Have you ever wondered about the books that didn’t make it into the Bible? Throughout history, several texts were excluded during the process of canonization. This article sheds light on those books and the reasons for their removal.
Historical Context
Understanding why certain books were excluded requires a look into the early history of Christianity and Judaism. The formation of the biblical canon was influenced by theological, political, and cultural factors. Councils such as those at Nicaea and Carthage played pivotal roles in determining which texts would be included in the Bible.
List of 75 Books Removed from the Bible
1. Introduction to Apocryphal Books
The term “apocryphal” refers to books not included in the canonical Bible. These texts were excluded for various reasons, including questions about their authorship, authenticity, and doctrinal content.
2. The Books of Enoch
1 Enoch 1:9 – “And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly.”
3. The Book of Jubilees
Jubilees 2:2 – “For on the first day He created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before Him.”
4. The Book of Tobit
Tobit 12:6 – “Then the angel called the two of them privately and said to them, ‘Praise God and give thanks to Him; exalt Him and give thanks to Him in the presence of all the living for what He has done for you.'”
5. The Wisdom of Solomon
Wisdom 1:1 – “Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord with uprightness, and seek Him with sincerity of heart.”
6. The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Sirach 2:1 – “My child, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for testing.”
7. The Prayer of Manasseh
Prayer of Manasseh 1:1 – “O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of their righteous offspring;”
8. The Additions to Esther
Esther 10:4 – “Then Mardocheus said, ‘God hath done these things.'”
9. The Book of Baruch
Baruch 1:1 – “And these are the words of the book which Baruch the son of Neraiah, the son of Mahseiah, the son of Zedekiah, the son of Hasadiah, the son of Hilkiah, wrote in Babylon,”
10. The Epistle of Jeremiah
Jeremiah 6:1 – “Flee for safety, O children of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem!”
11. The Book of 1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees 1:1 – “And it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came out of the land of Chettiim, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece.”
12. The Book of 2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:1 – “The brethren, the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea, wish unto the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt, health and peace.”
13. The Book of 3 Maccabees
3 Maccabees 1:1 – “When Philopator learned from those who returned that the places which he had controlled were in a state of revolt, he reached the area of Raphia with an enormous and thoroughly equipped force.”
14. The Book of 4 Maccabees
4 Maccabees 1:1 – “The subject of my discourse is instructive. I will demonstrate to you the rationality of the heroic courage of these men who died for virtue’s sake.”
15. The Gospel of Thomas
Thomas 1:1 – “These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.”
16. The Gospel of Mary
Mary 4:1 – “Mary said, ‘What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.'”
17. The Acts of Paul and Thecla
Paul and Thecla 1:1 – “Thecla listened to Paul’s discourse on virginity and salvation through Jesus Christ.”
18. The Shepherd of Hermas
Hermas 1:1 – “He who created and multiplied and increased this vine is not the same as he who plucked its fruit.”
19. The Book of Jasher
Jasher 1:1 – “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
20. The Book of Judith
Judith 1:1 – “It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh.”
21. The Book of Susanna
Susanna 1:1 – “There dwelt a man in Babylon, called Joacim.”
22. The Book of Bel and the Dragon
Bel and the Dragon 1:1 – “And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom.”
23. The Apocalypse of Peter
Peter 1:1 – “Many of them will be false prophets and will teach divers ways and doctrines of perdition.”
24. The Gospel of Judas
Judas 1:1 – “The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot.”
25. The Odes of Solomon
Solomon 1:1 – “The Lord is on my head like a crown, and I shall not be without Him.”
26. The Epistle of Barnabas
Barnabas 1:1 – “Greetings, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord who loved us, in peace.”
27. The Second Epistle of Clement
2 Clement 1:1 – “Brethren, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ, as of God, as of the Judge of quick and dead.”
28. The Psalms of Solomon
Solomon 1:1 – “I cried unto the Lord when I was in distress, unto God when sinners assailed.”
