Reconciling Old Testament Number of Books

[Larry_B]

I am including below the Old Testament as indicated by the Council of Carthage. I count 44 books. I am certain this can be reconciled to our numbering of 46 books as I have heard this stated before that we have the same canon of scripture as indicated at the Council of Carthage and Hippo. Can someone explain how we arrive at 46 OT books?

CANON XXIV. (Greek xxvii.)
That nothing be read in church besides the Canonical Scripture.
ITEM, that besides the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in church under the name of divine Scripture.
But the Canonical Scriptures are as follows:

• Genesis
• Exodus
• Leviticus
• Numbers
• Deuteronomy
• Joshua the Son of Nun
• The Judges
• Ruth
• The Kings (4 books)
• The Chronicles (2 books)
• Job
• The Psalter
• The Five books of Solomon
• The Twelve Books of the Prophets
• Isaiah
• Jeremiah
• Ezechiel
• Daniel
• Tobit
• Judith
• Esther
• Ezra (2 books)
• Macchabees (2 books)
  The New Testament:
• The Gospels (4 books)
• The Acts of the Apostles (1 book)
• The Epistles of Paul (14)
• The Epistles of Peter, the Apostle (2)
• The Epistles of John the Apostle (3)
• The Epistles of James the Apostle (1)
• The Epistle of Jude the Apostle (1)
• The Revelation of John (1 book)
  Let this be sent to our brother and fellow bishop, [Pope] Boniface, and to the other bishops of those parts, that they may confirm this canon, for these are the things which we have received from our fathers to be read in church.

Thank you.

Larry B.

 

[demerzel85]

It should be the 2 Books of Edras not Ezra. One of them is Ezra the other is Nehemiah.

The 12 Minor Prophets are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micha, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi

I know 1 of the missing books is because Jeremiah and Lamentations is at times counted as a single book and sometimes seperate.

I think the other missing book is Baruch.

 

[Larry_B]

It should be the 2 Books of Edras not Ezra. One of them is Ezra the other is Nehemiah.

The 12 Minor Prophets are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micha, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi

I know 1 of the missing books is because Jeremiah and Lamentations is at times counted as a single book and sometimes seperate.

I think the other missing book is Baruch.

Thanks for the Edras explanation and the numbering involving Jeremiah and Lamentations. Can anyone help with the book of Baruch?

Larry B.

 

[Larry_B]

I did a quick bit of research and found that both Lamentation and Baruch were included with Jeremiah in the OT:

“Augustine (CE 354 - 430) followed Septuagint and listed 44 books which agreed with today’s Catholic Old Testament of 46 books. The difference in total number is because he combined Lamentation and Baruch (with Letter of Jeremiah) with Jeremiah. In 382 Pope Damasus approved his list at Council of Rome. It was then declared at Church Council in Hippo (Augustine’s see) in 393 and subsequently reaffirmed at third Council of Carthage, a provincial council in 397. The fourth council of Carthage in 419 again confirmed the same list of Old Testament. The same councils also declared the canon of New Testament 27 books. In conclusion those 46 books of Catholic Old Testament (together with 27 books of New Testament) were declared in fourth century not in sixteenth century.”

For the complete article please see the below link:

media.isnet.org/off/Xtian/etc/canonold.html

Larry B.

 

[stanmaxkolbe]

** Catechism of the Catholic Church Para. 120. **
It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books.90 This complete list is called the canon of Scripture. It includes 46 books for the Old Testament (45 if we count Jeremiah and Lamentations as one) and 27 for the New.91
The Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra , Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah (Zechariah), and Malachi.

The New Testament: the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of St. Paul to the Romans 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, the Letter to the Hebrews, the Letters of James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude, and Revelations.
90 Cf. DV 8 § 3.
91 Cf. DS 179; 1334-1336; 1501-1504.