deuterokanon

Deuterocanon, or deuterocanonical books, refers to a group of Old Testament writings whose status as part of the biblical canon was debated in some Christian communities. The term contrasts with protocanon, the books widely accepted as canonical by Jews and by most Christian groups. It is commonly used in Catholic and Orthodox traditions; Protestant Bibles typically label these writings as apocrypha or exclude them from the canon.

These books originate largely from the Greek-speaking Jewish diaspora (the Septuagint) and were widely used in early Christianity. The Catholic Church formally affirmed their canonical status at the Council of Trent in the 16th century. In Eastern Orthodox churches, the same or similar collection is accepted, though some local canons include additional texts in certain traditions.

The deuterocanonical corpus most commonly includes Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch (including the Letter of Jeremiah), and 1 and 2 Maccabees, along with the additions to Esther and Daniel (such as the Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon). Some Orthodox traditions recognize additional writings in their wider canons.

Modern editions of the Bible differ: Catholic Bibles present these as canonical; most Protestant editions place them among the apocrypha or omit them; Orthodox Bibles generally include them and may recognize additional texts in some canons. The term deuterocanon remains a scholarly designation reflecting historical variation in acceptance rather than a uniform dogmatic label.