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Apocrypha (from ancient Greek - “hidden, hidden”) are works of late Jewish and early Christian literature that were not included in the biblical canon. The concept of “apocrypha” originally referred to the works of Gnosticism, which sought to keep its teachings secret. Later, the term “apocrypha” was attributed to early Christian texts that were not recognized as “inspired”: the Gospels, Epistles, Acts and Revelations that were not included in the Bible are considered by the Church to be “extraneous” or “non-canonical”, that is, apocrypha proper.

General definitions

A-priory " Church Dictionary“P.A. Alekseev (St. Petersburg, 1817), these are “hidden, that is, books published unknown from whom, or that are not publicly read in church, as the Holy Scripture is usually read. Such books are all those that are not in the Bible.” That is, apocryphal books for the most part they distort the principles of revealed teaching, and they cannot be generally recognized as divinely inspired (for example, due to the too strong element of human wisdom). Therefore, these books were mercilessly persecuted by the Fathers of the Church and were not included in the canon of revealed books of the Old and New Testaments (the Bible).

There are apocrypha that slightly diverge from Christian doctrine and, in general, confirm Sacred Tradition ancient Church, for example, in iconography and worship: for example, there is an apocrypha called the “Proto-Gospel of James” - it is not recognized by the Church as inspired scripture, but is accepted as evidence of Church Tradition. And most of the feasts of the Mother of God - the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Entry into the Temple, partly the Annunciation (this was reflected in the iconography) are confirmed by the Proto-Gospel of James. This text is called apocrypha not in the sense that it contains something contrary to Holy Scripture. In many ways, it is simply a fixation of Church Tradition.

Fighting the Apocrypha before the Nativity of Christ

Apocryphal books arose long before Christianity. Soon after the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity, the Old Testament priest Ezra made an attempt to collect (and separate from the false apocrypha) all the sacred books, then still scattered and partially lost. With his assistants, Ezra managed to find, correct/translate into modern language, supplement and systematize 39 books (in the Tanakh of the Jewish tradition they were artificially combined into 22 books - according to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet). Those apocryphal books that contradicted the selected books, diverged from the traditions of the Old Testament legend, were infected with pagan myths and superstitions of neighboring peoples, containing occult practices and magical spells, as well as books that do not have religious value (household, entertaining, children's, educational, love, and other nature), were strictly eliminated (sometimes mercilessly destroyed) and were not included in the Old Testament, and later in the Christian Bible. Later, some of these apocrypha nevertheless became part of the Talmud, Mishnah and Gemara used by Judaism.

The problem with non-canonical books

Deuterocanonical books

After the death of Ezra, his followers (zealots of piety) continued their search, and those books that were found were relevant and those that were written in subsequent centuries (for example, the Maccabees) were selected by them as inspired. But the rigor and meticulousness of the selection, as well as the indisputable authority and traditions of Ezra, did not allow innovations to be introduced into the established canon of the Holy Books. And only in the fairly free and enlightened city of Alexandria, where there was a rich library of antiquity, when translating the Old Testament books into Greek, 72 Jewish interpreters and translators, after deep study, diligent prayers and debates, added (in the Greek text) to the previous 39 books 11 books. It was this version (Septuagint) that became the main one for Christians who spoke predominantly Greek in the first centuries of Christianity.

When Protestants, using ancient handwritten originals, began to translate the Bible into modern national languages, they discovered the absence of these 11 books in all Jewish texts and hastened to declare these books apocrypha (although they did not prohibit them, but only declared them of little importance). It should be noted that even some canonical books (which do not confirm their views) raise doubts among Protestants.

These 11 non-canonical (deuterocanonical) books, that is, books not included in the original canon of Ezra, are revered in Orthodoxy in the same way as all other books of the Bible; they are also used during public worship (read in proverbs), along with the canonical ones. Nowadays, thanks to the successes of biblical archeology, Jewish texts previously considered lost have also become known for some books.

The fight against the apocrypha after the Nativity of Christ

With the rise of Christianity there was an even greater need to separate the officially accepted books of the Bible from the various alternative apocryphal interpretations written at different times and by different people. Some of them were written by completely pious, albeit naive, people who wanted to explain and supplement the Holy Scriptures in their own way (for example, in “The Virgin Mary’s Walk through Torment” the descent Mother of God to hell and then her representation before the throne of the Son). Other apocrypha were born in various widespread early Christian sects, and heretical movements and in Gnosticism using Christian themes. There were also authors who specifically, supposedly on behalf of the apostles revered in Christianity, compiled and distributed “messages” that were compromising the official Church, which, in their opinion, hid the originally true teaching. Therefore, Christians at all times tried to defend, from their point of view, the true “purity of their faith,” and at all times, at councils, they compiled lists of renounced books (apocrypha), which were forbidden to be read, and which were searched for, torn, burned, or cleared/washed off parchments apocryphal texts and other palimpsests were written.

In modern Christianity, only 27 books are included in the New Testament canon and are recognized as inspired books, which, according to the church, were written directly by the apostles (secular witnesses of Christ). The composition of the New Testament canon is enshrined in the 85th Apostolic Canon. Together with the books of the Old Testament, they form the Christian Bible, which contains a total of 77 books. It is all these inspired books that are considered the only authoritative source in matters sacred history and dogmatists in the main Christian denominations.

However, the writing of inspired books did not stop with the death of the apostles. The Orthodox Church has been replenished and continues to be replenished with a huge number of works (writings) of the Holy Fathers, liturgical texts and descriptions of the lives of saints, which, after a thorough and comprehensive study for compliance Holy Scripture(Bibles) are also recognized as divinely inspired and binding on all Christians. Therefore, these religious books, which are not directly part of the Bible, are not considered apocrypha.

The ancient apocrypha that has survived to our time has not only historical significance, but to some extent also dialectical, since they reflect the views of Christians of the first centuries.

The apocrypha includes the so-called Old Testament apocrypha, apocryphal Gospels, Acts, Apocalypses, etc., as well as alternative “official” biographies of saints.

Apocrypha is also composed in our time, when various sects, certain “elders”, soothsayers and “miracle workers” publish and distribute religious literature that interprets in their own way the history and principles of Christian doctrine.

Apocrypha of the Old Testament

Apocrypha of the New Testament

Apocryphal gospels

Up to 50 apocryphal gospels have reached us. The authors collected those oral traditions that could have been forgotten, or described those events about which there were only hints in the canonical Gospels. Sometimes the gospel stories were presented in a conversational form. The authors of these texts did not sign their names, and often, in order to give greater significance to their works, they put the name of one of the apostles or their disciples. The content of the apocryphal gospels is varied:

Childhood Gospels

“The First Gospel of James” (James, the brother of the Lord) describes the time from the birth of the Savior to the massacre of the infants;

The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew or the Book of the Origin of Blessed Mary and the Childhood of the Savior tells of the youth of Jesus;

The Proto-Gospel of James (brother of the Lord) describes the time from the birth of the Savior to the massacre of the infants.

“The Gospel of Jacob” (continuation of the “proto-gospel of Jacob”). The childhood of Jesus from conception to age 12. Conception, birth, flight and life in Egypt for 3 years, return and life in Nazareth for up to 12 years. The origin of the text is unknown;

The Story of Joseph the Carpenter (or The Book of Joseph the Carpenter);

the "Gospel of Childhood", attributed to the Apostle Thomas (read by Gnostics in the 2nd century);

Arabic “Gospel of Childhood” (about the Savior’s stay in Egypt);

"Tibetan Gospel" ("Tibetan Tale of Jesus") - one of the "gospels of childhood", according to which Jesus spent his life early years in Tibet and India.

