The Book of Sirach, Ecclesiasticus, the NT, the BOM and the other Jesus

[Niemand]

Caption: First chapter of Sirach in the German translation, anonymous Swiss artist, Zurich 1654

Where can you find another Jesus in the Bible? In the Apocrypha!

Intro
There are two obvious curiosities about the Book of Sirach before you even start it. Firstly, it's written by someone called Jesus, and secondly it's also called Ecclesiasticus. The Jesus in question is not Jesus Christ, but Jesus Ben Sira or Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira. Ecclesiasticus also sounds very like Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament, which is probably why it is often known as "Sirach" instead. (Although let's be brutally honest here, when did you last hear someone quote Ecclesiastes in church? It must be one of our least read scriptures.) Sometimes the book is also called "Ben Sira".

Sirach is a wisdom book like Proverbs and others so it is often better for quoting than for reading. It appears that the New Testament quotes it on a number of occasions (see below)

Sirach audiobook link (KJV). 3 hours and 11 minutes

Abbreviation
"Ecclus." is a traditional abbreviation for the book. Personally I prefer "Sir." and use that to avoid confusion with Ecclesiastes.

Authorship
Wikipedia states it is written by

[the] scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his father Joshua son of Sirach, sometimes called Jesus son of Sirach or Yeshua ben Eliezer ben Sira.

In Egypt, it was translated into Greek by the author's unnamed grandson, who added a prologue. This prologue is generally considered the earliest witness to a canon of the books of the prophets, and thus the date of the text is the subject of intense scrutiny. The book itself is the largest wisdom book from antiquity to have survived.

Like most books in the Western Apocrypha it is known mostly from Greek and not a Hebrew source although unlike some such books it shows evidence of having originally been written in Hebrew. Some ancient Jews appear to have considered it canonical, but its early take up by Christians seems to have inspired a rabbinical backlash.

As early as 1896, several substantial Hebrew texts of Sirach, copied in the 11th and 12th centuries, were found in the Cairo Geniza (a synagogue storage room for damaged manuscripts). Although none of these manuscripts is complete, together they provide the text for about two-thirds of the Wisdom of Sirach. According to scholars including Solomon Schechter and Frederic Kenyon, this shows that the book was originally written in Hebrew.

Structure

Wikipedia
As with other wisdom books, there is no easily recognizable structure in Sirach; in many parts it is difficult to discover a logical progression of thought or to discern the principles of arrangement. However, a series of six poems about the search for and attainment of wisdom (1:1–10, 4:11–19; 6:18–37; 14:20–15:10; 24:1–33; and 38:24–39:11) divide the book into something resembling chapters, although the divisions are not thematically based. The exceptions are the first two chapters, whose reflections on wisdom and fear of God provide the theological framework for what follows, and the last nine chapters, which function as a sort of climax, first in an extended praise of God's glory as manifested through creation (42:15–43:33) and second in the celebration of the heroes of ancient Israel's history dating back to before the Great Flood through contemporary times (see previous section).

Despite the lack of structure, there are certain themes running through the book which reappear at various points. The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha identifies ten major recurring topics:

The Creation: 16:24–17:24; 18:1–14; 33:7–15; 39:12–35; and 42:15–43:33

Death: 11:26–28; 22:11–12; 38:16–23; and 41:1–13

Friendship: 6:5–17; 9:10–16; 19:13–17; 22:19–26; 27:16–21; and 36:23–37:15

Happiness: 25:1–11; 30:14–25; and 40:1–30

Honour and shame: 4:20–6:4; 10:19–11:6; and 41:14–42:8

Money matters: 3:30–4:10; 11:7–28; 13:1–14:19; 29:1–28; and 31:1–11

Sin: 7:1–17; 15:11–20; 16:1–17:32; 18:30–19:3; 21:1–10; 22:27–23:27; and 26:28–28:7

Social justice: [their phrase not mine] 4:1–10; 34:21–27; and 35:14–26

Speech: 5:6, 9–15; 18:15–29; 19:4–17; 20:1–31; 23:7–15; 27:4–7, 11–15; and 28:8–26

Women: (9:1–9; 23:22–27; 25:13–26:27; 36:26–31; and 42:9–14.

