Apocrypha trivia

[Rozzy]

The Apocrypha that was originally in the KJV and the versions before it were called The Apocrypha Proper.

The Apocrypha in the King James Bible contained fourteen books.

1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, The rest of Esther, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch - with the Epistle of Jeramiah, Song of the Three Children, The Story of Sussana, The idol Bel and the dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees.

These books cover the intertestamental period between the Old and New testaments.

The KJV for the first one hundred years was published with margin notes that cross-referenced the Apocrypha to both the Old and New Testaments, 840 times I believe.

These "Cross references of the Scriptures" were one of the Fifteen general rules were set forth in advance By King James himself for the guidance of his translators of his version of the Bible:

"7. Such Quotations of Places to be marginally set down as shall serve for the fit Reference of one Scripture to another."

[Rozzy]

A few cross-reference examples:

Ecclesesiasticus

OLD TESTAMENT

11:1 was cross-referenced to Gen. 40:40 and Dan.6:3

11:6 was cross-referenced to 1 King 15:18

11:8 was cross-referenced to Prov. 8:13

11:11 was cross-referenced to Prov. 10:13

11:12 was cross-referenced to Job. 1:12 and Ezek. 28:4

11:23 was cross-referenced to Mal. 3:14

NEW TESTAMENT

11:4 was cross-referenced to Acts. 12:21

11:11 was cross-referenced to Mat. 19:12 and I Tim. 6:9

11:19 was cross-referenced to Luke 12:19

11:20 was cross-referenced to Mat. 10:22

We find them even cross-referencing the Old and New Testaments to the "Apocrypha". The total number of references in the margins in the Old and New Testaments to the so called "Apocrypha" books of the King James version as printed in 1611 is 113. Of this number, 102 are in the Old Testament, and 11 in the New. The New Testament passages with references to the Apocrypha are as follows:

Mat 6:7 Ecclesiasticus 7:14
Mat 23:37 2 Esdras 1:30
Mat 27:43 Wisdom 2:15-16
Luke 6:31 Tobit 4:15
Luke 14:13 Tobit 4:7
John 10:22 1 Maccabees 4:59
Rom 9:21 Wisdom 15:7
Rom 11:34 Wisdom 9:13
2 Cor 9:7 Ecclesiasticus 35:9
Heb 1:3 Wisdom 7:26
Heb 11:35 2 Maccabees 7:7

[Rozzy]

An interesting bit

When the Sadducees came to Jesus to challenge him on the issue of the Resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33), they referred to seven brothers among them who, each in turn, married the same woman, dying before having children. This story is a speculative question based on the situation of Sarah in the Book of Tobit.

The following is an interesting comparison of a verse written by Paul in 1Cor. and the book of 2 Mac. although one is baptism and the other is death the structure and the impetus is on the resurrection. The resemblance is remarkable.

(1Co 15:29) Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Have a look what 2 Maccabees says:

(2Ma 12:44) For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead

[Rozzy]

Something that has always been a point of interest for people is the Ark of the Covenant and whatever happened to it.

2 Maccabees ch.2:4-8 speaks to this issue and then Revelations ch. 11:19 picks up where Maccabees leaves off.

2 Maccabees
(2Ma 2:4) It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God.

(2Ma 2:5) And when Jeremy came thither, he found an hollow cave, wherein he laid the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.

(2Ma 2:6) And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but they could not find it.

(2Ma 2:7) Which when Jeremy perceived, he blamed them, saying, As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy.

(2Ma 2:8) Then shall the Lord shew them these things, and the glory of the Lord shall appear, and the cloud also, as it was shewed under Moses, and as when Solomon desired that the place might be honourably sanctified.

Revelations

(Rev 11:19) And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

[RG57]

For what ever reason the Ark of the Covenant disappeared without trace. There have been many over the centuries trying to find its whereabouts obviously without success. Can you imagine what would happen if were found? Even though I believe it would wonderful to see it, I hope that it stays hidden.