“Jesus in the Temple” - a 3-day dispute between 12-year-old Jesus and the Jewish Pharisees in the Jerusalem Temple about the already come Messiah. The origin and authorship of the text is unknown;

"The Gospel of Mary";

"The Gospel of Nicodemus";

"Gospel of Apelles";

“The Gospel of the 12 Apostles” (“Didache”);

"The Gospel of the Jews";

"The Gospel of Peter";

"Gospel of Judas"

"The Gospel of Philip"

"The Gospel of Thomas";

"The Gospel of Barnabas"

Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles

"The Acts of Peter and Paul";

"The Acts of Barnabas";

"The Acts of Philip in Hellas";

"The Act of Thomas" ( ancient origin);

"Acts of John";

"Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary"

"Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian"

"The Acts and Martyrdom of the Apostle Matthias"

"The Acts of Paul"

"The Acts of Paul and Thekla"

"The Acts of the Holy Apostle Thaddeus, One of the Twelve"

"The Acts of Philip"

"Martyrdom of St. Paul the Apostle"

"The Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Chief Apostle Andrew"

"Teachings of Addai the Apostle"

Apocryphal Epistles of the Apostles

"Abgar's Message to Christ";

“The Epistle of Christ to Abgar”;

“Correspondence of Ap. Paul and Seneca" (6 letters; many were convinced of their authenticity, and only later research revealed the forgery);

"Epistle to the Laodiceans"

messages of Clement the Bishop (5 pcs.)

"Epistle of the Apostle Barnabas"

"Epistle of the Apostle Peter to the Apostle James"

"The Message of the Twelve Apostles"

"The Third Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians"

"Epistle of Dionysius the Areopagite"

Apocryphal Apocalypses

There were also many of them, but only a few survived in their entirety:

"Apocalypse of John" (significantly different from the canonical one);
another "Apocalypse of John" (opened in 1595);

"Apocalypse of Peter";

"Apocalypse of Paul";

"The Revelation of Bartholomew"

Other New Testament Apocrypha

"Shepherd of Herma"

"The Apostle Paul's Walk through Torment"

Late and modern pseudo-church apocrypha

“The Gospel of Afranius” is a novel by Kirill Eskov, written in a genre that combines alternative history and a detective.

early christ. and medieval. works that tell about the earthly ministry, teaching and post-Easter appearances of Jesus Christ, but are not included in the canon of the NT and are rejected by the Church as unreliable due to dubious (non-apostolic) or heretical origin. Texts of this kind began to appear, probably already at the end. I - beginning II century In terms of genre, they are very diverse and are often called “gospels” for the sole reason that they talk about Christ. E. a., from lit. t.zr. few close to the canonical Gospels or copying their form have survived.

History of the study

The first reviews and historical and theological analysis of E. a. already found in the works of St. fathers (hieromartyrs Irenaeus, Hippolytus, St. Epiphanius of Cyprus, Blessed Jerome, etc.). Introduction of canonical prohibitions and imperial decrees. authorities, who prohibited the distribution and reading of E. a., suspended the appearance of new apocrypha. After the works of St. Photius, practically no additional information about the ancient apocrypha appeared until modern times. List of 35 E. a. (almost all the texts mentioned are of ancient origin and are known today) are given in the 2nd Samaritan Chronicle (Rylands. Gaster. 1142, 1616; see: MacDonald J. Beginnings of Christianity according to the Samaritans // NTS. 1971/1972. Vol. 18. P. 54-80).

Humanist scientists showed interest in the apocrypha. From ser. XVI century E. a. started publishing in printed form(one of the first publications - “The Proto-Gospel of Jacob” - appeared in 1552 in Basel). M. Neander published the first commented collection of apocrypha, which assigned this particular term to this group of texts (Apocrypha, hoc est, narrationes de Christo, Maria, Joseph, cognatione et familia Christi, extra Biblia etc. Basel, 1564). The Bollandists played a major role in the study of manuscripts and the publication of texts.

Scientific study of E. a. acquired a systematic character in the 18th century, after the publication of a collection of their texts by I. A. Fabricius (Fabricius. 1703, 17192). In the XIX - early XX century appeared several times. generalizing works and publications (Thilo. 1832; Migne. 1856-1858; Tischendorf. 1876; Resch. 1893-1896; Hennecke. 1904). These publications, especially the critical edition of K. Tischendorf, containing all the known fragments of E. a. in Greek and lat. languages ​​and laid down the criteria for evaluating and classifying certain texts as E. a., retain relative value to this day. time.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. building E. a. began to be replenished due to the finds of papyri in Egypt and a closer study of Copts, Ethiopians, Syriacs, Armenians, Georgians. and glory Apocrypha. The most important fragments of E. a. on the papyri are: P. Egerton 2 (c. 150; one of the most ancient Christian manuscripts, containing 4 pericopes, in which we're talking about about Christ's dispute with the Jewish leaders, about the cleansing of the leper, about the issue of paying taxes and about an unknown miracle; fragment of the same papyrus - P. Colon. 255), P. Oxy. 840 (IV or V century; a story about Jesus Christ’s visit to the Temple of Jerusalem and a dispute with the high priest about cleansing), P. Oxy. 1224 (IV century; contains 3 sayings), Fayum papyrus (P. Vindob. G 2325 (Fajjum), III century; contains text close to Mark 14. 27, 29-30; the name of the Apostle Peter is highlighted in red ink as nomen sacrum), Strasbourg Copt. papyrus (P. Argentinensis, V-VI centuries; prayer of Jesus Christ, His conversation with his disciples and revelation), P. Oxy. 1081 (III-IV centuries; conversation between Jesus and his disciples), P. Oxy. 1224 (IV century; unknown saying), P. Oxy. 210 (III century; text compiled on the basis of the canonical Gospels and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul), P. Cair. 10735 (VI-VII centuries; narrative related to Christmas), P. Berol. 11710 (VI century; fragment based on John 1.49), P. Mert. II 51 (III century; depends on a number of synoptic texts), P. Oxy. 2949 (III century; controversial monument, possibly containing fragments from Peter's Gospel).

Status of the standard edition of Early Christ. apocrypha was acquired by E. Henneke’s work “Neutestamentliche Apokryphen” (Tüb., 1904, 19242; 19593. 2 Bde; 19644 (jointly with W. Schneemelcher)). IN English-speaking world The publication by M. R. James (James. 1924) was popular. However, for a long time, the study of the apocrypha remained a marginal direction (for example, R. Bultmann considered E. a. only legendary adaptations and expansions of the canonical Gospels, not representing any historical value).

A turn in the assessment of E. a. emerged in the works of V. Bauer, who suggested that the plural. early christ. the communities were initially “heretical” (Bauer. 1909; I dem. 1934), and consequently, the texts that arose among them could preserve reliable information about Christ and the apostolic era. A real breakthrough in the study of E. a. occurred after the publication of the findings at Nag Hammadi. H. Koester and J.M. Robinson hypothesized that the early Christ. the legend developed in parallel over several centuries. directions (trajectories) and that both canonical and apocryphal texts equally contain authentic information, while offering an already edited history of Jesus Christ and His teachings (Robinson and Koester. 1971; Koester. 1980).