The book contains the only instance in Biblical teaching of an explicit recommendation of physicians. This is a direct challenge against the traditional idea that illness and disease was seen as penalty for sin.

As in Ecclesiastes, two opposing tendencies war in the author: the faith and the morality of olden times, which are stronger than all argument, and an Epicureanism of modern date. Occasionally Sirach digresses to attack theories which he considers dangerous; for example, that man has no freedom of will, [This debate is still with us. - N.] and that God is indifferent to the actions of mankind and does not reward virtue. Some of the refutations of these views are developed at considerable length.

--
This is part of my ongoing series on Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical works:

1 Esdras inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1343974

2 Esdras (the most relevant book in the Apocrypha?) inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1344302

1 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69454

2 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?p=1347024

3 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?t=69496

4 Maccabees
viewtopic.php?p=1348046

Book of Tobit inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1341501

Apocryphal additions to Esther inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?p=1343414

Bel and the Dragon (quoted in full, KJV; inc audiobook link)
viewtopic.php?t=69261

Prayer of Azarias and Hymn of the Three Children (quoted in full KJV, inc. audiobook link)
viewtopic.php?p=1341611

Book of Judith and the Book of Mormon, inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?t=69402

Book of Susanna inc. audiobook link
viewtopic.php?t=69386

Wisdom of Solomon
viewtopic.php?p=1347077

Prayer of Mannases (aka Mannaseh; quoted in full KJV, inc. audiobook link)
viewtopic.php?t=69263

Psalm 151 (quoted in full, NRSV)
viewtopic.php?t=63875

Epistle to the Laodiceans (NT, quoted in full Wycliffe's translation, )
viewtopic.php?t=64025

The Book of Odes - this is an Eastern Orthodox work of limited interest, but included for the sake of completeness.
viewtopic.php?t=69470

[Niemand]

Some References and Allusions to the Apocrypha in the New Testament

Not all of these quotations are KJV. If you so wish the references are there. I've taken these from another person's blog. (DRB is presumably the Douay Rheims Bible, a Roman Catholic translation.)

Stolen from
https://sovereignjesus.net/bibles-and-v ... testament/

This blog contains some anti-Mormon content so be warned. This is a useful list though.

Matthew 5:28 cf Sirach 9:8 – “Turn away your eyes from a shapely woman, and do not gaze at beauty belonging to another; many have been seduced by a woman’s beauty”

Matthew 6:7 cf Sirach 7:14 – “Do not babble in the assembly of the elders, and do not repeat yourself when you pray”

Matthew 6:14-15; cf Sirach 28:3-5 – “Does anyone harbour anger against another, and expect healing from the Lord? If someone has no mercy towards another like himself, can he then seek pardon for his own sins? If a mere mortal harbours wrath, who will make atonement for his sins?”

*Mark 11:25 cf Sirach 28:2-3 – “Does anyone harbor anger against another, and expect healing from the Lord? If someone has no mercy towards another like himself, can he then seek pardon for his own sins? If a mere mortal harbours wrath, who will make atonement for his sins?”.

Matthew 7:15-20 (Mark 7:21; Luke 6:43-45) cf Sirach 27:6 – “When a sieve is shaken, the refuse appears; so do a person’s faults when he speaks. The kiln tests the potter’s vessels; so the test of a person is in his conversation. Its fruit discloses the cultivation of the tree; so a person’s speech discloses the cultivation of his mind. Do not praise anyone before he speaks, for this is the way people are tested”.

Matthew 11:11 cf Sirach 10:24 (v.27 DRB) – “The prince and the judge and the ruler are honoured, but none of them is greater than one who fears the Lord”

Matthew 11:28-30 cf Sirach 6:22-31 – “For wisdom is like her name….Put your feet into her fetters, and your neck into her collar [yoke]. Bend your shoulders and carry her, and do not fret under her bonds….For at last you will find the rest she gives, and she will be changed into joy for you. Then her fetters will become for you a strong defence, and her collar a glorious robe. Her yoke is a golden ornament, and her bonds a purple cord….”

