How many Books are the in the Hebrew Old Testament, that was in use at the time when Jesus Christ lived on earth, as was used by Him and the Writers of the New Testament. In Bible versions like the King James, there are 39 Books in the Old Testament. This agrees with the Old Testament Books accepted and used by the Jews, from at least the 1st century A.D., which are 22 (or 24). There is no difference in the Books accepted, even though the number of Books are different. The only difference is how these Books have been grouped in the OT. The Books in the KJV, etc, are commonly known as the Protestant Canon.
The Roman Catholic church has an additional 7 books, Tobias, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Machabees; also certain additions to Esther and Daniel. While the so called “Orthodox” church lists 8 additional books, I Esdras, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, I Maccabees, II Maccabees, III Maccabees, IV Maccabees. It is argued that these books of the Old Testament were found in the Bible that was used in the 1st century, and represent the true Bible of the Jews, and the one used by our Lord, and the NT Writers. Historical evidence does not support this view, as I have present here.
Philo of Alexandria (c 20 BC-AD 50)
“The inclusion of the so-called Apocryphal Books in the LXX version is sometimes alleged to be a proof, that the Alexandrian Jews acknowledged a wider Canon of Scripture than their Palestinian countrymen. But this is not a legitimate inference. Our copies of the LXX are derived from Christian sources; and all that can certainly be proved from the association of additional books with those of the Hebrew Canon, is that these other books found favour with the Christian community. Doubtless, they would not thus have found favour with the Christians, if they had not also enjoyed high repute among the Jews, from whom they were obtained along with the undoubted books of the Hebrew Canon. The fact, however, that, neither in the writings of Philo, nor in those of Josephus—Jews who both make use of the LXX version—have we any evidence favouring the canonicity of the Apocryphal Books, is really conclusive against their having been regarded as Scripture by Greek-speaking Jews before the second century A.D…The writings of Philo, who died about 50 A.D., do not throw very much positive light upon the history of the Canon. To him, as to other Alexandrine Jews, the Law alone was in the highest sense the Canon of Scripture, and alone partook of divine inspiration in the most absolute degree. He quotes, however, extensively from other books of the Old Testament besides the Pentateuch ; and while it is probable that he shows acquaintance with Apocryphal writings, he is said never to appeal to them in support of his teaching in the way that he does to books included in the Hebrew Canon. The negative value of his testimony is therefore fairly conclusive against the canonicity of any book of the Apocrypha, or of any work not eventually included in the Hebrew Canon.” (H E Ryle; The Canon of the Old Testament, pp.146, 148-149)
Josephus (A.D.37-100)
“We have explicit testimony respecting the time of completing the canon from the Jewish historian Josephus, who was born at Jerusalem, a.d. 37, of priestly descent. In his treatise against Apion, an Alexandrian grammarian, hostile to the Jews, I., 8, he speaks in the following manner of the sacred books : " We have not tens of thousands of books, discordant and conflicting, but only twenty-two, containing the record of all time, which have been justly believed [to be divine]. And of these, five are the books of Moses, which embrace the laws and the tradition from the creation of man until his [Moses'] death. This period is a little short of three thousand years. From the death of Moses to the reign of Artaxerxes, the successor of Xerxes, king of Persia, the prophets who succeeded Moses wrote what was done in thirteen books. The remaining four books embrace hymns to God and counsels for men for the conduct of life. From Artaxerxes until our time everything has been recorded, but has not been deemed worthy of like credit with what preceded, because the exact succession of the prophets ceased. But what faith we have placed in our own writings is evident by our conduct ; for though so long a time has now passed, no one has dared, either to add anything to them, or to take anything from them, or to alter anything in them. But it is instinctive in all Jews at once from their very birth to regard them as commands of God, and to abide by them, and, if need be, willingly to die for them." According to Josephus, therefore, the period in which the books esteemed sacred by the Jews were written, extended from the time of Moses to the reign of Artaxerxes I. of Persia ; after which no additions of any sort were made to the canon. Artaxerxes Longimanus, the monarch here referred to, reigned forty years, from B.C. 465 to B.C. 425. In the seventh year of his reign Ezra came up to Jerusalem from the captivity (Ezra vii. 1, 8); and in the twentieth year of the same Nehemiah followed him (Neh. ii. 1, 5, 6).” (William Green; General Introduction to the Old Testament: Canon. pp.37-38. Emphasis mine)
The Fifth Book of Maccabees (Late 1st Century A.D.)
