Not included in the canon of the Jewish Bible, these books- Mishlei Ben Sira, the Book of the Maccabees, and the Book of Enoch, comprise the Hebrew Apocrypha. In spite of their not being considered holy, they contain a wealth of information regarding Jewish life, history and thought. The study of this information shows the relevance to the understanding of the Jewish world at that time and an opportunity to grasp the broader story of the Jewish people.