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 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

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.

Contents 8 Preface 6 Introduction 10 A. STORIES RELATING TO THE PERIOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPELS 16 1. The Birth of Jesus 18 2. The Childhood of Jesus 28 3. Jesus' Parents 40 (a) Mary 40 (b) Joseph 53 4. The Ministry of Jesus 60 (a) Stories about Jesus' Ministry 60 (b) 'Secret' Sayings of Jesus 64 (c) Jesus' Physical Appearance 66 (d) Other Stories about Jesus' Ministry 68 (e) A Letter from Jesus 73 5. The Death and Resurrection of Jesus 75 6. Pilate 98 7. Jesus in the Underworld 106 8. Veronica 118 9. Zacharias 121 B. STORIES RELATING TO THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH 124 10. Peter 126 11. Paul 139 (a) Paul's Missionary Journey 139 (b) Paul's Letters 152 12. John 156 13. Thomas 170 14. Andrew 184 C. STORIES RELATING TO LIFE AFTER DEATH 196 15. Heaven and Hell 198 16. The End Time 214 Epilogue 218 Further Reading 222 Indexes 228 1. Apocryphal Texts Cited 228 2. General Index 229 Jesus's childhood escapades and graphic descriptions of the torments of Hell - this book introduces readers to a selection, in a modern translation, of the many interesting and bizarre stories about Jesus and his followers which make up the Apocryphal New Testament - stories which have profoundly influenced aspects of later Christian doctrines.