Dancing in the Kingdom- Table of Contents

Appendix C – Books of the Bible[1]

Protestant Old Testament Books (in English Order)

Book	Author[2]	Approx. Date	Subject
The Pentateuch
Genesis	Moses	4004 – 200,000 BC[3]	Beginning of the Chosen Family
Exodus	Moses	1635 BC	The Covenant with the Chosen Nation
Leviticus	Moses	1490 BC	Moral, Civil, and Ceremonial Laws
Numbers	Moses	1490 BC	Journey to the Promised Land
Deuteronomy	Moses	1451 BC	Laws of the Hebrew Nation
The Historical Books
Joshua	Joshua	1451 BC	The Conquest of Canaan
Judges	Samuel	1425 BC	The 15 Judges
Ruth	Samuel	1322 BC	David’s Messianic Family Begins
1 Samuel	Nathan	1171 BC	The Hebrew Monarchy
2 Samuel	Nathan	1171 BC	The Reign of King David
1 Kings	Jeremiah	1015 BC	The Divided Kingdom
2 Kings	Jeremiah	1015 BC	History of the Divided Kingdom
1 Chronicles	Ezra	1056 BC	The Reign of King David
2 Chronicles	Ezra	1056 BC	History of the Southern Kingdom
Ezra	Ezra	536 BC	The Return from Captivity
Nehemiah	Nehemiah	446 BC	The Rebuilding of Jerusalem
Esther	Mordecai	521 BC	The Jews In Exile
The Poetical Books
Job	Unknown	1520 BC	Providence and Suffering
Psalms	David	1056 BC	Devotion to God
Proverbs	Solomon	1000 BC	Wisdom in Life
Ecclesiastes	Solomon	977 BC	Happiness in Life
Song of Songs	Solomon	1014 BC	The Glories of Marriage and Love
The Greater Prophets
Isaiah	Isaiah	760 BC	The Messianic Kingdom
Jeremiah	Jeremiah	629 BC	The Doom of Judah
Lamentations	Jeremiah	588 BC	A Dirge Over the Loss of Jerusalem
Ezekiel	Ezekiel	595 BC	The Final Restoration of Israel
Daniel	Daniel	607 BC	The Triumph of the Messiah
The Minor Prophets
Hosea	Hosea	785 BC	The Apostasy of Israel
Joel	Joel	800 BC	The Kingdom of Judah
Amos	Amos	787 BC	The Kingdom of David
Obadiah	Obadiah	587 BC	The Destruction of Edom
Jonah	Jonah	862 BC	The Mercy on Nineveh
Micah	Micah	750 BC	Bethlehem’s King
Nahum	Nahum	713 BC	The Destruction of Assyria
Habakkuk	Habakkuk	626 BC	The Judgement of the Babylonians
Zephaniah	Zephaniah	630 BC	The Day of the Lord
Haggai	Haggai	520 BC	Rebuilding of the Temple
Zechariah	Zechariah	520 BC	Christ’s 1st and 2nd Coming
Malachi	Malachi	397 BC	Final Message to Rebellious Israel

Deuterocanonical texts

The Deuterocanonical (or Apocryphal) books is the name given to a group of writings found in some versions of the Old Testament but not in others. These texts are usually included in Roman Catholic bibles but not in Protestant ones. They were, however, included in Protestant versions until the second quarter of the nineteenth century. When, in the year 382 A.D., Jerome was commissioned by the pope to make a new translation of the Scriptures, he went to Palestine rather than to Alexandria, Egypt, to obtain original copies. By doing so, he discovered fourteen books included in the Alexandrian, or Greek, version of the Old Testament that were missing in the Palestinian version. The question then arose concerning the status of these newly discovered books. The name Apocrypha, which means “hidden things,” was given to these books because of the belief that the men who wrote them were not addressing their contemporaries but were writing for the benefit of future generations; the meaning of these books would be hidden until their interpretation would be disclosed at some future date by persons qualified to do so.

In 1546, at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church officially accepted the apocryphal books into their canon. The Catholic Church refers to these books as deuterocanonical, which in their usage means books that were fully accepted into the canon after the other books. As a result, Catholics believe these books have the same status as any other biblical book.

The Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint as the basis for their Old Testament. Consequently, the Orthodox Church also includes the additional books in their canon. Although they too label these works deuterocanonical, they mean something slightly different by the term. In the Eastern Orthodox view, the deuterocanonical books are important, but have a lesser status than other biblical books. Eastern Orthodoxy calls these books anagignoskomena, meaning “worthy of reading” or “things to read.” The anagignoskomena include the Roman Catholic deuterocanonical books and about five additional texts

Deuterocanonical books in the Catholic Bible
Tobit (721 BC)	Discusses Jews who have been faithful to the ritualistic requirements of their religion and have been abundantly rewarded for their good works.
Judith (600 BC)	Similar to the Book of Esther, tells of a Jewish woman living in the city of Jerusalem at a time when the city is besieged by the Assyrians and her people are in a desperate situation. She is not only a faithful Jew but a courageous person who invades the camp of the enemy and succeeds in a plot that enables the Jews to achieve a remarkable victory.
Additions to Esther (114 BC)	Includes several prayers to God, perhaps because it was felt that the above-mentioned lack of mention of God was inappropriate in a holy book. Jerome recognized them as later additions, placing them at the end of his work.
Wisdom of Solomon (1st cent. BC)	Appears to have been written as a reply to the argument given in the Book of Ecclesiastes. In it, the author affirms his belief in Yahweh, whose activities influence the course of Hebrew history. Interestingly, the author believes in a life after death
Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus) (700-275 BC)	Sometimes been called “The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach.” Ecclesiasticus, which resembles the Book of Proverbs but covers many more topics, concludes with a famous discourse introduced by the words “Let us now praise famous men.” The author includes himself in the list of Israel’s most famous men
Baruch (including Letter of Jeremiah) (6th cent. BC)	Central themes are Israel’s disobedience to God, God exiling Jews to Babylon due to their behavior, God’s just action, the need to repent and honor and obey God’s Word and begging for God’s mercy. In the first chapter of Baruch, it is stated that Baruch read this book aloud to Judah’s King Jeconiah
Prayer of Azariah (addition to Daniel 3) (167-164 BC)	Additions to the Book of Daniel – a record of the prayer that was offered by a Hebrew who was thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar.
Song of the Three Children (1st or 2nd cent. BC)	Additions to the Book of Daniel – the song of praise that was sung by Hebrews as an expression of gratitude for the marvelous way in which they were delivered from Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace.
Story of Susanna (400 BC – AD 70)	Tells of a woman who has been accused unjustly of the sin of adultery. The wickedness of her accusers and the innocence of the woman are established by the prophet Daniel
Bel and the Dragon (100-100 BC)	Relates how Daniel was delivered from the hands of his enemies, who were trying to put him to death.
1 Maccabees (165 BC)	Maccabean war from the position of the Sadducees
2 Maccabees (15 BC)	Maccabean war from the position of the Pharisees

Eastern Orthodox Bibles additional Deuterocanonical books
3 Maccabees (1st cent. BC)	The story of Jewish persecution under Ptolemy IV Philopator (222—205 BC) is told.
4 Maccabees (1st cent. BC)	More philosophical than historical. In it, the idea that pious reason trumps passion is illustrated by the martyrdom of Eleazer and the Maccabean youths under Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
1 Esdras (AD 100)	First Esdras contains the whole of Ezra with the addition of one section; its verses are numbered differently. Just as Ezra begins with the last two verses of 2 Chronicles, 1 Esdras begins with the last two chapters; this suggests that Chronicles and Esdras may have been read as one book at some time in the past.
2 Esdras (AD 100-200)	Seven visions of Ezra dealing with his doubts about the pain and suffering inflicted upon Jews by Gentiles.
Letter of Jeremiah (separate from Baruch) (2nd cent. BC)	The Book of Baruch is an addition to the Book of Jeremiah. In some versions, it contains a section called “An Epistle of Jeremiah.”
Psalm 151 (1010-970 BC)	Written by David after his battle with Goliath
Prayer of Manasseh (1st cent BC)	Supplements a story recorded in the Book of Chronicles, telling how Manasseh, who had done so many wicked things during his life, repented of his sins before he died.

