essay wrote: I just don't think that Zondervan is a very scholarly publisher, tending rather toward the extremist and even sensationalistic, and I will admit that I have a pre-formed opinion of the Dictionary you mention without ever having seen it, just as I would have such an opinion of a dictionary published by the Scientologists, the Watchtower, or the Church of the Sub-Genius. If I could find a copy here, tho', I would gladly check it out and admit immediately if my prejudice were unwarranted. My guess is that it is long on beautiful color pictures and short on scholarship.

Your first sentence, particularly the part about extremist and sensationalistic, I might apply to much of the Anchor Bible series, because it is grounded in a deeply flawed humanistic premise. However, I should not generalize quite so broadly. Some excellent authors are published by Zondervan, some junk. Likewise with every other commercial publisher I am aware of. To assume that publication by Zondervan inherently means poor scholarship or anti-intellectualism is not reasonable and might sound rather pretentious. The particular volume in question is a good general purpose reference work, written and edited by capable scholars for ordinary readers (with no color pictures). I?m not sure just why color pictures would be a bad thing, and I must be naive or uninformed about the disconnection between pictures and scholarship. I?ve seen some highly respected scholars use color slides in their presentations. I was not alarmed. I sometimes use them myself as a teaching aid, particularly in matters of history and geography, but alas, there are no color pictures, only rather dull black and whites, in the Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, at least in my old copy.

Be that as it may, it was a handy resource for the point about (rewriting) history regarding the late Catholic canonizing of the apocrypha, and the author of the article was eminently qualified for the subject. If not the Dictionary, then consider Owen Chadwick, The Reformation. In his discussion of the Council of Trent Chadwick makes the same point, regarding the reactionary nature of the declaration of canonicity for the apocrypha (and many other dictums of that council). The Reformation is a Penguin Classic publication (no pictures), that has been widely used as a college text, and Chadwick was a respected Cambridge professor.

essay wrote: I have several books on the Dead Sea Scrolls and I was not aware that a copy of Daniel dating so early had been found. I am not saying that it is not true, just that it is news to me and I would like to check it out further. In any case, the Jews included Daniel with the Writings rather than with the Prophets for the very reasons you mentioned, and that classification is not likely to change.

Please do check it out. Check everything out. Test everything. Hold on to the good. 1 Thess 5:21 NIV

About Daniel's place, in our earliest sources (such as Josephus) Daniel is included among the prophets. In the Talmud from about 400 A.D. the book is grouped among the writings. This doesn?t affect the authoritative or canonical status of Daniel, but the placement is consistent with the unique character of the book, and the unusual language of its writing (the 8 copies among the Dead Sea Scrolls have the same Hebrew and Aramaic arrangement as the Masoretic Text), and the apocalyptic content.

Anyway, getting to the references, here are what I consider some of the most interesting ones I could find. I think we will agree that many books discuss the same subject in more-or-less the same terms without one being an allusion to the other. These 'chance' similarities I have tried to cull out, so that what remains are, to me, rather obvious, or at least very probable, allusions to the deuterocanonical books.

First, some dates, once again not my opinion but a concensus of Catholic and 'mainline' Protestant scholaship:

Wisdom of Solomon is thought to date from the first century BC.

Ecclesiasticus (generally referred to as Sirach in references to prevent confusion with Ecclesiastes) dates from about 175-180BC, putting it on the 'borderline' of the cutoff for Hebrew canonicity.
I might add, speaking of the Dead Sea Scrolls, that while we have Sirach only in Greek, a Hebrew fragment is found among the DSS.

James' letter dates around 100AD, too late to have been written by either Apostle or the 'brother of the Lord'.

No dispute from me about the dates of the apocryphal books, but I will express disagreement with the supposed date for the cutoff for Hebrew canonicity you list, and agree instead with the testimony of the Bible itself, and Josephus, and most commentators, students and scholars in the centuries since, that the Hebrew canon closed (with Nehemiah) in the 5th century B.C. What you describe as mainline is really very recent in the scheme of things, and is by no means universally accepted by scholars or capable interpreters of whatever faith.

