Did you know that there are other chapters of the book of Daniel that are not found in our Bibles? “Lost chapters” include additions to chapter 3 called the Prayer of Azariah, and the Song of the Three Children. There also is a chapter called Susanna, the story of a virtuous Jewish wife who refused to accept the advances of two lustful elders, and had to be freed from sure death by the resourcefulness of a young Daniel. The stories of Bel and the Dragon show Daniel’s wisdom in outsmarting the idolatrous worshipers of Babylon.

            Why aren’t these chapters in our Bibles? They are not in our Bibles because they are not scripture, not inspired writings. They are books in the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha include some twelve books from various sorts of literature. Some, such as 1 and 2 Maccabees, are probably fairly accurate historically. Others are not.

            The books of the Apocrypha (which are found in Catholic Bibles), were never accepted by the Jews as part of the canon of Hebrew scripture. When the Septuagint translation was made in Egypt, these books were also translated, and placed with the scriptures. (This Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures is usually abbreviated “LXX,” because there were 70 translators.) Being placed with the LXX, some mistakenly assumed that they were also scripture, when they were merely Hebrew writings. Malachi, the last writing prophet wrote some 400 years before Christ, but some of the Apocrypha dates from as late as 100 B.C.

            “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Scripture is inspired, but not all ancient writings, such as the Apocrypha, are inspired.