I have fully read the Bible, but never the Apocrypha as i have always found the writings of interest. The version I have is in the New Jerusalem Bible, and have read some parts in church from the Book of Wisdom.

[Rozzy]

The Ark of the Covenant in itself is a very interesting subject indeed. Concerning the Apocrypha Proper I knew zero about them until I stumbled on to them, once I began to investigate my interest grew and grew because when I asked about them I was given many answers that demeaned them but my research was quickly debunking those answers.

The following is what King James said about these books:

As for the Scriptures, no man doubteth, I will believe them; but even for the Apocrypha, I hold them in the same account that the ancients did: they are still printed and bound with our Bibles, and publicly read in our Churches; I reverence them as the writings of holy and good men:"

Here is another little nugget:

In 1615, The Anglican Archbishop [George] Abbott, a High Commission Court member and one of the original translator of the King James Version, "forbade anyone to issue a Bible without the Apocrypha on pain of one year's imprisonment.

[Rozzy]

Did you know the book of Wisdom in the KJV Apocrypha has one of the best references and prophecies to the coming of Christ in the entire Old Testament?



(Wis 2:12) Therefore let us lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the transgressings of our education.

(Wis 2:13) He professeth to have the knowledge of God: and he calleth himself the child of the Lord.

(Wis 2:14) He was made to reprove our thoughts.

(Wis 2:15) He is grievous unto us even to behold: for his life is not like other men's, his ways are of another fashion.

(Wis 2:16) We are esteemed of him as counterfeits: he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness: he pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed, and maketh his boast that God is his father.

(Wis 2:17) Let us see if his words be true: and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him.

(Wis 2:18) For if the just man be the son of God, he will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies.

(Wis 2:19) Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.

(Wis 2:20) Let us condemn him with a shameful death: for by his own saying he shall be respected.

(Wis 2:21) Such things they did imagine, and were deceived: for their own wickedness hath blinded them.
KJV

[Rozzy]

Beyond the Apocrypha Proper of the KJV there is a book that stirs the curiosity of many, who have long searched for and today are receiving insight into that very book.

1 Enoch also known as The Ethiopic Book of Enoch

This book has been much maligned over the centuries by a hoste of theologins yet it survives even after being banned, burned and otherwise demonized.

1 Enoch has existed centuries before the time of Christ and in fact it is so old all we can say in fact that it is very old.

In more modern times those who oppose and disregurd this book said it was likely written in the fifth century A.D. and is not worthy of a second glance.
However when the scrolls at Qumran were found there was also fragments of about ten copies of 1 Enoch. The importance of which is that makes the book at least dated to the second century B.C. Something that is not widely known is that the book of Jubilees depends heavily on the book of Enoch and Jubilees was dated to 200 B.C. which dates 1 Enoch prior to that which in a word we can say only that it is very old.

The book of Enoch is a very chritian writing that was quoted and referenced by many of the known early chrisitians for the first three centuries after Christ. 1 Enoch was added to the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox church and actually the copies that were retreived by James Bruce in 1773 were from Ethiopia. The book of Enoch was actually banned after the council of Laodicea after which it disappeared and many thought it lost for good.

[Rozzy]

1 Enoch which was held in high reguard originally was later termed to be an apocryphal book and after it resurfaced was even demoted to a pseudepigraph .

The importance of this book has been greatly understated and played down but yet it has played an important role for millenia.

There is the famous quote in Jude of course

(Jud 1:14) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

(Jud 1:15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Enoch 1:9, translated from the Ethiopic:

And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all, And to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.

The fact that Jude quotes Enoch would make me to believe it had some authority in the early church.

[Rozzy]

In chapter 1 in the book of 1 Enoch we see it written that it was for a remote generation.

1 The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be 2 living in the day of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed. And he took up his parable and said -Enoch a righteous man, whose eyes were opened by God, saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is 3 for to come.

Perhaps it was God's plan that this book disappeared for over a millenia and perhaps it is by Him that it resurfaces now?

