Apocrypha-OE

These are books left out of the original bible. Better written than the bible and at least giving women some credit and another Judas saving the day. Most religious texts are poorly written. I wondered where the characters in the book of Mormon can from. Only reason I bought it.

This Apopcrypha was disappointing. I had to order a more accurate one which was the KJV. The translation is based on the author’s personal views. I would not recommend it if your looking for the truth. 1 Edras verse 3 the Levites are described as the slaves of Israel. This is far from the truth. The Levites were Holy ministers of Israel. Very disheartening. I did not want to give it the one star rating, I wanted to rate it -0.

Edgar Goodspeed's translation of the Apocrypha is easy to read. These books were canonised at some point in history but later they were removed. The Apocrypha is not the same as "apocryphal" books that are of a dubious nature. The Introduction is very informational and the Preface was also helpful. Of the 14 books in this translation I appreciate the following books the most: *1st and 2nd Maccabees are Jewish history books covering the Maccabbean revolt.They are written by two authors and overlapping in time.The date for these books is around 312 B.C. *II Esdras is an apocalyptic book that has wisdom for everyday life. It also has Messianic prophecies and angelic visions.This book apparently has additions making it difficult to date. An example: 6:49 "Then you preserved two living creatures;one you named Behemoth;and the other you named Leviathan..." *The Wisdom of Sirach(Ecclesiasticus)is similar to Proverbs.Date is 180 B.C according to Mr. Goodspeed. A passage-8:7 "Do not exult over a man who is dead;Remember that we are all going to die." *The Wisdom of Solomon is another book similar to Proverbs.This book is dated roughly the first century B.C. An Example- 2:5 "For life is a fleeting shadow,And there is no way to recall our end,For it is sealed up and no one can bring it back." I recommend this book for extra-biblical and historical study.

I had always wanted to delve into the Apocrypha but had never had the time. This book was perfect. Here are its advantages: (1) There was none of the faux-pretentious King James-style English. Not that the KJV is bad, it was fine for 1611, but why have 17th century-sounding English in the 21st centurty if you don't need to?(2) very good intro that explains the origin of the Apocrypha and the history of its various books. In a short space the author tells everything an interested amateur like me needs to know.(3) very reasonable price for the book, which was appreciated.As for the Apocrypha itself, it renewed my interest in bible study. I found the Maccabees to be invaluable to my understanding of the progressive combination of political-religious leadership, which provided a good bridge to understanding the political order found in the New Testament. The stories of Daniel were interesting in and of themselves. And there were nuggets of wisdom such as "where man ends, God begins" that were exceptionally thought-provoking, at least to me. Highly, highly recommended.

I have read through Goodspeed's translation, and I thought it was understandable and quite the interesting read. Everyone who values their Bibles ought to see for him or herself what the Apocrypha really says. Of course, none of these books are in the Protestant's canon, not even in the Jewish canon for that matter, but the stories are still fascinating and include important history for several hundred years before and after Christ. Well worth the price for those who are curious.

The book is a translation of the Aprocphya. It is a nice beginning into the study of early Christian texts. Its only flaw was that I thought it could have used a little more introduction into the work itself and its history. It isn't set up in chapter and verse like the KJV or other Bible translations so it may seem a little bit unfamiliar, but don't let that deter you as a reader.