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The '''First Book of Esdras''' (III Esdras) 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]]''. It is included in the canon of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Bible]] where it is called Ezra Kali which means "2 Ezra." It was not included in the canon of scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is not 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 '''First Book of Esdras''' (III Esdras) 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]]''. It is included in the canon of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Bible]] where it is called Ezra Kali which means "2 Ezra." It was not included in the canon of scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is not 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>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref> It is regarded as apocryphal by Jews, Catholics, and most Protestants.

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>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref><ref name=Ortho>[http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-traditions/ Pew Research. Religion & Public Life Project. Christian Traditions. "About half of all Christians worldwide are Catholic (50%), while more than a third are Protestant (37%). Orthodox communions comprise 12% of the world’s Christians."] December 19, 2011.</ref> I Esdras was first removed from the Old Testament and placed in the Apocrypha by Martin Luther in the 16th century. The First Book of Esdras is regarded as canonical and inspired by about 12% of Christian believers.<ref name=Ortho/>

 

See [[Apocrypha]].

==Name and canonical status==

==Name and canonical status==

"Esdras" is the Greek word for "Ezra". In printed Bibles of the 17th through 18th and 19th centuries, I Esdras (1 Esdras) was listed as III Esdras (3 Esdras), the canonical Book of '''[[Ezra]]''' was called I Esdras (1 Esdras), and the canonical Book of '''[[Nehemiah]]''' was called II Esdras (2 Esdras), hence this book was designated III Esdras (3 Esdras). In the Slavonic editions of the Bible '''1 Esdras''' (''not Ezra'') is called "2 Esdras;" in the Vulgate it is called "3 Esdras," and in the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Bible]] it is called Ezra Kali which means "2 Ezra." The variant names of this book have been a source of some confusion for many beginning students of the Bible.

"Esdras" is the Greek word for "Ezra". In printed Bibles of the 17th through 18th and 19th centuries, I Esdras (1 Esdras) was listed as III Esdras (3 Esdras), the canonical Book of '''[[Ezra]]''' was called I Esdras (1 Esdras), and the canonical Book of '''[[Nehemiah]]''' was called II Esdras (2 Esdras), hence this book was designated III Esdras (3 Esdras). In the Slavonic editions of the Bible '''1 Esdras''' (''not Ezra'') is called "2 Esdras;" in the Vulgate it is called "3 Esdras," and in the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Bible]] it is called Ezra Kali which means "2 Ezra." The variant names of this book have been a source of some confusion for many beginning students of the Bible.

The book of 1 Esdras (3 Esdras) was widely quoted by Josephus, as well as early Christian authors. Use of the book continued in the Eastern Church, and it remains a part of the Eastern Orthodox canon. It was included in Origen's Hexapla, which placed various versions of the Old Testament side by side. However, it was not included in early canons of the Western Church. I Esdras was first included in the Apocrypha by Martin Luther in the 16th century. It is also listed among the Apocrypha in Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (1563).<ref>The '''Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion''' were established in 1563 and are the historic defining statements of Anglican doctrine in relation to the controversies of the English Reformation; especially in the relation of Calvinist doctrine and Roman Catholic practices to the nascent Anglican doctrine of the evolving English Church. The name is commonly abbreviated as the '''Thirty-Nine Articles''' or the '''XXXIX Articles'''. See [https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Thirty-Nine_Articles.html Thirty-nine Articles of 1563]</ref> In the late sixteenth century, with the [[Council of Trent]], Pope Clement VIII relegated the work to an appendix following the New Testament in the Vulgate "lest [it] perish entirely."

The book of 1 Esdras (3 Esdras) was widely quoted by Josephus, as well as early Christian authors. Use of the book continued in the Eastern Church, and it remains a part of the Eastern Orthodox canon. It was included in Origen's Hexapla, which placed various versions of the Old Testament side by side. However, it was not included in early canons of the Western Church. It is also listed among the Apocrypha in Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England (1563).<ref>The '''Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion''' were established in 1563 and are the historic defining statements of Anglican doctrine in relation to the controversies of the English Reformation; especially in the relation of Calvinist doctrine and Roman Catholic practices to the nascent Anglican doctrine of the evolving English Church. The name is commonly abbreviated as the '''Thirty-Nine Articles''' or the '''XXXIX Articles'''. See [https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Thirty-Nine_Articles.html Thirty-nine Articles of 1563]</ref> In the late sixteenth century, with the [[Council of Trent]], Pope Clement VIII relegated the work to an appendix following the New Testament in the Vulgate "lest [it] perish entirely." It is regarded as apocryphal by Jews, Catholics, and most Protestants.

 

See [[Apocrypha]].

==Source and composition==

==Source and composition==