Our list of 75 books removed from the bible pdf article explains the details surrounding the dozens and dozens of books that were once included in the Bible, but have since been removed?
These are called “apocrypha.” The word comes from the Greek word for “to hide.” For hundreds of years, these books were considered part of the Old Testament—until they were taken out by an early church council in AD 382.
The Council of Trent was convened by Pope St. Pius V to address the Protestant Reformation, which was spreading throughout Europe at this time. One major challenge facing the Catholic Church was reestablishing its authority over what people could read and believe. They also wanted to ensure that there was no confusion about what their religion believed about how people should live their lives (known as doctrine). This meant clarifying what was included—and not included—in scripture.
Want to know what books were removed from the Bible? You are reading this article because you want to find out about list of 75 books removed from the bible, complete bible with all books, original books of the bible, and so much more.
This article is all about the list of 75 books removed from the bible pdf. The bible has 66 books and in the past, it contained many more books. An example is that Codex Sinaiticus which is the oldest complete bible that we have, has about 300 more books than what we have today. It’s been said that the church fathers got rid of these books because they were too heretical or had errors in them but this isn’t true because some of these books are still available today and they contain no errors. We will be looking at different reasons why these books are not included in our modern bibles.
These versions often include books that other versions leave out—like 1 John 5:7-8 (which states that there was an unmentioned disciple named “Judas”), or 2 Peter 3:1-3 (which says that Noah lived for 500 years after building an ark). Some groups even include books that other groups reject entirely—such as The Shepherd of Hermas or The Gospel According to Thomas.
Download list of 75 books removed from the bible pdf
75 books removed from the bible pdf
As of 2016, the Bible consists of 66 books. However, there are many more Bibles in circulation that include additional books. These books were excluded from the final version of what became known as “The Book.” The following list includes 75 books removed from the bible list:
- 1 Esdras * 2 Esdras * Tobit * Judith * Esther * Baruch * Wisdom of Solomon (also called Wisdom) * Ecclesiasticus (also called Sirach) * Maccabees 1–4 and 6-7 (the story of Hanukkah)
- 1 Enoch
These additional scriptures were not included in Martin Luther’s original translation since he believed that these extra stories were not written by prophets or apostles but rather by other unknown authors who had false visions about God and his relationship to man.
Two basic types of Christian books (both those included and excluded from the Bible) are the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts.
The meaning of the word Apocrypha is “hidden.”
In other words, some information about them still remains unknown.
Many of these works have been incorporated into Bibles for specific religious groups, such as Catholics or Protestants.
Some believe these works were written between the time of the writing of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
On the other hand, Pseudepigrapha is a term that refers to a false claim of authorship.
In other words, a specific text might claim to have been written by Peter, the disciple, but that claim was thought to be false.
Many of the excluded books that are on the list are considered to be pseudepigraphal texts.
list of 75 books removed from the bible
Past of The Lost Books of the Bible
♦ = attributed to the Apostolic Fathers
The Protevangelion
The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas
The Epistles of Jesus Christ and Abgarus King of Edessa
The Gospel of Nicodemus (Acts of Pilate)
The Apostles’ Creed (throughout history)
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Laodiceans
The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Seneca, with Seneca’s to Paul
The Acts of Paul and Thecla
♦ The Epistles of Clement (The First and Second Epistles of Clement to the Corinthians)
♦ The Epistle of Barnabas
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrneans
♦ The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp
♦ The Shepherd of Hermas (Visions, Commands, and Similitudes)
Letter of Herod To Pilate the Governor
Letter of Pilate to Herod
The Lost Gospel of Peter
♦ The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians
Contents of The Forgotten Books of Eden
The Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan (The First and Second Book of Adam and Eve)
The Secrets of Enoch (also known as the Slavonic Enoch or Second Enoch)
The Psalms of Solomon
The Odes of Solomon
The Letter of Aristeas
The Fourth Book of Maccabees
The Story of Ahikar
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
Complete Bible With All Books
The Bible is long and complicated, so it can be a bit hard to keep it all straight. The scriptures contain hundreds of stories over generations. Christian Bibles, which borrow heavily from the Hebrew Tanakh, are broken down into different books; we’ve presented the full list of books in order for your reference.
As we discuss below, different traditions count different books and order them differently. We’ve decided to present them here in the order used in most mainline Protestant Bibles, as those are the most common variety in the United States where we’re based.
See also The King James Bible, Old Testament Names, and Kings of Judah & Israel
Looking to broaden your religion reading? Check out our list of the best books on Buddhism.
What Are the 46 Books of the Old Testament in Order?
The Hebrew Scriptures
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs)
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
What Are the Books of the New Testament in Order?
