The Deuterocanon: A Complete Overview

What Is the Deuterocanon?

The term Deuterocanon (from Greek deuteros, “second” + kanon, “rule”) refers to a collection of ancient Jewish writings that are accepted as Scripture by some Christian traditions but not others. These books were written during the intertestamental period (roughly 300 BC–AD 100) and provide invaluable historical, theological, and spiritual insight into the faith of God’s people between the Old and New Testaments.

Why Does It Matter?

The deuterocanonical books are quoted or alluded to by New Testament writers, preserved in the Greek Septuagint (the translation used by the early church), and offer depth to our understanding of Jewish piety, angelology, eschatology, and wisdom literature. They appear in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Ethiopian Orthodox canons, though the exact list differs by tradition. The Protestant canon excludes them (calling them the Apocrypha), but Martin Luther and other reformers still considered them useful for reading and edification.

Books of the Deuterocanon by Tradition

Catholic Canon (7 books)

Tobit — A story of faith, healing, and God’s providence
Judith — A tale of courage and deliverance
Wisdom of Solomon — Wisdom personified, meditations on righteousness
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) — Wisdom sayings and practical piety
Baruch — A confession of sin and hope for restoration
1 Maccabees — The Jewish revolt against Seleucid oppression
2 Maccabees — A theological retelling of the Maccabean struggle
Plus additions to Esther and Daniel (Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Azariah)

Orthodox Canon (additional books)

All of the Catholic deuterocanon plus:
1 Esdras (3 Ezra)
Prayer of Manasseh
Psalm 151
3 Maccabees
2 Esdras (4 Ezra) — included as an appendix in Slavic Bibles

Ethiopian Orthodox Canon (the broadest canon)

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has the largest biblical canon, including all of the above plus several additional books — many of which we have already covered in separate primers:

1 Enoch — See our full primer
Book of Jubilees — See our full primer
Meqabyan (3 Ethiopian Maccabees) — See our full primer
4 Baruch (Paralipomena of Jeremiah) — See our full primer
Shepherd of Hermas — See our full primer
1, 2, 3 Ezra (Ethiopian)
Joseph ben Gurion (Pseudo-Josephus)
The Book of Adam
Sinodos

The Apocrypha vs. the Deuterocanon

The terms are sometimes used interchangeably but carry different connotations. Deuterocanon (“second canon”) is the term preferred by Catholic and Orthodox traditions, indicating these books were formally recognized at a later stage but remain Scripture. Apocrypha (“hidden things”) is the term historically used by Protestants, reflecting the view that these books are edifying but not authoritative for doctrine. For a deeper discussion of how different traditions view the canon, see our pages on Why Biblical Canons Differ and What Unites Us.