Have you ever wondered why the Catholic Bible has 73 books, while the other Bibles only have 66? Today we will learn about the seven extra books.
I recommend our article Who wrote the Evangelical Christian Bible as we know it to complement this reading.
Many people wonder why the Catholic Bible has 73 books.
And this is a question that has been asked for many years.
In the New Testament Bible of both Catholics and Protestants there are 27 books.
The problem is with the Old Testament books, because the Catholics have 7 more books.
Protestant Bibles have 39 books, while the Catholic Bible has 46 books.
So if you are wondering why the Catholic Bible has 73 books, it is because of these remaining 7.
why does the catholic bible have 73 books?
When Jesus Christ was on earth, there was only the Old Testament.
There were two lists of books in use, one of 47, known as the 70 version, and the other of 39, known as the Hebrew or Palestinian canon.
It was the Catholic Church that established the biblical canon.
In its eagerness to be faithful to the list of 70, the Catholic Bible uses these books.
This canon of the Old and New Testaments began at the Council of Rome in 382.
It was later confirmed by the Council of Hippo and the Council of Carthage.
At each of these councils, the Catholic Church included the deuterocanonical books, for it was they who decided what was the Word of God.
This explains why the Catholic Bible has 73 books.
I recommend our article What is the Queen Valera Bible and what is the history behind it.
Tobias
This book was written around 200 BC.
It belongs to the genre of edifying tales, which are stories that convey moral and religious teachings.
The main characters are members of a family from the tribe of Naphtali.
The teaching of this book is aimed at maintaining faith.
God’s providential action is what is emphasised in this book.
It teaches that true wisdom can only be achieved by maintaining trust in God, even in adverse situations.
In this book there is an “angel” called Raphael, whose name means “God heals”.
Although other texts suggest that it is God himself who appears to people to speak to them.
According to the Book of Tobit, there is an infinite separation between God and man.
This separation can only be overcome by angels, who are God’s messengers.
Tobit points out that God sends divine blessings and punishments through them.
And it is the angels who bring the requests and needs of mankind to God.
The book also emphasises other values such as the sanctity of marriage, filial piety and charity towards the poor.
Judith
It was written in the second century BC to encourage the Jews to maintain their independence from the Hellenists.
It reflects the influence of apocalyptic writing, which was fashionable at the time.
Judith is said to have been so faithful to God and her people that she gave her life to save them.
This book shows the strength of a woman who relies on nothing more than her faith.
The cunning of this woman triumphs over the oppressor of her people.
This book of Judith celebrates the triumph of the weak over the strong in the world.
Baruch
He was the trusted confidant of the prophet Jeremiah.
This book relates specifically to the Babylonian exile.
It is seen as a symbolic image of the situation of the Jews when they are dispersed in a hostile environment.
The book of Baruch calls for conversion to God and the search for wisdom.
Wisdom
This book was written in Greek between 50 and 30 BC, making it the most recent of the Old Testaments.
It is narrated in the first person, as if it were Solomon.
It describes the sapiential tradition of Israel, represented by its greatest sage.
The book is addressed to the Jewish community.
The author wants to convey the privilege of this people to be chosen by God.
And their responsibility to bring the incorruptible light of the Law to other peoples.
If you want to know how the Church carries out its apostolic work outside its territory, click on this link.
Ecclesiasticus
This is the longest book of the Sapiential scriptures.
Its name means “book of assembly”.
Since it was used in the early centuries for the formation of catechumens and the faithful, it is very traditional in the Latin Church.
But Greek manuscripts call it “Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Syria”.
It is also often called Sirach.
It is a wake-up call for the cultural formation of the Jew.
Therefore, one must acquire true wisdom and live according to the will of God.
Maccabees
It was written around 100 BC.
It recounts the events from the coronation of Antiochus IV in 175 to the death of Simon.
He was the last of the Maccabean brothers to survive.
This work aims to glorify the heroes who fought for independence.
These Maccabees are presented as the new “judges of Israel”.
They pinned their hopes on them to liberate the people and restore their ancient theocracy.
In these books they use the literary devices of the Hellenistic period.
Their main aim is to show that faith and fidelity to the law of the Lord are more powerful than any army.
This concludes the seven books that answer the question of why the Catholic Bible has 73 books.
I also recommend our article on Bible passages about death that we cannot overcome.
In this reading you will discover how God, in his infinite mercy, helps us to recover from pain.
