(1
Enochi. 2, cviii. 1.; Ass. Mos. i. 16, 17). It is not improbable that
with many Jewish enthusiasts this literature was more highly treasured
than the canonical scriptures. Indeed, we have a categorical statement
to this effect in 4 Ezra xiv. 44 sqq., which tells how Ezra was inspired
to dictate the sacred scriptures which had been destroyed in the
overthrow of Jerusalem: "In forty days they wrote ninety-four books: and
it came to pass when the forty days were fulfilled that the Highest
spake, saying: the first that thou hast written publish openly that the
worthy and unworthy may read it; but keep the seventy last that thou
mayst deliver them only to such as be wise among the people; for in them
is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom and the stream of
knowledge." Such esoteric books are apocryphal in the original
conception of the term. In due course the Jewish authorities were forced
to draw up a canon or book of sacred scriptures, and mark them off from
those which claimed to be such without justification. The true
scriptures, according to the Jewish canon (Yad. iii. 5; Toseph. Yad. ii.
3), were those which defiled the hands of such as touched them. But
other scholars, such as Zahn, Schurer, Porter, state that the secret
books with which we have been dealing formed a class by themselves and
were called "Genuizim" [Hebrew: gnazim], and that this name and idea
passed from Judaism over into the Greek, and that [Greek: apokrypha
biblia] is a translation of [Hebrew: sfarim gnuzim]. But the Hebrew verb
does not mean "to bide" but "to store away," and is only used of things
in themselves precious. Moreover, the phrase is unknown in Talmudic
literature. The derivation of this idea from Judaism has therefore not
yet been established. Whether the Jews had any distinct name for these
esoteric works we do not know. For writings that stood wholly without
the pale of sacred books such as the books of heretics or Samaritans
they used the designation Hisonim, Sanh. x. 1 ([Hebrew: sfarim hizonim]
and [Hebrew: sifrei haminim]). To this class in later times even Sirach
was relegated, and indeed all books not included in the canon (Midr. r.
Num. 14 and on Koheleth xii. 12; cf. Jer. Sabb. 16).[2] In Aqiba's time
Sirach and other apocryphal books were not reckoned among the Hisonim;
for Sirach was largely quoted by rabbis in Palestine till the 3rd
century A.D.

_Apocrypha in Christianity._--Christianity as it springs fro