Of course I am also persuaded that James was written by 62 A.D. during the lifetime of James the brother of Jesus, and by his hand. The testimonial evidence for James is not as definitive as for other New Testament writings in the first two centuries, probably because of the very practical nature of the contents, but the external testimony we have from the 3rd century onward consistently recognizes the apostolic character of the book. The provenance of the book, like so many others, was not seriously questioned until the 19th century historical-critical methodology gained an upper hand in analysis. However, the same scholars who would have James written around 100 A.D. would have had John written in the mid first century, and those claims have been completely overruled by evidence from manuscript discoveries in the 20th century, affirming a first century origin for John. Which is to say, I put no particular trust in the analysis of the historical-critical methodology, which has been showed to be deeply flawed many times. Other analysts have concluded that James was very possibly the first of our New Testament books, perhaps by 45 A.D., based on references to a primarily Jewish church, use of language that reflects a largely Jewish audience, and strong affinity with the style and content of the sermon on the mount. I agree with that general analysis.

What follows below is a series of references in James, and passages from Apocryphal books, which essay has suggested show that James made allusion to the non-canonical books. It is true enough that authors with common heritage and in a similar cultural milieu are likely to say some things in similar ways, without necessarily being in any way dependant on one another. Whether or not James was familiar with or alluded to or even paraphrased non-canonical books is not actually in any way relevant to the New Testament authority of James, not does it have particular bearing on any authority in the Apocryphal books. We know that Paul not only alluded to but quoted from pagan philosophers or poets on some occasions (Epimenides in Titus 1:12, for example). That did not mean that Paul considered the pagan source to have the same sort of authority or inspiration as the Scriptures, but that he would cite what was true and helpful to his teaching, whoever the original source. However, there is a school of thought, widely taught in both secular and religious schools, that minimizes the Bible in every way, and makes every effort to undermine confidence in Biblical truth. The presumption that James is post-apostolic and heavily reliant on ideas found in non-Biblical wisdom literature is just one part of that minimizing approach to the Bible. The critics intend to sell the idea that we know and can know little or nothing about the historical Jesus, his direct teachings, or his first followers, and that Christianity grew out of a hodgepodge of borrowed ideas and accommodations over many years. What we in fact do have in the New Testament is eye witness testimony to the life and teachings of Jesus, with first and second hand accounts from participants in the birth and growth of the New Testament church, led by the Spirit of God.

A comparison of James 1:2 with Wisdom of Solomon 3:5-6
James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. RSV

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-7
[1] But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.
[2] In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be an affliction,
[3] and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.
[4] For though in the sight of men they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.
[5] Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
[6] like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
[7] In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,
and will run like sparks through the stubble.

A comment: James is affirming something very different than what we see in WS. I think it is fairly imaginative to connect these thoughts at all, let alone suggest that James alluded to or was influenced by WS. James wrote about the value of trials in this life, making Christians better people. WS discussed the end of suffering in righteous death. On the other hand, it is possible that James might have made allusion to the familiar story of Job in this passage.

A comparison of James 1:5 to Wisdom of Solomon 8:20ff and Sirach 51:13-14
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. RSV

Wisdom of Solomon 8:19-9:9
[19] As a child I was by nature well endowed,
and a good soul fell to my lot;
[20] or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body.
[21] But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom
unless God gave her to me --
and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was --
so I appealed to the Lord and besought him,
and with my whole heart I said:
[1] "O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy,
who hast made all things by thy word,
[2] and by thy wisdom hast formed man,
to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made,
[3] and rule the world in holiness and righteousness,
and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul,
[4] give me the wisdom that sits by thy throne,
and do not reject me from among thy servants.
[5] For I am thy slave and the son of thy maidservant,
a man who is weak and short-lived,
with little understanding of judgment and laws;
[6] for even if one is perfect among the sons of men,
yet without the wisdom that comes from thee
he will be regarded as nothing.
[7] Thou hast chosen me to be king of thy people
and to be judge over thy sons and daughters.
[8] Thou hast given command to build a temple on thy holy mountain,
and an altar in the city of thy habitation,
a copy of the holy tent which thou didst prepare
from the beginning.
[9] With thee is wisdom, who knows thy works
and was present when thou didst make the world,
and who understand what is pleasing in thy sight
and what is right according to thy commandments..

Sirach 51:13-14
[13] While I was still young, before I went on my travels,
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
[14] Before the temple I asked for her,
and I will search for her to the last.