The Copt found in Nag Hammadi caused the most controversy. “The Gospel of Thomas” (three Greek fragments were previously known - P. Oxy. 1, 654, 655, which probably reflect a different edition of this work). The almost complete absence of a connecting speech in the narrative and signs of the text’s proximity to tradition have led a number of researchers to the idea that this is E. a. saved regardless canonical tradition the oldest collection of sayings (logies) of Jesus Christ. Although plural scholars pointed to clear signs of editorial work done in a Gnostic environment, the most radical biblical critics began to consider the “Gospel of Thomas” in terms of antiquity and authenticity on a par with the canonical Gospels (see, for example: The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus: New Transl. and Comment. / Ed. R. W. Funk et al . N. Y., 1993). In addition, this gospel played an important role in the development of the Q source hypothesis (see v. Gospel).

Dr. early christ. a text that caused a heated discussion in the scientific community is the “Gospel of Peter”, known in quotations (in the Syriac Didascalia, by the martyr Justin, the martyr Melito and Origen). Manuscript of the 8th-9th centuries. With full text was discovered in 1886-1887. in E. Egypt. Although initially most scientists supported the position of T. Tsang, who asserted the dependence of this E. a. from the synoptic tradition (contrary to the opinion of A. von Harnack), in the 80s. XX century new arguments were put forward in favor of its independence (first by R. Cameron, then by Koester and J. D. Crossan, who appealed to the papyrus fragment P. Oxy. 2949). Crossan suggested that the Gospel of Peter used the same source for the Passion of the Lord as the Gospel of Mark, but it was included in the apocrypha in a less edited form (Crossan. 1985; I dem. 1988). Crossan’s hypothesis was opposed by R. Brown, who proved the dependence of the “Gospel of Peter” on the weather forecasters based on the method of analysis of editions (Brown. 1987). An important argument against the antiquity of this apocrypha can be its pronounced anti-Jewish orientation. In addition, the belonging of the indicated papyrus fragments to this gospel was also questioned (see: Foster P. Are there any Early Fragments of the So-Called Gospel of Peter? // NTS. 2006. Vol. 52. P. 1- 28).

In general, the answer to the position of liberal critics who defend the reliability of E. a. can be an indication of at least one important difference from the canonical Gospels - the absence of signs of reliance on the testimony of witnesses, the closest disciples of Christ (see: Bauckham R. Jesus and Eyewitnesses : the Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids, Camb., 2006).

In the 2nd half. XX century in addition to the new edition of Schneemelcher's work (Schneemelcher. 19906; Henneke's previous book was completely revised), several were published. meetings of E. a. (mostly in translations into European languages: Erbetta, ed. 1966-1975; Moraldi, ed. 1971; Starowieyski, ed. 1980; Klijn, ed. 1984. Bd. 1; Santos Otero, ed. 19886; Bovon, Geoltrain , ed. 1997; review of publications of Eastern Christians, see: Augustinianum. R., 1983. Complementi interdisciplinari di patrologia / Ed.

The most authoritative modern The publication of individual monuments is considered to be the Series Apocryphorum as part of the Corpus Christianorum (ed. “The Gospel of Bartholomew”, “The Legend of Abgar”, “The Epistle of the Apostles”, etc.). In this series, an index of all the New Testament apocrypha known at that time was published, including E. a. (Clavis Apocryphorum Novi Testamenti / Ed. M. Geerard. Turnhout, 1992).

Building E. a. replenished from time to time. One of the latest additions is previously known only by its name “Gospel of Judas,” a reconstruction of the text of which was published in 2006. At the same time, throughout history scientific study E. a. fakes were repeatedly exposed, like the Middle Ages. (for example, the falsity of the “Epistle of Lentulus” was demonstrated by Lorenzo Valla), and modern. (Many scholars recognize the “Mark the Secret Gospel” published by M. Smith as a forgery).

Classification

There is no single classification of E. a., both due to their genre diversity and poor preservation. According to the degree of preservation of E. a. are divided into: those that have survived in fragments (mainly on papyri discovered in Egypt); preserved in quotations from the holy fathers and other ancient authors; known only by name (usually in canonical decrees and lists of renounced books); full text.

From view lit. forms among E. a. distinguish collections of sayings (“Gospel of Thomas”), dialogues (conversations) (for example, “The Wisdom of Jesus Christ”, “Dialogue of the Savior with the Disciples”, etc.; for more details, see the article. Dialogues of Jesus Christ are non-canonical), “narrative-biographical” gospels (judging by the known passages, all the Judeo-Christian gospels - “Hebrews’ gospel”, “Nazarene’s gospel”, “Ebionite’s gospel”).

Finally, thematically E. a. are divided into Childhood Gospels, dedicated to the Nativity and Childhood of Jesus Christ (adjacent to them are cycles about the Mother of God, about Joseph, about the Holy Family: “The Proto-Gospel of James”, “On the Priesthood of Christ, or the Conversion of Theodosius the Judea”, “The Legend of Aphroditian”, “The Gospel” about the Nativity and Childhood of the Savior" Pseudo-Matthew, "Thomas' Gospel about the Childhood of the Savior", "Vision of Theophilus, or Sermon on the Church of the Holy Family on Mount Kuskwam", "Arabic Gospel of Childhood", "The History of Joseph the Carpenter", etc.), Gospels of the Passion, including the Descent into Hell (“Gospel of Peter”, “Bartholomew’s Gospel”, “Christ’s Debate with the Devil”, cycles associated with the names of Pilate, Nicodemus, Gamaliel), gospels containing “new” revelations transmitted by the Savior in the period between Resurrection and Ascension (most Gnostic gospels).

Ed.: Fabricius J. A. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti. Hamburg, 1703, 17192. 3 vol.; Thilo J. C. Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti. Lpz., 1832. Bd. 1; Tischendorf C. Evangelia Apocrypha. Lpz., 18762; Santos Otero A. de, ed. Los Evangelios apócrifos. Madrid, 20038.

Trans.: Migne J.-P. Dictionnaire des Apocryphes, ou collection de tous les livres apocryphes. P., 1856-1858. Turnholti, 1989r. 2 vol.; Monuments of ancient Christ. writing in Russian lane M., 1860. T. 1: Apocryphal. stories about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother; Porfiryev I. Ya. Apocryphal tales about New Testament persons and events: According to the manuscripts of the Solovetsky library. St. Petersburg, 1890; Resch A. Aussercanonische Paralleltexte zu den Evangelien. Lpz., 1893-1896. 5 Bde; Speransky M. N. Slavic Apocryphal Gospels: general review. M., 1895; aka. Yuzhnorussian texts of the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas. K., 1899; James M. R., ed. The Apocryphal New Testament. Oxf., 1924; Erbetta M., ed. Gli Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. Torino, 1966-1969, 1975-19812. 3 vol.; Moraldi L., ed. Apocrifi del Nuovo Testamento. Torino, 1971. 2 vol.; idem. Casale Monferrato, 1994. 3 vol.; Starowieyski M., ed. Apokryphy Nowego Testamentu. Lublin, 1980-1986. T. 1 (cz. 1-2); Klijn A. F., ed. Apokriefen van het Nieuwe Testament. Kampen, 1984. Bd. 1; Sventsitskaya I., Trofimova M. Apocrypha of ancient Christians: Research, texts, commentary. M., 1989; Schneemelcher W., hrsg. Neutestamentliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung. Tüb., 19906. Bd. 1. Evangelien; Bovon F., Geoltrain P., ed. Écrits apocryphes chrétiens. P., 1997. Vol. 1; Apocryphal tales about Jesus, the Holy Family and the witnesses of Christ / Ed.: I. Sventsitskaya, A. Skogorev. M., 1999.

