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Question: The Orthodox Bible I believe has several more Biblical books than Catholicism. Does the Byzantine, Maronite, etc. follow the Orthodox or Catholic books?

Respectfully submitted

There are no official statements by Eastern Catholics regarding the differences between the Byzantine and Roman canons (that I know of). Generally speaking, in (for example) Slavic countries the Slavonic Bible used by Greek Catholics is the same as that used by the Orthodox.

It is not really an issue, as there is a pecking order in the Books of the Bible. The Gospels out rank everything else, and the other New Testament books have an order of precedent over the Old Testament books.

Thank you for answering my question. Would I as a Roman Catholic be able to read the Orthodox Bible or is that a question for my bishop?

Yes, a Roman Catholic can read the Orthodox Bible. Just realize that your Church does not consider all of the books to be part of the Biblical Canon. That does not mean they are not useful.

Of course, as these books are at the end of the pecking order one should probably read everything else in the Bible first!

The Ethiopian Canon is, I believe, the fullest!

They have the largest canon. The Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees are the two most famous additions to their Canon.

................THE HEBREW MASORETIC TEXT

..The Law..............The Prophets.............The Writtings

1. Genesis.............6. Joshua...................27. Psalms
2. Exodus..............7. Judges...................28. Proverbs
3. Leviticus............8. I Samuel................29. Job
4. Numbers............9. 2 Samuel
5. Deuteronomy.....10. I Kings..................The five Megillot
..........................11. 2 Kings
..........................12. Isaiah....................30. Song of Songs
..........................13. Jeremiah.................31. Ruth
..........................14. Exekiel....................32. Lamentations
.................................................. ..........33. Ecclesiastes
..........................The Twelve...................34. Esther
.................................................. ..........35. Daniel
...........................15. Hosea....................36. Ezra
...........................16. Joel.......................37. Nehemiah
...........................17. Amos.....................38. I Chronicles
...........................18. Obadiah..................39. 2 Chronicles
...........................19. Jonah.....................40. Haftaroth
...........................20. Micah
.........(middle-
...........................21. Nahum
...........................22. Habakkuk
...........................23. Zephaniah
...........................24. Haggai
...........................25. Zechariah
...........................26. Malachi


Then when Christianity began they added the 27 books of the New Testament.
.................................GREEK ORTHODOX BIBLE..................................

.1. Genesis....................28. Isaiah.....................51. Matthew
.2. Exodus.....................29. Jeremiah.................52. Mark
.3. Leviticus..................30. Lamentations............53. Luke
.4. Numbers...................31. LETTER OF JEREMIAH.54 . John
.5. Deuteronomy............32. BARUCH....................55. Acts
.6. Joshua....................33. Ezekiel......................56. James
.7. Judges....................34. Daniel.......................57. 1 Peter
.8. Ruth.......................35. Hosea.......................58. 2 Peter
.9. 1 Kings....................36. Joel.........................59. 1 John
10. 2 Kings...................37. Amos........................60. 2 John
11. 3 Kings...................38. Obadiah....................61. 3 John
12. 4 Kings...................39. Jonah...(center).........62. Jude
13. 1 Chronicles............40. Micah.......................63. Romans
14. 2 Chronicles............41. Nahum......................64. 1 Corinthians
15. 1 Esdras.................42. Habakkuk..................65. 2 Corinthians
16. Nehemiah................43. Zephaniah.................66. Galations
17. 2 ESDRAS................44. Haggai.....................67. Ephesians
18. TOBIT.....................45. Zechariah.................68. Philippians
19. JUDITH....................46. Malachi....................69. Colossians
20. Esther.....................47. 1 MACCABEES...........70. 1 Thessalonians
21. Job.........................48. 2 MACCABEES............71. 2 Thessalonians
22. Psalms.....................49. 3 MACCABEES...........72. 1 Timothy
23. Proverbs..................50. 3 ESDRAS.................73. 2 Timothy
24. Ecclesiastes...................................... ...........74. Titus
25. Song of Solomon........................................... 75. Philemon
26. WISDOM OF SOLOMON...................................76. Hebrews
27. ECCLESIASTICUS.................................... .......77. Revelation

Then the Catholics had Jerome translate the Greek Bible into Latin and called it the Vulgate. They kept the exact same arrangement but left off 4 books.
..............................ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE(The Vulgate).................