Matthew 25:36 cf Sirach 7:35 – “Do not hesitate to visit the sick, because for such deeds you will be loved”

Mark 7:21; Luke 6:43-45 cf Sir 27:6 – see Matthew 7:15-20

Luke 1:17 cf Sirach 48:10 (almost a direct quote) – “At the appointed time, it is written, you are destined to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob”.

Luke 6:43-45; Mark 7:21 cf Sir 27:6 – see Matthew 7:15-20.

Luke 12:13-21 cf Sirach 5:1; 11:18-19 – “Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?” for the Lord will surely punish you” (Sirach 5:1).

“One becomes rich through diligence and self-denial, and the reward allotted to him is this: when he says, ‘I have found rest, and now I shall feast on my goods!’ he does not know how long it will, be until he leaves them to others and dies” (Sir 11:18-19).

Luke 18:1-8 cf Sirach 35:16-19 – “[God] will not show partiality to the poor; but he will listen to one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan, or the widow when she pours out her complaint. Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek as she cries out against the one who causes them to fall?”

Romans 6:1, 15 cf Sirach 5:4-7 – “Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive me the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of God will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish”.

Romans 12:15-21 cf Sirach 7:34 – “Do not avoid those who weep, but mourn with those who mourn….”.

Ephesians 4:22, 29 cf Sirach 23:12-13, 15 – “There is a manner of speaking comparable to death; may it never be found in the inheritance of Jacob! Such conduct will be far from the godly, and they will not wallow in sins. Do not accustom your mouth to coarse, foul language, for it involves sinful speech….Those who are accustomed to using abusive language will never become disciplined as long as they live”

Colossians 3:8 cf Sirach 23:13 – see Ephesians 4:22

Hebrews 13:17 cf Sirach 7:29-31 – “With all your soul, fear the Lord, and revere his priests. With all your might love your Maker, and do not neglect his ministers. Fear the Lord and honour the priest, and give him his portion, as you have been commanded….”.

James 1:6-8 cf Sirach 1:28 (1:36 DRB); 2:14 DRB – “Do not disobey the fear of the Lord; do not approach him with a divided mind” (Sirach 1:28 NRSV).

“Woe to them that are of a double heart and to wicked lips, and to the hands that do evil, and to the sinner that goeth on the earth in two ways” (Sirach 2:14 DRB).

This has a major Book of Mormon flavour to it.
James 1:13-16 cf Sirach 15:11-20 – “Do not say, ‘It was the Lord’s doing that I fell away’; for he does not do what he hates. Do not say, ‘It was he who led me astray’; for he has no need of the sinful. The Lord hates all abominations; such things are not loved by those who fear him. It was he who created humankind in the beginning, and he left them in the power of their own free choice. If you choose you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. He has placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose. Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given. For great is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power and sees everything; his eyes are on those who fear him, and he knows every human action. He has not commanded anyone to be wicked, and he has not given anyone permission to sin”.

James 1:19 cf Sirach 5:11 – “Be quick to hear, but deliberate in answering”.

James 2:1-4 cf Sirach 11:2 – “Do not praise individuals for their good looks, or loathe anyone because of appearance alone”.

James 3:1-12 cf Sirach 5:13-6:1; 28:12 – “Honour and dishonour come from speaking, and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall. Do not be called double-tongued and do not lay traps with your tongue; for shame comes to the thief, and severe condemnation to the double-tongued. In great and small matters cause no harm, and do not become an enemy instead of a friend; for a bad name incurs shame and reproach; so it is with the double-tongued sinner” (Sirach 5:13-6:1).

I like this one.
"If you blow on a spark, it will glow; if you spit on it, it will be put out; yet both come out of your mouth” (Sirach 28:12).

James 5:1-6; cf Sirach 34:24-27 – “Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes is the person who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor. The bread of the needy is the life of the poor; whoever deprives them of it is a murderer. To take away a neighbour’s living is to commit murder; to deprive an employee is to shed blood”.

The Wisdom of Solomon is another book in the Apocrypha. I'll be dealing with that soon.
1 Peter 1:6-7 cf Wisdom 3:5-6; Sirach 2:5 – “Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt-offering he accepted them” (Wisdom 3:5-6).