Lit.: Hennecke E. Handbuch zu den Neutestamentlichen Apokryphen. Tüb., 1904; Bauer W. Das Leben Jesu im Zeitalter der neutestamentlichen Apokryphen. Tüb., 1909; idem. Rechtgläubigkeit und Ketzerei im ältesten Christentum. Tüb., 1934; Zhebelev S. A. Gospels, canonical and apocryphal. Pg., 1919; Robinson J. M., Koester H. Trajectories through Early Christianity. Phil., 1971; Koester H. Apocryphal and Canonical Gospels // HarvTR. 1980. Vol. 73. N 1/2. P. 105-130; Sventsitskaya I. S. Secret writings of the first Christians. M., 1980; Crossan J. D. Four Other Gospels. Minneapolis, 1985; idem. The Cross That Spoke. San Francisco, 1988; Tuckett C. Nag Hammadi and the Gospel Tradition. Edinb., 1986; Brown R. The Gospel of Peter and Canonical Gospel Priority // NTS. 1987. Vol. 33. P. 321-343; Charlesworth J. H. Research on the New Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha // ANRW. 1988. R. 2. Bd. 25. H. 5. S. 3919-3968; Gero S. Apocryphal Gospels: A Survey of Textual and Literary Problems // Ibid. S. 3969-3996; Moody Smith D. The Problem of John and the Synoptics in Light of the Relation between Apocryphal and Canonical Gospels // John and the Synoptics / Ed. A. Denaux. Leuven, 1992. P. 147-162; Charlesworth J.H., Evans C.A. Jesus in the Agrapha and Apocryphal Gospels // Studying the Historical Jesus: Evaluation of the State of Current Research / Ed. B. Chilton, C. A. Evans. Leiden, 1994. P. 479-533; Aune D. E. Assessing the Historical Value of the Apocryphal Jesus Traditions: A Critique of Conflicting Methodologies // Der historische Jesus / Hrsg. J. Schröter, R. Brucker. B.; N. Y., 2002. S. 243-272.

A. A. Tkachenko

The term “apocrypha” is used by early Christian authors in relation to works that circulated both within Christianity and outside it, mainly in the Gnostic environment. This term was used to describe writings intended for particularly sophisticated, selected readers, and not for a wide circle of believers. Already Irenaeus of Lyons (Adv. Haer. I, 20, 1) and Tertullian (De Pud. 10, 12) equated the meaning of the term with the words “fake” and “false,” defining with this word works that were not accepted by the official Christian Church. In the West, after adding up in general terms to the end. IV century according to R.H. canon of St. Scriptures, the word “apocrypha” could designate works not included in the list of canonical works. In the East, this term rather pointed to books prohibited by the Church (cf. Rule of St. Athanasius. 39). In this regard, New Testament apocrypha cannot be called works that were not included in the circle of canonical writings, but enjoyed high authority in ancient times and were recommended for reading, such as “The Teaching of the 12 Apostles” (Didache), “Shepherd Hermas”, 1st Epistle to the Corinthians by Clement of Rome.

In the scientific literature, there are different approaches to defining the concept of New Testament apocrypha. If we summarize all the criteria applied to them, such works must meet the following main characteristics: firstly, they must be texts of a predominant Christian orientation; secondly, they must contain additional information about the characters and events known from the canonical books of the New Testament; thirdly, in its lit. their form, genre and name must correspond to the works presented in the New Testament canon (gospels, acts, epistles, apocalypse).

With this approach, New Testament apocrypha cannot include texts that correspond to New Testament genres (and sometimes have the same names as Christian apocrypha), but are clearly not distinguished by Christian ideas. Such, for example, are works of a predominantly Gnostic nature from the codices found in Nag Hammadi (“Apocrypha of James”, “Apocrypha of John”, “Gospel of Truth”, “Gospel of Mary”, “Gospel of the Egyptians”, “Gospel of Thomas”, “Gospel of Philip", "Acts of Peter", "Acts of Peter and the 12 Apostles", "Apocalypse of Paul", "1 and 2 Apocalypse of James", "Apocalypse of Peter", "Epistle of Peter to Philip"). Similarly, New Testament apocrypha cannot include works related to Old Testament events, written by Christian authors, or that originally arose in the Jewish environment, but subsequently received Christian processing (“The Tale of Melchizedek” by Athanasius of Alexandria, “The Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah”, etc.) . These works fall under the broader definition of Christian apocryphal literature. However, in practice, especially in relation to medieval national lit. traditions, this distinction is usually not made consistently, and the entire complex of their canonical texts or individual monuments included in it are considered as apocrypha.

The texts of “double-faith” (F.I. Buslaev’s term) folk works (prayers, incantations, spells, spiritual poems), which uniquely rework New Testament themes and images, cannot be classified as New Testament apocrypha. This type of Christian literature relates more to folklore than to literature.

The New Testament apocrypha existed in both oral and written form. Their written recording coincides in time with the appearance of New Testament texts, and, perhaps, as some scholars believe in relation to individual texts (for example, “The Gospel of Peter”), precedes them. The New Testament apocrypha, spreading through translations into the languages ​​of the Christian world, was modified, their plots received different ideological and lit. processing and have come down to us both in multi-time and multilingual versions.

From a scientific point of view, the New Testament apocrypha are important sources on the history of both early and late Christianity. Since certain New Testament apocrypha existed for some time in church life along with canonical texts, they had a great influence on church ritual, hymnography, and iconography. In accordance with the genres presented in the New Testament canon, the New Testament apocrypha can be divided into apocryphal gospels (of which a group of non-canonical sayings is distinguished - agrapha), acts, epistles and apocalypses.

Apocryphal gospel - one of the most numerous and diverse types of New Testament apocrypha. Among them there is special group, which dates back to the Christians of Palestine, but was widespread both on its territory and in Syria and Egypt among Christians of Jewish origin. These are the Judeo-Christian gospels. None of them has been completely preserved, and they are reconstructed from passages from patristic literature (“Gospel of the Jews,” “Gospel of the Egyptians,” “Gospel of the Ebionites”). Source difficulties (a small number of passages, the different times of the authors who quote them) make it difficult to date them; they probably arose almost simultaneously with the canonical texts or even earlier. According to the features of lit. In form, style and language, the Judeo-Christian gospels are close to the canonical ones, but the narrative tradition comes from the Arabic. basics.