.1. Genesis......................27. Isaiah...................52. Romans
.2. Exodus.......................28. Jeremiah...............53. 1 Corinthians
.3. Leviticus....................29. Lamentations.........54. 2 Corinthians
.4. Numbers....................30. BARUCH.................55. Galations
.5. Deuteronomy..............31. Ezekiel..................56. Ephesians
.6. Joshua......................32. Daniel....................57. Philippians
.7. Judges......................33. Hosea....................58. Colossians
.8. Ruth.........................34. Joel.......................59. 1 Thessalonians
.9. 1 Kings......................35. Amos.....................60. 2 Thessalonians
10. 2 Kings.....................36. Obadiah..................61. 1 Timothy
11. 3 Kings.....................37. Jonah...(center).......62. 2 Timothy
12. 4 Kings ....................38. Micah.....................63. Titus
13. 1 Chronicles...............39. Nahum...................64. Philemon
14. 2 Chronicles...............40. Habakkuk................65. Hebrews
15. 1 Esdras....................41. Zephaniah..............66. James
16. Nehemiah...................42. Haggia...................67. 1 Peter
17. TOBIT.......................43. Zechariah...............68. 2 Peter
18. JUDITH......................44. Malachi..................69. 1 John
19. Esther.......................45. 1 MACCABEES.........70. 2 John
20. Job...........................46. 2 MACCABEES.........71. 3 John
21. Psalms.......................47. Matthew................72. Jude
22. Proverbs....................48. Mark......................73. Revelation
23. Ecclesiastes................49. Luke
24. Song of Songs.............50. John
25. WISDOM OF SOLOMON..51. Acts
26. ECCLESIASTICUS


Finally with the Protestant Reformation the Germans and English established their own 66 book Bible Canon. They used the same contents as the original Hebrew Masoretic Text Bible. But they kept the exact same arrangement as the Greek and Latin Bibles.

...THE LAW...................THE PROPHETS............THE WRITINGS........

.1. Genesis...................23. Isaiah....................45. Romans
.2. Exodus....................24. Jeremiah................46. 1 Corinthians
.3. Leviticus.................25. Lamentations..........47. 2 Corinthians
.4. Numbers..................26. Ezekiel...................48. Galatians
.5. Deuteronomy...........27. Daniel....................49. Ephesians
.................................................. ................50. Philippians
.6. Joshua....................28. Hosea...................51. Colossians
.7. Judges....................29. Joel......................52. 1 Thessalonians
.8. Ruth.......................30. Amos....................53. 2 Thessalonians
.9. 1 Samuel.................31. Obadiah.................54. 1 Timothy
10. 2 Samuel................32. Jonah.....................55. 2 Timothy
11. 1 Kings...................33. Micah....................56. Titus
12. 2 Kings...................34. Nahum...................57. Philemon
13. 1 Chronicles............35. Habakkuk................58. Hebrews
14. 2 Chronicles............36. Zephaniah
15. Ezra.......................37. Haggai
16. Nehemiah................38. Zechariah...............59. James
17. Esther....................39. Malachi...................60. 1 Peter
.................................................. .................61. 2 Peter
18. Job........................40. Matthew.................62. 1 John
19. Psalms....................41. Mark......................63. 2 John
20. Proverbs.................42. Luke.......................64. 3 John
21. Ecclesiastes............43. John.......................65. Jude
22. Song of Solomon......44. Acts.......................66. Revelation

So notice how this new Protestant 66 book bible fits so perfectly under the original Hebrew Bible headings of the "Law, Prophets and Writtings. The colomn under the Prophets is all prophets. The colomn under the Writings is all writings or epistles.