Rozzy

[RG57]

I agree that they are great writings, we in the Catholic church still use them. Why were they removed from the Anglican Bibles. Apart from the NJB and the American Catholic Bible, I have only ever seen it in the New English Bible. Many years ago I a copy of the Apocrypha which had a leather binding, I gave it away to someone who I thougt was interested in the contents, but found later they dumped it in a second hand book shop, wish I had kept, it was handy having a seperate copy from a full Bible.

[Rozzy]

Hi RG57

The history of the Apocrypha is definitely a long and twisting trail forsure. The RCC uses seven of the Apocrypha Proper and the Anglican church did use the rest as well in the early days. There was some split off the church by the Puritans along the way, but the Apocrypha really disappeared when the Bible societies banned them around 1880-1885. The reasoning I have never got to the root of, in my humble little investigations on these books only by digging did I find out just how venerable and useful they are. Over the years they have been demeaned and denigrated because of some sort of bias that is hard to figure out. I never knew they existed for years, when I found them it sure answered some questions I had that were unanswered.

Rozzy

[RG57]

Hi Rozzy

I discovered the Apocrypha by accident in the 80's when I bought a copy of the NEB, the only reason I bought it I was intrigued by the extra books especially Maccabees. I think that they are a great source of knowledge and wisdom. I had not ever heard them read in church, infact they were ignored and I was brushed off with that they are not accpted in the cannon. This was before I became a catholic. As you probably know these scriptures are accepted as a natural part of the Bible and not an addition to the Bible which was refreshing. Did you know that there are other Apocryphical writings out there. When I was doing an all too brief look into the subject I came across them. I think I have them in my study somewhere, will have to look them out or start a search again. These I have to admit are dubious and border on blasphmey. Back to the original subject, I think that the churches would find that there is a great wealth if they put them back.
One thought, could the Bible societies and protestant churches banned them because the Catholic church accepted them?

RG57

[Rozzy]

RG57

Yes there are many apocryphal books, some are from Old testament and some are New testament times. The books that are now called The Apocrypha Proper are the texts that were in the bible but have been removed by the prejudice brought against them. They were not originally so named, the term apocrypha began to be used as a derogatory term against these sacred books.
The real apocryphyl books both pre christian and post christian era are a fanciful read forsure but have never been held up as any thing more than that as far as I know. The attempt was made to subjugate the sacred books of the now called Apocrypha Proper to the status of the others in the apocrypha category, over time they succeeded. However today many people are investigating for themselves and these books are finding favor with those who do an honnest investigation. Those who hold prejudice against them still put forth a flood of the same old stuff hoping to overwelm an interested individual but under the surface of all the propaganda the truth is still there.

My library has a whole section of apocrypha and pseudepigrapha that I have got much enjoyment from. There are some more serious ones in that category as well, like The Book of Jubilees which is considered to be a pseudepigraph but also known as The Little Genesis. because of the era it was written the writer would not dare call it scripture because it would likely have meant his life. Another book I recall is 2 Baruch, that book especially had my attention because one time I had a vision of black rain and 2 Baruch is the only place I found the explanation, I came to read 2 Baruch and there it was in black and white. It was pretty kewl anyway.

Rozzy

[RG57]

Rozzy

You've wetted my appetite to find out the old papers and go back to reading them again. I just that they are buried and not put through the shredder in a fit of tidiness. On the bright side I found a sight last night that has them all. so, it should be too difficult to get a bit of late night reading.

I found that there is only one small problem. Being as I belong to a church that use the apocrypha you tend to study it less. I had enthusiasm once to read and searh this subject, perhaps now that vigour is on the return.

RG57

[Rozzy]

Rozzy

You've wetted my appetite to find out the old papers and go back to reading them again. I just that they are buried and not put through the shredder in a fit of tidiness. On the bright side I found a sight last night that has them all. so, it should be too difficult to get a bit of late night reading.

I found that there is only one small problem. Being as I belong to a church that use the apocrypha you tend to study it less. I had enthusiasm once to read and searh this subject, perhaps now that vigour is on the return.