By the 2nd century AD, when there were no living bearers of the oral tradition about Christ who personally knew and heard Him, a new direction arose in the creation of apocryphal gospels, designed to fill in the eventual gaps of the canonical Gospels, as well as to describe the lives of people associated with Jesus Christ. This, in particular, is the story about the childhood and marriage of Mary, the Mother of God, Greek. the text of which, after its discovery in the 16th century. became known as the "Proto-Gospel of James". Currently time this work is known from many Greek. lists (the oldest, the Bodmer papyrus of the 3rd century, retained the original title “The Birth of Mary. The Revelation of Jacob”) and translations into various languages. The lack of a tradition of narration about Mary forced the author of the Proto-Gospel of James to construct a story based on several sources, including those not directly related to Her; There are different editions of the work. The author's goal was to establish the dogma of the unmarried conception of Jesus Christ and the ever-virginity of Mary. But in the Proto-Gospel of Jacob, the narrative and everyday background clearly prevails over the theological, although the author is poorly acquainted with the customs and religious life of Palestine. The work was intended for Greek-speaking non-Jewish Christians and dates from c. 200 AD. It played a big role in the formation of the image and veneration of the Mother of God. In the East, the text of the “Proto-Gospel of James” served as the basis for the formation of the tradition of holidays dedicated to the Mother of God and became the source of the Nativity and Theotokos canons. Many iconographic details of the images of the Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anna, and Joseph are drawn from it.

There is a group of apocryphal gospels dedicated to describing the childhood of Jesus Christ. The most famous of them is the “Gospel of Pseudo-Thomas”. The text has reached us in Greek in 2 editions, as well as in Latin, Sir. and glory translations. It tells about the miracles performed by Jesus Christ at the age of 5-12 years. Many scholars previously believed that the work was written under the influence of Gnostic ideas, but this opinion is now disputed. The difficulty of studying the work is that the text was shortened and distorted, so that over time the symbolic meaning of individual episodes is lost and difficult to interpret. Other childhood gospels have been preserved in Eastern Christian literature - very entertaining and detailed Arabic. and Armenian works presented in several editions and still little studied.

A special group of apocryphal gospels consists of the gospels of the Passion and Resurrection. These include the “Gospel of Peter,” preserved fragmentarily in Greek. language and also known from mentions in the writings of the Church Fathers. The fragment of this gospel that has reached us, close in structure to the canonical one, is devoted to a description of the trial of Christ, the execution on the cross and the Resurrection. The trial does not take place in front of the people, but indoors, Herod Antipas and the top of the Jews actively participate in the condemnation, and after the execution the people repent of their deeds. The Resurrection of Christ is described in great detail, which takes place before the eyes of many witnesses and is replete with fantastic details. These episodes have no parallels in the canonical Gospels and are associated with apocalyptic literature. The fragment ends with a story about the appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ to the disciples. Scientists have different assessments of the ideological orientation of the essay. Some believe that it arose in the Docet sect, others believe that it is distinguished by its Judeo-Christian orientation, while others emphasize its anti-Jewish sharpness. Most likely, we have before us a work that reflected contradictory trends in the development of Christianity in that period when the gospel material had not yet been finally formed within the framework of the canon. The work can be dated to the 1st half. II century according to R.H.

The “Gospel of Nicodemus,” which came to light in multilingual versions, aimed to present all the ancient testimonies about Jesus Christ. The text is a compilation of several sources and is divided into 2 parts. 1st - treatment of legends about Pontius Pilate, which describes the trial of Christ, execution and accompanying signs, burial and Resurrection. In the 2nd part, from the words of the resurrected sons of Simeon the God-Receiver, the Savior’s descent into hell, His victory over the devil and the introduction of arch. Michael of the righteous to heaven. The tradition set forth in Part 2 is based on the doctrine of Christ’s victory over death, which is reflected in liturgical practice. The original “Gospel of Nicodemus” was apparently written in Greek and dates from the 1st half. V century

In terms of content, the “Gospel of Bartholomew” is adjacent to it. Under this name two works are combined: “Questions of Bartholomew”, not completely preserved in Greek, Lat. and glory versions, and “The Book of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by the Apostle Bartholomew” (in Coptic language), which is a homiletical treatment of the plot intended for liturgical purposes. After the Resurrection of Christ, St. Bartholomew asks Him questions about redemption and the incarnation. Then the apostle talks with the devil, summoned from hell, and he talks about the angels, how he was cast out of heaven and how God created the first man. Bartholomew orders the devil to return to the underworld and begs the Lord to have mercy on sinners and reward the righteous according to their deeds. The original was written in Greek and dates from the 3rd century. according to R.H.

A large place among the New Testament apocrypha is occupied by apocryphal deeds. Works of this genre are usually divided into “large” and “small”. The 1st group includes texts that are significant in volume and created in the 2nd-3rd centuries. according to R. X. 2nd group - works, in form and content, dependent on the texts of the 1st group and written in the 4th-7th centuries. The apocryphal acts of the 1st group are poorly preserved; their content is reconstructed from fragments that have come down to different languages Christian world. Scholars who studied these texts tried to find out, first of all, what type of Christian theology was reflected in them. In the 19th century There was a widespread opinion about the Gnostic origin of apocryphal acts, but in the twentieth century. This view has been refuted, and it has been proposed that they should be regarded as originally orthodox texts which were later reworked by the Gnostics for their own purposes. The most productive seems to be the scientific direction that provides individual approach to each composition and identifying different stylistic and ideological layers in it. Apocryphal acts are a completely new literature generated by Christianity. a genre whose formation was influenced by both Hellenistic literature and Greek. language (hyponematic biographies, aretalogy, Eastern Hellenistic romance), and Middle Eastern. liters in Hebrew. and Aram. languages.

The most complete text (in Syriac and Greek versions) is “The Acts of Judas Thomas.” It has been established that the work was written in sire. language in the 1st half. III century according to R.H. and its creation is associated with the establishment in Edessa, the capital of Sir. Established, veneration of St. Thomas. The first part of the lengthy narrative tells how the apostle, having been sold into slavery to an Indian merchant, goes with him to India, where he preaches Christianity. First, he brings the king's daughter and her fiancé to the new faith, then King Gundofar and his courtiers and servants. What follows are stories about healings, resurrections and expulsions of demons that Judas Thomas performs while traveling around the country. The 2nd part of the story takes place at the court of King Mazdai. Thomas converts the courtiers and then the entire family of the king to Christianity, for which he is imprisoned and executed as a martyr. The story ends with a message about the transfer of the relics of the apostle from India to the West. The text of the work includes several poetic passages, including the famous “Song of the Pearl,” which is probably a translation of the lost Middle Persian. anthem.

Of the apocryphal acts that have come down in fragments, the most ancient are considered to be the “Acts of John” (1st half of the 2nd century). The place of creation of this work was probably Asia Minor, although modern researchers believe that the text could have appeared in Egypt. The contents of the work have now been restored according to various sources quite completely and with a high degree of probability. The action mainly takes place in Ephesus, where the apostle constantly returns after traveling to Miletus, Smyrna, and Laodicea. John converts the noble woman Cleopatra and her husband Lycomedes to Christianity. The latter wished to have a portrait of the apostle and, having received it from the artist, began to give honor to the image of John, which brought the censure of the apostle, who preached a sermon about the portrait of the soul. This story was preserved in the Acts of the VII Ecumenical Council, which condemned the iconoclasts. Various episodes of the Acts of John describe the resurrection and healing of old and sick women in the theater of Ephesus by the apostle, the priest of the temple of Artemis, the son of Antipater. A large place is occupied by the story of Callimachus’ love for the chaste Drusiana. They both die, but are resurrected by the apostle and converted to new life. The Acts of John ends with the story of the repose of the apostle on Sunday in Ephesus after a sermon, prayer and the Eucharist. Certain episodes of the Acts of John have been preserved in translations into many languages ​​of the Christian world.

