Trullo’s Biblical Canon List

Canon 2 of the Council Trullo bound believers to affirm the 85 Apostolic canons:

CHURCH FATHERS: Council in Trullo (A.D. 692)

Canon 2

It has also seemed good to this holy Council, that the eighty-five canons, received and ratified by the holy and blessed Fathers before us, and also handed down to us in the name of the holy and glorious Apostles should from this time forth remain firm and unshaken for the cure of souls and the healing of disorders. And in these canons we are bidden to receive the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles [written] by Clement. But formerly through the agency of those who erred from the faith certain adulterous matter was introduced, clean contrary to piety, for the polluting of the Church, which obscures the elegance and beauty of the divine decrees in their present form. We therefore reject these Constitutions so as the better to make sure of the edification and security of the most Christian flock; by no means admitting the offspring of heretical error, and cleaving to the pure and perfect doctrine of the Apostles. But we set our seal likewise upon all the other holy canons set forth by our holy and blessed Fathers, that is, by the 318 holy God-bearing Fathers assembled at Nice, and those at Ancyra, further those at Neocæsarea and likewise those at Gangra, and besides, those at Antioch in Syria: those too at Laodicea in Phrygia: and likewise the 150 who assembled in this heaven-protected royal city: and the 200 who assembled the first time in the metropolis of the Ephesians, and the 630 holy and blessed Fathers at Chalcedon. In like manner those of Sardica, and those of Carthage: those also who again assembled in this heaven-protected royal city under its bishop Nectarius and Theophilus Archbishop of Alexandria. Likewise too the Canons [i.e. the decretal letters] of Dionysius, formerly Archbishop of the great city of Alexandria; and of Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria and Martyr; of Gregory the Wonder-worker, Bishop of Neocæsarea; of Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria; of Basil, Archbishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia; of Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa; of Gregory Theologus; of Amphilochius of Iconium; of Timothy, Archbishop of Alexandria; of Theophilus, Archbishop of the same great city of Alexandria; of Cyril, Archbishop of the same Alexandria; of Gennadius, Patriarch of this heaven-protected royal city. Moreover the Canon set forth by Cyprian, Archbishop of the country of the Africans and Martyr, and by the Synod under him, which has been kept only in the country of the aforesaid Bishops, according to the custom delivered down to them. And that no one be allowed to transgress or disregard the aforesaid canons, or to receive others beside them, supposititiously set forth by certain who have attempted to make a traffic of the truth. But should any one be convicted of innovating upon, or attempting to overturn, any of the afore-mentioned canons, he shall be subject to receive the penalty which that canon imposes, and to be cured by it of his transgression.

Canon 85 dealt with the biblical canon, which I present here:

The Canon of Scripture according to "The Apostolic Canons"

The "Apostolic Canons" (about A.D. 380).

The Apostolic Canons (canones apostolici) are a series of additions made by the final editor of an ancient Syrian book of church order called The Apostolic Constitutions. The whole document purports to be from the apostles, but this pretence is not taken seriously by any scholar today. Nevertheless, the work is useful as evidence for the opinions of a part of the Syrian churches towards the end of the fourth century. The list of canonical books (given in canon no. 85) was probably added about the year 380. The Greek text given below conforms to the text of canon 85 printed in the appendix of Westcott's General Survey of the History of the Canon of the New Testament (London, 1870), but I have inserted brackets around Ἰουδεὶθ ἕν ("one of Judith") to indicate that it is absent from some manuscripts of the canones apostolici. This canon list has several peculiarities. Included are "three books of the Maccabees," while the rest of the deuterocanonical books are omitted. The Revelation of John is omitted (see the likely explanation for this in my comments on the canon list of Cyril of Jerusalem). The epistles of Clement are listed as canonical, and the book of the "Apostolic Constitutions" is described as an esoteric canonical book.

Κανὼν πε’: Περὶ ἁγίων βιβλίων.

