Why is There a Section Called the Apocrypha
in the 1611 King James Bible?
The 1611 King James Bible included a section called the Apocrypha, which is omitted from many modern editions. The books of the Apocrypha are from the Jewish tradition. Although most were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic, the earliest surviving texts are later Greek translations. Catholics consider these books canonical, meaning that they are part of the Bible, and include them in the Old Testament. Protestants, on the other hand, generally do not accept the books of the Apocrypha as canonical.
Early English Bibles, including the King James Bible, included the Apocrypha, which was viewed as a kind of supplement or companion piece to the Old and New Testaments. Stories from the Apocrypha were quite popular in England. The Book of Tobit tells the story of the elder Tobit and his son, who takes an eventful trip. The page shown here includes the only mention of a domestic pet in the Bible: “So they went forth, and the young man’s dog with them” (Tobit, 5:16).
Over time, many Protestant denominations became less comfortable with the Apocrypha. In the early 1800s, major British and American Bible societies declined to pay for any Bibles that included the Apocrypha, effectively eliminating it from most later editions of the King James Bible.
Learn more about the 1611 edition of the King James Bible: Read the Book
Bible. English. Authorized. London, 1611. Folger Shakespeare Library.
