# Who dertermined what books are in Bible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887 "2004-04-08T03:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/1 "2004-04-08T03:04:27Z")
I’m sure God didn’t send a memo. Some man or committee decided which spiritual writing deserved to be in the Bible. So who did it and what made them decide which writings belonged? ---
**Author:** ![jojothecannibal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jojothecannibal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jojothecannibal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/2 "2004-04-08T03:20:16Z")
It depends which Bible. At some point in the first millenia, a bunch of church people got together and decieded which texts were cannonical. The Gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdeline, for example, did not make the cut. Of course, this is before Protestants left the Catholic Church and decided that certain books (such as Judith or Macabees 1 & 2) were “Apocrophal” and should be left out. Hence the name, “The Apocropha.” Of course, the Book of Mormon is used in yet another branch of Christianity. Kinda makes you want to become agnostic. ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/3 "2004-04-08T03:21:30Z")
They’re still fighting over it. There are New Testament Apocrypha, which are not accepted by many sects, and Old Testament Apocrypha, which the Roman Catholic church likes. Then there are the Pseudepigrapha and the apocryphal works found at Qumran. Someone with an interest in this will undoubtedly come along and expand on/correct this information. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/4 "2004-04-08T03:35:28Z")
In addition to [Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_141.html) on the Apocrypha there is an excellent series of Staff Reports on the subject. [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 1)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible1.html) [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 2)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible2.html) [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 3)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible3.html) [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 4)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible4.html) [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 5)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible5.html) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/5 "2004-04-08T03:59:54Z")
> [@jojothecannibal](#): > > Of course, the Book of Mormon is used in yet another branch of Christianity. IANAM but they will tell you the _Book of Mormon_ doesn’t replace the bible but is in addition as another testament of Jesus Christ. They also add _Doctrine and Coventnants_ and _Pearl of Great Price_. FWIW they use the King James bible just as many mainline protestants do. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/6 "2004-04-08T05:28:19Z")
> [@Number](#): > > In addition to [Cecil’s column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_141.html) on the Apocrypha there is an excellent series of Staff Reports on the subject. > > [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 1)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible1.html) > [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 2)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible2.html) > [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 3)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible3.html) > [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 4)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible4.html) > [Who wrote the Bible? (Part 5)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible5.html) Of particular interest is Part 5, “Who decided which books should be included and which excluded from the Bible(s)? Why are there differences in the Bibles for Catholics, Protestants, and Jews?” ---
**Author:** ![jojothecannibal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jojothecannibal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jojothecannibal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-dertermined-what-books-are-in-bible/238887/7 "2004-04-09T03:47:33Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > IANAM but they will tell you the _Book of Mormon_ doesn’t replace the bible but is in addition as another testament of Jesus Christ. They also add _Doctrine and Coventnants_ and _Pearl of Great Price_. FWIW they use the King James bible just as many mainline protestants do. Oh, geez. I wasn’t implying it was a replacement any more than the New Testament is a replacement for the Old. I meant to use Mormons as yet another example of how different denominations of Christianity use different variations of holy texts.