“There was a man of Macedon named Ptolemy, endued with knowledge and understanding; whom, as he dwelt in Egypt, the Egyptians made king over the country of Egypt. Wherefore he, being possessed with a desire of seeking out various knowledge, collected all the books of wise men from every quarter. And being anxious to obtain the Twenty-four Books, he wrote to the high priest in Jerusalem, to send him seventy elders from among those who were most skilled in those books ; and he sent to the priest a letter, with a present… So the secretaries took down from every one of them the translation of the Twenty-four Books. And when the translations were finished, Eleazar brought them to the king; and compared them together in his presence : on which comparison, they were found to agree. Upon which the king was exceeding glad, and ordered a large sum of money to be divided amongst the party. But Eleazar himself he rewarded with a munificent recompense.” (Henry Cotton; The Five Books of Maccabees; Book V, Ch.II, 1-3, 8-10)
4 EZRA - The Apocalypse (A.D.100-135)
“So in forty days were written ninety-four books *. And it came to pass when the forty days were fulfilled, that the Most High spake unto me saying: "The twenty-four books that thou hast written publish, that the worthy and unworthy may read (therein) : but the seventy last thou shalt keep, to deliver them to the wise among thy people” [*The twenty-four books are, of course, the books of the O.T., which were read openly in the synagogue, and were open for all to read. The number 24 is the ordinary reckoning of the O. T. books (5 + 8+ 11). In the Talmud and Midrash the O.T. is regularly termed 'the twenty-four holy Scriptures'. Another reckoning was 22 (cf. Joseph, c. Apion, i. 8) in accordance with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet (so also Origen, Epiphanius, Jerome). This total seems to have been obtained by combining Ruth with Judges, and Lamentations with Jeremiah. The seventy last, i.e. the apocalypses which were secret books.]” (R H Charles; The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Vol.II. IV Ezra, XIV, 45-46, p.624; also, G A Box, The Apocalypse of Ezra, p.113)
Syriac Peshitta VERSION (1st/2nd century)
“The Syriac translation of the Old Testament was undoubtedly made directly from the Hebrew; though at Antioch, during the third century of the present era and at later periods, it was revised so as to make it conform to the Septuagint. The history of its origin is obscure; but it was probably made in Mesopotamia during the first century” (Jewish Encyclopedia,Vol III, p.188)
“It is one of the best of the ancient versions in accuracy and general excellence. It adheres closely to the Hebrew text with few variations…This version originally contained all the canonical books of the Old Testament with the exception of Chronicles, but none of the Apocrypha; these were, however, at an early period rendered into Syriac “ (William Green, General Introduction to the Old Testament: Text, pp. 112,113)
Athanasius of Alexandria (A.D. 296-373), Thirty-Ninth Festal Epistle of A.D. 367
4 There are, then, of the Old Testament, twenty-two books in number; for, as I have heard, it is handed down that this is the number of the letters among the Hebrews; their respective order and names being as follows. The first is Genesis, then Exodus, next Leviticus, after that Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. Following these there is Joshua the son of Nun, then Judges, then Ruth. And again, after these four books of Kings, the first and second being reckoned as one book, and so likewise the third and fourth as one book. And again, the first and second of the Chronicles are reckoned as one book. Again Ezra, the first and second are similarly one book. After these there is the book of Psalms, then the Proverbs, next Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Job follows, then the Prophets, the Twelve [minor prophets] being reckoned as one book. Then Isaiah, one book, then Jeremiah with Baruch, Lamentations and the Epistle, one book; afterwards Ezekiel and Daniel, each one book. Thus far constitutes the Old Testament.
