Exploring the Deuterocanonical Books of the Old Testament

Preview Sheet – Diocesan Theological Institute

Welcome to a study of seven fascinating yet underappreciated OT books in our Catholic canon of

inspired Scripture: 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Sirach, Wisdom, Judith and Baruch. We will be meeting

over two lengthy sessions (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) on Saturday March 4 and 11 at the Diocesan

Administration Building. I am sharing this Preview Sheet early so you can have plenty of time to

complete the reading for the first class.

Session 1 on March 4th will address the following topics:

The Canon of the Bible: Why and How the Deuterocanonical Books Came to Be

1 and 2 Maccabees

Tobit

Sirach

Session 2 on March 11th will explore the following topics:

Wisdom of Solomon

Judith

Baruch

To prepare for Session 1, I would encourage you to read through the Biblical texts as thoroughly as time

allows. 1 and 2 Maccabees are challenging books with a surplus of characters and events, so I have

chosen just some key chapters. Tobit and Sirach are more entertaining. I suggest the following

selections:

o 1 Maccabees 1:1-3:26, 4:36-61, 9:1-73, 12:39-13:30, 16:11-24

o 2 Maccabees 1:1-2:32, 5:11-10:8

o The Book of Tobit in its entirety

o The Book of Sirach – this is actually a collection of brief wisdom treatises on varied topics like

wisdom, happiness, humility and pride, sin, wealth, women, friendship, marriage, death,

manners, etc. I would encourage you to skip around the book to get a feel for these

presentations. However, don’t miss 1:1-29, 4:11-19, 6:5-17, 6:32-37, 14:20-15:10, 24:1-31,

25:12-26:18, 31:12-31, 32:14-19, 39:1-11, 44:9-14, 51:1-30. FYI: as you will read in any

commentary on Sirach, be aware that some of Sirach’s observations on women reflect Israel’s

patriarchal culture of the time and can be offensive to our modern ears and attitudes.

I have included articles for you to read if you are interested. They will appear at the end of this Preview

Sheet:

“The Canon of the Bible,” Bible Today, by Fr. Lawrence Boadt, CSP

“Seven Gifts of the Deuterocanonical Books,” Bible Today, by Sr. Irene Nowell, OSB

“Why There Are Different Christian Bibles,” The Catholic Bible Study Handbook, by Fr. Jerome

Kodell, OSB

“The Maccabean Revolt,” Bible Today, by Fr. Neil McEleney, CSP

“Theologies in Conflict,” Bible Today, Fr. Michael Guinan, OFM

“Prayers in Tobit,” Bible Today, Fr. Daniel Harrington, SJ

“Life Itself as Pedagogue: Wisdom in the Book of Sirach,” Bible Today, Fr. Gregory Polan, OSB

I realize this is a lot of reading, but both the Biblical authors and the scholars have much to offer us. This

is an area of the Bible that is rich in insight and faith and I believe our appreciation will be enhanced by

focused preparation. May God bless your prayerful preparation.

I look forward to joining you on March 4th, if you have any questions, please contact me or Ellie in the

Ministry Formation office.

John McGrath