James is thankfully more direct and concise than WS. However, did WS or Sirach originate the idea of praying for wisdom? Or was that already found in a canonical Old Testament book, as in 1 Kings 3:1-14, the story of how Solomon prayed for wisdom and God gave an approving answer? If James is alluding to anything, why would it be anything other than 1 Kings, which is a very adequate warrant for the thought? James also had Proverbs to allude to. Why would we suppose he was influenced instead by WS and Sirach, when Proverbs was available?
Prov 2:3-6
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. NIV

James 1:13 compared to Sirach 15:11-20
James 1:13-14 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.RSV

Sirach 15:11-20
[11] Do not say, "Because of the Lord I left the right way";
for he will not do what he hates.
[12] Do not say, "It was he who led me astray";
for he had no need of a sinful man.
[13] The Lord hates all abominations,
and they are not loved by those who fear him.
[14] It was he who created man in the beginning,
and he left him in the power of his own inclination.
[15] If you will, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
[16] He has placed before you fire and water:
stretch out your hand for whichever you wish.
[17] Before a man are life and death,
and whichever he chooses will be given to him.
[18] For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
[19] his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every deed of man.
[20] He has not commanded any one to be ungodly,
and he has not given any one permission to sin.

The two passages do have some things in common, such as an affirmation of human choice, but they are also quite different in their approach. There is certainly a different flavor in the discussion of God and his role in setting things before men. Sirach seems to say that temptation is inherent in what God sets before us, James says temptation begins in human response, within the heart. There may not be one single Old Testament passage that specifically states the idea as James has it, but it is certainly a teaching consistent with and distilled from Old Testament affirmations about God, about evil, and about disobedience and injustice. Again, the book of Job, particularly chapter 31, is a good backdrop for the teachings of Sirach, and I would suggest it is a more likely resource to surmise for James.

Comparing James 1:19 to Sirach 5:11
James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. RSV

Sirach 5:11-12
[11] Be quick to hear,
and be deliberate in answering.
[12] If you have understanding, answer your neighbor;
but if not, put your hand on your mouth.

At least here we have a similar phrase in both James and Sirach, so the stretch is not quite so long. Still, for this passage we can again consider that there are Biblical precursors that would have been familiar to James and his readers (and to Sirach). One such is Eccl 5:1-2, Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few. RSV Or perhaps, Prov 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. RSV

Comparing James 3:13 to Sirach19:20-30
James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. RSV

Sirach 19:20-30
[20] All wisdom is the fear of the Lord,
and in all wisdom there is the fulfilment of the law.
[22] But the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom,
nor is there prudence where sinners take counsel.
[23] There is a cleverness which is abominable,
but there is a fool who merely lacks wisdom.
[24] Better is the God-fearing man who lacks intelligence,
than the highly prudent man who transgresses the law.
[25] There is a cleverness which is scrupulous but unjust,
and there are people who distort kindness to gain a verdict.
[26] There is a rascal bowed down in mourning,
but inwardly he is full of deceit.
[27] He hides his face and pretends not to hear;
but where no one notices, he will forestall you.
[28] And if by lack of strength he is prevented from sinning,
he will do evil when he finds an opportunity.
[29] A man is known by his appearance,
and a sensible man is known by his face, when you meet him.
[30] A man's attire and open-mouthed laughter,
and a man's manner of walking, show what he is.

I am hard pressed to see any meaningful relationship between the verse in James and the passage in Sirach. It is clear that Sirach echoes ideas found in Proverbs 1-9, but not that James is alluding to Sirach. James proceeded in 3:17 to list seven characteristics of divine wisdom, which does seem to be an allusion to Proverbs 9:1, but the content is much more of the teachings of Christ than of the wisdom literature. One could almost think that James had heard the "Sermon on the Mount."

James 4:13 compared to Wisdom of Solomon 2:4,5:9-13
James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain"; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." RSV

Wisdom of Solomon 2:4, 5:9-3
[4] Our name will be forgotten in time
and no one will remember our works;
our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud,
and be scattered like mist
that is chased by the rays of the sun
and overcome by its heat.
[9] "All those things have vanished like a shadow,
and like a rumor that passes by;
[10] like a ship that sails through the billowy water,
and when it has passed no trace can be found,
nor track of its keel in the waves;
[11] or as, when a bird flies through the air,
no evidence of its passage is found;
the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions
and pierced by the force of its rushing flight,
is traversed by the movement of its wings,
and afterward no sign of its coming is found there;
[12] or as, when an arrow is shot at a target,
the air, thus divided, comes together at once,
so that no one knows its pathway.
[13] So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be,
and we had no sign of virtue to show,
but were consumed in our wickedness."

