The '''Book of Wisdom''' is found in the books of the [[Septuagint]], the [[Old Testament ]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible'', and found in the books of the Old Testament of the ''[[Vulgate]]'' and included in the canon of inspired scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is [[Dogma|dogmatically]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Catholic Church]] in the ''Catholic Bible''—books of the Bible accepted as divinely inspired by the majority of Christian believers in the United States and throughout the world.<ref>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox).<br/>[http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.]<br/>[http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities]<br/>
The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]].<br/>{{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref>
Wisdom was first removed from the Old Testament and placed in the Apocrypha as ''The Wisdom of Solomon'' by Martin Luther in the 16th century. The Book of Wisdom is regarded as an apocryphal book of the Old Testament by less than one-third of Christian believers.<ref name=Prot/>
Wisdom was written in [[Greek ]] about fifty years before [[Christ]], and contains a remarkable prophecy of his persecution:<ref>Wisdom 2:19-24 (NAB).</ref>{{cquote|With violence and torture let us put him to the testthat we may have proof of his gentlenessand try his patience.
See [[Apocrypha]]Let us condemn him to a shameful death;for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”m These were their thoughts, but they erred;for their wickedness blinded them, And they did not know the hidden counsels of God;neither did they count on a recompense for holinessnor discern the innocent souls’ reward. For God formed us to be imperishable;the image of his own nature he made us. But by the envy* of the devil, death entered the world,and they who are allied with him experience it.}}
==Content==
{{reflist}}
==External linksSee also== [[Apocrypha]]
[http://www.wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes/HOB/BibleD-OTText.pdf The Old Testament Text. (wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes)]