New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 1: More Noncanonical Scriptures

some of the writings are published for the first time in English. These volumes are of great interest, very scholarly, and highly recommended.

Tony Burke has done an excellent job drawing together these often overlooked apocryphal texts. However, readers should approach these texts knowing they are largely late and legendary (with a few dating from Medieval times). The standard texts for New Testament Apocrypha are either the one volume Apocryphal New Testament edited by J.K. Elliott or the two volume New Testament Apocrypha vol 1 and 2 edited by Schneemelcher, both of which focus mainly on texts from the 2nd to 3rd centuries. This volume functions as a nice supplement to those and primarily collects apocryphal texts relating to the New Testament that date from the 4th century onward (averaging around 5th to 6th century for most of the included texts).The only 2nd century texts here are an excerpt from Papias, another excerpt from Clement of Alexandria, and the Syriac version of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. There is virtually no overlap with either the Elliot or Schneemelcher volumes (apart from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas) since they are largely covering different time periods. The Acts of Xanthippe and Preaching of Simon Cephas appeared in the Roberts Donaldson Ante-Nicene set, but there is otherwise little overlap with that set either.Contrary to the claims of the other amazon review, most of these texts are very late, have little historical reliability, and were never regarded as canonical by any group (orthodox or heretic). However, they are valuable to document how legends surrounding New Testament figures grew and developed.For those interested below is a list of the texts included and their approximate dates:The Legend of Aphroditianus (3rd century)The Revelation of the Magi (3rd century)The Hospitality of Dysmas (12th century)The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Syriac) (2nd century)On the Priesthood of Jesus (7th-8th century)Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 210 (3rd century)Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 5072 (date unknown)The Dialogue of the Paralytic with Christ (9th-10th century)The Toledot Yeshu (the translator argues 3rd-4th century, but most commentators suggest 6th-7th)The Berlin-Strasbourg Apocryphon (5th century)The Discourse of the Savior and the Dance of the Savior (5th-7th century)An Encomium on Mary Magdalene (5th-6th century)An Encomium on John the Baptist (5th century)The Life of John the Baptist by Serapion (5th century)Life and Martyrdom of John the Baptist (14th century)The Legend of the Thirty Silver Pieces (5th-12th century)The Death of Judas according to Papias (2nd century)The Acts of Barnabas (5th century)The Acts of Cornelius the Centurion (10th century)John and the Robber (2nd-3rd century)The History of Simon Cephas, the Chief of the Apostles (4th-5th century)The Acts of Timothy (5th century)The Acts of Titus (5th century)The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena (5th-6th century)The Epistle of Christ from Heaven (6th century)The Letter of Ps.-Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy on the Death of Peter and Paul (6th-7th century)The (Latin) Revelation of John about Antichrist (10th century)The Apocalypse of the Virgin (7th century)The Tiburtine Sibyl (6th century)The Investiture of Abbaton (5th-6th century)

From the mass of writings in the first century of the Christian church, the Church selected those which it deemed to be authentic accounts of the life of Jesus and his followers. This volume introduces us to some of the books that were not deemed to be "scripture" They are nevertheless very important for our knowledge of those times. Following in the footsteps of M R James and his revisers this, a first volume, adds more to our knowledge. In addition it is handsomely produced and well ordered.