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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
The Book of Baruch is part of what is considered the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical writings and appears in the Old Testament of Catholic Bibles. Except for some Episcopal or Lutheran Bibles, the Book ...
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Vincent Mercado
Supporter
The Book of Baruch, occasionally referred to as 1 Baruch, is called a deuterocanonical book of the Bible. Although not in the Hebrew Bible, it is found in the Septuagint and in the Vulgate Bible. It is grouped with the prophetical books which also include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets. It is named after Baruch ben Neriah, Jeremiah's scribe. Some scholars propose that it was written during or shortly after the period of the Maccabees. In the Vulgate, the King James Bible Apocrypha, and many other versions, the Letter of Jeremiah is appended to the end of the Book of Baruch as a sixth chapter; in the Septuagint and Orthodox Bibles chapter 6 is usually counted as a separate book, called the Letter or Epistle of Jeremiah. The Book of Baruch is one of the books declared Scripture by the The Council of Carthage in AD 397. It is also one of the books that were dropped by the British and Foreign Bible Society from publication in 1826.
Jeffrey Johnson
Supporter
What is the book of Baruch? The Book of Baruch is a collection of Jewish wisdom and prophetic writings, attributed to Baruch ben Neriah, the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah, offering comfort and guidance to Jews in Babylonian exile, focusing on confession, prayer for mercy, praise of wisdom (often linked to the Law), and hope for Jerusalem's restoration, included in Catholic/Orthodox Bibles as deuterocanonical but considered Apocrypha by Protestants. The book is typically divided into four or five distinct sections: 1: Historical Introduction (1:1–14): Describes Baruch reading the book to the exiles in Babylon and sending it to Jerusalem. 2: Confession and Prayer (1:15–3:8): A penitential liturgy where the people admit their failings and beg for God's mercy. 3: Wisdom Poem (3:9–4:4): A poetic discourse on finding wisdom through adherence to God's commandments. 4: Message of Consolation (4:5–5:9): A prophetic poem where personified Jerusalem encourages her children and awaits divine restoration. 5: Letter of Jeremiah (Chapter 6): Often appended as a final chapter, this is a separate polemic against idolatry. The book is a reflection of a late Jewish writer on the circumstances of Jewish exiles from Babylon, with meditations on the theology and history of Israel, discussions of wisdom, and a direct address to residents of Jerusalem and the Diaspora. The book relates the expressions of repentance and prayers for relief on the part of the exiled Jews in Babylon, exhortations to follow wisdom, encouragement to hope in the promise of deliverance, and the denunciation of Babylonian idolatry. Baruch is represented as being in Babylon (Baruch 1:1, 2). In contrast, the Bible records show he went to Egypt, as did Jeremiah, and there is no evidence that Baruch was ever in Babylon. (Jer 43:5-7) Contrary to Jeremiah's prophecy that the desolation of Judah during the Babylonian exile would last 70 years (Jer 25:11, 12; 29:10), Baruch 6:2 tells the Jews that they will remain in Babylon for seven generations before experiencing release.
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