Apocrypha and christian legends

[Alysse]

How can I find the Apocrypha and a book of Christian Legends that aren't included in the Bible? I'm looking for the Apocrypha (the scriptures that told of Jesus' life as a child that have not been included in the Bible) and a good book of Christian Legends (e.g. the story of the Spear of Destiny, etc.). I'm looking for useful information. I need a tile and author and would prefer someone who has read these to give me their opinion of the best copy of these books. As far as the exact copy of the Apocrypha if you have your copy handy an ISBN number would be useful (I would like the translated text....not someone who writes of the stories that happened). Any help would greatly be appreciated! Thankyou ever so much!

[Xamonas Chegwe]

Try Here (http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/index.htm). This is an excellent site with full religious texts for all religions.

[ugthemc]

I have some of them on my comp. if you want, I can email them as an attachment or you can try here

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/alphabetical.html

[Stanislaw]

Aren't the apocrypha included in the catholic bible?

[emily655321]

"Catholic Bible"? Is there more than one Christian Bible?

The word "apocrypha" can be confusing nowadays, because some use it as a blanket term for non-Biblical scriptures, including those of the Nag Hammadi library (Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, etc.), while some use it only in reference to books that were referred to as "the Apocrypha" prior to the discovery of the former. These older books have mostly been included in the canon at one point or another, but I get the impression that Alysse is also referring to the more recently discovered texts.

I'm very impressed with the link Xamonas provided. It is totally bookmarked. :banana:

[Stanislaw]

"Catholic Bible"? Is there more than one Christian Bible?

to my knowledge there is an "orthodox Bible", a "protestant bible", a "catholic bible", a "mormon bible" and a "gnostic bible" (though it is questionable as to whether gnosticism is christianity)

[Mililalil XXIV]

I have two volumes called the New Testament Apocrypha, edited by Wilhelm Schneemelcher, and translated into English by R. McL. Wilson.

Vol. I : Gospels and Related Writings (ISBN 0-664-21878-4)

Vol. II : Writings Related to the Apostles; Apocalypses and Related Subjects (ISBN 0-664-21879-2)

The first has much of what you desribed in the way of alleged childhood matter. In these volumes are many other manuscripts - in addition to those whose texts are provided within - named (often with publications of them specified).

I also have a slimmer volume called The Lost Books of the Bible (ISBN 0-517-27795-6)

[Theshizznigg]

Go with XCM's Site its the one I use personally when researching different biblical period books.
Good one Xam.

[Petrarch's Love]

Here's a link to the medieval golden legends. It's an invaluable resource for accounts of Saint's lives and Church legends, and I didn't see it on the site Xam gave--which is awesome by the way. I've got it bookmarked now, thanks Xamonas!
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/goldenlegend/

[Shield&Sword]

U can find apocrypha in catholic bible, u will find 73 books, while in protestant bible u will find only 66, the difference is the in apocrypha chapters. Catholic say they are word of God , so and protestant, while protestant doesnt and they separate them from bible. The meaning of the word apocrypha is interesting for me.

[El Viejo]

to my knowledge there is an "orthodox Bible", a "protestant bible", a "catholic bible", a "mormon bible" and a "gnostic bible" (though it is questionable as to whether gnosticism is christianity)

Gnosticism predates Christianity, but as the term is used today it refers to Christianity as practiced by those who wrote/adhered to the Nag Hammadi texts. In Darwinian fashion the precursor of the Catholic Church villified and pretty much stamped out Gnosticism.

As a young Catholic I was taught that everyone but us was on the skids to hell. I thought we ought to inform our Methodist relatives of this, but my parents said that would be impolite. Pretty funny now, but a number of branches of Christianity feel the others are at least misguided, if not heretics.

[Rozzy]

Quote
to my knowledge there is an "orthodox Bible", a "protestant bible", a "catholic bible", a "mormon bible" and a "gnostic bible" (though it is questionable as to whether gnosticism is christianity)


Truth be told you could teach out of any one of those socalled Bibles and do pretty well concerning christian faith with maybe the exception of the Gnostic because other than the Nag Hamadi texts I am not sure what that would be.

