The Apocryphal Gospels

by Simon Gathercole (Translator), Simon Gathercole (Introduction), Simon Gathercole (Editor)

Overview

A new translation of the oldest non-canonical Christian gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Judas

A Penguin Classic

In the early years of Christianity, several groups produced "hidden" or "apocryphal" gospels, alternative versions of the story of Christ. Sometimes these texts complemented the four canonical gospels, sometimes they subverted them and often they were completely different. We hear the young Jesus making live birds from clay, words of wisdom collected by his disciples, details of his trial, gnostic cosmologies, strange angels and the Harrowing of Hell. Often kept secret by their readers and frequently attacked by their detractors, these gospels shine a fascinating light on the early Christian Church and its surprising manifestations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780241340554
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/10/2022
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	190,071
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Simon Gathercole received a double First in Classics and Theology at Cambridge, and studied further at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New Yorkand the Universities of Tübingen and Durham. He has written several books onthe New Testament and apocryphal Christian literature, and is editor of the journal New Testament Studies. He is Professor of New Testament and EarlyChristianity in the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Further Reading xxxvii

Symbols xxxix

I Infancy Gospels

1 The Protevangelium of James 3

2 The Birth of Mary 22

3 Cairo Papyrus 10735 24

4 The Apocryphal Book of Seth on the Magi 26

5 The Infancy Gospel of Thomas 29

6 Justin's Account of Baruch's Appearance to Jesus 40

II Ministry Gospels

7 The Gospel of Thomas 45

8 Tatian's 'Diatessaron' 71

9 Dura Parchment 24 83

10 Marcion's Gospel 85

11 Jesus' Correspondence with Abgar 146

12 The 'Unknown Gospel', or Egerton-Cologne Papyrus 149

13 Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 210 152

14 Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 840 154

15 Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 1224 156

16 Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 4009 157

17 Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 5072 158

18 Merton Papyrus II 51 160

19 Berlin Papyrus 11710 161

20 The Gospel According to the Hebrews 162

21 The Gospel of the Ebionites 168

22 The Gospel of Eve 172

23 The Greek Gospel of Philip 174

24 The Greater Questions of Mary 176

25 The Gospel Used by Apelles 178

26 The Greek Gospel of the Egyptians 179

27 The Gospel, or Traditions, of Matthias 181

28 The Jewish Anti-Gospel 183

III Accounts of Jesus' Trial and Death

29 Vienna Greek Papyrus 2325 (The 'Fayyum Gospel') 191

30 The Gospel of Judas 192

31 The Gospel of Peter (including Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 2949) 205

32 The Gospel of Nicodemus 212

33 The Narrative of Joseph of Arimathaea 240

IV Dialogues with the Risen Jesus

34 The Gospel of Mary 253

35 The Epistle of the Apostles 259

36 The Questions of Bartholomew 285

37 The Sophia of Jesus Christ 302

V Other Gospel Texts

38 The Gospel of Truth 319

39 The Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians 338

40 The Coptic Gospel of Philip 359

41 The Gospel of the Lots of Mary 391

VI Two Modern Forgeries

42 The Secret Gospel of Mark 403

43 The Gospel of Jesus' Wife 408

Notes 411

Times, Measurements and Currencies 419

Original Language Sources 421

Index 427