Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible

The non-canonical books in this article include Biblical apocrypha and Deuterocanonical books (which are accepted as part of the Biblical canon by most non-Protestant Christians), pseudepigrapha, writings from Hellenistic and other non-Biblical cultures, and lost works of known or unknown status. For the purposes of this article, referenced can mean direct quotations, paraphrases, or allusions, which in some cases are known only because they have been identified as such by ancient writers, or the citation of a work or author.

Hebrew Bible references

The Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh by Jews, and called the Old Testament by Christians, or the Protocanonical books.

• The Book of Jasher (whose title fully translated means the Book of the Upright or the Book of the Just) is mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18. From the context in the Book of Samuel it is implied that it was a collection of poetry. Several books have claimed to be this lost text, but are widely discounted as pseudepigrapha.
• The Book of the Wars of the Lord.^[1] Referenced at Numbers 21:14.
• A "Book of Songs" is referenced at 1 Kings 8:12–13 (Septuagint).
• The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Chronicles of the Kings of Judah are mentioned in the Books of Kings (1 Kings 14:19,29). They are said to tell of events during the reigns of Kings Jeroboam of Israel and Rehoboam of Judah, respectively. The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel is again mentioned in 1 Kings 16:20 regarding King Zimri, and many other times throughout 1 and 2 Kings.
• The "Book of Shemaiah, and of Iddo the Seer" (also called Story of the Prophet Iddo or The Annals of the Prophet Iddo) is mentioned in the 2nd Book of Chronicles. (2 Chronicles 9:29, 2 Chronicles 12:15, 2 Chronicles 13:22). Iddo was a seer who lived during the reigns of Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah. His deeds were recorded in this book, which has been completely lost to history, save for its title. However, it is interesting to note that Zechariah was the son of Iddo, but this was likely not the same Iddo. (Ezra 5:1, Zechariah 1:1)
• The Manner of the Kingdom.^[2]
  Referenced at 1 Samuel 10:25.
• The Acts of Solomon.^[3]
  Referenced at 1 Kings 11:41.
• The Annals of King David.^[4]
  Referenced at 1 Chronicles 27:24.
• The Book of Samuel the Seer. Also called Samuel the Seer or The Acts of Samuel the Seer, which could be the same as 1 & 2 Samuel.^[5]
  Referenced at 1 Chronicles 29:29.
• The Book of Nathan the Prophet. Also called Nathan the Prophet or The Acts of Nathan the Prophet or History of Nathan the Prophet.^[6]
  Referenced at 1 Chronicles 29:29, and also 2 Chronicles 9:29.
• The Book of Gad the Seer.^[7]
  Referenced at 1 Chronicles 29:29.
• The Prophecy of Ahijah,^[8] might be a reference to 1 Kings 14:2–18.
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 9:29.
• The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.^[9]
  Referenced in 2 Chronicles 16:11, 2 Chronicles 27:7 and 2 Chronicles 32:32. Might be the same as 1 & 2 Kings.
• The Book of Jehu,^[10] could be a reference to 1 Kings 16:1–7.
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 20:34.
• The Story of the Book of Kings.^[11]
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 24:27.
• The Acts of Uziah. Also called The Book by the prophet Isaiah. Perhaps the same as the Book of Isaiah.^[5]
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 26:22.
• The Vision of Isaiah.^[12]
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 32:32.
• The Acts of the Kings of Israel. Also called The Acts and Prayers of Manasseh.^[13] May be identical to The Book of the Kings of Israel, above.
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 33:18.
• The Sayings of the Seers.^[14]
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 33:19.
• The Laments for Josiah. Also called Lamentations. This event is recorded in the existing Book of Lamentations.
  Referenced at 2 Chronicles 35:25.
• The Chronicles of King Ahasuerus.^[15]
  Referenced at Esther 2:23, Esther 6:1, Esther 10:2, and Nehemiah 12:23.

