Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden (Paperback)

~ World Bible Publishing (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Though apocryphal in nature, these books--suppressed by the Church Fathers--are fascinating and beautifully written. Here you can read for yourself many of the manuscripts which were excluded from the Canon of Scripture, and discover new appreciation for those which were chosen.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: World Bible Publishing (June 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0529033852
• ISBN-13: 978-0529033857
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #154,834 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but get a better translation of these books, February 5, 2005

By	TheSharkMMV - See all my reviews

The Lost Books of the Bible is a very interesting book, albeit one which uses very outdated translations and is far from being complete. If you are intrigued by the Da Vinci Code or Gnosticism and want to know more about those books that were not picked for the Bible, this book would not be a bad place to start if the translations were not so antiquated. There are many newer books with more up-to-date translations of these "lost books" that are more useful today, such as The Nag Hammadi Library in English by James Robinson, which contains a different selection of works but gives a better overview of the Gnostic Gospels. The original translations in this book date from approximately a century ago, long before the discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls and at Nag Hammadi, so do not expect to find any of that stuff in here.
The Lost Books of the Bible contains some very interesting books, particularly the very unorthodox Gospel of Thomas, which portrays Jesus as somewhat of a nasty boy growing up. Still, I found some of the books more readable than others, with the Books of Eden being a chore to get through due to the translation. My bottom line is that there are better books than The Lost Books of the Bible for those interested in Gnosticism and its related works.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another View of History, or What Might Have Been, April 11, 2006

By	C. J. Hardman (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A good variety and collection of books which, for whatever reason, were excluded by the early Church (Catholic) councils from what became the Old Testament and New Testament. Initially published in 1926, each one of the "Lost Books" includes a brief introduction giving background and history. Like the editors of this two-part volume, I do not feel it is necessary to share my opinion of the historicity of these works, each reader can decide for him or herself what is shadow and what is reality, and consider the debate which at one time engulfed some of these books.

This volume is divided into two sections. The first is called "Lost Books of the Bible", and includes works which deal with Jesus & company, and may at one time have been considered part of the New Testament Gospel. Includes are the following 26 "lost" books:

Mary, Protevangelion, I. Infancy, II. Infancy, Christ and Abgarus, Nicodemus, The Apostles' Creed, Laodiceans, Paul and Senica, Paul and Thecla, I. Clement, II. Clement, Barnabus, Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans, Philadelphians, Smyrnaeans, Polycarp, Philippians, I. Hermas-Visions, II. Herman-Commands, III. Hermas-Similitudes, Letters of Herod and Pilate, The Last Gospel of Peter

Part the Second is titled "The Forgotten Books of Eden", and includes works which are suited to the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. They too were excluded by Jewish (and some Christian) councils due to doubts about their age and origins. Includes are the following 20 books:

The First Book of Adam and Eve, The Second Book of Adam and Eve, The Secrets of Enoch, The Psalms of Solomon, The Odes of Solomon, The Letter of Aristeas, The Fourth Book of Maccabees, The Story of Ahikar, The Testament of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, Benjamin

This affordable book offers a thought provoking read for those with a general interest "outside of the box". While the translations are somewhat dated, they are not difficult to understand.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential Christian documents for study and contemplation., January 4, 2003

By	zonaras (Jimbo's House of Pie) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

First of all, I took off a star for the very poor print quality of this book. It is poorly organized, hard to read, sometimes too small and crammed on the page. The type needs to be reset in a modern font and format to make it easier to read and comprehend the works in this volume.

As far as the actual content in this book goes, it is very good and useful. Most commentators and critics disparage and denigrate the "Pseudepigrahpa" because they were written at a much later time and by anomymous scribes who credited thier work to a hero or patriarch of the Bible, such as Enoch, Adam, Solomon, The Twelve Patriarchs, etc.

The editor makes a lot of excellent points in his INTRODUCTION to THE LOST BOOKS OF EDEN: "Writers sought to SHELTER THEMSELVES behind the names of the great dead. In this THEY WERE GUILTY OF NO FRAUD. They imagined what Solomon or Enoch would say upon a particular theme under given circumstances. It was NOT REALLY THEY THEMSELVES, but THIER Enoch, Solomon, or Enoch IN THEM, who uttered the new prophesies or temple praises... that body of literature, called by modern scholars 'PSEUDEPIGRAPHA' that is, writings erronously, un-historically, YET SINCERELY ascribed to heroic figures summed up from the vasty deep by a SELF-DENYING imagination, eager to ALTER MAN'S BELIEF OR CUSTOM, to interpret his hope or sorrow, WITHOUT PERSONAL GAIN OR FAME, and also, may one add, WITHOUT THE DETERRENT OF PERSECUTION OT ARREST FREE UTTERANCE!"

"NOW IT IS A FOOLISH MODERN PREDJUDICE AGAINST AN ANCIENT PIECE OF LITERATURE THAT ITS AUTHOR VEILED HIS PERSON IN THIS FASHION. The ONLY question is: Was the writing of INHERENT VALUE? DID IT EXERCISE INFLUENCE?

Some of these books are boring and a pain to get through, and some are innacurate to traditional Christain doctrine (THE ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA as an example). Some, like HERMAS are not worth reading.

But I will take the words of "Enoch" in THE BOOK OF THE SECRETS OF ENOCH (the best work in this collection) literally:

"For the BOOKS ARE MANY and in them you will LEARN ALL THE LORD'S WORKS, all that has been from the beginning of Creation and will be to the end of time. And if you OBSERVE MY HANDWRITING, you WILL NOT SIN AGAINST THE LORD, because there is no other except the Lord..."
"And DISTRIBUTE THE BOOKS...amoungst the nations that have the sense to fear God, let them recieve them and MAY THEY COME TO LOVE THEM more than any food or EARTHLY SWEETS, and READ THEM and apply themselves to them. And those who understand not the Lord, who fear not God, who ACCEPT NOT, but reject, who do not receive them (sc. THE BOOKS), A TERRIBLE JUDGEMENT AWAITS THESE.
"BLESSED is the man who shall BEAR THIER YOKE and shall DRAG THEM ALONG, for he shall be released on the day of the great judgement."