The diverse churches preach pretty much out of the same Old and New testaments with the biggest exceptions being the varying use of Apocryphal books none of which will send you to hell. One exception being the Mormon faith that is on your list there, they actually use something called The Book of Mormon which I am not familar with.
The term Gnostic does vary depending on who is using it. The first thing that comes to mind will be the Nag Hamadi texts. Gnostic is usually considered mystic and esoteric so there is quite a broad feild that can be included under Gnostic.

The Douay Reims Bible would be considered the Catholic Bible today while the various Protestant denominations use a wide variety of versions. The Pe****ta is what the Church of the East uses, you would find the books listed in it much the same as most canons. One thing you would find in the Pe****ta translations is a very litteral direct translation which I quite like. If you compared the KJV to it the first thing you notice is the poetic style as compared to the very direct style of writing, I use and quite like both the Pe****ta and the KJV for my personal use. (P-E-S-H-I-T-T-A) without the hyphens

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

This thread is titled; Apocrypha and christian legends

So I wil go with the legends part here.

Years ago I remember reading the Sacred Legends of Adam and Eve and I really enjoyed them, they were just an easy, pleasurable read. Some may think of them as kids books but actually they can be read by about any one at all.

The book of Jasher, the 1840 translation I read cover to cover and it was a pretty kewl read.

The Shepherd of Hermas was a book I enjoyed a lot, it was also published under the name Revelations to the Shepherd of Hermas as well which is written in a smoother style which makes it perhaps more pleasurable for the reader.

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

The book of Acts ends abruptly and scollars have always pondered over the ending. There is a ch.29 that has come to light and is a pretty interesting read.
The Lost Chapter of Acts of The Apostles, chapter 29 which appeared in the late eighteen hundreds cannot be authenticated of course but it is a pretty kewl read just the same.

Rozzy

[Rozzy]

Just a thought here on the Apocrypha. :)

The ancient church universally used the Septuagint, which included what we call the Apocrypha. If a person says, “Our church is just like the first-century church,” then for that to be true, they’d have to use Bibles that include the Apocrypha.

[Rozzy]

The Didache

The Didache is not so much considered an Apocrypha or a lgend but a handbook for new christians. This is a very early text that likely survives from the first century. The Greek word Didache means teaching, this teaching is said to be the teachings of Jesus. The Didache is from a very early date and could well be the result of the first Apostolic council in 50 A.D. Although used in the early church it was lost and did not resurface until 1875 in Constantinople. The content is kind of a guide or code of conduct for the christians of the ealiest part of the christian era.

[Rozzy]

The Septuagint Bible and the Massoretic text come from two completely different MSS. The Septuagint is from an Egyption MSS and the Massoretic Text comes from a Babylonian MSS. The Old Testament in most Bibles including the KJV and the Vulgate comes from the Babylonian text. The early church used and depended on the Septuagint until ST. Jerome came along and switched the Septuagint for the Babylonian. He seemed to do this of his own accord because there was much opposition to him doing it. Jerome was asked to put forth a new revised text because the old Latin one had become an inferior text that needed revision.
The oldest Massoretic text today goes back to the tenth century A.D.
When the DSS scrolls were found they were studied and then we were told that these ancient MSS agree with the Massoretic text so the modern Bible is right and this proves it. What these guys did not tell us is that they were with holding the MSS from cave four that agree with the Septuagint, they did not release these until the nineties and only then because a whistle blower was going to expose this little nugget.
Many are led to believe originally there was only one Hebrew MS or set of MSS of the Old Testament, there were actually several and likely many. The oldest of all existing records today would be the Septuagint witch dates back to the third century B.C.
Many call the Septuagint a Greek translation and stop without qualifying it from there. The Septuagint was translated from the ancient Hebrew texts by Hebrew scholars into Greek at Alexandria. The reason being is because the Hebrew people did not speak Hebrew anymore. There were over a million Greek speaking Jews around Alexandria alone.
In effect the Septuagint was the first Bible and it was indeed from very ancient Hebrew texts, it was used well before the christian era and was excepted by the early christian church.