
Baruch was also written to call the people back to God, and encourage them to place their trust in him and his promise of the restoration of Israel.
It is also a warning against idolatry.
Why is the Apocrypha included in our Bibles?
1) Some argue, that the main reason we include it is the theology of the Wisdom of Solomon.
2) Because it includes the 400 years of silence (including the hellenization of the jews).
3) Because it was recognized as authoritative by many Jewish communities, and much of the early church.
In response to the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church established the Apocrypha as Deuterocanon (second canon) at which church council?
The Council of Trent, 1546
(Date not needed in answer)
Which revolt did the Book of Sirach precede?
Sirach was a lecturer on religious and ethical subjects at the house of learning which he established in Jerusalem.
In proverbs, wisdom is the pursuit of the good life. In Sirach, wisdom is the ________.
In Sirach, wisdom is the fear of the Lord.
1st Maccabbees was written as an account of the Maccabean revolt and establishment of the Hasmonean kingdom. Why was the 2nd Maccabees written?
1st Maccabees was largely a secular account following Mattathias' family (Judah, Johanathan, Simon, John, and Eleazar).
2nd Maccabees was written to show God's action and faithfulness to the people of Israel throughout the revolt and the establishment of the Hasmonean kingdom.