Description
Book SynopsisWe may think of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament as the only sacred writings of the early Christians, but this is not at all the case. Lost Scriptures offers an anthology of up-to-date and readable translations of many non-canonical writings from the centuries after Christ--texts that have for the most part been neglected or lost for nearly two millennia. Here is an array of remarkably varied writings from early Christian groups whose visions of Jesus differ dramatically from our contemporary understanding. Readers will find Gospels supposedly authored by the apostle Philip, James the brother of Jesus, Mary Magdalen, and others. There are Acts originally ascribed to John and to Thecla, Paul''s female companion; there are Epistles allegedly written by Paul to the Roman philosopher Seneca. And there is an apocalypse by Simon Peter that offers a guided tour of the afterlife, both the glorious ecstasies of the saints and the horrendous torments of the damned, and an Epistle by T
Trade Review"History, it's often said, is written by the victors. Bart Ehrman argues in a pair of intriguing new books that the same could be said of the Bible's New Testament. That Ehrman makes his case without pushing into territory considered heretical by many mainstream Christians shows a deft touch with the most volatile of subjects.... Will shock more than a few lay readers."--The Boston Globe
"Lost Scriptures provides a good sample of the literature and illustrates nicely the complex and often exotic world of second- and third-century Christianity.... The texts presented in Ehrman's anthology and his incisive analyses of them constitute a solid contribution to showing the diversity of thought and practice within early Christianity."--America
"A companion to Lost Christianities, this volume provides substantial selections from over three dozen of the Gospels, Acts, Epistles, Apocalypses and revelatory treatises not included in the New Testament canon, but which reveal the diverse and competing forms of early Christianity. Ehrman's introductions helpfully situate the documents in their presumed original settings. An invaluable collection of texts for both students of early Christianity and general readers."--Elizabeth A. Clark, John Carlisle Kilgo Professor, Duke University
"Fresh authoritative translations of the texts that fell outside in the canon."--Christian Science Monitor
Table of ContentsGeneral Introduction ; NON-CANONICAL GOSPELS ; The Gospel of the Nazareans ; The Gospel According to the Ebionites ; The Gospel According to the Hebrews ; The Gospel According to the Egyptians ; The Coptic Gospel of Thomas ; Papyrus Egerton 2: The Unknown Gospel ; The Gospel of Peter ; The Gospel of Mary ; The Gospel of Philip ; The Gospel of Truth ; The Gospel of the Savior ; The Infancy Gospel of Thomas ; The Proto-Gospel of James ; The Epistle of the Apostles ; The Coptic Apocalypse of Peter ; The Second Treatise of Great Seth ; The Secret Gospel of Mark ; NON-CANONICAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES ; The Acts of John ; The Acts of Paul ; The Acts of Thecla ; The Acts of Thomas ; The Acts of Peter ; NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS ; The Third Letter to the Corinthians ; Correspondence of Paul and Seneca ; Paul's Letter to the Laodiceans ; The Letter of 1 Clement ; The Letter of 2 Clement ; The "Letter of Peter to James" and its "Reception" ; The Homilies of Clement ; Ptolemy's Letter to Flora ; The Treatise of the Resurrection ; The Didache: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles ; The Letter of Barnabas ; The Preachings of Peter ; Pseudo-Titus ; NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES ; The Shepherd of Herman ; The Apocalypse of Peter ; The Apocalypse of Paul ; The Secret Book of John ; On the Origin of the World ; The First Thought in Three Forms ; The Hymn of the Pearl ; CANONICAL LISTS ; The Muratorian Canon ; The Canon of Origen of Alexandria ; The Canon of Eusebius ; The Canon of Athansius of Alexandria ; The Canon at the Third Synod of Carthage
