"Apocrypha is biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture."
A collection of Jewish and Christian texts not included in the official canon of scripture.
Apocrypha Definition: A brief overview of what the Apocrypha is and why it is important in Western Religions.
History of the Apocrypha: A history of the development of the Apocrypha and how it came to be a part of the Christian Bible.
Differences between the Catholic and Protestant Apocrypha: An explanation of the differences between the Catholic and Protestant versions of the Apocrypha.
Apocrypha and the Bible: How the Apocrypha differs from the Bible and how it is used in Christian theology.
The Apocrypha and the Deuterocanonical Books: The relationship between the Apocrypha and the Deuterocanonical books in the Catholic Bible.
Gnostic Texts: A discussion on the Gnostic texts and their relationship to the Apocrypha.
Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls: The relationship between the Apocrypha and the Dead Sea Scrolls and how they relate to each other.
The Book of Enoch: An examination of the Book of Enoch and its significance in Christian theology.
The Book of Jubilees: A study of the Book of Jubilees and what it tells us about ancient Jewish thought.
The Gospel of Thomas: An exploration of the Gospel of Thomas and its connection to Gnosticism.
The Gospel of Judas: An analysis of the Gospel of Judas and its portrayal of Judas Iscariot.
The Wisdom of Solomon: A discussion of the Wisdom of Solomon and its influence on Christian theology.
Tobit: An examination of Tobit and its message of faith and trust in God.
The Maccabees: The history of the Maccabean revolt and the books of Maccabees in the Apocrypha.
The Apocalypse of Baruch: An exploration of the Apocalypse of Baruch and its insights into Jewish eschatology.
Old Testament Apocrypha: This refers to a collection of writings that were composed between the third century BCE and the first century CE. These writings include books such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees.
New Testament Apocrypha: This refers to a collection of texts that were composed after the formation of the New Testament canon. These texts include Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Peter, and the Acts of Paul and Thecla.
Pseudepigrapha: This refers to a collection of texts that were attributed to various biblical figures such as Adam, Enoch, Abraham, and Moses. These texts include books such as 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Testament of Moses.
Gnostic Texts: This refers to a collection of texts that were composed by various Gnostic sects during the early Christian period. These texts include books such as the Gospel of Judas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Nag Hammadi Library.
Christian Apocrypha: This refers to a collection of texts that were composed by various Christian traditions but were not included in the official canon of scripture. These texts include books such as the Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, and the Apocalypse of Peter.
Jewish Apocrypha: This refers to a collection of texts that were composed by various Jewish traditions but were not included in the Hebrew Bible. These texts include books such as the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees.
Catholic Apocrypha: This refers to a collection of texts that were included in the Catholic canon of scripture but were not recognized by Protestants. These texts include books such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees.
Orthodox Apocrypha: This refers to a collection of texts that were recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church but not by the Roman Catholic Church or Protestants. These texts include books such as Third Maccabees, Fourth Maccabees, and the Prayer of Manasseh.
"...the word apocryphal (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were to be read privately rather than in the public context of church services."
"Apocrypha were edifying Christian works that were not considered canonical Scripture."
"Historically, it wasn't until after the Protestant Reformation..."
"...the word apocrypha was used by some reformers to mean 'false, spurious, bad, or heretical'."
"(...) included in the Septuagint, (the Hebrew Bible in Greek)..."
"...used for over two-hundred years by Jews and by early Christians."
"But books written only in Greek after the advent of the Septuagint, were set apart and remained in Greek."
"Later, when Jerome translated the Canon of Scripture and produced the Latin Vulgate..."
"...he did not include writings he could not find in Hebrew."
"Catholic and Orthodox Churches consider them to be canonical..."
"...some Protestants consider them apocryphal, that is, non-canonical books that are useful for instruction."
"Luther's Bible placed them in a separate section in between the Old Testament and New Testament called the Apocrypha..."
"Some non-canonical apocryphal texts are called pseudepigrapha..."
"...a term that means 'false attribution'."
"The modern English adjective 'apocryphal' is often used to indicate that a writing on any topic is of doubtful authenticity..."
"...spurious, fictitious, false..."
"The modern English adjective 'apocryphal' is often used to indicate that a writing on any topic is... fabulous or mythical."
"...writings which were to be read privately rather than in the public context of church services."
"...non-canonical books that are useful for instruction."