Deuterocanonical references

Book of Tobit

• Book (or Wisdom) of Ahikar referenced by Tobit 1:22, Tobit 2:10, Tobit 11:18, Tobit 14,10^[16]

Sirach^[17] (verse numbers vary slightly between versions)

• Aesop's fable of The Two Pots referenced at Sirach 13:2–3^[16]
• The Egyptian Satire of the Trades, or another work in that tradition^[18] referenced at Sirach 38:24–39:11

2 Maccabees

• "The archives" referenced by 2Maccabees 2:1^[16]
• Memoirs of Nehemiah referenced by 2Maccabees 2:13,^[16] could be the same as the Book of Nehemiah.
• "letters of the kings" referenced by 2Maccabees 2:13^[16]
• "five books by Jason of Cyrene" referenced by 2Maccabees 2:23: the author of 2 Maccabees here tells us that the work is abridged from the history by Jason.
• "the king's letter" referenced by 2Maccabees 11:22^[16]

New Testament references

Nestle's Greek New Testament lists some 132 New Testament passages that appear to be verbal allusions to paracanonical books.^[19]

Pagan authors quoted or alluded to:^[20][21]

• Menander, Thais 218 (1 Cor. 15:33)
• Epimenides (and later Aratus, Phaenomena 5), (Acts 17:28). Paul introduced another quotation from Epimenides (de Oraculis) by calling him a prophet of the Cretans (Titus 1:12–13). see Epimenides paradox.

Non canonical books quoted or alluded to:^[20]

• Book of Enoch (Jude 4,6,13,14–15,^[22] 2 Peter 2:4;3:13^[22][23])
• Epistle to the Laodiceans (Colossians 4:16 "read the epistle from Laodicea")
• Life of Adam and Eve (2 Corinthians 11:14 "Satan as an angel of light", 12:2 "Third Heaven")^[24]
• A lost section of the Assumption of Moses (Jude 9 "Michael.. body of Moses")
• Martyrdom of Isaiah (Hebrews 11:37 "they were sawn in two")
• Paul's letter to the Corinthians before 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:9 "I wrote to you in my letter...")

See also

• Agrapha
• Biblical apocrypha
• Jewish apocrypha
• List of Gospels
• List of names for the Biblical nameless
• New Testament apocrypha
• Table of Books of Judeo-Christian Scripture

Notes

1. Sometimes called The Book of the Wars of Yahweh. One source says "The quotation is in lyrical form, so it is possibly a book of poetry or a hymnal...Moses quoted it, so the date of its composition must have been prior to the completion of the Pentateuch, perhaps during the wanderings in the wilderness. Nothing else is known about it, and it survives only in Moses’ quotation."
2. Also called The Book of Statutes or 3 Samuel.
3. Also called The Book of the Acts of Solomon
4. Also called The Book of the Annals of King David or The Chronicles of King David, which could be a reference to the rest of 1 Chronicles.
6. . could be a reference to 2 Samuel
7. Also called Gad the Seer or The Acts of Gad the Seer
8. Also called The Prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite .
9. Also called The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
10. Also called The Book of Jehu the son of Hanani
11. Also called Midrash on the Book of Kings
12. Also called The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah. May be identical to the pseudepigraphal Ascension of Isaiah. May also refer to the existing Book of Isaiah
14. Also called The Acts of the Seers
15. Also called The Book of Records of the Chronicles or The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia
16. See footnote to the Biblical passage in The Jerusalem Bible, Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1966
17. Other names include: Ecclesiasticus or Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sira
18. Rollston, Chris A. (April 2001). "Ben Sira 38:24–39:11 and The Egyptian Satire of the Trades". Journal of Biblical Literature 120 (Spring): 131–139. doi:10.2307/3268597.
19. A general introduction to the Bible: from ancient tablets to modern translations By David Ewert,77
20. James & Jude, Gary Holloway, 140
21. The Old Testament pseudepigrapha and the New Testament: prolegomena for the, James H. Charlesworth
24. Martin, Ralph P. 2 Corinthians Word Biblical Commentary 40,