about book of tobit add to your library
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
ADD TO YOUR LIBRARY
Reviewed in:
Sydney, Australia
Tobit is one of a group of ancient writings found
included in the Old Testament of Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, but not accepted
as canonical by Protestant Christians. This group of writings is called “The
Apocrypha” (which means “hidden”, referring to the deep wisdom found in them
which was at one time thought to be too hard for the ordinary mind to
understand).
The Apocryphal Books of the Bible’s Old Testament play a valuable role in the
life and worship of the Church, yet they are often neglected in Bible Studies,
commentaries and personal reading schedules, especially in western counties,
where a strong Protestant tendency means that there is very little literature
to be found on the subject in English. What little is available tends to talk
about them in a very negative manner. For example, one widely used ‘study
Bible’ contains a detailed section entitled ‘Why Protestants Reject The
Apocrypha,’ but no corresponding section entitled something like ‘Why the
majority of Christians accept the Apocryphal’
This book goes some of the way towards addressing that imbalance. Revised by H-C. Bishop Moussa
(General Bishop for Youth) and Fr. Marcos Tawfik of
Sydney, Australia, and written by an ex-student of Cairo’s theological college,
it presents an excellent introduction to the Book of Tobit
for readers of both -Arabic and English, from an Orthodox perspective.
A brief section at the beginning sets forth some of the evidence for accepting
the Apocryphal books into the Bible.
The main section contains background information, contemplation and an
exploration of some of the alleged difficulties in this Book, and the final
sections highlights the links between Tobit and the
ministry of our Lord Christ in the New Testament. A complete text of the Book
of Tobit is also included, which is a great help, as
many have difficulty finding the text of the Apocryphal books.
The story of Tobit is a beautiful arki
inspiring one. The individuals in it are very human, yet the touch of God in
their lives enables and perfects them.
This is also the only Book in the Bible in which we are able to become
acquainted with the Archangel Raphael. In him we see that we are indeed
constantly surrounded by these ministering spirits who care for us, (whether we
know it or not!).
The Book Of Tobit
(in Arabic and English)
Author: Deacon Ehab Wahib
English Translation by Mr. Emile Bassilous
In the words of the prophet Elisha, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are
more that those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).