The “Acts of Paul” were equally ancient (written before the end of the 2nd century). The content of the work is reconstructed from various texts (in Greek and Copt. languages). The story began with a description of the vision of the apostle. Paul on the way to Damascus, followed by the story of his stay in Ephesus and Antioch, the story of the noble girl Thekla from the city of Iconium, who endured a variety of persecutions and torments, but enlightened many and converted to Christianity. From Ephesus, where Paul preaches in the house of Aquila and Priscilla, he goes to Philippi, from where he writes 3 Corinthians. After visiting Corinth, he went to Rome, where he suffered martyrdom under the emperor. Nerone. The Acts of Paul was one of the canonical texts in many Eastern Churches. Their authority is referred to, for example, by Origen when expounding the doctrine of the Logos (De princ. I 2.3). To the original Greek. versions go back to translations into Latin, Syriac, Slavic. and Arab. languages.

The type of the oldest text of the Acts of Peter is difficult to determine. It is assumed that these were the joint “Acts of Paul and Peter,” written as if in continuation of the canonical Acts. In the surviving fragments (the oldest Latin text of the 3rd-4th centuries - “Acts of Vercelli”) the story begins with the departure of the apostle. Paul from Rome to Spain. Apostle arrives to replace him in Rome. Peter, who enters into a long struggle with Simon the Magus. Peter performs many miracles: making a dog speak, bringing a fish to life, raising the dead, exposing Simon's frauds, and finally defeating him in the Sabbath debate about the divinity of Christ in the Roman forum. Then followed the story of Peter’s flight from Rome due to the outbreak of persecution. On the way, the Lord appears to him, and, encouraged by Him, Peter returns to Rome to accept martyrdom. Before his execution, he delivers a sermon revealing the symbolic meaning of the cross. A papyrus text in Copt has been preserved. a language in which one reads the story of Peter’s healing with a single word of his own daughter, who was paralyzed.

The original text of the “Acts of Andrew” (2nd century) has also not been completely preserved, and their content is reconstructed from multilingual (Latin, Greek, Copt., Armenian) fragments. Some scholars believe that they may have been composed in Achaia. Part 1 of “Acts” is a description of the apostle’s journey, when, going around the north. and south coast of the Black Sea, he performs miracles and successfully preaches in Asia Minor, and then arrives in Greece. The 2nd part tells about Andrei’s activities in Achaia. In Patras he is sentenced to martyrdom by crucifixion, and the apostle completes his labors of evangelism by pronouncing a poetic appeal to the cross before his death.

“Great” apocryphal acts in antiquity underwent several treatments. Already from the 4th century. a special collection was known, compiled by a certain Leucius Charinus, who systematized scattered texts of apocryphal acts and processed them in a Gnostic or Manichaean spirit. The Patriarch of Constantinople, St., was familiar with this collection. Photius (IX century), brief excerpts from him are also preserved in the Acts of the VII Om. Council, which condemned this collection as heretical. In the VI century. was composed in Lat. language "History of the Apostles", attributed to Obadiah, bishop. Babylonian, where the collection of Leucius, taken as a basis, is cleared of heretical elements.

The “large” apocryphal acts served as a model and provided factual material for writing the “small” ones, compiled in various languages ​​at a later time. Among them with the name ap. John is related to the “Acts of John” by Prochorus (VI century), widespread in the Byzantine world, sire. essay “The History of John”, lat. work "The Virtues and Martyrdom of John". Lat. dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul. “The Martyrdom of Peter and Paul” by Pseudo-Linus, “The Acts of Peter and Paul” by Pseudo-Marcellus, “The Martyrdom of Peter and Paul” by Pseudo-Egesippus, sire. “Teachings of Peter” and “History of Peter”, slav. "Life of Peter". With the name ap. Peter are connected, etc. Pseudo-Clementines attributed to Clement of Rome. In this work, which reached Lat. translation by Rufinus, partly in sire. version and partially in Greek, the treatment of the cycle of stories about Peter is presented, written in the form of an autobiography of the author of the work. With app. Andrei is associated with a group of famous texts existing in Greek, Latin, Copt., Ethiopian, Syriac, Armenian, Georgian. and glory languages: “Acts of Andrew and Matthias”, “Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew”, “Acts of Peter and Andrew”, “Acts of Paul and Andrew”, “Acts of Andrew and Philemon”. With the name ap. Bartholomew associated Copts. "The Acts of Bartholomew", lat. and Armenian "Martyrdom of Bartholomew", Greek. "The Acts of Bartholomew and Barnabas." With the name ap. Philip - “The Acts of Philip” (Greek, Armenian, Georgian, Slavic texts), sire. "The History of Philip", Copt. "The Acts of Philip and Peter." With the name Thaddeus - “The Acts of Thaddeus” (Greek and Copt. versions). Apocryphal acts were the basis for the traditions accepted by the Church about the life and work of all the apostles. Christ. iconography borrowed from these acts descriptions of the image and characteristic features apostles

Apocryphal messages , like the canonical ones, they present in epistolary form instructions in faith and the Christian way of life, explain various Christian dogmas. The most important among them is “3rd Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians,” included in the “Acts of Paul.” It is preserved in the Heidelberg papyrus in Copt. language, in several lats. fragments and in a papyrus passage from the Bodmer collection. This message is the answer. Paul to the appeal of the inhabitants of Corinth to him, who needed his support in the fight against Gnostic teachings. The Apostle explains the dogmas about the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and preaches about the coming resurrection of the flesh.

In lat. language and glory translated (copies from the 16th century) the “Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans” came to light. Some scholars believe that it arose among supporters of the Gnostic Marcion, although the text, written in the style of the canonical Epistles of Paul and lexically similar to it, does not provide grounds for identifying a clearly expressed theological orientation in it.

In lat. Correspondence of 14 letters between ap. is known in the language. Paul and Rome Stoic philosopher Seneca (3rd century). This is an apology for the views of St. Paul, written to attract attention from educated circles of Roman society. Very conditionally, the legend about the correspondence of the Edessa king Abgar with Jesus Christ, which received its lit. registration in sir. language in the beginning III century with approval in sir. The origin of Christianity became the ideological justification for this process. It marked the beginning of a series of similar tales that exist in various Christian literatures and are devoted to the theme of the conversion of the monarch and the people under his rule to Christianity.

Among the numerous works of Christian apocalyptic literature created both during the period of early Christianity and at a later time, only a few works can be classified as apocryphal apocalypses . 1st half II century According to R.H., the “Apocalypse of Peter” is dated, known in part from Greek. original and completely in Ethiopian. translation, which quite adequately reflects the original version of the work. It describes the visions and revelations that are revealed to Jesus Christ and the disciples accompanying Him. Pictures of heaven represent the place where the righteous in white clothes reside. This is one of the first descriptions of heaven in Christian literature, imagined as a bright and colorful earthly world. Sinners are in hell, their offenses are determined in accordance with the norms of early Christian ethics. Among the sins, the sin of apostasy is especially emphasized. Unlike the canonical Apocalypse, interest is focused on the description of the afterlife, the classification of various sins, the inevitability of punishment for sinners and the inevitability of salvation for the righteous. Early Christian authors also knew the “Apocalypse of Paul,” but in Greek. language it was not preserved, but came to us in later translations and adaptations in Latin, Syriac, Armenian. and glory languages. The difference between these multilingual texts is so significant that it is not yet possible to restore the original text. This work also describes the stay of the righteous and sinners in heaven and hell, where the apostle travels. Paul and where he communicates with the forefathers and prophets. In Greek, Armenian, Ethiopian. and glory The “Apocalypse of Mary” is known in languages, in which the torment of sinners is described in detail, the Mother of God intercedes for them and asks the Lord for forgiveness for them. This text dates back to the 9th century. and stylistically depends on the apocalypses of Peter and Paul.

