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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 and throughout the world.<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 and throughout the world.<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><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>

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%)] (888c.com/worldChristianDenominations).</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/>

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/>

==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 the Septuagint it is called ΕΣΔΡΑΣ Α, ESDRAS Ι (the book of 1 Esdras), followed by ΕΣΔΡΑΣ Β, ESDRAS ΙΙ (the book of Ezra), and ΝΕΕΜΙΑΣ, NEHEMIAS (the book of Nehemiah). Most current Ecumenical editions of the Bible give the names of these three books as "1 Esdras", "Ezra" and "Nehemiah". Jerome's [[Vulgate]] places this book after Nehemiah, in the order Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 Esdras. Thus, in printed Latin and English Bibles of the 17th through 18th and 19th centuries, I Esdras (1 Esdras) is found listed as III Esdras (3 Esdras)—the canonical Book of '''[[Ezra]]''' is called I Esdras (1 Esdras), and the canonical Book of '''[[Nehemiah]]''' is called II Esdras (2 Esdras), hence this book is designated III Esdras (3 Esdras). Some versions of the Bible combine Ezra and Nehemiah as one book called either "Ezra" or "I Esdras". In the Slavonic editions of the Bible the book '''I Esdras''' (''not Ezra'') is called "2 Esdras;" in the Vulgate where Ezra and Nehemiah are separately I Esdras and II Esdras, this book 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. 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.

 

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. In the late sixteenth century, after the Council of Trent (1545-1563), Pope Clement VIII relegated the work to an appendix following the New Testament in the Vulgate "lest [it] perish entirely." It is 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> It is regarded as apocryphal by Jews, Catholics, and most Protestants.

 

 

Various problems of naming 1 Esdras today are evident. Most editions of the Septuagint give its Greek title as Εσδρας Α′ (1 Esdras), and it is placed before Εσδρας Β′ (2 Esdras), which is the combined traditional books of Ezra and Nehemiah, titled together as  Εσδρας Β′ (2 Esdras). However, the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible titled the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as "1 and 2 Esdras," giving the current book the title "3 Esdras" instead of the Septuagint denomenation of "1 Esdras".

Since most modern translations use the more Hebraic transliteration of "Ezra" for the canonical Book of Ezra, the Vulgate's "3 Esdras" is now called 1 Esdras in most English Bibles with Apocrypha. The Vulgate's 4 Esdras, meanwhile, has become [[2 Esdras]] in the Apocrypha.

==Source and composition==

==Source and composition==

1 Esdras draws most of its text from the books of [[Book of Ezra|Ezra]] and [[1 and 2 Chronicles|Chronicles]] and [[Book of Nehemiah|Nehemiah]]. New material in 1 Esdras not found in these 3 canonical texts offers some legendary background of the Jewish leader [[Zerubbabel]] while he was in Babylon, and relates the story of how Zerubbabel in the court of King Darius defeated two other young noblemen in an intellectual contest on the topic of what is most powerful (truth), and won as his prize the king's permission to lead another wave of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras represents a summary view of the establishment of Second Temple Judaism as a providential renewal of God's covenant with the Jews. Also, its additional information on Zerubbabel shows that he was an important figure to many Second Temple Jews. 1 Esdras has a more polished conclusion than that of the much shorter Book of Ezra.

1 Esdras draws most of its text from the books of [[Ezra (Biblical book)|Ezra]] and [[2 Chronicles]] and [[Nehemiah (Biblical book)|Nehemiah]]. New material in 1 Esdras not found in these 3 canonical texts offers some legendary background of the Jewish leader [[Zerubbabel]] while he was in Babylon, and relates the story of how Zerubbabel in the court of King [[Darius I|Darius]] defeated two other young noblemen in an intellectual contest on the topic of what is most powerful (''the most powerful is truth''), and won as his prize the king's permission to lead another wave of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem. 1 Esdras represents a summary view of the establishment of Second Temple Judaism as a providential renewal of God's covenant with the Jews. Also, its additional information on Zerubbabel shows that he was an important figure to many Second Temple Jews. 1 Esdras has a more polished conclusion than that of the much shorter Book of Ezra.

