GOSPELS, Apocryphal. These are some times called the uncanonical Gospels because they were not included in the New Testament Canon. They are also called Pseudepigraphal Gospels, because of the lack of authenticity for their contents. Some are probably lost en tirely and others have descended to us in fragments only. James Moffat in his superb article °Gospels —Uncanonicalo in Hastings's Dictionary of the Apostolic Church (Vol. I. pp. 478-506) classifies these writings under three heads: (1) Gospels relating to the birth and infancy of Jesus; (2) General Gospels similar to the synoptics; (3) Gospels of the passion and resurrection. In a general way we shall follow his order.
The Protevangelion of The oldest manuscript known dates back to the 10th cen tury in the Greek. It was first published by Bibliander at Basel in 1552 in a Latin version by William Postell, a traveler who had found it in current use in some of the Eastern churches. One or two modern scholars hold that it had a Semitic original from which the birth stories of Matthew and Luke are taken. The contents of the Gospel deal with the la ment of the priest Joachim and Anna that they have no child, the subsequent birth of Mary, the selection of Joseph and his marriage to Mary; their journey to Bethlehem; the birth of Jesus, the flight into Egypt and the mur der of Zechariah, the High Priest.
The Gospel of Thomas, the Israelite.— The oldest manuscripts of this gospel are of the 14th or 15th century. Zahn dates the original gospel early in the 2d century, but scholars generally place it at a much later date. It is thought that it had its origin among the Gnostics or Manichmans. The Gospel gives the story of Jesus learning the Greek alpha bet and other stories of the childhood of Jesus. Some of its materials were used in the Gospel of the pseudo-Matthew and the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy.
The Gospel of So named by Tischendorf, the first editor of the Latin Text. It was paraphrased by Hrotswi tha, abbess of Gandersheim in the 10th cen tury, in Latin hexameters. The details regard
ing the flight into Egypt are very full. It also contains the incident of the taming of the lions.
The History of Joseph, the Carpenter.— Was preserved in the East in an Arabic trans lation first made known in Europe by Isidore de Isolanis at the commencement of the 16th century. It was not published until 1722 when Wallin printed it from an Arabic manuscript of the 13th century accompanied by a Latin translation. It claims to be the story told by Jesus to the disciples on the Mount of Olives. It is of Egyptian origin not earlier than the 4th century. There are also four Sahidic frag ments of other Nativity Gospels.
Among the general gospels there are four called "Jewish Christian Gospels)) because they originate from that source. They are: The Gospel of the Hebrews, The Gospel of the Nazarenes, the Gospel of the Twelve and the Gospel of the Ebionites.
The Gospel of the So called because it circulated among them; is referred to by Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Epi phanius. Its origin has been ascribed to the Essenes with a very early date.
The Gospel of very early origin it is said to have been used "either for private reading or in public worship, by the Church at Rhossus on the coast of Syria not far from Antioch in the last quarter of the 2d century./' It may have been of Gnostic origin as there are some elements in it that seem to be Gnostic in character.
The Gospel of Alexan drian origin, the group claiming to have the authority of Peter's interpreter Gloucias in matters of doctrine. It was composed before the middle of the 2d century. It is referred to by Origen. By some critics it is conjec tured that Basilides prepared an edition of the Gospel of Luke for his own purposes.
The Gospel of edition of Luke prepared by Marcion for those who like himself were antagonistic to Judaism.
The Gospel of Apelles, the disciple of Marcion, is only a conjecture. The text is not known. The thought that such a Gospel is in existence is based on a single passage in Epi phanius.