deuterokanonical

Deuterokanonical refers to certain books and passages that are included in the canon of the Old Testament by some Christian denominations, but not by others. The term itself is derived from Greek, meaning "second canon." These texts are found in the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, and were incorporated into the Old Testament canon by the early Christian Church.

The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church accept these deuterokanonical books as divinely inspired Scripture. These include works like Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and additions to Esther and Daniel.

Conversely, Protestant denominations generally do not consider these texts to be canonical scripture. They adhere to a canon that closely follows the Hebrew Bible, which does not include these specific books and passages. The reasons for this distinction often stem from theological interpretations and historical debates regarding the formation of the biblical canon. While Protestants may still find value in these writings for historical or devotional purposes, they are typically classified as apocrypha. The term "apocrypha" is sometimes used by Protestants to describe these same books, though the term "deuterokanonical" is preferred by Catholics and Orthodox Christians to affirm their canonical status.