Why was the story of Bel & the Dragon & The Song of the Three Boys removed from the Book of Daniel in the KJV?

Answer 1

They weren't; they were added in certain other translations.

They are called Apocrypha.

Answer 2

They were written later than the original book of Daniel. The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews was probably written in the Second Century BC. Susanna (another addition ot Daniel) also dates to the Second Century BC; the Oxford Annotated Bible, at least that I can find, gives no date for Bel and the Dragon. Daniel is usually dated to the Third Century BC.

The usual argument made by Protestants is that all of these were written in Greek, not Hebrew, and therefore does not belong (they first appear in a Greek translation known as the Septuagint). Most, if not all, of the "Apocrypha" (more properly known as the "Deuterocanon") have older Hebrew manuscripts available and probably were not composed in Greek. The additionals to Daniel may well have been (no Hebrew manuscripts exist of these books), but there are still some lingering doubts.

The King James Version DOES have translations of all of the Deuterocanon; but since most copies are purchased by Protestants (which don't accept them), most modern Bibles don't have them. Look on line at amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and you might be able to find a KJV of the books. There was a reprint (I have it) of the original 1611 KJV, and I believe it is still in print.

Answer 3

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