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The Scriptures

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The Biblical text used by the Orthodox includes the Greek Septuagint and the New Testament. It includes the seven "Deuterocanonical" Books which are generally rejected by Protestants and a small number of other books that are in neither Western (Protestant or Roman Catholic) canon. Orthodox Christians use the term "Anagignoskomena" (a Greek word that means "readable", "worthy of reading") for the ten books that they accept but that are not in the Protestant 39-book Old Testament canon. We treat them on the same level as the others and use them in the Divine Liturgy. Orthodox Christians believe scripture was revealed by the Holy Spirit to its inspired human authors. The scriptures are not, however, the source of the traditions associated with the Church but rather the opposite; The biblical text came out of that tradition. It is also not the only important book of the Church. There are literally hundreds of early patristic writings that form part of Church tradition.

Septuagint Canon


Genesis 1 Kingdoms (1 Samuel) Nehemiah Job Micah Zechariah Daniel (Includes "Susanna" at the beginning, "Bel and the Serpent" at the end, and "Hymn of the Three Young Men.")  
Exodus 2 Kingdoms (2 Samuel) Tobit Proverbs of Solomon Joel Malachi    
Leviticus  3 Kingdoms (1 Kings) Judith Ecclesiastes Obadiah Isaiah    
Numbers  4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) Esther Song of Songs  Jonah Jeremiah    
Deuteronomy 1 Chronicles (1 Paraleipomenon) 1 Maccabees Wisdom of Solomon Nahum Baruch    
Joshua 2 Chronicles (2 Paraleipomenon) Includes Prayer of Manasseh 2 Maccabees Wisdom of Sirach Habakkuk Lamentation of Jeremiah    
Judges 1 Ezra (1 Esdras) 3 Maccabees Hosea Zephaniah Epistle of Jeremiah    
Ruth 2 Ezra (2 Esdras) Psalms (151 in number) Amos Haggai Ezekiel