The Apocryphal Jesus: Legends of the Early Church
This accessible selection of the most important and significant of the remarkable and often bizarre apocryphal stories surrounding the life of Jesus and the Early Church has established a reputation as an invaluable introduction to the genre of Christian apocryphal literature.\ J. K. Elliott clearly explains the scholarly importance of the genre and introduces each section of texts with reference to biblical texts and later church history. Stories found in this selection include Jesus' birth...
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This accessible selection of the most important and significant of the remarkable and often bizarre apocryphal stories surrounding the life of Jesus and the Early Church has established a reputation as an invaluable introduction to the genre of Christian apocryphal literature.J. K. Elliott clearly explains the scholarly importance of the genre and introduces each section of texts with reference to biblical texts and later church history. Stories found in this selection include Jesus' birth in a cave, his childhood escapades, his secret sayings, and his descent to the underworld; the torments in Hell; Saint Paul baptizing a lion; the death of Pontius Pilate and Saint Peter being crucified upside down. These all come from early Christian legends which did not get into the Bible, yet have had a profound influence on art, literature, and theology from the second century through the Middle Ages and even modern times. Some of the stories included here, especially those involving the Virgin Mary, have affected matters of doctrine; others have influenced the church's teaching on the after life, whilst from the apocryphal Acts there are some of the best examples of accounts of the lives of Christianity's earliest saints. Society of Biblical Literature - Michael Penn ...[T]argets the educated lay person as opposed to the scholar of early Christianity....Although polemical in tone and sometimes short on contextualization, The Apocryphal Jesus does make accessible some of Christianity's most fascinating texts. Especially for readers who might be daunted by Elliott's more extensive compilation of NT Apocrypha, this collection could be extremely helpful.
Introduction1AStories Relating To The Period Of The New Testament Gospels71Birth of Jesus92Childhood of Jesus193Jesus' Parents314The Ministry of Jesus515The Death and Resurrection of Jesus666Pilate897Jesus in the Underworld978Veronica1099Zacharias112BStories Relating To The Growth The Church11510Peter11711Paul13012John14713Thomas16114Andrew175CStories Relating To Life After Death18715Heaven and Hell18916The End Time205Epilogue209Index 1. Apocryphal Texts Cited213Index 2. General Index214
\ Michael Penn...[T]argets the educated lay person as opposed to the scholar of early Christianity....Although polemical in tone and sometimes short on contextualization, The Apocryphal Jesus does make accessible some of Christianity's most fascinating texts. Especially for readers who might be daunted by Elliott's more extensive compilation of NT Apocrypha, this collection could be extremely helpful. \ —Society of Biblical Literature\ \ \ \ \ Michael Penn...[T]argets the educated lay person as opposed to the scholar of early Christianity....Although polemical in tone and sometimes short on contextualization, The Apocryphal Jesus does make accessible some of Christianity's most fascinating texts. Especially for readers who might be daunted by Elliott's more extensive compilation of NT Apocrypha, this collection could be extremely helpful.\ — Society of Biblical Literature\ \