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts of the Apostles
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books
The Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical
Tobit
Judith
Additions to the Book of Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
The Letter of Jeremiah
The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews
Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
1 Esdras
Prayer of Manasseh
Psalm 151
3 Maccabees
2 Esdras
4 Maccabees
The Hebrew Scriptures & the Old Testament
The first books in the Christian bible are the holy books of the Jewish faith, collected in the Tanakh. “Tanakh” is an acronym of the three major division of the Hebrew holy book–the Torah (“teachings,” also known to Christians by the Greek name “the Pentateuch” or “five books”), Nevi’im (“prophets”), and Ketuvim (“writings”). In Christian traditions these books are called “the Old Testament.” The Jewish faith also adheres to the teachings in the Talmud, rabbinical commentaries on the Tanakh; unlike the Tanakh, Christian scripture does not recognize the Talmud.
Different Christian traditions acknowledge different books of the Bible as canonical. The Tanakh includes only 24 books, while mainline Protestant bibles inclue 39*, Catholics include 46, and Eastern Orthodox groups include 49. The books included in some bibles and not others are called Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical; this means either that they are not canon, or that they are less canonical than primary canon.
*Protestant bibles do not include more material than Hebrew bibles, but they divide the book of the 12 minor prophets into 12 different books, as well as dividing the book of Ezra-Nehemiah into the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the book of Chronicles into 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. All Christian bibles, however, are ordered differently than the Tanakh.
The Five Books of Moses/the Pentateuch
The only set of books included in all forms of the Tanakh and the Old Testament, in the same order, is the Torah or Pentateuch. These five books, the five books of Moses, are the first and arguably most important books in the scripture.
An Overview of the Old Testament & the New Testament
The Old Testament begins with the book of Genesis, which tells the story of how the world was created, and how God anointed his chosen people and taught them how to live. This includes famous stories like those of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah’s Ark.
After Genesis, the different books of the Old Testament relate the trials of the Israelites as they endure centuries of enslavement or captivity under different empires. There is a general pattern where God sends a prophet to teach the Israelites how to live and to lead them from hardship, but over time they lose faith and find themselves suffering new hardships. The most famous example is Moses leading his people out of slavery in Egypt–the people are impious and must wander the desert for forty years before their descendants can enter the promised land.
Some of the other important episodes from the Old Testament include the rise of King David, the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Babylonian Captivity. The Old Testament also includes various sayings and songs about morality, god, and other esoteric subjects.
The New Testament is concerned with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, which are the basis for Christianity. His life story is told in the four Gospels (which comes from the Old English for “good news”). Almost all of the other books are letters written by Saint Paul or other Christian teachers, discussing their beliefs or giving advice.
The last book of the New Testament is the Book of Revelation, written by John the Apostle, which recounts an apocalyptic vision of the End of Days. The most important event discussed in Revelation is the Second Coming of Christ, although most of the events in Revelation are controversial in their meaning.
Notes on Biblical Terms
There are a few cases of terms that crop up a lot in the books of the bible, but that get confused in everyday language. We just want to focus in on two; the different terms for “God’s chosen people” in the Bible, and how God is identified and named.
The terms “Hebrew,” “Jew,” and “Israelite” are often used interchangeably, but they do mean slightly different things, as addressed in this informative post from Chabad.
The first person identified as a Hebrew is Abraham, and so in a sense the Hebrews are descendants of Abraham. More specifically, the etymology of Hebrew implies an individual who is across or has crossed something, and so it is often used to describe the people of Abraham when not in Israel/Canaan, and when resisting cultural pressures and temptations from outside groups. Joseph is called a Hebrew when in Egypt. Lastly, Hebrew is often used to refer to the Hebrew-speaking Jews of Roman Judaea.
Israelite more specifically refers to descendants of Jacob or Israel, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel who later would be split between the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It is important to note that Israelite is different from the current national demonym Israeli, indicating a person from the country of Israel.
Jew, lastly, refers to the people of Judah, and then after the Babylonian exile to Israelites more broadly due to cultural and religious importance of Judah. In general, Jew or Jewish person is used to refer to a person who practices Judaism or is part of the Jewish community. Due to its invective use by anti-semites, the word “Jew” by itself can sometimes sound harsh or rude, but there are many cases in which it’s perfectly neutral and appropriate.
The Name of God
In the Tanakh, God is identified with the seven different names. Per tradition, these are to be treated with extreme reverence; you shouldn’t erase or damage them when written down. For that matter, despite our academic use of them here, you’re not supposed to write them down too often either.
The most significant name for God in the Tanakh is the Tetragrammaton, or the four letters. The four letters are transliterated as YHWH. In Latin, since the letter J originally was pronounced like a Y or I, and the letter V sounded like a W, this was written JHVH (from which we get “Jehovah,” as in the Witnesses). Since you’re not supposed to write the name down too often, it’s common to change a letter (in English this is often written as G-d) or to space the letters, like Y-H-W-H.
