The Apocrypha refers to a set of books that are included in the Bible by some Christian traditions but not in others. These books are considered canonical by some branches of Christianity, such as the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, but are not included in the Protestant Bible. The history of the Apocrypha books in the Bible is complex and dates back to the early centuries of Christianity. Here is a brief synopsis of their history: 1. **Septuagint**: The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that was widely used in the early Christian church. The Septuagint included several books that are now considered part of the Apocrypha, such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Baruch, and others. 2. **Council of Carthage (397 AD)**: The Council of Carthage in 397 AD affirmed the canon of the Old Testament that included the books of the Apocrypha. This decision was later confirmed by other church councils, such as the Council of Trent in the 16th century. 3. **Reformation**: During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, Martin Luther and other reformers questioned the canonicity of the Apocrypha books. As a result, the Protestant churches removed these books from the Old Testament canon, considering them as deuterocanonical (secondary canon) or non-canonical. 4. **Different canons**: As a result of these historical developments, different Christian traditions have different canons of the Bible. The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church include the Apocrypha books in their Old Testament canon, while most Protestant denominations do not. 5. **Modern usage**: Today, the Apocrypha books are still included in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, while most Protestant Bibles contain them as separate books or in a section known as the Apocrypha. Overall, the history of the Apocrypha books in the Bible is a reflection of the diverse traditions and interpretations within Christianity regarding the canon of Scripture. #GnosticPope