The 15 books we called "Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha"

Some of my Christian friends do not know these books exist.  I now give you an introduction.

Some Bibles include these other 15 books, besides the 39 old testament books and 27 new testament books. They are:
Tobit, Judith, Esther Greek Text,
Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch,
Letter of Jerermiah, Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna,
Bel and the Dragon, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees,
1 Esdras, 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh.

These books are called "deuterocanonicals" by catholics to indicate that their canonical status as Scripture was settled later than that of the proto-canonical books.  Protestants usually refer these books as Apocrypha.

These books formed part of the Septuagint Text (in Greek) and were interspersed among the other books of the old Testament.

Apparently it was only in the 4th century that the canonicity of Bible (books) arose, a situation which is reflected in Jerome's placing these books in a separated section in his Vulgate translation of the Old Testament.

In 1546 at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church officially declared these books to be sacred and canonical, and to be accepted "with equal devotion and reverence."

At the time of Reformation Martin Luther did not regard these books as Scripture, but as "useful and good for reading." In his German translation of the Bible, Martin Luther followed the practice of Jerome in placing these books at the end of the Old Testament.

Among Christians who do not accept these books as Scripture, there is however widespread agreement as to their importance in providing much valuable information on Jewish history, life, thought, worship and religious practice during the centuries immediately prior to the time of Christ.

(extracted from the GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS/APOCRYPHA)