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Until the time of Moses, the people of God were guided by oral tradition. With the writing of the Pentateuch by Moses, the nation of Israel received its first scriptures. In about 200 BC, the books of the prophets, previously kept only as tradition, were added to the canon of the scriptures. These scriptures were translated into Greek in 120 BC by 72 elders under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This version of Old Testament scripture, known as the Septuagint, was the version quoted in the New Testament and used by the early Christians, and is the official version used today by Orthodox Christians. After the Incarnation of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, the New Testament canon was compiled. The first compilation of the New Testament scriptures appears in the Canons of the Holy Apostles. The second compilation is found in the canons of the Council of Carthage (419 AD), the version used in the Orthodox Church today. There are also several Old and New Testament books that were not officially approved by the Local or Ecumenical Councils, but are nevertheless kept as Holy Tradition. The text of these apocryphal books are provided here for the sake of clarity and completeness. |
