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The '''Book of Tobit''' is found in the books of the [[Septuagint]], the Old Testament accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible'', and found in the books of the Old Testament of the ''[[Vulgate]]'' and included in the canon of inspired scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is [[Dogma|dogmatically]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Catholic Church]] in the ''Catholic Bible''—books of the Bible accepted as divinely inspired by the majority of Christian believers in the United States.<ref>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox).<br/>[http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.]<br/>[http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities]<br/>

The '''Book of Tobit''' is found in the books of the [[Septuagint]], the Old Testament accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible'', and found in the books of the Old Testament of the ''[[Vulgate]]'' and included in the canon of inspired scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. It is included in the canon of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Bible]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is [[Dogma|dogmatically]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Catholic Church]] in the ''Catholic Bible''—books of the Bible accepted as divinely inspired by the majority of Christian believers in the United States.<ref>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox).<br/>[http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.]<br/>[http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities]<br/>

The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]].<br/>{{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref>

The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]].<br/>{{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref>

The father is called Tobit (Τωβίτ) in the Greek Septuagint and his son is named Tobias (Τωβίας), but in the Vulgate and Douay-Rheims translation both father and son are known as Tobias. The book begins with Tobit (or Tobias the Father), an Israelite of the Northern Kingdom who with his countrymen was deported to Nineveh, and afterward suffers blindness and reduction to poverty. Sara in Medes (Media) suffers torment from the oppressive jealousy of the demon Asmodeus <ref>Asmodeus. The same as Apollyon and Abaddon. See [http://biblehub.com/topical/a/abaddon.htm Topical Bible: Abaddon "the destroyer"]</ref> who strangles each of her husbands on their wedding night. Because of their good life and prayers, God sends the [[Raphael (archangel)|Archangel Raphael]] to help them. He gives his name as "''Azarias''" (Hebrew, <big>'''עזריה'''</big> "''Help of God''") and his identity is established as a relative, "a brother".<ref>Compare the statement of the angel to John "I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." (Revelation 22:8-9).</ref> The virtuous young Tobias the Son joins the disguised Raphael on a journey to Medes on his father's behalf, bringing happiness both to his Father and Sara. The demon is banished and bound, and Tobias the Father regains his sight and his fortune. Prayers, psalms, and words of wisdom, as well as the skillfully constructed story itself, provide valuable insights into the faith and the religious milieu of its unknown author. The book was probably written early in the second century B.C.; it is not known where.

The father is called Tobit (Τωβίτ) in the Greek Septuagint and his son is named Tobias (Τωβίας), but in the Vulgate and Douay-Rheims translation both father and son are known as Tobias. The book begins with Tobit (or Tobias the Father), an Israelite of the Northern Kingdom who with his countrymen was deported to Nineveh, and afterward suffers blindness and reduction to poverty. Sara in Medes (Media) suffers torment from the oppressive jealousy of the demon Asmodeus <ref>Asmodeus. The same as Apollyon and Abaddon. See [http://biblehub.com/topical/a/abaddon.htm Topical Bible: Abaddon "the destroyer"]</ref> who strangles each of her husbands on their wedding night. Because of their good life and prayers, God sends the [[Raphael (archangel)|Archangel Raphael]] to help them. He gives his name as "''Azarias''" (Hebrew, <big>'''עזריה'''</big> "''Help of God''") and his identity is established as a relative, "a brother".<ref>Compare the statement of the angel to John "I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." (Revelation 22:8-9).</ref> The virtuous young Tobias the Son joins the disguised Raphael on a journey to Medes on his father's behalf, bringing happiness both to his Father and Sara. The demon is banished and bound, and Tobias the Father regains his sight and his fortune. Prayers, psalms, and words of wisdom, as well as the skillfully constructed story itself, provide valuable insights into the faith and the religious milieu of its unknown author. The book was probably written early in the second century B.C.; it is not known where.

Tobit was first removed from the Old Testament and placed in the Apocrypha by [[Martin Luther]] in the 16th century.

Tobit was first removed from the Old Testament and placed in the Apocrypha by [[Martin Luther]] in the 16th century. The Book of Tobit is regarded as an apocryphal book of the Old Testament by less than one-third of Christian believers.<ref name=Prot/>

See [[Apocrypha]].

See [[Apocrypha]].

==Canonical status==

==Canonical status==

The '''Book of Tobit''' takes its name from the central figure, called Τωβείτ (Τωβείτ, Τωβείθ) in Greek, and <big>'''טוביה'''</big> '''Ṭobi'''[] in a late Hebrew manuscript. The Book of Tobias, as it is called in the Latin Vulgate Bible, is known in the Greek Septuagint as the Book of Tobit, and is placed among the Historical Books in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate Bible. Both the Semitic origin of the book and the name Tobiah <big>'''טוֹבִיָּה'''</big>, which means "Yahweh is my good," have been recognized since antiquity, the name itself noted in 2 Chronicles 17:8, Ezra 2:60, and Zechariah 6:10. A late Jewish work probably composed sometime within the 5th to 2nd centuries B.C., the Book of Tobit was never received into the Jewish canon after the establishment of the Christian church in the first century, and although it was pronounced canonical by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]] it was included in the Apocrypha by Protestants. It is regarded as a canonical book of the Bible by the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]], and by the [[Council of Trent]] (1546). Tobit is part of the [[Old Testament]] in the [[Bible]] used by the [[Greek Orthodox Church]] (Septuagint) and the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (Vulgate); and is part of the [[Apocrypha]] in Bibles used by most [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations. [[Judaism|Jewish]] religious authorities and Protestant Christian churches do not regard Tobit as [[Biblical Canon|canonical]]. The Book of Tobit is regarded as an apocryphal book of the Old Testament by less than one-third of Christian believers.<ref name=Prot/>

The '''Book of Tobit''' takes its name from the central figure, called Τωβείτ (Τωβείτ, Τωβείθ) in Greek, and <big>'''טוביה'''</big> '''Ṭobi'''[] in a late Hebrew manuscript. The Book of Tobias, as it is called in the Latin Vulgate Bible, is known in the Greek Septuagint as the Book of Tobit, and is placed among the Historical Books in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate Bible. Both the Semitic origin of the book and the name Tobiah <big>'''טוֹבִיָּה'''</big>, which means "Yahweh is my good," have been recognized since antiquity, the name itself noted in 2 Chronicles 17:8, Ezra 2:60, and Zechariah 6:10. A late Jewish work probably composed sometime within the 5th to 2nd centuries B.C., the Book of Tobit was never received into the Jewish canon after the establishment of the Christian church in the first century, and although it was pronounced canonical by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]] it was included in the Apocrypha by Protestants. It is regarded as a canonical book of the Bible by the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]], and by the [[Council of Trent]] (1546). Tobit is part of the [[Old Testament]] in the [[Bible]] used by the [[Greek Orthodox Church]] (Septuagint) and the [[Roman Catholic Church]] (Vulgate); and is part of the [[Apocrypha]] in Bibles used by most [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations. [[Judaism|Jewish]] religious authorities and Protestant Christian churches do not regard Tobit as [[Biblical Canon|canonical]].

==Content==

==Content==