29. The Book of Gad the Seer
Gad 1:1 – “And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house.”
30. The Book of Nathan the Prophet
Nathan 1:1 – “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.”
31. The Acts of Andrew
Andrew 1:1 – “The apostles were preaching in various regions, and Andrew was in Achaia.”
32. The Acts of John
John 1:1 – “John, the servant of the Lord, who reclined on His bosom, says thus.”
33. The Acts of Peter
Peter 1:1 – “Peter was preaching the word in Rome and performing miracles.”
34. The Acts of Thomas
Thomas 1:1 – “Thomas, who is called Didymus, went to preach in India.”
35. The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Infancy 1:1 – “I, Thomas the Israelite, am reporting to you, all my brethren, among the Gentiles, to make known the mighty childhood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
36. The Protoevangelium of James
James 1:1 – “In the histories of the twelve tribes of Israel, there was one Joachim, a man rich exceedingly; and he brought his offerings double.”
37. The Gospel of Philip
Philip 1:1 – “A Hebrew makes another Hebrew, and such a person is called a proselyte.”
38. The Apocalypse of Paul
Paul 1:1 – “But I went about with my friends in the desert and was hungry.”
39. The Gospel of Nicodemus
Nicodemus 1:1 – “I, Ananias, a soldier, being of the guard of Jerusalem, and seeing that wicked judgment of the law done upon Jesus.”
40. The Epistles of Ignatius
Ignatius 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church which is in the vicinity of Magnesia.”
41. The Didache
Didache 1:1 – “There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways.”
42. The Apocalypse of Adam
Adam 1:1 – “The revelation which Adam taught his son Seth in the seven hundredth year, saying: Listen to my words, my son Seth.”
43. The Gospel of Barnabas
Barnabas 1:1 – “And Barnabas went forth from Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
44. The Life of Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve 1:1 – “This is the account of the life of Adam and Eve after they were driven out of the Garden of Eden.”
45. The Martyrdom of Isaiah
Isaiah 1:1 – “And Hezekiah and Josab my son, we were together on the Sabbath day.”
46. The Book of the Secrets of Enoch
Enoch 1:1 – “There was a wise man, a great artificer, and the Lord conceived love for him and received him, so that he should behold the uppermost dwellings and be an eyewitness of the wise and great and inconceivable and immutable realm of God Almighty.”
47. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
Patriarchs 1:1 – “The copy of the testament of Simeon, even the things which he spake to his sons before he died, in the hundred and twentieth year of his life, at which time Joseph, his brother, died.”
48. The Gospel of the Ebionites
Ebionites 1:1 – “When it came to pass that John baptized, all went out unto him.”
49. The Gospel of the Egyptians
Egyptians 1:1 – “It is written in the Gospel of the Egyptians: ‘He revealed to me what is hidden.'”
50. The Apocalypse of Zephaniah
Zephaniah 1:1 – “The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi.”
51. The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians
Polycarp 1:1 – “Polycarp, and the presbyters that are with him, to the Church of God sojourning at Philippi: Mercy and peace from God Almighty, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, be multiplied.”
52. The Apocryphon of John
John 1:1 – “One day John, the brother of James, who are the sons of Zebedee, went up and came to the temple.”
53. The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles
Twelve Apostles 1:1 – “The Gospel of the twelve apostles, and how they foretold the many things in the heavens and in the earth.”
54. The Dialogue of the Savior
Savior 1:1 – “The dialogue of the savior, where the Savior appeared to them.”
55. The Revelation of Peter
Peter 1:1 – “The Saviour was sitting in the temple in the three hundredth year.”
56. The Gospel of the Hebrews
Hebrews 1:1 – “The Gospel according to the Hebrews is used by the Nazarenes and Ebionites.”
57. The Testament of Abraham
Abraham 1:1 – “This is the testament of Abraham, the forefather of the patriarchs.”