RG57

When you combine reading them and researching them book by book it will take you from one end of the Bible to the other and will really give you a new broader understanding on some of the Bible you thought you knew.

Rozzy

[RG57]

Rozzy

From the little I read before, I know I was asking questions. The first obviously was their sourse and validity. But that apart I agree they are eye openers and you can see why some papers/letters/books/gospels etc were not included. Others should/could have been included one example that I can think of is the 151st Psalm! What are your thoughts?

RG57

[Rozzy]

RG57

Psalm 151 is certainly an interesting bit. Psalm 151 was included in the Septuagint Bible, today it is included in the canon of the Church of the East, it is also included in some P-e-s-h-i-t-t-a. Many others relegate it to the Apocrypha, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish orthodox.
The one thing that was always held against it is that only a Greek text was known. The find of the Dead Sea Scrolls changed all of that as Psalm 151 was found amongst those found at Qumran. The primary text I use is the KJVA which does not have Psalm 151, I myself like this last Psalm and do read it out of my Septuagint. Psalm 151 creates no conflict for me whatsoever and is welcome in my library.

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

Something I have seen on the web lately is the KJV with Apocrypha being changed, by that I mean the books within the Apocrypha being substituted for others that were never in the KJV period. Sussana, Bel and the Dragon, The Rest of Esther and The Song of The Three Children have been removed while 3 Maccabees and 4 Maccabees have been inserted in their place.
I use a Bible program and I did a nuke and pave in my computer lately and reinstalled the programs I use and the first thing I noticed is somebody fiddled with my KJV. Then I looked at Brentons Septuagint and low and behold the Apocrypha was gone but the New Testament was added. I was not happy is an understatement. Some folks who look for the real thing may not know and think they have the original. Take nothing for granted and make sure you do your own research, also there is a lot of misinformation and propaganda that is repeated so often we may think it is true unless we do our homework especially concerning the Bible and the Apocryphal books. To get to the truth takes some digging and some patience but it is worth it in the end and becomes quite a reward.

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

Did you know there is a concordance to the Apocrypha?

In 1806 I believe was the first American edition

Cruden's Complete Concordance to the Apocrypha, which is still available today.

Rozzy

[RG57]

Did you know there is a concordance to the Apocrypha?

In 1806 I believe was the first American edition

Cruden's Complete Concordance to the Apocrypha, which is still available today.

Rozzy


Hi Rozzy

haven't looked at this thread for some time, you are a mine of information. That there was actually a concordance for the Apocrypha is new to me. It looks as though that there are/were serious about this part of scripture. I call them scripture some churches do not, perhaps we in the RC church are fortunate that these writings are natural part of our Bibles. The books are not put together as a seperate part like the Old ands New Testaments, but I would assume put in age order? any ideas? Unlike the New English Bible, the Apocrypha is in between the OT & NT.

RG57

[Rozzy]

Hi Rozzy

haven't looked at this thread for some time, you are a mine of information. That there was actually a concordance for the Apocrypha is new to me. It looks as though that there are/were serious about this part of scripture. I call them scripture some churches do not, perhaps we in the RC church are fortunate that these writings are natural part of our Bibles. The books are not put together as a seperate part like the Old ands New Testaments, but I would assume put in age order? any ideas? Unlike the New English Bible, the Apocrypha is in between the OT & NT.

RG57


Hi RG57

Actually the text we know as the Apocrypha Proper were not originally known as such, that term is a later appelation applied to them. These books were not seperate from the other Old testement books originally but were seperated out at various later dates. The term apocrypha is not accurate and is a disservice to these texts, apocrypha as every one is aware means hidden or secret. How could that be when they were an intregral part of the Septuagint Bible?
The socalled silent years between the Old and New testaments were not so silent as these are the books that cover that time. The placement of these books either between the testaments or integrated amongst the Old Testament is exceptable either way in my opinion as long as they are there.
I chuckle when I here it said that the RCC added books to the Bible, actually the RCC removed seven and the Protestants removed fourteen, fifteen if you count the Epistle of Jeremiah as a seperate book.
Something else notable here, the Apocrypha are the books that supported the idea of the ressurection prior to the time of Christ, Yahushuah was expected, he did not just drop in unexpected like.

