The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English: Volume One: The Apocrypha

by R.H. Charles

2020 Reprint of the 1913 Edition. Volume One Only, the Aprocrypha. Volume Two, the Pseudepigrapha is published separately and forthcoming with ISBN 978-1-68422-444-9. Full facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha are two separate groups of works dating primarily from the period of the Second Temple. The name "Apocrypha" is applied to a collection of books not included in the canon of the Bible although they are incorporated in the canon of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches.

Robert Henry Charles (1855-1931) was an Irish biblical scholar and theologian. He left parochial work in 1889 to devote himself to biblical research and became the greatest authority of his time in matters of Jewish eschatology and apocrypha. He devoted his life to biblical research, and he became one of the primary authorities on matters of Jewish culture and theology, eschatology in particular. In 1913, Charles published an English translation of the Apocryphal (or Deuterocanonical) books of the Bible, including those not typically printed in Bibles that include the Apocrypha. This was followed by volume two of the same series, which covered the Pseudepigrapha. His translations of the Book of Enoch and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs especially are still widely used.

Genres: Reference, Christian, Religion

700 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

About the author

Robert Henry Charles (1855–1931) was an Irish biblical scholar and theologian. He left parochial work in 1889 to devote himself to biblical research and became the greatest authority of his time in matters of Jewish eschatology and apocrypha. He became a canon at Westminster Abbey in 1913 and archdeacon there in 1919. His books include Eschatology (1913, 2nd ed), Between the Old and New Testaments (1914), and his edition of The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. (1913). He is known particularly for English translations of apocryphal and pseudepigraphal works, and editions including Jubilees (1895), the Book of Enoch (1906), and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (1908) which have been widely used. Among his other publications are The Apocalypse (1920), Divorce and Nullity (1927), and The Resurrection of Man (1930). He was educated at the Belfast Academy, Queen's College, Belfast and Trinity College, Dublin. He gained a D.D. and became Professor of Biblical Greek at Trinity College.

Reviews

[Erin Estes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the book of Judith was my favorite in this collection of texts. A challenge to work through some of the dryer texts, but interesting to read through nonetheless.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent a year reading through the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha so you won't have to. It is not easy reading, although it is useful for scholars who are interested in Jewish Literature around the time of Christ. Overall, these are dense books that do not make for fascinating reading.

[Brian Koser]

2024
- Wisdom of Solomon