Apocrypha/Gnostic Gospels/Dead Sea Scrolls etc?

Question

What are all the books that some denominations consider should be part of the Canon? I've heard of the Book of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary and such like, but is there a list of all the non-included books? I'd like to read them all, to try to gather an opinion on them, but cannot find a complete list of what i'm missing anywhere!

Any help appreciated :o)

Answer 1

If you want to read the books that Martin Luther took out of his Protestant abomination called a "bible" they are in the true bible, the Douay Rheims version which is the original translated by St. Jerome. These books were taken out by Luther because they proved Catholicism to be true and were a threat to the heresy of Protestantism. Here is a link to one: http://www.miqcenter.com/books/0-bibles.shtml
or you can find it online at:
http://www.drbo.org/

Answer 2

The Apocrypha are several books, like the Maccabies, that the Catholic church believes should be included in the Old Testament even though it is not included in the Torah. The Gnostic gospels were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls and are not consistent with each other or the currently accepted four in the New Testament. Read it for fun. Take only the historical value of the Apocrypha seriously.

Answer 3

You won't find a complete list. Many of these gospels are not translated very well to begin with, and some of them are missing large parts from the text.

The Apocrypha is pretty easy to come by, just look it up. Do some library research on the Dead Sea Scrolls and you'll find what you're looking for. As for the Gnostic gospels, any library or bookstore should have the information you're searching for.

Some of the more popular Gnostic gospels are The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Judas, which is really popular right now.

Answer 4

The books that are in the bible are the ones that should be in the Canon. Any of these books in the Apocrypha are left out because they do not conform to Catholicism or to Christianity. The reason that the Apocrypha was left out of the Cannon is because:
-The were written in the latefirst and second centuries.
-They were popular third class literery entertainment
-Heretical Books, especially of a Gnostic Nature which means that they are contraty to Christianity.

I hope that you didn't take the Da Vinci Code to heart. Startiling news for you....the Docciere Sectet or the Secret Documents that supposidly link Jesus and Mary to the Marivigian Line of royalty in France is completley a hoax. The author admitted to it while under oath in court. Plus, the actually did a DNA test from the bones of a Maravigian Queen and checked it against some of the purest middle eastren DNA and both of the DNA shared no markers. If the Marivigian Queen was decended from Jesus and Mary, the Queen would have had Middle Eastren markers in her DNA. I would just read the Bible, what is the truth.

Answer 5

The dead sea scrolls were mostly Old Testament scrolls. The books in the Bible are the only ones what should be there, you are not missing anything by just reading the Bible, There is nothing missing do not feel like your not getting the whole story.

Oh and when the Apocrypha was translated by Jerome into Latin he was under pressure from some Church officials to include it in the Catholic Bible, He did not consider it to be devine so that is why it is written in smaller letters in the original text than the rest of the Bible

Answer 6

There is no complete listing. There have been literally thousands of books about God and Jesus by the Jews and the early Christians. But most are so obviously fake that they are laughable. Even today books comtinue to be written (like DaVinci Code) and how many people believe that as if it is somehow accurate?

The Apocrpyha can found in any Catholic Bible. They are a handful of Jewish writing that were not included in the Torach (which became the Christian Old Testament), but were included in a Greek translation of the Torah made around 250-200 BC. The early Christian used that Greek version (as most of them were not Jewish and did not read Hebrew) but because those books were not recognized as part of the "official" Torah, moved them into a section between the Old and New Testament. They mostly cover history between the two testaments (a period of about 400 years).

The Gnostic Gospels where the "pop" literature of their day. They included a series of Books of Acts that told about battles between the Apostle Peter and a sorcerer named Magnus. And at that time were treated about like the DaVinci Code is today. Unlike the books that made it into the Bible, none of the Gnostic gospels are ever quoted by any of the early chruch fathers or treated as scripture. If all copies of the New Testament where to disappear tomorrow, over 80% of it could be reconstructed from quotes and commentaries written by people within 100 years of the time of Jesus' death. But not one quote from the Gnostic gospels is included. (Although a couple of the later leaders do poke fun at them.)

Finally, the Dead Sea scrolls fall into three groups, each stored in different rooms of the same series of cave. Once contains complete copies of many of the old testament books, dating back as far as 400 BC that are word for word the same as the manuscripts the Bible is translated from. These manuscripts were carefully and loving preserved, wrapping in oiled cloth and stored in jars. The second room contains shelves of manuscripts that include children's versions of old testament storied, commentaries, etc. All contain the word "Yahwah", the divine name of God. The Jews were forbidden to destory anything that had the name. The final room as bits and pieces of shredded manuscripts, all with the divine name, but torn and destroyed because they were considered blasphemy. Amoung these are some histories of groups that lived between the old and new testament and manuals for their communities. there are NO new testament writings at all in the Dead Sea Scrolls, they are totally Jewish, not Christian. And most predate Christ by 100 years or more.
Hope that give you a little more information about the books.

Answer 7

I looked at your 360 page and some of your questions and answers. I am LDS as well. (on one of your blogs you said you didn't know how else to say "mormon", LDS is a shortened version of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).
I'm glad that you've been studying with the missionaries, I got back from serving a mission is Washingtion a year ago, it was awesome.

And you like to study theology, awesome!! I also like to study religion, ancient history, and history of the early church. One of my favorite authories for study is Hugh Nibley, he spend his entire life studying religion and is LDS.
One of the books of scripture that I am currently reading is "the book of Enoch" an anciet scripture most hightly valued by the early christian church but rejected later by "educated men". I am also reading Hugh Nibleys book about the prophet enouch, he helps explain things immensly.
I have also read several other of his books, several about the early church, are absolutely fascinating and one in particular I think you should read if you are interested I'll give you the name. It shows how the early church fell apart (apostacy) and why it was so important for Joseph Smith to be called as a prophet.

At the moment I can't think of a complete list of noncannon scriptures, I only studied specific scriptues, I went first to the knows scriptures, now I'm going outside the box.

If there are any questions you have about the church, or theology, I'd be glad to help.

Good to meet you.

Answer 8

The only difference between denominations as far as the canon is concerned, that I know of, is the one between the Catholic and Protestants, but maybe the Eastern Orthodox is a little different too. Maybe you can find something interesting at the link below.

Answer 9

Check out the book of Thecla. Interesting reading.

these might help (I hope!)

www.carm.org/lostbooks.htm

www.bibleufo.com/anomlostbooks.htm

I dont know anything about them personally, just found them while perusing the web

~Namaste~

Answer 10

Go to: sacred-text.com

Has all kinds of interesting stuff. Check it out. Let me know what you think....

Blessings, Tesra