Ἔστω δὲ ὑμῖν πᾶσι κληρικοῖς καὶ λαϊκοῖς βιβλία σεβάσμια καὶ ἅγια· τῆς μὲν Παλαιᾶς Διαθήκης, Μωυσέως, πέντε· Γένεσις, Ἔξοδος, Λευιτικόν, Ἀριθμοί, καὶ Δευτερονόμιον· Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυῆ ἕν· τῶν Κριτῶν ἕν· τῆς Ρούθ ἕν· Βασιλειῶν τέσσαρα· Παραλειπομένων, τῆς βίβλου τῶν ἡμερῶν, δύο· Ἔσδρα δύο· Ἐσθήρ ἕν· [Ἰουδεὶθ ἕν·] Μακκαβαίων τρία· Ἰώβ ἕν· Ψαλμοὶ ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα· Σολομῶνος βιβλία τρία, Παροιμίαι, Ἐκκλησιαστής, ᾄσμα ᾀσμάτων· Προφῆται δέκα ἕξ· Ἔξωθεν δὲ ὑμῖν προσιστορείσθω μανθάνειν ὑμῶν τοὺς νέους τὴν Σοφίαν τοῦ πολυμαθοῦς Σειράχ. Ἡμέτερα δὲ, τουτέστι τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης, Εὐαγγέλια τέσσαρα, Ματθαίου, Μάρκου, Λουκᾶ, Ἰωάννου· Παύλου ἐπιστολαὶ δεκατέσσαρες· Πέτρου ἐπιστολαί δύο· Ἰωάννου τρεῖς· Ἰακώβου μία· Ἰούδα μία· Κλήμεντος ἐπιστολαί δύο, καὶ αἱ Διαταγαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐπισκόποις δι’ ἐμοῦ Κλήμεντος ἐν ὀκτὼ βιβλίοις προσπεφωνημέναι, ἃς οὐ χρὴ δημοσιεύειν ἐπὶ πάντων διὰ τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς μυστικά· καὶ αἱ Πράξεις ἡμῶν τῶν Ἀποστόλων.

Canon 85: Concerning Holy Scripture.

Let the following books be esteemed venerable and holy by all of you, both clergy and laity. Of the Old Testament: the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy; one of Joshua the son of Nun; one of the Judges; one of Ruth; four of the Kings; 1 two of Paralipomena (the books of Chronicles); two of Ezra; 2 one of Esther; [one of Judith;] 3 three of the Maccabees; one of Job; the one hundred and fifty Psalms; three books of Solomon: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs; the sixteen of the Prophets. And see that those newly come to discipleship become acquainted with the Wisdom of the learned Sirach. 4 And ours, that is, of the New Testament, are the four Gospels, of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; the fourteen epistles of Paul; two epistles of Peter; three of John; one of James; one of Jude; two epistles of Clement; and the Constitutions dedicated to you, the bishops, by me, Clement, in eight books, which it is not appropriate to make public before all, because of the mysteries contained in them; and the Acts of us, the Apostles.

1. That is, what we call First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings.

2. Ezra and Nehemiah.

3. "One of Judith" is missing from some manuscripts.

4. That is, Ecclesiasticus. (Emphasis mine)

See also: The Apostolic Canons - CHURCH FATHERS.

However, there are major variations within the manuscript tradition with respect to Canon 85, which are mentioned by the following canon experts:

Apostolic Canons 85

Date: ca. 375–80

Introduction: The biblical canon list is the content of the last canon of the Apostolic Canons (canon 85 in the Greek tradition which is Apos. Con. VIII.47.85). However, earlier in the Apostolic Constitutions, instruction was provided regarding which books were to be read and in what order:

(5) Let the reader, standing in the middle on a certain high place, read the books of Moses and Joshua of Naue, the books of Judges and Kingdoms, the books of Paralipomenon and the books of the Return [i.e. Esdras], in addition to these the books of Job and the books of Solomon and the Sixteen Prophets. (6) Now after the readings have occurred two by two, let a different person sing the hymns of David, and let the people sing the refrains in response. (7) After this let our Acts be read and the Epistles of Paul our fellow worker, which he sent to the churches according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And after these let an elder or deacon read the Gospels, which we, Matthew and John, handed down to you, and the fellow workers associated with Paul, Luke and Mark, left behind for you (Apos. Con. II.57.5–7).³¹⁵

The canon list, therefore, has a liturgical function, regulating what should be read in the assembly.

Text³¹⁶

πε´. ³¹⁷ Ἔστω δὲ ὑμῖν πᾶσι κληρικοῖς καὶ λαϊκοῖς βιβλία σεβάσμια καὶ ἅγια τῆς μὲν παλαιᾶς διαθήκης Μωσέως πέντε· 318 Ἰησοῦ δὲ τοῦ Ναυῆ ἕν, τῶν Κριτῶν ἕν, τῆς Ῥοὺθ ἕν,³¹⁹ τῶν Βασιλειῶν τέσσαρα, Παραλειπομένων τῆς βίβλου τῶν ἡμερῶν δύο, Ἔσδρα δύο,³²⁰ Ἐσθὴρ ἕν, Ἰουδὶθ ἓν,³²¹ Μακκαβαίων τέσσαρα,³²² Ἰὼβ ἓν, βιβλος Ψαλμῶν ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑνός,³²³ Σολομῶντος βιβλία πέντε·³²⁴ Προϕῆται δέκα ἕξ·³²⁵ Ἔξωθεν ὑμῖν προσιστορείσθω μανθάνειν ὑμῶν τοὺς νέους τὰς Σοϕίας τοῦ πολυμαθοῦς Σιράχ. Ἡμέτερα δέ, τοῦτ’ ἔστι τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, Εὐαγγέλια μὲν τέσσαρα, ὡς καὶ ἐν τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν εἴπομεν, Ματθαίου, Μάρκου, Λουκᾶ, Ἰωάννου·³²⁶ Παύλου ἐπιστολαὶ δεκατέσσαρες,³²⁷ Ἰακώβου μία, Ἰωάννου τρεῖς, Ἰούδα μία, Πέτρου δύο,³²⁸ Κλήμεντος δύο, καὶ αἱ Διαταγαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐπισκόποις δι’ ἐμοῦ Κλήμεντος ἐν ὀκτὼ βιβλίοις προσπεϕωνημέναι, ἃς οὐ χρή δημοσιεύειν ἐπὶ πάντων διὰ τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς μυστικά· καὶ αἱ Πράξεις ἡμῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων.