“For gold is tested in the fire, and those found acceptable, in the furnace of humiliation. Trust in him and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him” (Sirach 2:5).

1 Peter 2:19 cf Sirach2:4 – “Accept whatever befalls you, and in times of humiliation be patient”

Jude 3 cf Sirach 4:28 – “Fight to the death for truth, and the Lord God will fight for you”.

Isn't this one true in recent times?
Revelation 2:26 cf Sirach 4:15 – “Those who obey her [wisdom] will judge the nations, and all who listen to her will live secure”.

[Niemand]

Sir. 11 2-5 – A bit close to the bone for our white shirt lovers?

Commend not a man for his beauty; neither abhor a man for his outward appearance.The bee is little among such as fly; but her fruit is the chief of sweet things. Boast not of thy clothing and raiment, and exalt not thyself in the day of honour: for the works of the Lord are wonderful, and his works among men are hidden. Many kings have sat down upon the ground; and one that was never thought of hath worn the crown. Many mighty men have been greatly disgraced; and the honourable delivered into other men's hands.

The LDS Bible dictionary on the book:

The Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus. This is the only book in the Apocrypha to which the name of the author can be assigned. In Ecclesiasticus 50:27 he speaks of himself as “Jesus the son of Sirach of Jerusalem.” We know nothing of him beyond what is told in the prologue to the book.

In style and character the book resembles the canonical book of Proverbs. The greater part is occupied with questions of practical morality. Some of the subjects discussed are friendship, old age, women, avarice, health, wisdom, anger, servants. The Song of Praise of the works of Creation (42:15–43:33) is a very powerful and beautiful composition, and the eulogy of the nation’s great men covers all of the Old Testament heroes, the omission of Ezra, Daniel, and Mordecai being remarkable.

[Niemand]

It seems the Chat GPT bot is aware of this book!

viewtopic.php?p=1343868

Me: What apocryphal books also talk about Sodom?

Chat GPT:

Several apocryphal books, also known as the Deuterocanonical books, mention Sodom and the story of its destruction.

The book of Wisdom in the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as an example of God's justice against the wicked. It says, "For by what things a man sinneth, by the same also he is tormented" (Wisdom 11:17).

The book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) also mentions the destruction of Sodom as a warning to those who are wicked and ungodly. It says, "The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the godless: 'Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?'" (Sirach 16:8).

The Book of Jubilees, is a Jewish work from the Second Temple period that gives an account of the world from the creation to Moses' time. It gives a detailed account of the events that led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, pointing out the sins of the people as the reason behind the destruction.

The book of Enoch, which is considered as a pseudepigrapha (non-canonical) book by most of the Christians and Jewish tradition, also talks about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and it gives a detailed account of the sins of the people of Sodom, mentioning the sins of fornication, sexual immorality, and sexual perversion.

These books are not considered as part of the canon of the Holy Bible by most of the Christian denominations and most of the Jewish tradition.

Me:

Does the book of Jasher talk about Sodom?


Chat GPT:

The Book of Jasher, also known as the Book of the Upright or the Book of the Just, is a pseudepigraphal (non-canonical) text that is not considered part of the canon of the Holy Bible by most Christian denominations or the Jewish tradition. It is said to be a collection of historical and legal texts from ancient Israel, but there is no evidence that it existed before the Middle Ages.

According to the Book of Jasher, it does talk about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, but it provides more details and a different perspective on the events that led to their destruction. It describes the people of Sodom as being very wicked and ungodly, committing sins such as robbery, murder, and sexual immorality. It also mentions that the city was punished by God for its sins and was destroyed by fire and brimstone. However, it should be noted that most of the scholars believe that it is not an authentic historical document and its historical accuracy is uncertain.

Latest Apocrypha
Outside the Western and Eastern Orthodox Canon...

