[verga]

Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) were extremely isolated geographically and isolated from other Jewish communities. This continued until the last part of the 20th (!) century. They used what they had access to. I would speculate that when they went into exile, they took what they had as a community. Living in extreme isolation prevented them from interaction with other Jewish groups. In the course of human experience, after a generation or two passes, the belief in tradition surpasses all else. I doubt it was ever considered, but simply accepted that what they had was the totality of Scripture, including the Apocrypha. I doubt we can fully answer that riddle. For that reason and the circumstances of their existence, I don’t find the argument compelling. You may. Let each be convinced in his own mind.

Exactly right, they had the unedited canon. The exact same canon used in the LXX.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Exactly right, they had the unedited canon. The exact same canon used in the LXX.”

If you choose to interpret history that way, I support your right to do so, but ...

I will tell you I think it stretches credulity to choose to believe that for some reason, a tiny offset of isolated Jews knew more than the Jews in Jerusalem - who rejected the Apocrypha as inspired. Again, you will choose what to believe and I’m not trying to persuade you either way.

Does this line of argument make sense that some Jews somewhere believed the Apocrypha was inspired because you want to believe the same and need some kind of evidence? Or do you really believe it has the ring of historical truth?

It seems more likely to me that when Beta Israel initially went into exile they took with them the Septuagint, or acquired it in another way.

Best.