This is a classic explication of those books included in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, but not the Hebrew canon. They have been honored since the beginning of the Christian church, and are accepted by Catholic Christians as authoritative scripture, and honored by many Protestants as well. Also called the Deutero-Canonical books, these contain some of the best-loved stories in the Jewish tradition, and has influenced Western culture to a much greater extent than most people are aware. This fine introduction is available once again from the Apocryphile Press.