Apocrypha refer to books which are not normally included in Protestant Bibles, but which some mainline churches include in a separate section. Roman Catholic Bibles include these books within the Old Testament. These works include such writings as the Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch and so on. They are found in the Septuagint translation, but not in the Masoretic text. They are not considered canonical within Judaism. Some churches read apocryphal books for edification but do not use them as a sole basis for doctrine. The Revised Common Lectionary includes occasional apocryphal readings, but in these cases, always provides an alternatic reading from the Old Testament for those whose scruples will not permit reading from the apocrypha. 


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