But further; when one looks more closely one sees that in these books various thought-tendencies and mental attitudes are represented—political, intellectual, doctrinal, religious; so that questions arise, and demand consideration, as to who the men were among whom these thought-tendencies existed, what it was that first gave rise to them, what the relation was between those who belonged to the different schools of thought represented, and other questions of a similar character. The intelligent reader will want to know, on the one hand, what is reflected in these books concerning such questions, and, on the other, what light they themselves shed on the history of thought and religion during the period, extending over about three hundred years, at which they were written. Of a different character, but very much to the point, is the inquiry into the position held by these books in the sacred literature of the Jews. They are not assigned a place in the canonical Hebrew Scriptures, but they are found in the Greek Old Testament, which was the Bible used by the New Testament writers and by the Early Church. Who excluded them from the canonical list, and on what grounds were they excluded? What was their position before the Canon was formed, and when was the Canon formed? What is meant by the title “Apocrypha,” by whom was the title given, and when? These are some of the many questions which suggest themselves to the serious student of the Apocrypha; and a moment’s thought will show that adequate answers to them are required if the contents of the Apocrypha, and all that they imply, are to be properly understood. The purpose of the “Prolegomena” is to try and give answers to these and many other questions which arise as soon as the study of this body of ancient Jewish sacred literature is undertaken.