|. Manasses Pagina I de2 The Prayer of Manasses [or Manassesh} ‘The 1611 contained more than the just the Catholie Deutero-canonies! is « well Known fact thatthe original 1611 King James Version coniained the Peutero-eanonieal fapoeryphal] books When we look down thelist of these Books in the KTV se dose not belong, “The Payor “Manassesh|". Wha is this prayer, and does it belong in the Bible? ‘Manisses. was the thistesnth King of Juda (692-638 B.C. — of Schrader, "Keilinachr. und das A Ezechias V Kings, 28,21 64) The historian of IV Kings tells ws much about the evil of his reign (x punishment thereof foretold by the Prophets (verses 10- 15), but practically nothing sboul theres ofthe doings of Manasses. ‘He brought hack the abominations of Acha7: imported the adoration of “all the host of dhezven", seemingly the ‘The Prayer of Manasses [or Manassestil asta solar, and lomar tits of Asa, Introduced the ethor ‘cnormities mentioned in the Saered text: nd "made is son pass through fue" Gere 6) inthe worship of “Moloch. Tt was probably inthis fenzy of his ‘atied forms of idolatry that "Manastes shed also cory mick innocent blood, ill he filled JTenasalem upto the south (verse 16). The historian of H Paz lls ‘much the same story, the seo by che mor of ty commandment who hast shut ap the ekep and sake by dy tribe and ghriss acme; whom ail men es, and tombe lie thy power, ir the majesty of ty ory conc be bone, ancl thie angry Huecenirg ower! Snners & inportable but thy mercifad promise is mmeastrable and wnseactha bie, sd adde hatin fir thew act the most high Lond of grat cormasston,longsafing, wry merci ae eee | ond apnestof te evisefimen. Thee, O Low acconing to thy great gov | | | | | | | Rage cece i pane TheLord beard is | decandef dine inf | chat they many Be seve! Thou therfore, Q dere tat xt | fast not apecintel amentance the just, os t Absa my and isaac, and jacob, [whic oe tic agains hes Be hha apete pote use tha | am ashier-fr there simedabene the numberof te sera ofthe sex My tronsgesons | «OL ax map my: tems x rnp | Beholtand see the light of hare fr the ltl of | own with many kon bards, that cannot BE up mise bead, ctr ave any ikea: | ort hove prowohad thy oath, ancl done vl! before the: td no thy wil slr hep | fel commanditents: ¢ have se up alomioatlors, and kaw mattipled affine. | ewe ther ine rar, beset ther of grace bs | Oca, i fave sitned, and I acknoplecge mine inigultics: wherefore, {duanstly Besenels thee, i bronght him agsin fo Jerusalem, shere Manassos did his part io stemming the tide of idolatry that he had formerly freed upon Juda (oni, 11-20) ‘The Prayer of Manssses purparis tobe the praver ‘of repentance made by Manasees (refered fon TiPar, xxvii, 13, 18 1»), ‘The Prayer of Manasses is true “apocryphal \wrting™ by any meaning of the words. This fioghe me, 0 Lod age me, and deste ment with ine gates bitp:/fwerw catholicapologetics ne/manasses htm 21/12/2001Manasses Pagina 2 de2 prayer is nol found in the “Hiebres, its origin seems tobe inthe Oreck language. Scholars to dey believe that it was written hetweon 102C. And 100 AD. Making it impossible to have been written by King Manasses, (the thirteenth King of Jaa 692-638 nc The prayer did find its way into afew ofthe carly Septuagint MSS, f does not seem to hve been widely accepted hy the ly Church o the Jews. It was never eiled by the mote erminent early Church fathers, nor iteontained in any of the catslogues of the ancient couneils. The praver isnot inthe canon of Trent and has never been accepted by the Catholic ‘Church 23 gennine or canonical, There does nt secmed to have ever Been any serious claim toils canonicity or authenticity i SS http://www. cathoticapologetics net/manasses htm 21/12/2001