Gospel of Thomas

The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay his head and rest. 91.Jesus said: Miserable is the body that depends on the body, and miserable is the soul that depends on both. 92.Jesus said: Angels and prophets come to you, and they will give you what is yours, and you also give them what is in your hands, and say to yourself: On what day do they come and take what is theirs? 93.Jesus said: Why do you wash the inside of the cup and do not understand that the one who made the inside also made the outside? 94.Jesus said: Come to me, for my yoke is easy and my power is gentle, and you will find rest for yourself. 95.They said to him: Tell us who you are, so that we may believe in you. He said to them: You test the face of heaven and earth; and who what? before you - how to experience it. 96. Jesus said: Seek and you will find, but those things that you asked me in those days, I did not tell you then. Now I want to say them and you don't look for them. 97. Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw it into the dung. Do not throw pearls to swine, lest they do it... 98. Jesus said: He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will have the door opened to him. 99. Jesus said: If you have money, do not lend it on interest, but give...from whom you will not take it. 100.Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a woman who took some leaven, put it in dough and divided it into large loaves. He who has ears, let him hear! 101.Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a woman carrying a vessel full of flour and walking along a receding road. The handle of the vessel broke, the flour scattered behind it on the road. She didn't know about it, she didn't understand how to act. When she reached her home, she placed the vessel on the ground and found it empty. 102.Jesus said: The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who wants to kill strong man . He drew a sword in his house, he plunged it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand would be strong. Then he killed the strong man. 103.The disciples said to him: Your brothers and your mother are standing outside. He said to them: Those who are here, who do the will of my Father, are my brothers and my mother. They are the ones who will enter the kingdom of my Father. 104. They showed Jesus the gold and said to him: Those who belong to Caesar demand tribute from us. He said to them: Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God, and what is mine, give it to me! 105. He who did not hate his father and his mother, like I did, cannot be my disciple, and he who did not love his father and his mother, like me, cannot be my disciple. For my mother... but truly she gave me life. 106.Jesus said: Woe to them, the Pharisees! For they are like a dog that sleeps on a bullock trough. For she neither eats nor gives the oxen food. 107.Jesus said: Blessed is the man who knows at what time the robbers come, so that he will rise, gather... and gird up his loins before they come. 108.They said to him: Let us go and pray today and fast. Jesus said: What is the sin that I have committed or to which I have succumbed. But when the bridegroom comes out of the bridal chamber, then let them fast and let them pray! 109.Jesus said: He who knows his father and mother will be called the son of a harlot. 110.Jesus said: When you make the two one, you will become the Son of man, and if you say to the mountain: Move, it will move. 111.Jesus said: The kingdom is like a shepherd who has a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, got lost. He left the ninety-nine and searched for one until he found her. After he had labored, he said to the sheep: I love you more than ninety-nine. 112.Jesus said: He who drinks from my lips will become like me. I too, I will become him, and the secret will be revealed to him. 113.Jesus said: The kingdom is like a man who has secret treasure in his field without knowing it. And he didn't find it before he died, he left it to his son. The son didn't know; he received this field and sold it. And the one who bought it came, dug up and found the treasure. He started lending money at interest to those he wanted. 114.Jesus said: He who has found peace and become rich, let him renounce the world! 115.Jesus said: The heavens and the earth will be rolled up before you, and he who lives from the living will not see death. For? Jesus said: He who has found himself, the world is not worthy of him. 116.Jesus said: Woe to that flesh that depends on the soul; woe to that soul that depends on the flesh. 117.His disciples said to him: On what day does the kingdom come? Jesus said: It does not come when expected. They won’t say: Here, here! - or: There, there! “But the Father’s kingdom is spreading across the earth, and people do not see it. 118. Simon Peter said to them: Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life. Jesus said: See, I will guide her to make her a man, so that she also may become a living spirit like you men. For every woman who becomes a man will enter the kingdom of heaven. Gospel of Thomas Commentary This historical document is composed of a dialogue between Jesus and the Apostle Thomas and includes 114 logions translated from Greek - sayings that are very different in spirit from the texts in the New Testament. This manuscript, like all the other books found with it, dates back to around 350 AD. The manuscript contained references to a Greek text, fragments of which found during archaeological excavations date back to the year 200. Thus, the Greek version of this gospel is an earlier document than is commonly believed. Leading scholars have differing opinions regarding this manuscript. Some believe that its origins go back to the time of Jesus Christ, others believe that this new gospel is actually the source Q of the New Testament - the documentary basis from which all other parts of the Bible are created. The theory of the existence of a Q source was first proposed in the 19th century by a German scientist. The manuscript gives us answers to some controversial questions of theology and testifies to the exceptional diversity of religious doctrines of early Christianity. But the most important thing is different: the 5th Gospel proves that the Christian tradition was by no means always so rigid and unchanging. Recently, quite often there have been rumors that there are certain materials about Jesus Christ that the official church has been hiding for almost 2000 years. Be that as it may, now we can lift the veil of secrecy surrounding this historical document. It is known that books from the library found in Nag Hammadi disappeared from circulation or were hidden in the 4th century AD, when the Council of Nicaea proclaimed the unity of faith and religious doctrine. Any deviation from this doctrine came to be considered heresy. In response to such ideological tightening, some texts of a religious nature that did not fit into the official doctrine were hidden for the time being. No one could even imagine that this “for the time being” would last for as long as 1600 years! It is necessary to make a distinction between purely historical significance this document and its significance for religion. Official doctrine is based on the opinions of just a few people. By the time the decision was made to adhere to a single Christian doctrine, the Council of Nicea had already excluded these texts from Christian teaching . The very fact that only one copy of these texts has reached us suggests that from the very beginning they were not available to the general public and were more of a kind of secret or even esoteric literature. Today, the scientific community is divided on these texts, and the church stubbornly refuses to accept them as a full-fledged Christian heritage. Commentary by A. Loginov Anyone who reads the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas for the first time usually experiences disappointment: the sayings of Jesus collected in this work seem so familiar to him from the canonical version of the New Testament. However, the deeper he dives into the study of the text, the stronger his doubts about the validity of such an impression. Gradually he becomes convinced how difficult it is to answer the question of what this famous “fifth gospel” is, as it was initially called. Already the first lines of the monument, setting up for its interpretation “He who finds the interpretation of these words will not taste death,” force the modern reader to think not only about the meaning that the author proposes to discover, but also about what this call itself means, what kind of communication path it implies, what kind of thinking one has to deal with, what phenomena of culture and social history it testifies to. The task cannot but captivate the one who takes on this most interesting document. At a quick glance, the closest of Nag Hammadi's works to the much-researched tradition of early Christianity, upon closer examination it turns out to be perhaps the most difficult to understand. Even the dark speculations of the Apocrypha of John or the mysterious "Essence of the Archons" ultimately leave less room for doubt than this gospel. Contents of the apocrypha “These are the secret words that the living Jesus spoke and which Didymus Judas Thomas wrote down.” – See the introduction stops anyone who studies the history of early Christianity and its spiritual environment. In this work, which promises to expound the secret teachings of Jesus and was rejected by the church, researchers are looking for answers to numerous questions regarding the development of Christianity and Gnosticism. The gospel came to us in Codex II of Nag Hammadi. It is the second in it, occupying pages 32. 1051.26. Since it, like the Gospel of Philip that follows it, consists of individual sayings, it is usually divided by sayings, which we follow (1). The monument is well preserved, there are almost no gaps. The Gospel is a translation from Greek into the Sahidic dialect of the Coptic language. How and where to approach the interpretation of the monument? Shouldn't we start from those few references from the church fathers about the so-called Gospel of Thomas, to which the researchers first of all turned? However, research carried out by J. Doress and A. S. Puech and other scientists convinces: the similarity between the works bearing the same name as the second work from the Nag Hammadi Codex II is in some cases purely external (2). Perhaps the path of studying the monument from the point of view of those concepts and images that are found in it - the kingdom, peace, light, darkness, peace, life, death, spirit, forces, angels - and which allow us to outline its content area promises more success. Much attention has been paid to this in foreign literature. But does such an analysis exhaust the possibility of understanding all the originality of the monument? Isn’t the ideological content highlighted in this way distorted in logically flawless, more or less unambiguous systems? Don't they impose

