# Apocryphal Jewish texts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocryphal-jewish-texts/531211>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 4, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocryphal-jewish-texts/531211 "2010-03-04T00:07:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocryphal-jewish-texts/531211/1 "2010-03-04T00:07:29Z")

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Christians have their apocryphal texts. Muslims have their Haddiths of doubtful authenticity. Do Jews have non-canonical texts?

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**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocryphal-jewish-texts/531211/2 "2010-03-04T00:58:06Z")

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[Yep.](http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=A&artid=1644)

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocryphal-jewish-texts/531211/3 "2010-03-04T01:05:02Z")

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Not apocrypha, but Judaism also has the [Talmud](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmud), which is sort of like a YouTube comments section by Rabi that’s been recorded over the last few thousand years.

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**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apocryphal-jewish-texts/531211/4 "2010-03-04T02:08:46Z")

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Yes. The Books of Maccabees (which the Catholic Church considers part of the Old Testament proper) are considered by Jews to be apocryphal.