Lost Scriptures
Lost Scriptures

Author: Bart D. Ehrman

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2005-09-15

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 0195182502

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Lost Scriptures offers an anthology of up-to-date and readable translations of many non-canonical writings from the centuries after Christ--texts that have for the most part been neglected or lost for nearly two millennia. Here is an array of remarkably varied writings from early Christian groups whose visions of Jesus differ dramatically from our contemporary understanding. Ehrman has included a general introduction, plus brief introductions to each piece. Lost Scriptures gives readers a vivid picture of the range of beliefs that battled each other in the first centuries of the Christian era. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in the Bible or the early Church.

The Lost Books of the Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden
The Lost Books of the Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden

Author: Rutherford Hayes Platt

Publisher: Nelson Bibles

Published: 1927

Total Pages: 660

ISBN-13:

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Presented here are two volumes of apocryphal writings reflecting the life and time of the Old and New Testaments. Stories told by contemporary fiction writers of historical Bible times in fascinating and beautiful style.

The Encyclopedia of Lost and Rejected Scriptures
The Encyclopedia of Lost and Rejected Scriptures

Author: Joseph Lumpkin

Publisher: Fifth Estate Incorporated

Published: 2010-01-01

Total Pages: 826

ISBN-13: 9781933580913

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The Encyclopedia of Lost and Rejected Scriptures: The Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha - Section One - Lost Scriptures of the Old Testament - First Book of Adam and Eve, Second Book of Adam and Eve, First Book of Enoch, Second Book of Enoch (Secrets of Enoch), Third Book of Enoch (Hebrew Enoch), Jubilees, Jasher - Section Two - Apocalyptic Writings and the End of Days - Apocalypse of Abraham, Apocalypse of Thomas, 2 Baruch, War Scroll (Sons of Dark vs. Sons of Light) - Section Three - Lost Scriptures of the New Testament - Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Apocryphon of John, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Judas, Acts Chapter 29 - - Section Four - The Life and Times of Jesus - Infancy Gospel of James, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Life of Joseph The Carpenter, Letters of Pilate, Life of Saint Issaa - Section Five - The Apocrypha - 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, Letter (Epistle) of Jeremiah, The Prayer of Azariah, 1 Baruch, Prayer of Manasseh (Manassas), Bel and the Dragon, Wisdom of Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon, Additions to Esther, Tobit, Judith, Susanna, Psalm 151, 1 Clements, Shepherd of Hermas, The Didache

Lost Christianities
Lost Christianities

Author: Bart D. Ehrman

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2005-09-15

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 0199756686

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The early Christian Church was a chaos of contending beliefs. Some groups of Christians claimed that there was not one God but two or twelve or thirty. Some believed that the world had not been created by God but by a lesser, ignorant deity. Certain sects maintained that Jesus was human but not divine, while others said he was divine but not human. In Lost Christianities, Bart D. Ehrman offers a fascinating look at these early forms of Christianity and shows how they came to be suppressed, reformed, or forgotten. All of these groups insisted that they upheld the teachings of Jesus and his apostles, and they all possessed writings that bore out their claims, books reputedly produced by Jesus's own followers. Modern archaeological work has recovered a number of key texts, and as Ehrman shows, these spectacular discoveries reveal religious diversity that says much about the ways in which history gets written by the winners. Ehrman's discussion ranges from considerations of various "lost scriptures"--including forged gospels supposedly written by Simon Peter, Jesus's closest disciple, and Judas Thomas, Jesus's alleged twin brother--to the disparate beliefs of such groups as the Jewish-Christian Ebionites, the anti-Jewish Marcionites, and various "Gnostic" sects. Ehrman examines in depth the battles that raged between "proto-orthodox Christians"--those who eventually compiled the canonical books of the New Testament and standardized Christian belief--and the groups they denounced as heretics and ultimately overcame. Scrupulously researched and lucidly written, Lost Christianities is an eye-opening account of politics, power, and the clash of ideas among Christians in the decades before one group came to see its views prevail.