It is interesting that the authority of Athanasius is used by the Roman Catholics and Orthodox, for the Canon of the New Testament Books, but rejected for the Canon of the Old Testament Books! The evidence is very much conclusive, that the Old Testament Books accepted as Canonical, and Divinely Inspired by the Holy Spirit, are the same as we have in our English Versions like the KJV.
The Roman Catholic church has an additional 7 books, Tobias, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Machabees; also certain additions to Esther and Daniel. While the so called “Orthodox” church lists 8 additional books, I Esdras, II Esdras, Tobit, Judith, I Maccabees, II Maccabees, III Maccabees, IV Maccabees. It is argued that these books of the Old Testament were found in the Bible that was used in the 1st century, and represent the true Bible of the Jews, and the one used by our Lord, and the NT Writers. Historical evidence does not support this view, as I have present here.
Philo of Alexandria (c 20 BC-AD 50)
“The inclusion of the so-called Apocryphal Books in the LXX version is sometimes alleged to be a proof, that the Alexandrian Jews acknowledged a wider Canon of Scripture than their Palestinian countrymen. But this is not a legitimate inference. Our copies of the LXX are derived from Christian sources; and all that can certainly be proved from the association of additional books with those of the Hebrew Canon, is that these other books found favour with the Christian community. Doubtless, they would not thus have found favour with the Christians, if they had not also enjoyed high repute among the Jews, from whom they were obtained along with the undoubted books of the Hebrew Canon. The fact, however, that, neither in the writings of Philo, nor in those of Josephus—Jews who both make use of the LXX version—have we any evidence favouring the canonicity of the Apocryphal Books, is really conclusive against their having been regarded as Scripture by Greek-speaking Jews before the second century A.D…The writings of Philo, who died about 50 A.D., do not throw very much positive light upon the history of the Canon. To him, as to other Alexandrine Jews, the Law alone was in the highest sense the Canon of Scripture, and alone partook of divine inspiration in the most absolute degree. He quotes, however, extensively from other books of the Old Testament besides the Pentateuch ; and while it is probable that he shows acquaintance with Apocryphal writings, he is said never to appeal to them in support of his teaching in the way that he does to books included in the Hebrew Canon. The negative value of his testimony is therefore fairly conclusive against the canonicity of any book of the Apocrypha, or of any work not eventually included in the Hebrew Canon.” (H E Ryle; The Canon of the Old Testament, pp.146, 148-149)
Josephus (A.D.37-100)
“We have explicit testimony respecting the time of completing the canon from the Jewish historian Josephus, who was born at Jerusalem, a.d. 37, of priestly descent. In his treatise against Apion, an Alexandrian grammarian, hostile to the Jews, I., 8, he speaks in the following manner of the sacred books : " We have not tens of thousands of books, discordant and conflicting, but only twenty-two, containing the record of all time, which have been justly believed [to be divine]. And of these, five are the books of Moses, which embrace the laws and the tradition from the creation of man until his [Moses'] death. This period is a little short of three thousand years. From the death of Moses to the reign of Artaxerxes, the successor of Xerxes, king of Persia, the prophets who succeeded Moses wrote what was done in thirteen books. The remaining four books embrace hymns to God and counsels for men for the conduct of life. From Artaxerxes until our time everything has been recorded, but has not been deemed worthy of like credit with what preceded, because the exact succession of the prophets ceased. But what faith we have placed in our own writings is evident by our conduct ; for though so long a time has now passed, no one has dared, either to add anything to them, or to take anything from them, or to alter anything in them. But it is instinctive in all Jews at once from their very birth to regard them as commands of God, and to abide by them, and, if need be, willingly to die for them." According to Josephus, therefore, the period in which the books esteemed sacred by the Jews were written, extended from the time of Moses to the reign of Artaxerxes I. of Persia ; after which no additions of any sort were made to the canon. Artaxerxes Longimanus, the monarch here referred to, reigned forty years, from B.C. 465 to B.C. 425. In the seventh year of his reign Ezra came up to Jerusalem from the captivity (Ezra vii. 1, 8); and in the twentieth year of the same Nehemiah followed him (Neh. ii. 1, 5, 6).” (William Green; General Introduction to the Old Testament: Canon. pp.37-38. Emphasis mine)
The Fifth Book of Maccabees (Late 1st Century A.D.)
