Deuterocanonical Books — "Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, Maccabees"

The Coptic Orthodox Church includes the full deuterocanonical texts in its biblical canon. These books—Tobit, Wisdom, Sirach, 1 and 2 Maccabees, and portions of Daniel and Esther—are recognized as Scripture and are cited in Coptic liturgy, teaching, and spiritual direction. The Church received this broader canon through its Alexandrian heritage and the patristic tradition, which consistently affirmed the deuterocanonical books as part of the Old Testament.

The Coptic Orthodox approach to canonicity emphasizes the role of the ancient Church in receiving and defining the biblical texts. The deuterocanonical books were preserved and transmitted within the Alexandrian theological tradition and are quoted or alluded to by the church fathers. For Coptic Orthodoxy, these books are valuable not only for their historical accounts (such as 1 and 2 Maccabees) but also for their spiritual wisdom (such as Wisdom and Sirach), which contribute to the Church's understanding of faith and practice. Their inclusion in the Coptic biblical canon reflects the Church's reception of the broader biblical tradition that encompasses both Palestinian and Alexandrian sources.