The inclusion of the Book of Baruch in the Bible depends entirely on the specific religious tradition one follows. While it is considered a legitimate part of the Old Testament by some Christian denominations, it is not accepted into the biblical canon by others, including Judaism and Protestant Christianity.
The Deuterocanonical Status
The Book of Baruch is recognized as a deuterocanonical book. This term, meaning "second canon," signifies its inclusion in the biblical canon by certain Christian traditions, even if it wasn't part of the original Hebrew Bible accepted by Jewish communities.
- Catholic Church: The Catholic Church considers the Book of Baruch (along with the Letter of Jeremiah, which is sometimes included as the sixth chapter of Baruch) to be part of its Old Testament canon. This acceptance stems from its long-standing presence in the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, which was widely used by early Christians.
- Orthodox Churches: Various Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches also include the Book of Baruch in their biblical canons, similarly valuing its historical use within the Septuagint tradition.
Exclusion from the Canon: Judaism and Protestantism
Conversely, the Book of Baruch is not found in the Bibles used by Jewish communities or by Protestant Christians.
Judaism
For Jewish traditions, the canon of the Hebrew Bible (known as the Tanakh) was largely solidified by the end of the first century CE. The Book of Baruch, believed to have been written either in Hebrew or Greek (with the Greek version being the primary extant one), was not included in this collection. The Jewish canon generally consists of books originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic and accepted as divinely inspired by that time.
Protestant Christianity
During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, reformers meticulously re-evaluated the biblical canon. They largely decided to base their Old Testament on the shorter Hebrew canon recognized by Jewish scholars, rather than the broader Septuagint-based canon used by the Catholic Church.
- Biblical Apocrypha: As a result, books like Baruch, which were present in the Septuagint but not in the Hebrew Bible, were categorized by Protestants as Apocrypha. The term "Apocrypha" means "hidden" or "obscure." While some Protestant Bibles might include these books in a separate section for historical or devotional reading, they are not considered inspired Scripture or authoritative for Christian doctrine.
Summary of Canonical Status
To illustrate the differing views, here's a comparison:
| Tradition | Status of Book of Baruch | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Church | Part of the Old Testament (Deuterocanonical) | Accepted due to its presence in the Septuagint and long-standing use in Christian tradition. |
| Orthodox Churches | Part of the Old Testament (Deuterocanonical) | Similar to Catholic tradition, rooted in the use of the Septuagint. |
| Judaism | Not part of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) | Excluded from the established Hebrew canon, which was largely settled by the 1st century CE. |
| Protestant Christianity | Not part of the Old Testament (Apocrypha) | Regarded as "Apocrypha," meaning it's not considered divinely inspired scripture, typically not included in mainstream Protestant Bibles. |
Ultimately, whether the Book of Baruch is "in the Bible" depends on which specific version of the Bible a person is consulting, reflecting the diverse historical and theological developments within religious traditions.
