Origen of Alexandria (c. 184 – c. 253 CE) was one of the most learned and prolific Christian scholars of the early Church. Though he did not author a new version of the Bible per se, his contributions to biblical textual criticism, especially through his magnum opus, the Hexapla, remain foundational in understanding the transmission of scripture. Origen’s engagement with variant manuscripts, apocryphal literature, and possibly now-lost scrolls, has fueled scholarly curiosity for centuries. This article explores the known sources Origen used, the textual variants he documented, and whether any of the “missing scrolls” he referenced survive in any form today.

The Hexapla: Origen’s Monumental Project
Origen’s Hexapla was a massive six-column comparison of the Old Testament scriptures, assembled in the early third century CE. It aimed to correct textual corruption and present the most accurate possible Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures. The six columns included:

The Hebrew text (in Hebrew characters)
The Hebrew text transliterated into Greek letters
Aquila’s Greek translation
Symmachus’s Greek translation
The Septuagint (LXX)
Theodotion’s Greek version
Origen annotated discrepancies between the Septuagint and the Hebrew using a system of asterisks and obelisks, showing where verses appeared in one but not the other. Though the complete Hexapla has been lost, quotations from it survive in the writings of Jerome, Eusebius, and others.

Books Defended or Referenced by Origen
Origen frequently referenced or defended texts that were not later accepted into the Hebrew canon or were treated as apocryphal by later Christian orthodoxy. Among these were:

1 Enoch – Quoted approvingly and considered scripture by some early Christian communities. This work survives in full in Ethiopic.
Susanna – A deuterocanonical addition to Daniel, defended by Origen in his Letter to Africanus.
Bel and the Dragon – Another Danielic addition included in the Septuagint, defended by Origen.
Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah – Retained in the Septuagint and Catholic canons, and cited by Origen.
Shepherd of Hermas – Considered inspired by Origen and widely circulated in early Christianity.
Gospel of the Hebrews – An early Jewish-Christian gospel that Origen quotes but is now lost.

In his commentaries and homilies, Origen reveals a fluid and wide-ranging understanding of scripture. His Commentary on Matthew and Commentary on John both reference alternate Gospel readings and early Christian texts not universally accepted. In his Homilies on Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he mentions prophetic variants and traditions that hint at a broader textual base than that preserved in the Masoretic tradition.

Did Origen Use Missing Scrolls?
While there is no definitive evidence of a single “missing scroll” used exclusively by Origen, there are reasons to believe he had access to variant manuscripts now lost. The Caesarean Library, with which Origen was affiliated, contained Hebrew texts, Greek translations, and Jewish apocalyptic literature. Origen sometimes refers to books mentioned in the Old Testament but not extant today, including:

The Book of Jasher (Josh 10:13, 2 Sam 1:18)
The Book of the Wars of the Lord (Num 21:14)
The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings (referenced throughout Kings and Chronicles)

While these texts are not quoted directly by Origen in preserved works, the textual and prophetic variants he acknowledges suggest knowledge of broader Hebrew traditions that may have included material now considered lost.

Status of the Texts Today
Many of the sources Origen referenced do survive, though often not in the exact form he used. Some examples are:
1 Enoch: Survives in Ethiopic; Quoted by Origen; Influential in early Christianity
Book of Jubilees: Survives in Ethiopic and Latin fragments; May have been known indirectly
Susanna, Bel and the Dragon: Survive in LXX Defended by Origen
Baruch & Letter of Jeremiah: Survive in LXX and Catholic Bibles Used by Origen
Gospel of the Hebrews: Lost; Only quoted in fragments
Shepherd of Hermas: Survives; Considered inspired by Origen
Book of Jasher: Lost; Known only by scriptural mention
Book of the Wars of the Lord: Lost; Known only by scriptural mention

Some of the Greek translations in Origen’s Hexapla—Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion—exist today only in fragments, but were better known in antiquity thanks to Origen’s laborious comparisons.

Origen’s textual labors preserved a rare window into a world where scripture was still fluid, and access to multiple versions—including now-lost Hebrew and Greek texts—was possible. While we no longer possess the full breadth of Origen’s sources, fragments survive in quotations and translations, and many of the apocryphal or deuterocanonical texts he used remain available. The enduring mystery of the “missing scrolls” may never be fully resolved, but Origen’s work continues to suggest that the boundaries of early scripture were far more porous than later canons admit.