I depend on an original KJV for my authoritive text, the KJV you would purchase today is not the KJV of the past, so much has been removed, more than I even knew after studying the issue. I do have the original 1611KJV in the original font but do to its size and print type it is not a great study Bible. However there is a Bible produced in 2003 that is the entire, and I mean complete KJV that is the exact version as the original but with one difference being the font is modern so it is much easy to read , second it is normal size and weight, not ten pounds. I believe it is published by Hendrickson.
The margin notes are of peticular interest to me and that is one of the things that most christians today do not know is that the KJV had margin notes.

My Bibles do include the Septuagint, the P-e-s-h-i-t-ta and others which I do apreciate very much as well.

The only reason that the Apocrypha was dropped was because it was literally banned by the bible societies, the propaganda against these books today especially on the net can be debunked in a heart beat, they repeat the stuff so often people think it must be true but as with most things the truth can be found you just have to look for it.

Rozzy

[RG57]

Hi Rozzy

The version you mentioned sounds worth buying, I will see if our local Christian bookshop can get it for me, if not I will search the web such as Amazon.

You mentionen that the bible societies banned these valuable pieces of scripture, why? from the pieces I've read pose no threat, no contridition to any particular docrine. i have never understood the established churches thought patterns. I what be interested in your thoughts on this.

RG57

[Rozzy]

Hi Rozzy

You mentionen that the bible societies banned these valuable pieces of scripture, why? from the pieces I've read pose no threat, no contridition to any particular docrine. i have never understood the established churches thought patterns. I what be interested in your thoughts on this.

RG57

Well there was quite a rivalry between the two camps of the RCC and the Protestants, the RCC had already laid its foundation of doctrine pretty much and the protestants meant to do the same but wanted a clear seperation between theirs and their rival.
As time moved on and man figured he was getting pretty sofisticated and modern he felt the need for a clear legal type of doctrine that would leave those out of date and rather neanderthal ways behind or so was their thinking. I believe King James was well aware of what was going on and published the KJV to protect the full integrity of the word and make it the standard which he did in fact do. But as soon as he was out of the way it all started back up, the nibble at the edges from then until now and we have gotten to where we are now.
One arguement I hear is that the Jews never included the Apocrypha in their canon. Well I guess not because the Massoretic text was not completed until about the tenth century A.D. Secondly which Jews would they betalking about? it would have to be the Pharisee or later talmudist Jew which was against the entire New testament as well. The Orthodox Jew is only a part of one tribe, that being the tribe of Judah. There are many messianic Jews as well and that does not include all the Isrealites of the other ten tribes. People believe the other ten tribes were lost but they are not lost otherwise God is made a liar, I myself and my ancestry go back to the tribe of Simeon which makes me a Hebrew and an Israelite but not a Jew.

Rozzy

[Whifflingpin]

"Secondly which Jews would they betalking about? "
"Which Jew" you should say. Pre-christian scriptures that were not used by Jesus are not, in the Christian view, essential to the faith. They may, of course be helpful.

I believe that both sides are agreed on that. It is just that one side says "Include them as they may be helpful:" the other says "Omit them so as not to imply that they are essential."

[backline]

...one side says "Include them as they may be helpful:" the other says "Omit them so as not to imply that they are essential."


I dunno, the Bible College I went to (Assemblies o' God) and several evangelical churches I've been involved with pretty bluntly declared the Apocrophal books maybe not quite as heretical as Gnosticism, but right up there next to it.
'Course, some of those churches were plungeing headlong into the '50's (I won't say which century).

[Rozzy]

"Secondly which Jews would they betalking about? "
"Which Jew" you should say. Pre-christian scriptures that were not used by Jesus are not, in the Christian view, essential to the faith. They may, of course be helpful.