Translation

85. Now let the venerated and holy books be for all of you, clerics and laypeople.³²⁹ Of the Old Covenant: Five of Moses; now one of Joshua of Naue, one of the Judges, one of Ruth,³³⁰ four of the Kingdoms, two of Paralipomenon of the book of days,³³¹ two of Esdras, one of Esther,³³² one of Judith,³³³ four of Maccabees,³³⁴ one of Job, Book of One-Hundred-and-Fifty-One Psalms,³³⁵ five books of Solomon;³³⁶ sixteen Prophets;³³⁷ outside of these, let it be added to you as further instruction that your youth learn the Wisdom of Sirach, the polymath.³³⁸ Now our (books), that is, of the New Covenant: four Gospels, as also we spoke in the preceding, of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, of John; fourteen epistles of Paul,³³⁹ one of James, three of John, one of Jude, two of Peter,³⁴⁰ two of Clement,³⁴¹ and the Constitutions are for you, the bishops, invoked by me, Clement,³⁴² in eight books, which are not fitting to display for all because of the mysteries in them; and the Acts of our Apostles.³⁴³ 

The Canon List of the Apostolic Canons

Old Testament

Five of Moses

Joshua of Naue

Judges

Ruth

1–4 Kingdoms (= 1–2 Samuel + 1–2 Kings)

1–2 Paralipomenon (= 1–2 Chronicles)

1–2 Esdras

Esther Judith

1–4 Maccabees

Job

Book of 151 Psalms

Five Books of Solomon

Sixteen Prophets

Outside of these:

Sirach

(Ethiopic: the Wisdom of Solomon, Judith, three books of Kufâlê [Book of Jubilees], and Jesus the son of Sirach)

New Testament

Four Gospels

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Fourteen Epistles of Paul

One of James

Three of John

One of Jude

Two of Peter

(Ethiopic: The Apocalypse of John)

Two of Clement

For the bishops:

Eight books of the Constitutions

Acts of the Apostles

315 (5) Μέσος δὲ ὁ ἀναγνώστης ἐϕ’ ὑψηλοῦ τινος ἑστὼς ἀναγινωσκέτω τὰ Μωϋσέως καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυή, τὰ τῶν Κριτῶν καὶ τῶν Βασιλειῶν, τὰ τῶν Παραλειπομένων καὶ τὰ τῆς Ἐπανόδου, πρὸς τούτοις τὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ καὶ τὰ Σολομῶντος καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἑξκαίδεκα προϕητῶν. (6) Ἀνὰ δύο δὲ γενομένων ἀναγνωσμάτων, ἕτερός τις τοῦ Δαυὶδ ψαλλέτω τοὺς ὕμνους, καὶ ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἀκροστίχια ὑποψαλλέτω. (7) Μετὰ τοῦτο αἱ Πράξεις αἱ ἡμέτεραι ἀναγινωσκέσθωσαν καὶ αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ Παύλου τοῦ συνεργοῦ ἡμῶν, ἃς ἀπέστειλε ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις καθ’ ὑϕήγησιν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πρεσβύτερος ἢ διάκονος ἀναγινωσκέτω τὰ Εὐαγγέλια, ἃ ἐγὼ Ματθαῖος καὶ Ἰωάννης παρεδώκαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οἱ συνεργοὶ Παύλου παρειληϕότες κατέλειψαν ὑμῖν Λουκᾶς καὶ Μάρκος.

316 M. Metzger 1987: 306–8.

317 Canon 82 in Lagarde’s MS and canon 81 in Vööbus’s MS.

318 Greek MS a (Metzger’s siglum; tenth century) lists them as follows: γένεσις, ἔξοδος, λευϊτικόν, ἀριθμοὶ καὶ δευτερονόμιον (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). The Syriac MSS also do not list the five books of Moses individually (see below).