Old Testaments Compared

Division		Modern Catholic [New American Bible (Revised Edition)]	Greek Orthodox	Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo	Protestant OT
Pentateuch		Genesis	Genesis	Genesis	Genesis
		Exodus	Exodus	Exodus	Exodus
		Leviticus	Leviticus	Leviticus	Leviticus
		Numbers	Numbers	Numbers	Numbers
		Deuteronomy	Deuteronomy	Deuteronomy	Deuteronomy
Histories		Joshua	Joshua	Joshua	Joshua
		Judges	Judges	Judges	Judges
		Ruth	Ruth	Ruth	Ruth
		1 Samuel	1 Kingdoms	Samuel	1 Samuel
		2 Samuel	2 Kingdoms		2 Samuel
		1 Kings	3 Kingdoms	Kings	1 Kings
		2 Kings	4 Kingdoms		2 Kings
		1 Chronicles	1 Para­lipomenon	1 Chronicles	1 Chronicles
		2 Chronicles	2 Para­lipomenon (with the Prayer of Manasseh)	2 Chronicles (with the Prayer of Manasseh)	2 Chronicles
		—	—	Jubilees	—
		—	—	Enoch	—
		—	1 Esdras	—	—
		Ezra	2 Esdras	Ezra-Nehemiah	Ezra
		Nehemiah			Nehemiah
		—	—	2 Ezra and Ezra Setuel (Ezra Apocalypse)	—
		Tobit	Tobit	Tobit	—
		Judith	Judith	Judith	—
		Esther	Esther	Esther	Esther
Wisdom and Poetry		Job	Job	Job	Job
		Psalms	Psalms (with Psalm 151)	Psalms (with Psalm 151)	Psalms
		Proverbs	Proverbs	Messale (Proverbs 1-24)	Proverbs
				Taagsas (Proverbs 25-31)
		Ecclesiastes	Ecclesiastes	Ecclesiastes	Ecclesiastes
		Song of Songs	Song of Solomon	Song of Solomon	Song of Solomon
		Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon)	Wisdom of Solomon	Wisdom of Solomon	—
		Ben Sira (Sirach, Ecclesiasticus)	Sirach	Sirach	—
Prophets		Isaiah	Isaiah	Isaiah	Isaiah
		Jeremiah	Jeremiah	Jeremiah	Jeremiah
		Lamentations	Lamentations	Lamentations	Lamentations
		Baruch (with the Letter of Jeremiah as ch. 6)	Prophecy of Baruch	Baruch (with the Letter of Jeremiah as ch. 6)	—
		—	Letter of Jeremiah	—	—
		Ezekiel	Ezekiel	Ezekiel	Ezekiel
		Daniel (with Susanna as ch 13, and Bell and the Dragon as ch 14)	Daniel	Daniel	Daniel
		Hosea	Hosea	Hosea	Hosea
		Joel	Joel	Joel	Joel
		Amos	Amos	Amos	Amos
		Obadiah	Obadiah	Obadiah	Obadiah
		Jonah	Jonah	Jonah	Jonah
		Micah	Micah	Micah	Micah
		Nahum	Nahum	Nahum	Nahum
		Habakkuk	Habakkuk	Habakkuk	Habakkuk
		Zephaniah	Zephaniah	Zephaniah	Zephaniah
		Haggai	Haggai	Haggai	Haggai
		Zechariah	Zechariah	Zechariah	Zechariah
		Malachi	Malachi	Malachi	Malachi
Further Histories		1 Maccabees	1 Maccabees	—	—
		2 Maccabees	2 Maccabees	—	—
		—	3 Maccabees	—	—
		—	4 Maccabees (as an appendix)	—	—
		—	—	1 Maqabeyan	—
		—	—	2 and 3 Maqabeyan	—