The Ethiopian canon. This includes brief info on the books of Sinodos, Ethiopian Clement, Ethiopian Covenant, and Didascalia as well as a list of other works in the canon.
viewtopic.php?t=69540

The Book of Jubilees aka Leptogenesis or Little Genesis
viewtopic.php?t=1348962

3 Corinthians (Armenian canon)
viewtopic.php?t=69567

And also
Antilegomena: the books which barely made it into the Bible - Revelation, the Song of Solomon, Jude, Esther etc.
viewtopic.php?t=69609

[Niemand]

Been reading Protestant objections to this verse in this book. I tend to agree in this instance:

Sirach 12:4-7 advises, "Give to the godly man, and help not a sinner. Do well unto him that is lowly, but give not to the ungodly; hold back thy bread, and give it not unto him... give unto the good, and help not the sinner." This sounds more like pagan philosophy rather than the teaching of God, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you...Give to everyone who asks of you. And form him who takes away your goods do not ask them back." (Luke 6:27,30). "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink." (Romans 12:20, Proverbs 25:21).

Atonement and almsgiving, I don't agree so much in this case

Please take a second look and judge for yourself. Let's take some examples, starting with the book of Sirach which teaches that almsgiving makes atonement for sin. "Whoso honoureth his father maketh an atonement for his sins...Water will quench a flaming fire, and alms maketh an atonement for sin." (Sirach 3: 3,30).

Now it is the constant teaching of the Law that atonement is made by a blood sacrifice. For example Leviticus 17:11 states: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

But Sirach teaches that honouring parents and giving alms atones for sin. Sirach teaches that a person can be justified by another method apart from substitutionary sacrifice.

Quoted without comment or endorsement
https://christianity.stackexchange.com/ ... -apocrypha
William Whitaker's Disputations on Holy Scripture is a classic Reformation-era work that goes into great depth regarding the reasons that the apocrypha were rejected. He deals with Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) beginning on page 90.

He begins by arguing that the "common" reasons for rejecting the apocrypha also apply to this book, such as not being part of the Jewish canon, lack of early acceptance, and a lack of an original Hebrew version. He also notes a number of deficiencies, such as the author seeking pardon for his translation:

He asks pardon, if he should seem in some places to fail of an adequate power of expression. By all which he sufficiently proves that he is neither a prophet nor endowed with a prophetic spirit. For the Holy Spirit asks pardon of no one, hesitates not in the choice of words, and ever reaches the mark he aims at.

But Whitaker focuses on the book's explanation of the events of 1 Samuel 28, in which Saul, following Samuel's death, goes to a medium in an attempt to speak to Samuel's spirit. Sirach 46:20 reads:

Even after he had fallen asleep, he prophesied
and made known to the king his death,
and lifted up his voice from the ground
in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people. (NRSV)

Whitaker contends that "the souls of the saints cannot be evoked by magical arts or incantations," and notes that in several places Augustine argued that Saul rather spoke with a mere "phantom and imaginary illusion produced by diabolical devices." Thus Sirach 46:20 is in error and cannot be scripture.

Other Protestants have raised issues with other portions of the text, such as Sirach 15's discussion of free will. E. J. Young also writes:

Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon inculcate a morality based upon expediency. [...] Ecclesiasticus teaches that the giving of alms makes atonement for sin (3:30). ("The Canon of the Old Testament" in Revelation and the Bible Contemporary Evangelical Thought)

It's not clear to me, however, if such issues with the text were raised during the Reformation. Martin Luther did deal with Sirach 15 is his Bondage of the Will, and, though not accepting the book as canonical, nonetheless contended that it did not say what Erasmus argued. (see §46ff. of Bondage of the Will, and The Reception of the Church Fathers in the West, 584 for a summary)

So we can safely conclude that while Sirach was excluded primarily for the more general reasons the apocrypha was rejected, it was nonetheless found to have at least some theological issues in itself.


