The Deuterocanonical Books: A List of the 7 and What Each Contains
The deuterocanonical books are seven books found in the Catholic and Orthodox Old Testaments: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. They are the reason a Catholic Bible has 73 books where a typical Protestant Bible has 66. The name means "second canon," and Protestant editions usually call these writings the Apocrypha. This page lists the seven and says what each contains, without taking a position on which books belong in the canon.
The same books, different labels
Different traditions have drawn the boundary of the Old Testament differently, so the same seven books go by different names depending on who is speaking.
- Catholic and Orthodox traditions accept these books as canonical. Catholics call them deuterocanonical.
- Protestant traditions generally place them outside the canon and often call them the Apocrypha. Many historic Protestant Bibles, including the 1611 King James Version, printed them in a separate section between the Testaments.
- Many other readers value them as historical or edifying writings, whatever their view of the canon.
Because the labels carry views, the sections below stick to what the books say and to the dates that scholars commonly give.
The seven books at a glance
| Book | Chapters | Type | Date (many scholars' view) | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tobit | 14 | Family story | c. 225-175 BC | Nineveh and Media, among exiles from Israel |
| Judith | 16 | Story of deliverance | c. 150-100 BC | The town of Bethulia and the camp of Holofernes |
| Wisdom of Solomon | 19 | Wisdom writing | c. 100 BC-AD 50 | Probably written in Greek in Alexandria |
| Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) | 51 | Wisdom sayings | c. 180 BC (Greek translation c. 132 BC) | Jerusalem |
| Baruch | 6 | Prayer and poetry | c. 200-100 BC | Babylon, during the exile |
| 1 Maccabees | 16 | History | c. 100 BC | Judea under Seleucid rule |
| 2 Maccabees | 15 | Theological retelling | c. 124 BC-AD 70 | Jerusalem and Judea |
What each book contains
Tobit
A family story set among exiles in Assyria. Tobit is a faithful man who is blinded, and his son Tobias travels with a companion named Azariah. The tale includes a marriage, a healing and recurring attention to prayer, charity and family loyalty. It reads quickly, like a short novel, and the prayers in chapters 3-4 and 12-13 are good places to pause.
Judith
A courageous widow named Judith speaks to the leaders of the besieged town of Bethulia, enters the enemy camp, and delivers her town. Many scholars see it as a historical-style narrative with symbolic elements. Its themes are courage, prayer and trust in God when a community feels powerless.
Wisdom of Solomon
A wisdom book that speaks in the voice of a king seeking wisdom. It contrasts the righteous with the ungodly, describes wisdom as a radiance of eternal light, and retells the Exodus as an example of God's care. The traditional attribution is to Solomon, but most scholars think it was written much later, in Greek.
Sirach
A long collection of wisdom sayings in the manner of Proverbs, on friendship, family, money, speech, humility and the fear of the Lord. It ends with a praise of famous ancestors, from Enoch to Simon the high priest. It is written by a named sage, Jesus ben Sira, and was translated into Greek by his grandson. It is best read a chapter or two at a time.
Baruch
Presented as a message from the exile in Babylon. It includes a confession of sin, a poem in praise of wisdom and words of comfort to Jerusalem. Many editions attach the Letter of Jeremiah as chapter 6, a warning against idols.
1 Maccabees
A historical account of the revolt against Seleucid rule led by Mattathias and his sons. It tells of the rededication of the Temple, which is connected with the later festival of Hanukkah, and of the rise of the Hasmonean family. It covers roughly 175-134 BC, so it fills part of the gap between the Old and New Testament eras.
2 Maccabees
An independent work that covers part of the same period as 1 Maccabees. It focuses on the Temple crisis, on Jewish martyrs, including a mother and her seven sons, and on Judas Maccabeus. It includes statements about resurrection and prayer for the dead. It is easiest to read after 1 Maccabees, so you can compare the two accounts.
Questions people ask
Did Jesus or the New Testament writers cite these books? Readers disagree. The New Testament does not introduce quotations from them with a formula such as "it is written" the way it does for Isaiah or Psalms. Some readers hear echoes of Wisdom or Sirach in the New Testament, while others do not find them convincing.
Which books does the Orthodox canon include? Orthodox canons vary by church and can include additional writings beyond these seven. Because the details differ, this page describes only the seven books that the Catholic canon adds.
Do these books agree with the others? They share many themes with the rest of the Old Testament: faithfulness in exile, wisdom, courage under pressure and hope for deliverance. Some statements, such as prayer for the dead in 2 Maccabees, are among the points where traditions part ways.
How to read them
- Start with Tobit or Judith, which are narratives.
- Read the wisdom books (Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach) in small pieces, like Proverbs.
- Read 1 Maccabees before 2 Maccabees, and keep a list of the Seleucid rulers nearby.
- Pair them with the Old Testament books from the same era: Daniel, Esther, Jeremiah and Lamentations.
The supplement in the Bible Roadmap
The Bible Roadmap includes a Deuterocanon Supplement that gives each of these seven books the same one-page guide as the other 66: author, date and setting at a glance, a structure of the sections, a short timeline, key people and places, themes and a reading tip, plus where the book connects to the rest of the story. It is part of the main set, so it is filed alongside the other guides rather than sold separately. It presents each book neutrally, in the way this page does.
To see how all the books are arranged, use the books of the Bible chart. If you want to plan your reading, the reading tracker shows a 52-week route. For prompts to talk through a book with others, see Bible study questions by book.