   

   

An anonymous Jewish writer in Egypt compiled the text most probably around 150 B.C.. 1 Esdras is  a Greek translation of older Hebrew texts, occasionally updating the older text and adding some new material. It was circulated widely among the Jews of the diaspora and is included in the Septuagint collection of Jewish scriptures, which was created in Alexandria, Egypt. However, after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., rabbinical authorities rejected the Septuagint, giving primacy to the original Hebrew texts, and eventually excluding even some of these as not canonical. Thus, 1 Esdras and some of the other books in the Septuagint came to be excluded from the Jewish canon of scripture. However, since educated Christians of the 1st and 2nd centuries generally knew Greek and used the Septuagint, it was the foundational Scripture in the ancient Christian Church for determining what books belonged in the Christian version of the "Old Testament."

An anonymous Jewish writer in Egypt compiled the text most probably around 150 B.C.. 1 Esdras is  a Greek translation of older Hebrew texts, occasionally updating the older text and adding some new material. It was circulated widely among the Jews of the diaspora and is included in the Septuagint collection of Jewish scriptures, which was created in Alexandria, Egypt. However, after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, rabbinical authorities rejected the Septuagint, giving primacy to the original Hebrew texts, and eventually excluding even some of these as not canonical. Thus, 1 Esdras and some of the other books in the Septuagint came to be excluded from the Jewish canon of scripture. However, since educated Christians of the 1st and 2nd centuries generally knew Greek and used the Septuagint, it was the foundational Scripture in the ancient Christian Church for determining what books belonged in the Christian version of the "Old Testament".

==Variant names of the book==

The oldest extant manuscripts of the entire Christian Bible are written in Greek, the language of the apostles and the early Christian Church, representing the text of the Holy Bible as it was before the time of Jerome's 5th century Vulgate translation of the scriptures into Latin. These are the ''Codex Vaticanus'', the ''Codex Sinaiticus'', and the ''Codex Alexandrinus''. They demonstrate that all of the books and parts of books that have been separated and designated as Apocrypha since the 16th century were included as integral parts of the whole Bible as handed down from the time of the apostles without any distinction or difference, as sacred scripture.<ref>See especially the following three valuable sources:

 

Various problems of naming 1 Esdras are evident. Most editions of the Septuagint give its Greek title as Εσδρας Α′ (1 Esdras), and it is placed before Εσδρας Β′ (2 Esdras), which is the combined traditional books of Ezra and Nehemiah, titled together as  Εσδρας Β′ (2 Esdras). However, the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible titled the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as "1 and 2 Esdras," giving the current book the title "3 Esdras" instead of the Septuagint denomenation of "1 Esdras".

Since most modern translations use the more Hebraic transliteration of "Ezra" for the canonical Book of Ezra, the Vulgate's "3 Esdras" is now called 1 Esdras in most English Bibles with Apocrypha. The Vulgate's 4 Esdras, meanwhile, has become 2 Esdras in the Apocrypha.

*[http://www.bl.uk/eblj/1998articles/pdf/article12.pdf THE CODEX ALEXANDRINUS AND THE ALEXANDRIAN GREEK TYPES, J. H. BOWMAN. 1998 pdf] (bl.uk/eblj)

These are also listed below, as External links.</ref>

==Content==

==Content==

Josephus used 1 Esdras in his Jewish history. Some scholars believe it was likely composed in the first century B.C. or as late as A.D. the first century. However, most place it earlier, around 150 B.C.. The writer updated his historical information to reflect his theological views.

Josephus used 1 Esdras in his Jewish history. Some scholars believe it was likely composed in the first century B.C. or as late as A.D. the first century. However, most place it earlier, around 150 B.C.. The writer updated his historical information to reflect his theological views.

