Tony Burke

This page is intended as a resource for texts of the Christian Apocrypha that typically do not get featured in CA collections. More specifically, it is envisioned as a supplement to J. K. Elliott’s The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford 1991), the most recent English-language CA collection (but now almost two decades old). The texts listed below are either absent in Elliott or require significant revision. Many of the texts have scarcely been examined in over a century and are in dire need of new examination.

Collections of “New Testament Apocrypha” are intended to contain those texts that are similar in genre to NT texts (gospels, acts, letters, and apocalypses) and that were composed in the approximate temporal period of the creation of the New Testament (up to and including the fourth century). The texts listed here are also generically similar to the NT texts but their time of composition, while often difficult to determine, can reach up until around the tenth century. Not included, however, are texts that are adequately covered in editions of the Nag Hammadi Library.

1. Gospels and Related Traditions of New Testament Figures

Various Childhood Miracles of Jesus from Latin Infancy Gospels

Vision of Theophilus

The Syriac Version of the Childhood of Jesus (aka Infancy Gospel of Thomas) (on-line text)

The Legend of Aphroditianus, or The Narrative of Events Happening in Persia on the Birth of Christ, falsely attributed to Julius Africanus (on-line text)

Pseudo-Eusebius of Caesarea, “On the Star” (on-line text)

Dialogue of the Paralytic with Christ (on-line text)

Selected stories from Solomon of Basra, the Book of the Bee (on-line text)

Selected stories from the Cave of Treasures (on-line text)

Homily on Life of Jesus (and other Coptic fragments)

Apocryphal Gospel of John

The Life of Judas

History of the Thirty Silver Pieces (on-line text)

The Death of Judas according to Papias

Transitus/Dormition of Mary (Update)

Life of John the Baptist by Serapion (on-line text)

The Beheading of John the Baptist by Euriptus, the Disciple of John (on-line text)

Encomium of John the Baptist

Book of the Cock

Life of Mary Magdalene

Revelation of the Magi

Epistle of Christ from Heaven (on-line text)

Avenging of the Savior (on-line text)

Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea (on-line text)

2. Apocryphal Acts and Related Traditions

Acts of Andrew and Matthias

Acts of Barnabas (on-line text)

Acts of Bartholomew (on-line text)

Preaching of Bartholomew

Passion of Bartholomew

The Martyrdom of James the Brother of the Lord

Preaching of James son of Zebedee

Martyrdom of James son of Zebedee

Martyrdom of Luke

Acts of Mar Mari

Martyrdom of Mark

Acts of Matthew

Passion of Matthew

Acts of Peter and Andrew

Acts of Philip (on-line text)

Passion of Philip

Legend of Simon and Theonoe

Passion of Simon and Jude

Acts of Thaddeus

Acts of Timothy

The Dialogue of Timothy and Aquila

Acts of Titus

Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena (on-line text)

Confession of Theodose

Doctrine of Addai (on-line text)

Didascalia

Letter of Ps.-Dionysius the Areopagite to Timothy on the Death of Peter and Paul

3. Apocalypses

Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (on-line text)

Ascents of James

Apocalypse of the Virgin (on-line text)

Revelation of Stephen

Book of the Rolls (aka Apocalypse of Peter) (on-line text)

The Testament of Our Savior (on-line text)

The Testament of the Apostles

The Gospel of the Twelve and the Apocalypses of Each of Them (on-line text)