Then it is remarkably set up with the first five books in the first colomn being the "Pentatuch." The last five books in this colomn are called the "wisdom literature."
In the second colomn the first five books are called the "major Prophets." The last five books in this colomn are the "Gospels of the New Testament and Acts." This arrangement was not set up by men. They never changed anything as can be seen by comparing the above four Bible Canons.

*- note that the extra books in the Greek and Latin Bible canons are typed out in Capital letters for easier identification.

From the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church website

http://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/canonical/books.html

The canon of the Ethiopic Bible differs both in the Old and New Testament from that of any other churches.
List all books. As a whole, books written in the Geez language and on parchment are numerous. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 46 books of the Old Testament and 35 books of the New Testament that will bring the total of canonized books of the Bible to 81.

These are the following
A. The Holy Books of the Old Testament
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. I and II Samuel
10. I and II Kings
11. I Chronicles
12. II Chronicles
13. Jublee
14. Enoch
15. Ezra and Nehemia
16. Ezra (2nd) and Ezra Sutuel
17. Tobit
18. Judith
19. Esther
20. I Maccabees
21. II and III Maccabees
22. Job
23. Psalms
24. Proverbs
25. Tegsats (Reproof)
26. Metsihafe Tibeb (the books of wisdom)
27. Ecclesiastes
28. The Song of Songs
29. Isaiah
30. Jeremiah
31. Ezekiel
32. Daniel
33. Hosea
34. Amos
35. Micah
36. Joel
37. Obadiah
38. Jonah
39. Nahum
40. Habakkuk
41. Zephaniah
42. Haggai
43. Zechariah
44. Malachi
45. Book of Joshua the son of Sirac
46. The Book of Josephas the Son of Bengorion

B. The holy books of the New Testament
1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John
5. The Acts
6. Romans
7. I Corinthians
8. II Corinthians
9. Galatians
10. Ephesians
11. Philippians
12. Colossians
13. I Thessalonians
14. II Thessalonians
15. I Timothy
16. II Timothy
17. Titus
18. Philemon
19. Hebrews
20. I Peter
21. II Peter
22. I John
23. II John
24. III John
25. James
26. Jude
27. Revelation
28. Sirate Tsion (the book of order)
29. Tizaz (the book of Herald)
30. Gitsew
31. Abtilis
32. The I book of Dominos
33. The II book of Dominos
34. The book of Clement
35. Didascalia

The Ethiopic version of the Old and New Testament was made from the Septuagint. It includes the book of Enoch, Baruch, and the third and fourth Esdras. In the international Bible studies there are certain books belonging to the class usually designated pseudepigraphic. The whole Christendom and whole-learned world owes a debt of gratitude to the church of Ethiopia for the preservation of those documents.

Among these books is the book of Enoch which throws so much light on Jewish thought on various points during the centuries immediately preceding the Christian era. The book of Jubilee (Kufale, i.e. Division) otherwise known as the Little Genesis has also been preserved entire only in the Ethiopic version.

Are these available in English anywhere? They could be interesting to read . . .

Yes they are!. Check out Internet Archive website, Google
Books, Christian Classics Ethereal (CCEL) website, etc...

I'm a Roman Catholic who's not a big fan of the Old Testament. Does the Byzantine Rite focus equally on the old and new testaments?

The Byzantine rite uses mainly the old testament for epistle readings and the new testament for the Gospels. The readings aren't like they are in the roman rite.

The Byzantine Church currently reads the Old Testament at Vespers for feasts and during the Great Fast. This really does not amount to very much of the OT.

Matins for Sundays and Feasts include a Gospel. On Sundays it is one of the Resurrection Gospels. For feasts, it is a Gospel account associated with that feast.

The Divine Liturgy includes a reading from the Acts of the Apostles or one of the Epistles and then a Gospel reading.

The Byzantine Lectionary can be found at: https://www.byzcath.org/index.php/resources-mainmenu-63/lectionary-mainmenu-114