Censoring God
Censoring God

Author: Jim Willis

Publisher: Visible Ink Press

Published: 2021-04-01

Total Pages: 572

ISBN-13: 1578597455

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Why isn’t the Book of Enoch in the Holy Bible, even though Enoch is referenced multiple times? Why were texts considered sacred by many, excluded by others? Who made the decisions and why? There are more than 50 books—some of which exist only in fragments while others are complete and whole—that are not included in the biblical canon. Why were they discarded? Most Protestant denominations settled on 66 canonical books of the Bible, while there are 73 for Roman Catholics and 78 for Eastern Orthodox adherents. Why are there these differences of opinion? We are often taught that the Bible is, in the words of many religious catechisms, “the infallible word of faith and practice.” In reality, the Bible can also be seen as a political document as much as a spiritual one. Ordained minister and theologian Jim Willis examines the historical, political, and social climates that influenced the redactors and editors of the Bible and other sacred texts in Censoring God: The History of the Lost Books (and other Excluded Scriptures). In analyzing why texts were censored, he uncovers sometimes surprising biases. He investigates enigmatic hints of Bible codes and ancient wisdom that implies a greater spiritual force might have been at work. Willis explores the importance of the Book of Enoch, its disappearance, and how it was rediscovered in Ethiopia. He analyzes over two dozen excluded texts, such as Jubilees and the Gospel of Thomas, along with the many references to books that we know about from fragments but remain lost. Thought-provoking and provocative, Censoring God scrutinizes how sacred texts might have been used to justify the power of the powerful, including the destruction of sacred writings of conquered indigenous cultures because they did not agree with the finished version of the Bible accepted by the Church establishment. This important book looks at the human failings in interpreting God’s words, and through a compassionate examination it brings a deeper understanding of the power and importance of the lost words. With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography provides sources for further exploration, and an extensive index adds to its usefulness.

The Lost World of Scripture
The Lost World of Scripture

Author: John H. Walton

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2013-11-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 083084032X

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Walton and Sandy summarize what we know of orality and oral tradition as well as the composition and transmission of texts in the ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world, and how this shapes our understanding of the Old and New Testaments. The authors then translate these insights into a helpful model for understanding the reliability of Scripture.

Original Christianity
Original Christianity

Author: Peter Novak

Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing

Published: 2005-09-29

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1612832350

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“Offers more information about the first-century world of early Christians, asking, ‘Could Christ’s original teachings have truly been lost?’” —Foreword Reviews “Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.” —from the Gospel of Thomas The work of scholars such as Elaine Pagels and Marvin Meyer have captured the imagination of the public by setting forth the Gospel of Thomas and other lost teachings of Jesus. Now Peter Novak, in Original Christianity, brings forth a critical element essential for fully understanding these scriptures. Novak argues that the authors of these early texts subscribed to the Binary Soul Doctrine—an ancient belief system that allows for both reincarnation and an eternal afterlife. Novak’s interdisciplinary approach offers fresh insights on the beliefs and politics of the early church founders. He points out that reincarnation was a commonly held Christian belief until it was voted out of “official” Christianity and the record expunged. This newfound key reveals the true identities of many mysterious Biblical figures, such as Lazarus, Barabbas, Judas, and especially the Apostle Thomas, who may not only have been Jesus’ identical twin brother, but indeed a second Christ in his own right, who lived to produce a genetically identical bloodline. More important still, the rediscovery of the lost theology of Original Christianity means Christ’s central message of personal integrity can again take center stage.

The Lost Gospel Q
The Lost Gospel Q

Author: Marcus Borg

Publisher: Ulysses Press

Published: 1999-03-15

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1569751897

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Presents the original teachings of Jesus written by his contemporaries and early followers

Holy Bible (NIV)
Holy Bible (NIV)

Author: Various Authors,

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2008-09-02

Total Pages: 6793

ISBN-13: 0310294142

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The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.