58. The Acts of Philip
Philip 1:1 – “Philip went forth preaching the Gospel, and baptizing in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
59. The Acts of Thaddaeus
Thaddaeus 1:1 – “Thaddaeus was one of the apostles, and he preached in Edessa and Mesopotamia.”
60. The Acts of Matthias
Matthias 1:1 – “Matthias, who was added to the apostles after the ascension of Jesus, was sent to Damascus.”
61. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
Ignatius to the Ephesians 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which is at Ephesus, in Asia, deservedly most happy.”
62. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians
Ignatius to the Magnesians 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which is at Magnesia, near the Maeander, which is blessed through the grace of God the Father in Christ Jesus our Savior.”
63. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians
Ignatius to the Trallians 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the holy church which is at Tralles, in Asia, beloved of God the Father of Jesus Christ, elect and worthy of God.”
64. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans
Ignatius to the Romans 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which has obtained mercy, through the majesty of the most High Father, and His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.”
65. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians
Ignatius to the Philadelphians 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which is at Philadelphia, in Asia, which is loved of God.”
66. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans
Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church of God the Father and of the beloved Jesus Christ, which is at Smyrna in Asia.”
67. The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp
Ignatius to Polycarp 1:1 – “Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to Polycarp, bishop of the church of the Smyrnaeans, or rather, who has as his own bishop, God the Father, and Jesus Christ.”
68. The Gospel of the Nazarenes
Nazarenes 1:1 – “The Gospel of the Nazarenes, which the Nazarenes and Ebionites use.”
69. The Gospel of the Ebionites
Ebionites 1:1 – “The Gospel of the Ebionites, which is also called the Gospel of Matthew.”
70. The Apocalypse of Peter
Peter 1:1 – “The Lord said to Peter, ‘Put thy hands over thine eyes, and cover thy face, and tell me what thou seest.'”
71. The Acts of Pilate
Pilate 1:1 – “The Acts of Pilate, also known as the Gospel of Nicodemus, begins with an account of the trial of Jesus.”
72. The Epistle to the Laodiceans
Laodiceans 1:1 – “Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, to the brethren which are at Laodicea.”
73. The Apocalypse of Abraham
Abraham 1:1 – “The words of the vision which Abraham saw, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber.”
74. The Vision of Paul
Paul 1:1 – “The vision which Paul saw, the blessed apostle and servant of the Lord, when he was caught up to the third heaven.”
75. The Questions of Bartholomew
Bartholomew 1:1 – “Bartholomew said, ‘Lord, tell me what sin the devil has committed, that he is without any part of salvation.'”
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Why Were These Books Removed?
The elimination of these particular 75 books from the Bible depends on a number of factors, including theological controversies, history, and the cultural transformation that surrounded them. The main reason that excluded them was the unattested authorship, although most of the letters were considered to have been composed far from the apostolic period.
Of these, some were incorporated into certain editions of the Bible meant for certain denominations and groups of any religion. These texts are believed to have been compiled around the time of what is referred to as the intertestamentum—between the Old and New Testaments.
“Pseudepigrapha” is a parenthetical scripture that claims authorship by apostles and prophets. Notably, many of the omitted books are of this nature, especially given their questionable credibility and appropriateness to be classified strictly in religious literature.
On the other hand, “Apocryphal Texts” are extra canonical scriptures present in some Bibles and not received in all other Bibles. They contain further information focused on particular forms of religious groups.
Finally, knowing why these books did not make the cut in the Bible reveals a lot about religious history and the canonization process. While some of them are included in certain versions of the Bible, many others remain outside the canon, which has been a source of controversy to this very day about their relevance and legitimacy.
Conclusion
These 75 books offer fascinating insights into early Christian thought and the broader religious landscape of antiquity. Their removal from the canonical Bible does not diminish their historical or spiritual value. Each text provides a unique perspective and deepens our understanding of the complexities of faith and scripture.