While I was writing my last few Daily Reflections on readings from 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, it occurred to me that some of you might not even be able to find those readings in your Bibles. Some of you may have been thinking, “Uh… where is she getting this? My Bible jumps from Esther straight to Job.” Or maybe, “Why do Catholics have extra books? What is this stuff they’ve added—and is it even legit?”
Let’s take a quick walk through what’s going on here—and why the Catholic Bible includes books that many Protestant Bibles don’t.
What Are These “Extra” Books?
Catholics include seven additional Old Testament books, giving 46 books in the Catholic Old Testament versus 39 in most Protestant Old Testaments.
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Tobit
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Judith
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Wisdom
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Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
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Baruch
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1 Maccabees
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2 Maccabees
Plus some additional sections in Esther and Daniel (like the Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon).
These books are called the Deuterocanonical books—meaning “second canon,” not “fake” or “apocryphal.” They were considered Scripture by the earliest Christians.
Since the New Testament is the same 27 books for both traditions, the total number of books in the Bible is 73 for Catholics and 66 for most Protestants.
Why Are They Missing in Many Protestant Bibles?
The early Church used a Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint (LXX). It included the Deuterocanonical books, and this was the Bible quoted by Jesus and the apostles.
During the 16th century Reformation, Protestant leaders preferred the shorter Hebrew canon that excluded the Deuterocanonical books. Their reasoning:
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They valued texts preserved in Hebrew, considering them “closer to the original.”
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The Deuterocanonical books had been preserved mainly in Greek within the Septuagint. They were largely not part of the later Hebrew canon finalized by Jewish authorities after 1st century AD.
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Martin Luther moved them to an appendix (1522–1534), and many later Protestant editions removed them entirely.
The Catholic Church, in response, reaffirmed the longstanding canon including these books at the Council of Trent (1546).
Key point: Catholics didn’t add books—they kept what the early Church had always used. Protestants removed them centuries later.
Quick Explainer: The Septuagint (LXX)
- Origin: Translated from Hebrew into Greek in Alexandria, 3rd century BC for Greek-speaking Jews, who used it as their Scriptures before Jesus’ time.
- Books Included: Torah first, then historical, prophetic, wisdom, and Deuterocanonical books by 2nd–1st century BC.
- Physical Evidence: 2nd century BC fragments exist; complete codices (Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus) from 4th–5th century AD.
- Jesus & Early Christians: Quotations in the New Testament often match the Septuagint (LXX), not the Hebrew text, showing it was the Bible used at the time.
- Bottom Line: The LXX preserves the Scriptures used by Jesus, the apostles, and the early Church—including the Deuterocanonical books.
Did You Know?
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While the Catholic Old Testament is based on the Septuagint (LXX), scholars and translators still consult the Hebrew Masoretic Text, which was finalized between the 7th and 10th centuries AD.
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Comparing the Hebrew and Greek texts helps illuminate original word meanings, idioms, and literary nuances.
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This careful study ensures modern Catholic translations are faithful, accurate, and rich in meaning.
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Even though the Hebrew isn’t used in liturgy, it remains an essential tool for deeper study and understanding of Scripture.
What’s in These Books—and Why Do They Matter?
These writings aren’t random extras. They contain major moments of Jewish faith, courage, and theology that help bridge the Old and New Testaments—especially 1 & 2 Maccabees.
These books preserve the only surviving historical account of the fierce persecution of the Jewish people under the Seleucid Greek rulers (the Hellenists). These were the years when Jews were:
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forbidden to worship
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banned from circumcision
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commanded to violate God’s law
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tortured for staying faithful
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watching the Temple desecrated
The mother and her seven sons (in 2 Maccabees 7) stand in this historical furnace—choosing fidelity to God over survival, proclaiming hope in the bodily resurrection centuries before Christ.
Without the books of Maccabees, we lose the historical and spiritual backdrop that shaped Jewish hope and prepared the world for Jesus.
So… Is This Material Legit?
Yes! These books were widely read and used by the early Christian community, not just scholars. They were:
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used by the Jewish community of Jesus’ time
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included in the Septuagint (the early Church’s Bible)
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quoted or echoed in the New Testament
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affirmed as Scripture by Church councils long before the Reformation
Catholics didn’t add anything. They simply kept what the first Christians had always considered the sacred and inspired Word of God.