I believe that both sides are agreed on that. It is just that one side says "Include them as they may be helpful:" the other says "Omit them so as not to imply that they are essential."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I dunno, the Bible College I went to (Assemblies o' God) and several evangelical churches I've been involved with pretty bluntly declared the Apocrophal books maybe not quite as heretical as Gnosticism, but right up there next to it.
'Course, some of those churches were plungeing headlong into the '50's (I won't say which century).

I belong to no peticular denomination and have no axe to grind with them, people believe what they are taught and that is fine. I know ideologs say that the Bible does not reference or quote the Apocrypha or that Jesus and the disciples do not but they in fact do. Others say they were never in the Bible but they always were. Saying the Jews did not use them is just flat out wrong, in the temple there was no canon and there were many scrolls and parchment until the temple was destroyed, many of which you have not seen even now.

The KJV is a translation from the Textus Receptus, the Massoretic text and the Septuagint which included these books intermingled with the others of the old testament. To say they should not have been is a bit like telling Wayne Gretzky he does not know how to play hockey. The Septuagint was translated from the original MSS which even the translators of the KJV did not have. The Bible did include these books up until the Bible societies banned them. The reason they were put between the Old and New Testaments is because that is the time they covered, there was no silent period of four hundred years.

Because of the deletions made to the original KJV people can be taught things about the Apocrypha that is just flat out wrong. Take a look at a real KJV not one of these socalled authorised versions of today. The real KJV has margin notes that cross reference the Apocrypha to the Old Testament, and margin notes that cross reference the Apocrypha to the New Testament. It has margin notes that reference both the Old and New Testaments to the Apocrypha. That is important because you begin to understand that they both knew and taught the books, they were not seperated out as spurious or thought of as less than scripture as one would suppose today.
These books were not called apocrypha originally, that came via the church. The term apocrypha means secret or hidden which these books never were, just get a Septuagint Bible and see for yourself, it is hard to say they were secret when they were part of the original Bible. Going to seminary is nice but you have to remember that what you learn there is part and parcel of a peticular doctrine and dogma.

Propaganda on any subject if told long enough and loud enough will be believed by people given enough time.

Most people still believe Columbus discovered America, chuckle, my ancestors have been going to America since about 3500 B.C. Where do you think all that copper came from tha king David had piled up in Israel? Thousands of tons were mined around the great lakes, the workings are still there.

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

A rebuttle of an old worn arguement

It is often argued that the Jews never excepted the Apocrypha and did not include them as scripture.

That would certainly seem like an odd claim considering it was the Jews who translated the Septuagint Bible from ancient Hebrew MSS to Greek starting around 285 B.C.

The Septuagint did in fact have 54 books in its Old Testament as compared to the 39 of most modern versions. These books were in order one after the other with no delineation or lines drawn between certain of the books that would indicate any seperate classification or lessor status. The term apocrypha seems to go back to Jerome in the fifth century and was implied more heavily as time went on.

Rozzy

[RG57]

Hi Rozzy

Back again to read your great information and thanks for the info on why societies didn't use it. I am hopeing to get some reading done on the subject and some of the papers, but I'm not getting much time at the moment. One strange thought, if apocrypha means hidden, well a lot of churches and groups are making sure they stay that way, it is a good thing that there are that like to read more than is presented by the established churches.

[Rozzy]

The Prayer of Manases

The Prayer of Manasses appears as part of the KJV Apocrypha and though short is a unque read about repentance. Manasses was the thirteenth King of Judah, son of Hezekiah. The prayer is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 33 but the actual prayer itself is not found there.
The conclussions reached by Manasses are similar to Job's but are stated in only a few verses.

[Rozzy]

Who coined the term "Apocrypha"

Jerome, the fourth/fifth century preist and apologist that translated the Vulgate, but that is a whole 'nother issue.

