The Lost Books of the Bible (Dover Value Editions) [Paperback]

William Hone (Editor), Jeremiah Jones (Translator), William Wake (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Dover Value Editions | Publication Date: 2005

Rediscovered in modern times, these are the "non-canonical" gospels, epistles, and other pieces excised from the standard Bible by various church councils. Enhanced with 32 illustrations from ancient paintings and missals, the text helps to give depth to the historical characters of Jesus, Mary, the apostles, and other figures of the New Testament.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

Suppressed by the early church fathers who compiled the Bible, these apocryphal books have been shrouded in silence for centuries. Here are the Apostles' Creed, the girlhood and betrothal of Mary, the childhood of Jesus-told in all their warmth, intimacy and humanity. Translated from the Original Tongues, with 32 illustrations from Ancient Paintings and Missals. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 292 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486443906
• ISBN-13: 978-0486443904
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #290,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Apocrypha
  • #29 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Jesus > General
  • #56 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Bible > New Testament

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

205 of 211 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth owning; other editions have better notes, May 30, 1998

By 

Steven Augart (Lexington, Massachusetts U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost Books of the Bible (Hardcover)

This is a reprinting (no updates) of a text published in 1928. It contains Christian (New Testament) "apocrypha and pseudepigrapha" (hereafter NTAP) -- books which some considered to be scripture in the past, but which were not included in the canonical Bible as used by mainstream Christians today.

This book (available in several different printings, sometimes bound with "The Lost Books of Eden") is the most economical way to get acquainted with this material. It includes some simple critical notes describing the origins of these texts. If you have a larger budget, the current standard edition (available through AMAZON.COM) is Schneemelcher's "New Testament Apocrypha."

The original publication dates are important here, because biblical archaeology and textual studies have progressed substantially in the past seventy years. For example, this book predates the discovery of the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas, and accordingly does not include it.

The NTAP is the source of many Christian traditions. For instance, many believe that Mary's mother was Saint Anne. The only written source for this information is the "Protovangelion", in the NTAP.

On the other hand, The "Infancy Gospel", included in this book, claims to tell stories of the early days of Jesus's life. I think any committed Christian reading the "Infancy Gospel" would understand why the Church Fathers believed it was not Inspired and therefore did not include it in the canonical Bible. It presents Jesus as divine, yet also having the personality of a five-year-old boy. For example: "When the Lord Jesus was coming home in the evening with Joseph, he met a boy who ran so hard against him, that he threw him down; To whom the Lord Jesus said `As thou hast thrown me down, so shalt thou fall, nor ever rise.' And that moment the boy fell down and died." (I infancy, Ch. XIX, vv. 22-24)

194 of 211 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, August 25, 2002

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost Books of the Bible (Hardcover)

This book contains 26 literary works from the early Christian Church. These "books" were extant in the early Church, but when the New Testament was officially organized into Canon Scripture (officially accepted books), these were among those left behind. This book was originally published in 1890, reprinted in 1926, and again in 1979.

As one might expect with any collection of stories, this one is a mixed bag of good and bad stories. Some of these works are long and tedious, while some are short and don't seem to contain anything new. However, all of them allow a fascinating glimpse into the thoughts of various factions within the early Church.

Personally, I enjoyed The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Seneca, with Seneca's to Paul, and the Epistles of Clement. I highly enjoyed this book and recommend it to you.

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, But Dated Commentary, January 11, 2004

By 

Tracy Davis (California, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Lost Books of the Bible (Hardcover)

Originally published in 1926, the 1979 edition of this work purports to illustrate religious works "not included" by the compilers of the New Testament. It is an interesting read, with each book prefaced by scholarly opinions of how legitimate the material is. Some books directly echo the accepted New Testament, such as the book `Infancy' and `Mary'; others have the same title, such as `Ephesians', with some of the same ideas as found in the New Testament. Others, such as the books dealing with Pontius Pilate, seem to contain historical inaccuracies (such as who exactly the Roman emperor was at the time), which lead to doubt about authenticity (although it is interesting to read). I would recommend this book, although it is dense, and the print is NOT reader-friendly, as a companion piece to other `apocryphal' literature, but a newer edition might be more instructive.