 third century BC, King Ptolemy II Philadelphus had the Hebrew Bible translated into Greek. Its entirety was brought to completion about a century and a half before Christ was born. Added to this translation were the writings which now comprise the Apocrypha. These additions were never accepted by the Jews as a legitimate revelation from God.
“Sepharim Chitsonim” was the term used for the Apocrypha; “extraneous writings”. The inclusion of these writings by wayward souls in “Christendom” stems from the early usage of the Septuagint. Pope Damasus (366-384) called upon Jerome to translate the scriptures into Latin. He went to the land of Israel to obtain the earliest source texts. He personally rejected the Septuagint, in part, because it contained writings which were not included in the Hebrew Bible. However the Catholic system overruled Jerome’s judgment and the extra writings of the Septuagint, the Apocrypha, were included. This translation into Latin called the Vulgate (which means common speech) contributed to the Catholic Church’s inclusion of these writings in the Bible. They were not included as an aside, rather these extraneous writings were dispersed through the Old Testament as if to say, “These are one and the same as the rest.”
- The Council of Hippo (393) asserted the validity of the Septuagint’s extra writings and proclaimed them on-par with the Word of God.
- The Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) included a reassertion of the Apocrypha being the Word of God. It appears to have been a response to the Protestant rejection of the same.
This inclusion amounted to a rejection of the wisdom of God; “. . . unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles of God.” Consider what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well; “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.” (John 4:22)