This is suggested as an allusion by James because, I suppose, of the reference to the uncertainty of life, a mist that appears... and then vanishes... The emphasis in James was certainly different than WS, not the impact we do or do not make here, but how we relate to the divine plan. Once again, a problem with presuming and stressing any particular influence from Wisdom here, is that there is an excellent precursor in Job for what James teaches here.
Job 7:6-10
6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle,
and come to their end without hope.
7 "Remember that my life is a breath;
my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
while thy eyes are upon me, I shall be gone.
9 As the cloud fades and vanishes,
so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up;
10 he returns no more to his house,
nor does his place know him any more. RSV
If James alludes to anything, it makes more sense that he alludes to Job, and we can be sure he knew and respected Job, rather than make a blind leap and guess that he alludes to WS, when we can only guess whether he really knew the scroll, or whether if he did know it he respected it. WS also seems to have borrowed for this passage from Job 9:25-26 with some influence from Job 15:1-2 and Isaiah 40:6-8 (which James alluded to with a close paraphrase back in 1:9-11).

James 5:3 compared to Sirach 29:10-12
James 5:1-5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. RSV

Sirach 29:10-13
[9] Help a poor man for the commandment's sake,
and because of his need do not send him away empty.
[10] Lose your silver for the sake of a brother or a friend,
and do not let it rust under a stone and be lost.
[11] Lay up your treasure according to the commandments
of the Most High,
and it will profit you more than gold.
[12] Store up almsgiving in your treasury,
and it will rescue you from all affliction;
[13] more than a mighty shield and more than a heavy spear,
it will fight on your behalf against your enemy.
There doesn't seem to be any particular affinity between these passages. While Sirach commends using wealth generously, a principle found repeatedly in the Law (Deuteronomy 15:7ff), James stridently condemns the injustice of the powerful and selfish, a theme often found in the prophets (as in Amos 2:7, 4:1, 5:11-12, 8:4-6).

James 5:6 compared to Wisdom of Solomon 2:10-20
James 5:5-6 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you. RSV

Wisdom of Solomon 2:10-20
[10] Let us oppress the righteous poor man;
let us not spare the widow
nor regard the gray hairs of the aged.
[11] But let our might be our law of right,
for what is weak proves itself to be useless.
[12] "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man,
because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions;
he reproaches us for sins against the law,
and accuses us of sins against our training.
[13] He professes to have knowledge of God,
and calls himself a child of the Lord.
[14] He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;
[15] the very sight of him is a burden to us,
because his manner of life is unlike that of others,
and his ways are strange.
[16] We are considered by him as something base,
and he avoids our ways as unclean;
he calls the last end of the righteous happy,
and boasts that God is his father.
[17] Let us see if his words are true,
and let us test what will happen at the end of his life;
[18] for if the righteous man is God's son, he will help him,
and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.
[19] Let us test him with insult and torture,
that we may find out how gentle he is,
and make trial of his forbearance.
[20] Let us condemn him to a shameful death,
for, according to what he says, he will be protected."

Again, I doubt that James alludes to Wisdom here, or had any need to. I do wonder if he may not indeed allude to such men as Jesus, Stephen, James the brother of John and others. James had seen plenty of violence against the peaceful righteous, and his vehemence is understandable.

James 5:16 compared to Sirach 4:26ff
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. RSV

Sirach 4:26-28
[26] Do not be ashamed to confess your sins,
and do not try to stop the current of a river.
[27] Do not subject yourself to a foolish fellow,
nor show partiality to a ruler.
[28] Strive even to death for the truth
and the Lord God will fight for you.

Sirach did not advocate confession to another believer here, and his appeal does not seem to relate to praying for each other. An allusion by James seems very dubious. In fact, the idea in James primarily has merit in terms of the Christian community, the church. James does of course proceed to provide a warrant for his teaching about the power of prayer by reminding us of Elijah (5:17), a Biblical character, not an allusion to apocryphal wisdom. James was teaching from a Biblical base, for a Christian community.

A consideration of the passages in Hebrews and Acts will follow soon, along with some thoughts on "fundamentalism" and following Christ.