“There was a man of Macedon named Ptolemy, endued with knowledge and understanding; whom, as he dwelt in Egypt, the Egyptians made king over the country of Egypt. Wherefore he, being possessed with a desire of seeking out various knowledge, collected all the books of wise men from every quarter. And being anxious to obtain the Twenty-four Books, he wrote to the high priest in Jerusalem, to send him seventy elders from among those who were most skilled in those books ; and he sent to the priest a letter, with a present… So the secretaries took down from every one of them the translation of the Twenty-four Books. And when the translations were finished, Eleazar brought them to the king; and compared them together in his presence : on which comparison, they were found to agree. Upon which the king was exceeding glad, and ordered a large sum of money to be divided amongst the party. But Eleazar himself he rewarded with a munificent recompense.” (Henry Cotton; The Five Books of Maccabees; Book V, Ch.II, 1-3, 8-10)
4 EZRA - The Apocalypse (A.D.100-135)
“So in forty days were written ninety-four books *. And it came to pass when the forty days were fulfilled, that the Most High spake unto me saying: "The twenty-four books that thou hast written publish, that the worthy and unworthy may read (therein) : but the seventy last thou shalt keep, to deliver them to the wise among thy people” [*The twenty-four books are, of course, the books of the O.T., which were read openly in the synagogue, and were open for all to read. The number 24 is the ordinary reckoning of the O. T. books (5 + 8+ 11). In the Talmud and Midrash the O.T. is regularly termed 'the twenty-four holy Scriptures'. Another reckoning was 22 (cf. Joseph, c. Apion, i. 8) in accordance with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet (so also Origen, Epiphanius, Jerome). This total seems to have been obtained by combining Ruth with Judges, and Lamentations with Jeremiah. The seventy last, i.e. the apocalypses which were secret books.]” (R H Charles; The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Vol.II. IV Ezra, XIV, 45-46, p.624; also, G A Box, The Apocalypse of Ezra, p.113)
Syriac Peshitta VERSION (1st/2nd century)
“The Syriac translation of the Old Testament was undoubtedly made directly from the Hebrew; though at Antioch, during the third century of the present era and at later periods, it was revised so as to make it conform to the Septuagint. The history of its origin is obscure; but it was probably made in Mesopotamia during the first century” (Jewish Encyclopedia,Vol III, p.188)
“It is one of the best of the ancient versions in accuracy and general excellence. It adheres closely to the Hebrew text with few variations…This version originally contained all the canonical books of the Old Testament with the exception of Chronicles, but none of the Apocrypha; these were, however, at an early period rendered into Syriac “ (William Green, General Introduction to the Old Testament: Text, pp. 112,113)
Athanasius of Alexandria (A.D. 296-373), Thirty-Ninth Festal Epistle of A.D. 367
4 There are, then, of the Old Testament, twenty-two books in number; for, as I have heard, it is handed down that this is the number of the letters among the Hebrews; their respective order and names being as follows. The first is Genesis, then Exodus, next Leviticus, after that Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. Following these there is Joshua the son of Nun, then Judges, then Ruth. And again, after these four books of Kings, the first and second being reckoned as one book, and so likewise the third and fourth as one book. And again, the first and second of the Chronicles are reckoned as one book. Again Ezra, the first and second are similarly one book. After these there is the book of Psalms, then the Proverbs, next Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Job follows, then the Prophets, the Twelve [minor prophets] being reckoned as one book. Then Isaiah, one book, then Jeremiah with Baruch, Lamentations and the Epistle, one book; afterwards Ezekiel and Daniel, each one book. Thus far constitutes the Old Testament.
It is interesting that the authority of Athanasius is used by the Roman Catholics and Orthodox, for the Canon of the New Testament Books, but rejected for the Canon of the Old Testament Books! The evidence is very much conclusive, that the Old Testament Books accepted as Canonical, and Divinely Inspired by the Holy Spirit, are the same as we have in our English Versions like the KJV.