Latest Apocrypha
The Book of Enoch
viewtopic.php?t=69577

The Shepherd of Hermas (New Testament Apocrypha)... Guide to the tribulation or cryptopagan trash?
viewtopic.php?t=69650

The Epistle of Barnabas (NT Apocrypha) - link between OT and NT, or not?
viewtopic.php?t=69679

The Didache or Teachings of the Apostles
viewtopic.php?t=69698

The Gospel of Nicodemus or Acts of Pilate, as tested on Mennonites
viewtopic.php?t=69760

Is Q canonical? How about the Gospel of Thomas?
viewtopic.php?t=69715

[Niemand]

Latest Apocrypha etc
Underrated Bible stories #3: Habakkuk's Hair-raising Experience (from Bel & the Dragon in the KJV Apocrypha)
viewtopic.php?t=69509

Four Apocryphal Psalms - 152, 153, 154, 155
viewtopic.php?t=69985

Ethiopian Canon...
1 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon), another lost book?
viewtopic.php?t=69855

2 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon), - the return of Tsirutsaydan
viewtopic.php?t=69971

3 Meqabyan (Ethiopian canon) a Question of Satan, another lost work?
viewtopic.php?t=70277

The First and Second Books of Adam and Eve (the Conflict with Satan)
viewtopic.php?t=70846

Lost works and nearly lost works
The LDS Bible Dictionary on Lost Books and non-canonical works referred to in the Bible.
viewtopic.php?t=69805

Other New Testament works
1 Clement: Papist propaganda or a window into the early church?
viewtopic.php?p=1368842

2 Clement: Inclement Gnosticism?
viewtopic.php?t=70327

The Three different Apocalypses of Peter: Guides to the universe or sadism? The ancient Apocalypse of Peter, the Arabic Apocalypse of Peter and the Nag Hammadi/Gnostic Text of the same name.
viewtopic.php?t=70682

A post on the Restored Branch, an English LDS microsect and its canon which includes works from the Nag Hammadi and Gnostic texts: these are the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Phillip, the Gospel of Truth (sic), the Letter of the Apostle Paul, the Sophia (Wisdom) of Jesus the Christ, the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles and the Letter of Peter which he sent to Philip.
viewtopic.php?t=70413

Celtic legends about the Bible, including the visits of Biblical figures to western Europe, the Michael Line, Holy Grail, and Pontius Pilate.
viewtopic.php?t=71061

On other interrelated religions:
The Samaritans, their canon and its significance
viewtopic.php?t=69905

My thread about the Koran, and its use of figures from the Bible, the Apocrypha and extracanonical material. How useful a source is the Koran itself? Does it have any real extra information on Biblical figures? This is something of work in progress.
viewtopic.php?t=70169

Was Zoroaster/Zarathustra a lost prophet of God? Some surprising links between this largely forgotten figure and Judaism, plus the Gathas.
viewtopic.php?t=65938

My thread on a bizarre Middle Eastern sect and their beliefs. Are the Yezidis of the Middle East an ancient Satanist group or a lost Jewish tribe? And what is the connection between their religion and today's rainbow flag? Is this strange group simply misunderstood?
viewtopic.php?t=70625

[Niemand]

Another audiobook link 3hrs 25 mins approx.

Latest Apocrypha etc
Will the real Book of Jasher please stand up? At least a dozen works are claimed to be the Book of Jasher, but did it ever exist in the first place?
viewtopic.php?p=1438746

The Book of Gad the Seer, a work referred to in the Old Testament which may have been preserved by a small group of Jews in India. Some of its content is stunning including references to a sacrificed lamb who is sent by God and the future tribulation.
viewtopic.php?t=71421

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs: are these lost books of the founders of each Tribe of Israel or a later forgery?
viewtopic.php?t=71314

The Ascension of Isaiah, visions of Christ and Antichrist
viewtopic.php?t=71598

The Book of the Cock – an unfortunately named gospel still in current use in Ethiopia.
viewtopic.php?t=71338

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, an early endorsement of Paul or a forgery?
viewtopic.php?p=1400884

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus - a beautiful short epistle about the relations of Christians and non-Christians, and the Tree of Knowledge
viewtopic.php?p=1404032

End Times Prophecy in Apocrypha/Pseudepigrapha: A guide
Includes discussions of 2 Esdras, (1) Enoch, Nicodemus, Ascension of Isaiah, Gad the Seer and the Shepherd of Hermas
viewtopic.php?t=71659

New Age Bibles: Urantia, Oahspe, Kolbrin, Oera Linda, Crowley's Book of the Law, a Course in Miracles etc. These works, usually channelled, provide a very different take on spirituality yet are strangely similar to one another. How should we approach these new works and are they just demonic?
viewtopic.php?p=1433133