What Scripture says
The Bible names several books that we no longer have:
- The Book of Jashar (Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18), see 3B.14.
- The Book of the Wars of the LORD (Numbers 21:14), see 3B.15.
- The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and of Judah, cited more than 30 times in Kings (for example 1 Kings 14:19, 1 Kings 14:29).
- Records of prophets and seers: Samuel, Nathan and Gad (1 Chronicles 29:29), Ahijah and Iddo (2 Chronicles 9:29), Shemaiah (2 Chronicles 12:15) and Jehu son of Hanani (2 Chronicles 20:34).
- Solomon’s songs and proverbs, 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs, most not preserved (1 Kings 4:32).
- A letter from Paul before 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 5:9) and a letter from Laodicea (Colossians 4:16), see 3B.16.
In each case, the biblical writer cites these as sources or mentions them in passing. None is called Scripture.
What the evidence says
History
Writers citing sources
Ancient writers regularly used sources, just as modern historians cite archives. The writer of Kings sends readers to “the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” for more details about each king (1 Kings 14:19). These were royal records, the kind of annals kept by every ancient court. Archaeologists have found similar royal chronicles from Assyria and Babylon.
Luke does the same in the New Testament: he says many had “undertaken to compile a narrative” before him, and that he “followed all things closely” (Luke 1:1–3).
What “lost books” usually means
The word “lost” is also misleading for many books people mean when they talk about “the lost books of the Bible”:
| Books often called “lost” | Were they lost? | Why they’re not in the Bible |
|---|---|---|
| Apocrypha (Tobit, Maccabees…) | No; read continuously | Not in the Hebrew canon (3.8) |
| 1 Enoch, Jubilees | No; preserved in Ethiopia | Late, pseudonymous (3.4) |
| Gnostic gospels | Some rediscovered in 1945 | 2nd century or later, different theology (3.9) |
| Shepherd of Hermas, Didache | No; known and read | Not apostolic (3B.24, 3B.25) |
| Jashar, royal chronicles | Yes, genuinely lost | Sources, never Scripture (3B.14, 3B.15) |
Books sold today as “the lost books of the Bible” are mostly these known works, or later inventions, such as the modern “Book of Jasher” (3B.14).
Was anything meant to be Scripture lost?
Nothing in the historical record suggests that a book recognized as Scripture by Jews or by the early church went missing. The early church’s canon lists (3.1) name books that all survive. Jewish lists of the Hebrew Bible likewise name books we have.
Where they meet
The Bible itself mentions these sources openly, which shows its writers weren’t hiding anything. Using a source doesn’t make it Scripture, any more than Paul’s quotations from Greek poets make them Scripture (3.5).
What’s still open
- What exactly some of these books contained.
- Whether Paul’s earlier letter to Corinth, if found, would be considered Scripture. Most think its content survives in substance in 1 Corinthians, which addresses the same issue.
Bottom line
Books like Jasher are cited but never claimed as Scripture. Nothing meant to be canon is missing. That is clear from how the Bible uses these sources, so this is rated Settled.