Compare Hebrew Bible to Protestant Bible

Division		Hebrew Canon	Protestant OT
Torah		Bereshith	Genesis
		Sh’mot	Exodus
		Vayikra	Leviticus
		Bamidmar	Numbers
		D’varim	Deuteronomy
Nevi’im (Prophets)		Y’hoshua	Joshua
		Shoftim	Judges
		Sh’muel	1 Samuel
			2 Samuel
		M’lakhim	1 Kings
			2 Kings
		Y’shayahu	Isaiah
		Yir’mi’yahu	Jeremiah
		Y’khezqel	Ezekiel
	The Twelve   (are combine into one scroll)	Hoshea Yo’el Amos Ovadyah Yonah Mikhah Nakhum Havakuk Ts’phanyah Khagai Z’kharyah Mal’akhi	Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahm Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
Ketuvim	Sefrei Emet (Books of Truth)	Tehillim	Psalms
		Mishlei	Proverbs
		Iyov	Job
	Five Megilot (Five Scrolls)	Shir Hashirim	Song of Songs
		Rut	Ruth
		EIkhah	Lamentations
		Kohelet	Ecclesiastes
		Esther	Esther
	The rest of the writings	Daniel	Daniel
		Ezra v’Nechemia	Ezra-Nehemiah
		Divrei Hayamin	1 and 2 Chronicles

New Testament Books

Books of the New Testament[4]
Book	Author	Date written	Subject
Gospels/ Biographies
MATTHEW	Matthew	AD 35	Christ the King
MARK	Mark	AD 42	Christ the Servant
LUKE	Luke	AD 59	Christ the Man
JOHN	John	AD 42	Christ the Lord
History
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES	Luke	Chaps 1-13.   AD 58-60 Chaps 14-28, AD 63	First Century Missions
Letters written by Paul to churches
ROMANS	Paul	AD 57	Gospel for Jews and Gentles
1 CORINTHIANS	Paul	AD 56	Christian Conduct
2 CORINTHIANS	Paul	AD 57	Heart of ministry
GALATIANS	Paul	AD 53	Salvation by grace
EPHESIANS	Paul	AD 61-63	The church, Christ’s body
PHILLIPIANS	Paul	AD 61-63	Christian experience
COLOSSIANS	Paul	AD 61-63	Christ’s pre-eminence
1 THESSALONIANS	Paul	AD 51	Christ’s return
2 THESSALONIANS	Paul	AD 51	Day of the Lord
Letters written by Paul to individuals
1 TIMOTHY	Paul	AD 63	church order
2 TIMOTHY	Paul	AD 67	Holding the truth
TITUS	Paul	AD 63	church order
PHILEMON	Paul	AD 61-63	Love exemplified
Letters written by others
HEBREWS	Paull ?	AD 61-63	Priesthood of Christ
JAMES	James, half-brother of Jesus	AD 40-41	Practical Christian Living
1 PETER	Peter	AD 64-65	Suffering and Glory
2 PETER	Peter	AD 65-66	Last days
1 JOHN	John	AD 63-64	Fellowship
2 JOHN	John	AD 63-64	Christ’s commandment
3 JOHN	John	AD 63-64	Walking in the truth
JUDE	Jude, half-brother of Jesus95	AD 66-67	Contending for the faith
Prophecy
REVELATION	John	AD 95	Consummation of His story

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[1] Bible-History.com “Old Testament Books (in English Order)” bible-history.com/biblestudy/old-testament-books-english-order

[2] Mentioned by name or traditionally accepted

[3] Ross, Hugh. “When did God create Adam and Eve?” Reason to Believe reasons.org/explore/blogs/todays-new-reason-to-believe/when-did-god-create-adam-and-eve “The Bible’s genealogical record has apparent gaps. 4004BC (as calculated by Bishop Ussher in 1650AD) would be the date of Adam’s creation – if there were no gaps in the record. Some estimates go back to 200,000 years ago.”; Steinmann, Andrew E. “Gaps in the Genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11?” Bibliotheca Sacra  174 (2017): 141Ð58

[4] Biblestudy.org “When was the New Testament Written?” www.biblestudy.org/beginner/when-was-new-testament-written.html