Many Protestant and Catholic scholars see no historical value in the "original" sections of the book, thought to resemble the legendary accounts in the Book of Daniel. However, citations in 1 Esdras of the other books of the Bible are of considerable value to textual scholars, providing a unique, pre-Septuagint translation of those texts. 1 Esdras also provides important insights into the character of Second Temple Judaism, and the importance of the figure of Zerubbabel which otherwise would be harder to discern.

Many Protestant and Catholic scholars see no historical value in the "original" sections of the book, thought by them to resemble those accounts in the Book of Daniel which they consider legendary. However, citations in 1 Esdras of the other books of the Bible are of considerable value to textual scholars, providing a unique, pre-Septuagint translation of those texts. 1 Esdras also provides important insights into the character of Second Temple Judaism, and the importance of the figure of Zerubbabel which otherwise would be harder to discern.

 

An apparent ignorance of the historical sequence of events, attributable to its author(s), presents a difficulty. Artaxerxes is mentioned before Darius, who is mentioned before Cyrus. The person called "Attharias" and "Attharates" in the text (5:40; 9:49) is apparently a Greek transliteration of of a word meaning "governor," which is used for Nehemiah in the Book of Nehemiah (8:9; 10:1 "Tirshatha" in KJV). So Nehemiah does not appear by name in 1 Esdras.

The various discrepancies in the account suggest to many scholars that the work has more than one author. In the current Greek texts, the book breaks off in the middle of a sentence, and the verse had to be reconstructed from an early Latin translation. It is generally presumed that the original work continued to the Feast of Tabernacles, as described in Nehemiah 8:13-18, and that this portion of the text was lost.

The various discrepancies in the account suggest to many scholars that the work has more than one author. In the current Greek texts, the book breaks off in the middle of a sentence, and the verse had to be reconstructed from an early Latin translation. It is generally presumed that the original work continued to the Feast of Tabernacles, as described in Nehemiah 8:13-18, and that this portion of the text was lost.

==References==

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

*Coggins, R. J., and Michael A. Knibb. The First and Second Books of Esdras. The Cambridge Bible commentary, New English Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979. ISBN 9780521097574.

*Coggins, R. J., and Michael A. Knibb. The First and Second Books of Esdras. The Cambridge Bible commentary, New English Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979. ISBN 9780521097574.

==External links==

==External links==

[http://www.wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes/HOB/BibleD-OTText.pdf The Old Testament Text. (wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes)]

[http://www.wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes/HOB/BibleD-OTText.pdf The Old Testament Text. (wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes)]<br/>

[http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/1_Esdras New World Encyclopedia: 1 Esdras]<br/>

[http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/1_Esdras New World Encyclopedia: 1 Esdras]<br/>

[http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/es1.htm Apocrypha: 1 Esdras (text online)] (sacred-texts.com)<br/>[http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/default.asp Greek and English Septuagint] <br/> [http://vulgate.org/ Latin and English Vulgate]<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Kings James Apocrypha Online]

[http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/apo/es1.htm Apocrypha: 1 Esdras (text online)] (sacred-texts.com)<br/>[http://orthodoxwiki.org/Codex_Vaticanus Codex Vaticanus] (orthodoxwiki.org)<br/>[http://www.bl.uk/eblj/1977articles/pdf/article1.pdf THE CODEX SINAITICUS, T. S. PATTIE. 1977 pdf] (bl.uk/eblj)<br/>[http://www.bl.uk/eblj/1998articles/pdf/article12.pdf THE CODEX ALEXANDRINUS AND THE ALEXANDRIAN GREEK TYPES, J. H. BOWMAN. 1998 pdf] (bl.uk/eblj<br/>[http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/default.asp Greek and English Septuagint] <br/> [http://vulgate.org/ Latin and English Vulgate]<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Kings James Apocrypha Online]

[[category:Bible]] [[category:apocrypha]]

[[category:Bible]] [[category:apocrypha]]