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Does Song of Songs belong in Old Testament Canon?

Hebrew Priest Josephus and Old Testament Canon


Hebrew Priest Josephus explains about Old Testament Canon used by Hebrews in first century AD.
It must be noted that Judean is often miswritten as Jews in English translation. So I am correcting
this error below.

Against Apion, Book 1, Paragraph 8.

"For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting
one another, [as the Greeks have,] but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the
past times; which are justly believed to be divine; and of them five belong to Moses, which contain
his laws and the traditions of the origin of mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short
of three thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign of Artaxerxes king
of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who were after Moses, wrote down what was
done in their times in thirteen books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and
precepts for the conduct of human life. It is true, our history hath been written since Artaxerxes very
particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our forefathers,
because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we
have given credit to these books of our own nation is evident by what we do; for during so many
ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as either to add any thing to them, to take
any thing from them, or to make any change in them; but it is become natural to all Judeans
immediately, and from their very birth, to esteem these books to contain Divine doctrines, and to
persist in them, and, if occasion be willingly to die for them."

Josephus mentions Ezra and Nehemiah in Antiquities of Judeans Book XI, Chapter 5 and Esther
(during the rule of Artaxerxes) in Antiquities of Judeans Book XI, Chapter 6. The canon of Old
Testament is till the reign of Artaxerxes as mentioned by Josephus above in Against Apion Book 1,
Paragraph 8.

Judean Priest Josephus mentions (above) why their history written since Artaxerxes are not part of
Old Testament.

Josephus (Against Apion, Book 1, Paragraph 8) - "It is true, our history hath been written since
Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like authority with the former by our
forefathers, because there hath not been an exact succession of prophets since that time;"

This is also agreed by 1 Maccabees. For Example, 1 Maccabees 4:46, 1 Maccabees 9:27, and 1
Maccabees 14:41 point out the lack of prophets during the Maccabean period.

1 Maccabees 4:46 - "And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until
there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them." (Source -
www.ecmarsh.com/lxx/I%20Maccabees/index.htm)
1 Maccabees 9:27 - "So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time
that a prophet was not seen among them." (Source -
www.ecmarsh.com/lxx/I%20Maccabees/index.htm)

1 Maccabees 14:41 - "Also that the Judeans and priests were well pleased that Simon should be
their governor and high priest for ever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;" (Source -
www.ecmarsh.com/lxx/I%20Maccabees/index.htm)

When Josephus says 22 books, he is referring to 22 books in this order.

Law of Moses

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy = 5 books

Prophets

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Kings (1 Samuel - 2 Kings), Chronicles (Both books), Ezra-Nehemiah,
Esther, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah (includes Lamentations), Ezekiel, Daniel, Twelve Prophets = 13 books.

Hymns

Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs = 4 books

All of the minor prophets are listed as "Twelve Prophets" in Sirach 49:10 and in Old Testament
Canon mentioned by Melito (Source - Ecclesiastical History 4.26.1314). In Septuagint, 1 Samuel - 2
Kings are listed as the part of Book of Kings (Source - http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/index.htm). Melito
mentions 4 books (1 Samuel-2 Kings) as part of the book of Kings and 1 and 2 chronicles as part of
the book of Chronicles. Ezra and Nehemiah are mentioned together in Josephus' Antiquities of
Judeans Book XI, Chapter 5.

But Song of Songs is highly questioned due to the fact that God is not even mentioned once in
Song of Songs. Song of Songs is also highly questioned due to its erotic elements. Josephus
(above) mentions that the remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the
conduct of human life.

Since Song of Songs doesnt mention anything about God, it is most likely that it was Wisdom of
Solomon that was part of Old Testament Canon during the time of Jesus Christ and Josephus. Not
Song of Songs. Some of the Christian leaders claim that Song of Songs has symbolic or allegorical
meanings and they give their own interpretations of Song of Songs. What they dont realize is this is
a direct violation to Deuteronomy 4:2 and Deuteronomy 12:32.

From what I researched, I believe that the book "Wisdom of Solomon" was deliberately replaced by "Song
of Songs" in Old Testament Canon by Christ hating Jews many years after first century Israel. This is
because Wisdom of Solomon prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ in Wisdom of Solomon Chapter
2:12-22 and also exposed the illuminati in Wisdom of Solomon 14:23-25 - "Then, in the celebration of
secret religious ceremonies involving the ritual murder of children or in hidden mysteries or in the mad
orgies of strange worship practices, people stop keeping their lives and their marriages pure. Instead, one
person plots to kill another by lying in ambush. Another person causes grief by becoming sexually
involved with another persons spouse. Everything becomes a confused mix of blood, murder, theft, and
deception. Corruption, breaking ones word, upheaval, false pledgesall these things abound. "

Wisdom of Solomon (in Aramaic aka Syriac) is available in the book Ceriani Veteris Testamentum which
contains Aramaic Old Testament (aka Aramaic Peshitta Tanakh) and Apocryphal books in Aramaic.

Here is the link to get Aramaic version of Wisdom of Solomon -


https://archive.org/details/CerianiVeterisTestamentum7a1PeshittaTanakhAramaicOldTestament

Here is the link - https://www.bible.com/bible/37/wis.14.ceb

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