Especially in Judaism, but in many Christian traditions as well, you are not supposed to pronounce the Tetragrammaton. When referring to the name itself, one would typically same HaShem (“The Name” in Hebrew). When reading the four letters, it is pronounced Adonai (or “The Lord”). If the word “Lord” is already next to the four letters, you would say Elohim. This is how we arrive at the common English phrase “the Lord God.”
Download list of 75 books removed from the bible pdf
Why were some books removed from the Bible and is it a sin to read them?
The Bible was originally written in Greek, and the earliest editions of it were more like religious pamphlets than a modern book. As time went on, it became more formalized and run by an official church.
The early church leaders saw some books as being too controversial or not relevant to the time period in which they lived. They removed these books from the Bible for those reasons, but many of them still exist today.
I believe you are talking about the so-called Apocrypha. That term refers to books that were written in Greek within the Jewish community in the centuries before Christ. Those books are distinct from the Old Testament because they were written in Greek, not Hebrew, and they are distinct from the New Testament because they were written before Christ came, not after. So there is already something about them that sets them apart as different from the books that all Christians accept as inspired Scripture.
Nevertheless, after lengthy discussion and debate in the few centuries after Christ, regional councils in the western part of the Roman Empire, at Hipppo in 393 and Carthage in 397, approved adding these books to the canon of Scripture, as long as this decision was ratified by the central authority in Rome.
No action was taken in that regard for over 1,000 years. But finally, in 1546, the Council of Trent, largely in response to the way Martin Luther had separated out these apocryphal books and placed them between the testaments in his German translation of Bible, decreed that they were as fully canonical as the others. Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic church still describes these books as deuterocanonical, meaning that they belong to a second group of books “whose Scriptural character was contested in some quarters,” as opposed to the protocanonical books, the collection of “sacred writings which have been always received by Christendom without dispute.”
It’s hard to imagine a Bible without the New Testament, but there was a time when the New Testament was not considered part of the Bible. The books that make up the New Testament were once considered by many to be heretical, and they were often removed from Bibles or altered in some way.
The reason that some books were excluded from biblical canon is that they were written outside of what was considered “mainstream” at the time. The authors of these works did not have any credentials as religious authorities, and they wrote their religious texts outside of what was then considered standard practice.
For example, Luke wrote his gospel around 100 A.D., but he did not have any formal training in scripture or theology; instead, he used his own experiences with Jesus as inspiration for his writing about him. Similarly, Paul did not study under rabbis or other religious leaders before writing his epistles; instead, he simply spoke directly from his own experience with God and from his understanding of Jesus Christ’s teachings.
Why did the Catholic Church remove books from the Bible
The canon of the Bible is a collection of books that have been accepted as scripture by various Christian churches. When it comes to deciding which books should be included in the canon, there are certain criteria that must be met.
The Council of Trent also decreed that the Vulgate was the authoritative text of Scripture. That actually sent something of a mixed message about the Apocrypha, because St. Jerome’s prologues were always included in the Vulgate, and in his prologue to the book of Kings, in which he surveyed the entire Old Testament, he specified that the books that had been translated from Greek, rather than from Hebrew, are “set aside among the apocrypha” (inter apocrifa seponendum) and “are not in the canon” (non sunt in canone). He made similar comments in the prologues to several of the apocryphal books themselves. So while the Roman Catholic Church’s embrace of these books is explicit, its position on them is not without internal tensions.
Eastern Orthodox Bibles include all the books in the Catholic Apocrypha along with several more. However, it classifies all these apocryphal books as Anagignoskomena (“worthy to be read”), meaning that they are read during services of worship, but that they are not as authoritative as the other books. Orthodox theologians sometimes call the apocryphal books deuterocanonical to indicate their secondary authority, using this term differently from Catholics, for whom it describes how these books were received after first being disputed.
And Protestants, ever since Martin Luther, have not considered the Apocrypha canonical, except for Protestants in the Anglican/Episcopalian tradition.
So maybe the real question is not why some books were removed from the Bible, but why some books that were different from both the Old Testament and the New Testament were added to the Bible. The answer is that, as the Eastern Orthodox say, they are “worthy to be read.” They provide important information about what happened in the years between the testaments, they tell inspiring stories of how people remained faithful to God during difficult trials in those times, and they add to the collection of wise advice for living that is found in the canonical wisdom books.
So it is certainly not a sin to read them. Even Protestants, who do not consider them to be inspired Scripture, say that they are edifying, meaning that reading them can strengthen our faith and devotion to God. As a Protestant myself, I do not have these apocryphal books in the Bibles that I use regularly for study and devotions. But I do have copies of these books in some other Bibles that I own. I have read the apocryphal books and gotten a lot out of them.
I hope this provides you with some helpful background to the issue. As I said, it would certainly not be a sin to read those books, and I think they would help you learn some useful things if you did read them. If you belong to a community of Christians, and if this issue is important within that community, you could explain to anyone you told about reading the books that you were not reading them as Scripture, but as edifying literature that has come down to us from within the tradition of our faith. I hope no one would be upset about that.