Apocrypha

A·poc·ry·pha  (-pkr-f)

n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)

1. The biblical books included in the Vulgate and accepted in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox canon but considered noncanonical by Protestants because they are not part of the Hebrew Scriptures. See Table at Bible.

2. Various early Christian writings proposed as additions to the New Testament but rejected by the major canons.

3. apocrypha Writings or statements of questionable authorship or authenticity.

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[Middle English apocripha, not authentic, from Late Latin Apocrypha, the Apocrypha, from Greek Apokrupha, neuter pl. of apokruphos, secret, hidden, from apokruptein, to hide away : apo-, apo- + kruptein, kruph-, to hide.]

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Apocrypha [ap-pok-rif-fa]

Noun, pl

the Apocrypha the 14 books included as an appendix to the Old Testament, which are not accepted as part of the Hebrew scriptures [Late Latin apocrypha (scripta) hidden (writings), from Greek apokruptein to hide away]

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apocrypha

1. religious writings of disputed origin, regarded by many author-ities as uncanonical.
2. (capitalized) a group of 15 books, not part of the canonical Hebrew Bible, but present in the Septuagint and Vulgate and hence accepted by some as biblical. — apocryphal, adj.

See also: Bible

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Apocrypha - 14 books of the Old Testament included in the Vulgate (except for II Esdras) but omitted in Jewish and Protestant versions of the Bible; eastern Christian churches (except the Coptic Church) accept all these books as canonical; the Russian Orthodox Church accepts these texts as divinely inspired but does not grant them the same status religious text, religious writing, sacred text, sacred writing - writing that is venerated for the worship of a deity Old Testament - the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible Additions to Esther - an Apocryphal book consisting of text added to the Book of Esther Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Children - an Apocryphal book consisting of text added to the Book of Daniel Book of Susanna, Susanna - an Apocryphal book consisting of text added to the Book of Daniel Bel and the Dragon - an Apocryphal book consisting of text added to the Book of Daniel Book of Baruch, Baruch - an Apocryphal book ascribed to Baruch Epistle of Jeremiah, Letter of Jeremiah - an Apocryphal book consisting of a letter ascribed to Jeremiah to the Jews in exile in Babylon warning them against idolatry Book of Tobit, Tobit - an Apocryphal book that was a popular novel for several centuries Book of Judith, Judith - an Apocryphal book telling how Judith saved her people 1 Esdras, I Esdra - an Apocryphal book consisting of a compilation from I Chronicles and II Chronicles and Ezra and Nehemiah 2 Esdras, II Esdras - an Apocryphal book of angelic revelations Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus, Sirach, Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach - an Apocryphal book mainly of maxims (resembling Proverbs in that respect) Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom - an Apocryphal book consisting mainly of a meditation on wisdom; although ascribed to Solomon it was probably written in the first century BC 1 Maccabees, I Maccabees - an Apocryphal book describing the life of Judas Maccabaeus 2 Maccabees, II Maccabees - an Apocryphal book describing the life of Judas Maccabaeus Judith - Jewish heroine in one of the books of the Apocrypha; she saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes Holofernes - (Apocrypha) the Assyrian general who was decapitated by the biblical heroine Judith