Old Testament Canon History: Protestant, Catholic & Apocrypha Differences

Historically, we know very little of how the Old Testament Bible was compiled and the 'canon' put together.

The Christian Bible includes both Old and New Testament books which are regarded as divinely inspired.

The exact details as to the final completion of the Old Testament canon are not known. However, we do know the Church councils and Church fathers differed over which books were authentic enough to qualify for inclusion into the Christian Bible canon.

After much debate, the Christian Bible canon, including select Old Testament books was officially announced in 397 AD at the Council of Carthage (Tunisia); 367 years after Jesus' crucifixion.

| WIKIPEDIA: Books_of_the_Bible

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APOCRYPHA	BIBLE CANON
	Protestant c. 1546 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Canons_of_the_Apostles	Catholic c. 397 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Council_of_Laodicea	Eastern Greek Orth. c. 385 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Councils_of_Carthage	Slavonic c. 864 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Canons_of_the_Apostles	Georgian c. 570 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Council_of_Laodicea	Ethiopian c. 419 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Councils_of_Carthage
Apocrypha are texts written of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The term 'Apocrypha' commonly appears in Christian religious contexts concerning disagreements about biblical canonicity. \| WIKIPEDIA: Apocrypha
Tobit
Judith
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
Wisdom
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Esther (additions)
Daniel (additions)
3 Maccabees
1 Esdras
Prayer of Manasseh
Psalm 151
2 Esdras
4 Maccabees
Jubilees
Enoch
4 Baruch
Total OT Books	39	46	50	50	51	46

OLD TESTAMENT	CHURCH FATHER
	Athanasius 296-373 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Athanasius_of_Alexandria	Gregory 329-390 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Gregory_of_Nazianzus	Amphilochius 339-403 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Amphilochius_of_Iconium
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Kings
2 Kings
3 Kings
4 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
1 Ezra
2 Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther		•
Judith		•	•
Tobit		•	•
1 Meqa	•	•	•
2 Meqa	•	•	•
3 Mega	•	•	•
Psalms
Job
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Wisdom		•	•
Sirach		•	•
Hosea
Amos
Micah
Joel
Obadiah
Jonah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Baruch		•	•
Lamentations		•	•
Epistle Jer.		•	•
Ezekiel
Daniel
Total OT Books	45	37	38

OLD TESTAMENT	CHURCH COUNCIL
	Apostolic Canon c. 400 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Canons_of_the_Apostles	Council Laodicea c. 364 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Council_of_Laodicea	Council Carthage c. 397 AD \| WIKIPEDIA: Councils_of_Carthage
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Kings
2 Kings
3 Kings
4 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
1 Ezra
2 Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Judith	•	•
Tobit	•	•
1 Meqa		•
2 Meqa		•
3 Mega		•	•
Psalms
Job
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Wisdom	•	•
Sirach		•	•
Hosea
Amos
Micah
Joel
Obadiah
Jonah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Baruch	•		•
Lamentations	•		•
Epistle Jer.	•		•
Ezekiel
Daniel
Total OT Books	42	41	43

TABLE KEY

Symbol	Opinion of Authority
	True; accepted scriptural; or quoted from very approvingly
	Possible; approving quotation or allusion
	Acceptable but only with changes
	Disputed; dubious; or useful for inspiration/spurious (Eusebius)
	False; heretical; heterodox; quoted from very disapprovingly
•	No Mention; not mentioned or quoted from; opinion unknown

CREDIT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_canon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_manuscript
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_of_Trent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Councils_of_Carthage
https://bible.org/seriespage/5-transmission
http://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/G/georgian-version.html
https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/canon-old-testament
https://pomog.org/bible-church-slavonic
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Bible/Text/Canon/canonages.html
http://www.academia.edu/6182651/The_Vision_of_the_Old_Testament_Canon_in_the_Russian_Orthodox_Church
The Old Testament Canon - Religion Free Pills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uPqV6X0yL0 (7:30)

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Author: Guest • Updated: 13 Aug 2026 • 19,961 views | 2 hrs ago

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What is Old Testament?
The Old Testament (OT) is the first part of Christian Bibles. This is based primarily upon the Hebrew Bible (or Tanakh), a collection of ancient religious writings by the Israelites believed by most Christians and religious Jews to be the sacred Word of God. The second part of the Christian Bible is the New Testament. The books that comprise the Old Testament canon, as well as their order and names, differ between Christian denominations. The Catholic canon comprises 46 books, and the canons of the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches comprise up to 51 books and the most common Protestant canon comprises 39 books.

Who is a Protestant?
Protestantism is the second largest form of Christianity with collectively more than 900 million adherents worldwide or nearly 40% of all Christians. It originated with the Reformation, a movement against what its followers perceived to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church. Ever since, Protestants reject the Roman Catholic doctrine of papal supremacy and sacraments, but disagree among themselves regarding the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They emphasize the priesthood of all believers, justification by faith alone (sola fide) rather than by good works, and the highest authority of the Bible alone (rather than with sacred tradition) in faith and morals (sola scriptura). The "Five solae" summarize basic theological differences in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church.

What is Catholic?
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church. This is the largest Christian church, with approximately 1.3 billion baptised Catholics worldwide, as of 2016. As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. The church is headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope. Its central administration, the Holy See, is in the Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy. Catholic theology is based on the Nicene Creed.

Say, We believe in God and what was sent down to us, and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus and all the Prophets by their Lord
Quran 2:136

Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
John 14:6

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I
John 14:28

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord
Deuteronomy 6:4

The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you mates from yourselves, and for the cattle (also) mates. By this means He creates you (in the wombs)
Quran 42:11

O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah
Quran 3:64

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me
John 5:30

Indeed, We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book (of Psalms)
Quran 4:163

Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven big stars, and has placed therein a great lamp (sun), and a moon giving light. And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession
Quran 25:61

He (Jesus) Himself stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be to you
Luke 24:36

O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of God. Indeed, God forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful
Quran 39: 53

Indeed, man is in loss, except those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and advise one another to truth and patience
Quran 103:1-3

The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord
Mark 12:29

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God
John 20:17

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Matthew 27:46

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
John 13:16

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind
Matthew 22:37

By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
John 5:30

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:19

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me
Isaiah 49:9

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All Torah, Psalms, and Old/New Testament Bible quotes are from the King James Version (KJV) Holy Bible, which is in the public domain.
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	Torah 5 BOOKS
	Psalms 1 BOOK
	Old Testament 32 BOOKS
	New Testament 27 BOOKS
	Apocrypha 1885 14 BOOKS
	Gospels/Texts 367 BOOKS
	Codex 120 BOOKS
	Quran 1 BOOK
	Hadith 10 BOOKS

Old Testament Canon History: Protestant, Catholic & Apocrypha Differences

Historically, we know very little of how the Old Testament Bible was compiled and the 'canon' put together.

Total OT Books

39

46

50

50

51

46

Total OT Books

45

37

38

Total OT Books

42

41

43

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