[Rozzy]

The only account of The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) is found at 1 Maccabees 4:52-59.
No other mention will be found in any of the remaining biblical texts.
Hanukkah was the last feast day the Jews instituted before Christ.
Without the Apocrypha the biblical historical record stops at the Persian captivity. Without the Apocrypha there is no record of the Greek and Roman captivity/occupation, the Maccabean wars in the centuries preceding Christ.
After the prophecies of Daniel, (the Greek kingdom, the Syrian Kingdom and their desecration of the Temple), where are the records contemporary with the outcome of Daniel's prophecy? In the book of Maccabees, but you would not know this if it is not in your Bible.

John 10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

John is writing about Jesus attending an instituted feast that is not in your Bible, where is the OT reference to The Feast of Dedication also known as The feast of Lights and The feast of Maccabees?
Without 1 Maccabees there is no historical biblical record for Hanukkah, it just appears out of thin air in the New Testament.

[Rozzy]

A good question to ask is, did Jesus know, quote or debate the Apocrypha?

The following is some of the evidence He certainly did.

Matthew 6:12, 14-15---"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your heavenly father forgive your transgressions."
Sirach 28:2---"Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven."

Luke 1:17 (describing John the Baptist)---"He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers towards children and the disobediant to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord."
Sirach 48:10---"You are destined, it is written, in time to come, to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord, to turn back the hearts of fathers towards their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob."

Luke 1:28, 1:42---"And coming to her, he said, 'Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you!'.....Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
Judith 13:18---"Then Uzziah said to her: 'Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women of the earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

Luke 1:52---"He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones, but lifted up the lowly."
Sirach 10:14---"The thrones of the arrogant God overturns, and establishes the lowly in their stead."

Luke 12:19-20---"I shall say to myself, 'Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!' But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'"
Sirach 11:19---"When he says: 'I have found rest, now I will feast on my possessions,' he does not know how long it will be till he dies and leaves them to others."

Luke 18:22---"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.'"
Sirach 29:11---"Dispose of your treasure as the Most High commands, for that will profit you more than the gold."

John 3:12---"If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?"
Wisdom 9:16---"Scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?"

John 5:18---"For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but he also called God his own Father, making himself equal to God."
Wisdom 2:16---"He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father."

John 10:29---"My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand."
Wisdom 3:1---"But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them."

[Rozzy]

When the Sadducees came to Jesus to challenge him on the issue of the Resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33), they referred to seven brothers among them who, each in turn, married the same woman, dying before having children. This story is a speculative question based on the situation of Sarah in the Book of Tobit.

Jesus' parable of the widow and the uncaring judge (Lk 18:1-8) is a variation of a set of proverbs found in the Wisdom of Sirach (Ecclus 35:13-15).

[Rozzy]

What about Paul, the writer of so many NT texts?

St. Paul often alludes to the wisdom and power of God, and his treatment shows a strong affinity with the Book of Wisdom, the theology of which is strongly Christian. One fine example of this is in Romans:
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. (Rom 5:12)
St. Paul's understanding of the Fall does not depend only on Genesis 2-3, which does not explicitly state that sin entered the world because of Adam's transgression. It can be interpreted this way, but St. Paul's exegesis depends more on the book of Wisdom:
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it. (Wis 2:24)

The following is a great example of the influence of the book of Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon), also one of the books removed by the Bible societies.

Wisdom of Solomon Ch. 5
[17] He shall take to him his jealousy for complete armour, and make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies.
[18] He shall put on righteousness as a breastplate, and true judgment instead of an helmet.
[19] He shall take holiness for an invincible shield.
[20] His severe wrath shall he sharpen for a sword, and the world shall fight with him against the unwise.

Ephesians 6
[13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
[14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
[15] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
[16] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
[17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Now you know where putting on the full armor of God in Ephesians came from.

[Rozzy]

The following shows the continuity that is there when you do not remove a few books from the center of time.

Numbers 21:6-9
Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set in on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

Wisdom of Solomon 16:5-7
And [when the Israelites] were being destroyed by the bites of writhing serpents, your wrath did not continue to the end; they were troubled for a little while as a warning and received a symbol for deliverance to remind them of your law’s command. For he who turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw, but by you, the Savior of all.

John 3:14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.