Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament

by Bart D. Ehrman

We may think of the 27 books of the New Testament as the only sacred writings of the early Xians, but this isn't the case. Lost Scriptures offers an anthology of up-to-date & readable translations of non-canonical writings from the 1st centuries after Christ--texts that have been for the most part lost or neglected for almost two millennia. Here's an array of remarkably varied writings from early Xian groups whose visions of Jesus differ dramatically from contemporary understandings. Readers will find Gospels supposedly authored by the apostle Philip, James the brother of Jesus, Mary Magdalen etc. There are Acts originally ascribed to John & to Thecla, Paul's female companion; there are Epistles allegedly written by Paul to the Roman philosopher Seneca. There's an apocalypse by Simon Peter that offers a guided tour of the afterlife, both the glorious ecstasies of the saints & the horrendous torments of the damned, & an Epistle by Titus, a companion of Paul, which argues page after page against sexual love, even within marriage, on the grounds that physical intimacy leads to damnation. In all, the anthology includes 15 Gospels, 5 non-canonical Acts of the Apostles, 13 Epistles, a number of Apocalypes & Secret Books, & several Canon lists. Ehrman has included a general introduction, plus brief introductions to each piece. Lost Scriptures gives a vivid picture of the range of beliefs that battled each other in the 1st centuries of the Xian era. It's an essential resource for all interested in the Bible & the early Church.

Genres: Religion, History, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology, Philosophy, Reference

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2003

About the author

Bart Denton Ehrman is an American New Testament scholar focusing on textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the origins and development of early Christianity. He has written and edited 30 books, including three college textbooks. He has also authored six New York Times bestsellers. He is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.