319 Vööbus’s MS places ‘one of Judith’ after Ruth.

320 The Ethiopic has ‘one book of Job’ after the books of Ezra and before Esther.

321 The Ethiopic does not include Judith among the canonical books but among the writings to teach children. Rather, the book of Tobit appears after Esther in the Ethiopic.

322 Latin MS FV reads tria ‘three’. The Syriac tradition agrees with the Latin’s ‘Three of Maccabees’. The Syriac tradition has ‘one of Tobit’ before the books of Maccabees. The Ethiopic tradition omits the books of Maccabees.

323 Greek MS a reads: Ψαλμοὶ ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα, ‘One-Hundred and Fifty Psalms’. The Syriac MSS also affirm only One-Hundred and Fifty Psalms (see below). The Ethiopic has ‘One-Hundred and Fifty Psalms of David’.

324 Greek MS a reads: τρία, παροιμίαι, ἐκκλησιαστής, ᾄσμα ἀσμάτων, ‘Three, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs’. The Syriac MSS contain the tradition of five books of Solomon without listing them. The Ethiopic lists Ecclesiastes earlier in the catalogue after Tobit. After Psalms, the Ethiopic has ‘the proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, and Song of Songs’.

325 Lagarde’s MS has ‘Of the Prophets: Twelve one, of Isaiah one, of Jeremiah one, of Ezekiel one, of Daniel one’ (see below). Similarly, the Ethiopic lists the Twelve Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel.

326 After the Gospels, the Ethiopic has: Acts of the Apostles, two letters of Peter, three letters of John, one letter of James, and one letter of Jude.

327 After the letters of Paul and before the letters of Clement, the Ethiopic has the Apocalypse of John.

328 Lagarde’s MS (BL Add. 14,526) has: one letter of James, two of Peter, three of John, one of Jude. Vööbus’s MS has: two letters of Peter, three letters of John, one letter of James, one letter of Jude.

329 The canonical books are for all, while Sirach is for the youth and the eight books of Clement mentioned below are only for the bishops.

330 Ruth and Judges are separate works.

331 Vööbus’s MS ‘The Book of the Words of the Days’ has a title close to the Greek ‘The Book of Days’. Lagarde’s MS has ‘Of Necessities’.

332 Esther is disputed in the fourth century, but included in this catalogue.

333 Judith is not listed in the other fourth-century Eastern catalogues.

334 The three or four books of Maccabees are not listed among the other fourth-century Eastern catalogues.

335 The Book of One-Hundred-and-Fifty-One Psalms is rare among the lists; see also the Mommsen Catalogue, and cp. Synod of Laodicea’s Book of One-Hundred-and-Fifty Psalms.

336 The first four books are probably Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Wisdom of Solomon. The identity of the fifth book is not clear, since Sirach is explicitly named and said to be ‘outside’ later in the list. The Wisdom of Solomon is not catalogued in any of the other Eastern lists. Turner 1912c notes that the Latin MS should probably be followed, except probably for the reference to the five books of Solomon, since later the Wisdom of Sirach is said to be outside of the canonical books. However, he does allow for an ‘unintelligent combination’ of Athanasius’s list with a tradition of five canonical books of Solomon (p. 512).

337 Among the early lists, only Innocent I counts the prophets as sixteen Prophets.

338 The useful, non-canonical status of Sirach is well attested in the fourth century (cf., e.g., the respective sections in this chapter on Epiphanius and Athanasius for details). The Ethiopic version contains the following books to be taught to children: the Wisdom of Solomon, Judith, three books of Kufâlê [Book of Jubilees], and Jesus the son of Sirach.

339 Hebrews is included among the fourteen letters of Paul.

340 The seven Catholic Epistles are included in the catalogue without any dispute.

341 Probably, these are the two letters of Clement of Rome which form part of the corpus known as the Apostolic Fathers. Cf. Metzger 1987: 216, 225; Holmes 2007: 38. These Epistles are also included at the end of Codex Alexandrinus (cf. ch. 6 for the contents of this codex).

342 The compiler of the Apostolic Constitutions probably used the pseudonym Clement of Rome, since he was considered the ‘secretary’ of the Apostolic College, and St Peter in particular (cf. Metzger 1985: 36).

343 The Book of Revelation is omitted from the catalogue in accord with the majority of Eastern lists from the fourth century. (Edmon L. Gallagher & John D. Meade, The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity: Texts and Analysis [Oxford University Press, 2019], pp. 136-139; emphasis mine)

Further Reading

MURATORIAN CANON

Athanasius’ Biblical Canon

ATHANASIUS ON THE “APOCRYPHA”