APOCRYPHAL BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
A large number of writings, purporting to have been written by apostles and designed to supplement the his tory contained in the New Testament. They group them selves for the most part under the headings Gospels, Acts, Epistles, Apocalypses. 1. GOSPELS. a) Gospel according to the Hebrews. It was originally in Aramaic. Only fragments have been preserved and not in the original language. These are found in the works of Jerome, Origen, Eusebius, and in Codex Tischendorf III. b) Gospel of the Ebionites or Gospel of the Twelve. Frag ments are given by Epiphanius (adv. Haer. 30). c) Gospel according to the Egyptians. Quoted once by Clement of Alexandria. d) Gospel according to Peter. Referred to by Origen (In Matth. tom. 17, 10). A long fragment was discovered at Akhmim in 1SS5 (see the French Archaeological Mission's 1I4moires, 1S92). Another frag ment is given by Serapion, Bishop of Antioch (A.D. 190 203). e) The Logia. Sayings of Jesus contained on a papyrus discovered by Grenfell and Hunt. f) Prot evangelium of James or Book of James. This story of early events in the life of Jesus has been preserved in several languages, Syriac, Coptic, etc. The James is James the Just, and the book perhaps belongs to the first century. Mary's parents are said to have been Joachim and Anne. Published by K. v. Tischendorf, Evangelic Apocrypha. g) Gospel of Nicodemus or Acts of Pilate. Preserved in several languages, Coptic, Greek, Latin, etc. It treats of the Passion. Resurrection, and Descent to Hell of Jesus. It belongs perhaps to the early part of the second century. Published by K. v. Tischendorf (op. cit.). There is another work with the same title (see ACTS OF PILATE). 2. Acrs. The chief work is the Acts of Paul and Thecla. It has been preserved in
Syriac, Greek, etc. It is a romance, the earliest of its kind, recounting the story of a virgin, Thecla of Iconium, converted by Paul. Published by R. A. Lipsius, Acta Petri et Pauli. There are also in existence fragmentary Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Thomas, Andrew and Philip. 3. EPISTLES. a) Epistle of Paul to the Laodieeans. A short document, preserved in Latin. b) Epistle of Paul to the Alexandrines. Mentioned in the Muratorian Canon (q.v.). c) Third Epistle of Paul to the Corin thians. Preserved in Armenian, Latin, and Coptic. 4. APOCALYPSES. a) Apocalyse of Peter. Preserved, in large part, in Greek. It contains part of a prophecy of Jesus about the last things and a description of the bliss of the blessed and the tortures of the damned. The work per haps belongs to the early part of the second century. b) Prophecy of Hystaspes. It has not been preserved, but is quoted by Justin Martyr (Apol. I., 20, 44) and Lactantius (Div. Inst. vii. 15, 18), and is associated with the Sibylline Oracles. 5. PREAcurco. a) Teaching of the Apostles or the Didache. Preserved in Greek. It was first printed in 1883, having been recently discovered. It is partly a manual of ethics, partly a collection of rules and formulae. b) Preaching of Peter. Fragments are given by Heracleon and Clement of Alexandria. It contains warnings against Judaism, a lament of Peter, ethical maxims, and words of Jesus. See in Clark's " Ante-Nicene Library " the volume entitled The Apocry phal Gospels, Acts, and Revelation; A. Hilgenfeld, Novum Testamentum extra canonem receptum (2), 1876-84; and M. R. James in the Encycl. Bibi.