The official Holy Bible used by the Catholic Church contains several extra books that are not part of the official canon used by most Protestant churches. These books are termed the Apocrypha outside the Catholic Church and, even among Catholics, there is debate over whether these writings should be considered essential.
Esdras
There are two Books of Esdras and they were supposedly written by Ezra the Scribe. Esdras I is a history of the Jews after returning to Palestine from exile in Babylon. The second book is apocalyptic in nature and contains seven visions.
Tobit
The Book of Tobit tells the story of a man who is struck blind despite giving alms and doing good works. The book is an attempt to reveal how God's justice balances the evil that exists in the world.
Judith
Judith seems to be a fictional morality tale of a woman who cuts off the head of an Assyrian general and so assists the Jews in their victory. It is assumed that the story was written shortly after the Maccabean revolt.
The Wisdom of Solomon
A book dedicated to further revealing the wisdom of King Solomon. Interestingly, scholars have placed authorship of this book during the height of the Greek culture and assume that much of Solomon's wisdom is actually traced to ancient Greek philosophy.
Susanna
The Book of Susanna is actually an additional chapter to the Book of Daniel that was rejected for inclusion in the official canon. Daniel arrives near the end of the story to save Susanna from a sentence of death based on the lies of two Jewish elders seeking revenge for her rejection of their advances.
Bel and the Dragon
Bel and the Dragon is another rejection of a chapter originally included in the Book of Daniel. It is actually comprised of two different stories: one in which Daniel reveals that a pagan god named Bel is a sham and the other shows Daniel defeating a dragon.
Tags: Book Daniel, Catholic Church, official canon