First Gospel of James

Chapter I

It is written in the history of the twelve tribes of Israel that Joachim was very rich and brought double gifts to the Lord, saying in his heart: “Let my property be for all the people, so that my sins may be forgiven before God, so that the Lord may have mercy on me.”

And then the great feast of the Lord came, and the children of Israel brought their gifts, and Reuben rebelled against Joachim, saying: “It is not right for you to offer your gift, for you have no descendants in Israel.”

And Joachim was seized with great grief, and he approached the family lists of the twelve tribes, saying to himself: “I will see in the tribes of Israel, am I the only one who has no descendants in Israel?” And, examining, he saw that all the righteous had left offspring, for he remembered the patriarch Abraham, to whom in the last days of his years the Lord gave the son Isaac.

And Joachim did not want to appear in grief before his wife; and he withdrew into the desert, and pitched his tent there, and fasted forty days and forty nights, saying in his heart: “I will not accept food or drink, but my prayer will be my food.”

Chapter II

His wife Anna was tormented by double sadness and double torment, saying: “I mourn both my widowhood and my infertility.”

The great feast of the Lord has arrived, and so Judith, Anna’s servant, said to her: “How long will you grieve your soul? You are not allowed to cry, for this is the day of a great holiday. Take these clothes and adorn your head. As surely as I am your servant, you will look like a queen.”

And Anna answered: “Get away from me; I won't do that. God has humbled me deeply. Be afraid that the Lord will not punish you for your sin.” The maid Judith answered: “What can I tell you if you do not want to listen to my voice? God has justly shut up your womb, so that you will not give a child to Israel.”

And Hannah was very sad, and took off her mourning clothes, and adorned her head, and put on wedding clothes. And about nine o'clock she went down into the garden to walk in it, and, seeing a laurel tree, she sat down under it, and offered her prayers to the Lord, saying: “God of my fathers, bless me and hear my prayer, as You blessed the womb Sarah and gave her a son, Isaac."

Chapter III

And, looking at the sky, she saw laurel tree sparrow's nest, and howled with grief: “Alas! What can I liken myself to? Who gave me life that I am so cursed before the children of Israel? They laugh at me and insult me, and they drive me out of the temple of the Lord.

Alas! What do I liken myself to? I cannot compare with the birds of the air, for the birds are fruitful before You, O Lord. I cannot compare with the creatures of the earth, for they are fertile.

I cannot compare with the sea, for it is full of fish, nor with the earth, for it gives fruit in its season and blesses the Lord.”

Chapter IV

And then the angel of the Lord flew to her, saying: “Anna, God has heard your prayer; You will conceive and you will give birth, and your family will be famous throughout the world.” Hannah said, “As the Lord my God lives; If a boy or a girl is born to me, I will give him to the Lord, and he will devote his whole life to serving the Lord.”

And then two angels appeared to her, saying: “Your husband Joachim is coming with his flocks.” And the Angel of the Lord descended to him, saying: “Joachim, Joachim, God has heard your prayer, your wife Anna will conceive.”

And Joachim came and said to his shepherds: “Bring me ten sheep, clean and without blemishes, and they will be for the Lord my God. And bring me twelve bullocks without blemish, and they will be for the priests and elders of the house of Israel, and bring me a hundred goats, and there will be a hundred goats for all the people.”

And then Joachim came with his flocks, and Anna was at the door of her house and saw Joachim walking with his flocks, and she ran and fell on his neck, saying: “Now I know that the Lord God blessed me, for I was a widow, and now this is no more; I was barren and I conceived.” And Joachim rested that very day in his house.

Chapter V

The next day he presented his gifts, saying in his heart: “If the Lord has blessed me, let there be a clear sign for me on the circlet of the high priest’s robe.” And Joachim brought his gifts, and looked at the hoop, or behual, when he approached the altar of God, and saw no sin on himself. And Joachim said: “Now I know that the Lord listened to me and forgave me all my sins.” And he went out justified from the house of the Lord and came to his own house.

Anna conceived, and in the ninth month she gave birth and asked the woman who was following her: “Whom have I given birth to?” And she answered: “Daughter.” And Anna said: “My soul is glad this day.” And Hannah nursed her child and gave Her the name Mary.

Chapter VI

And her baby grew stronger every day. When She was six months old, Her mother put Her on the ground to see if She could stand. And She took seven steps and returned to the arms of her mother. And Anna said: “As the Lord my God lives; You will not walk on the earth until I bring You to the temple of the Lord.” And she sanctified her bed, and she put away everything bad from herself for Her sake. And she called the virgin maidens of the Jews, and they followed the child.

And when She was one year old, Joachim held a great feast and invited the chief priests, and the scribes, and the whole council, and all the people of Israel. And he offered gifts to the high priests, and they blessed Her, saying: “God of our fathers, bless this child and give Her a name, that she may be glorified throughout all generations.” And all the people said, “Amen, so be it.” And Mary's parents presented Her to the priests, and they blessed Her, saying: "Lord of glory, look on this child and send Her your blessing, indestructible for ever."

And Her mother took Her and fed Her and sang a song, saying: “I will sing praises to the Lord my God, for He has visited me and delivered me from the blasphemy of my enemies. And the Lord God gave me the fruit of justice, which multiplied in His presence. Who will tell the children (Reuben) that Hannah has a baby? Listen, you twelve tribes of Israel, and hear that Hannah is feeding the baby.”

And she laid the baby on the place she had consecrated, and went out and served the guests. When the feast was over, they left full of joy and gave Her the name Mary, glorifying the God of Israel.

Chapter VII

When Mary was two years old, Joachim said to Anna, his wife: “Let us take Her to the temple of the Lord in order to fulfill the vow we have made; Let us be afraid, lest the Lord be angry with us and take this child away from us.”

And Anna said: “Let’s wait until the third year, for I am afraid that he will call his father and mother.” And Joachim said: “Let’s wait.”

And the child reached the age of three, and Joachim said: “Call the immaculate Jewish virgins, and let them take the lamps and light them, and let not the child turn back, and let not her spirit depart from the house of God.” And the virgins did so and entered the temple. And the high priest received the child, kissed her and said: “Mary, the Lord has given greatness to your name throughout all generations, and at the end of days the Lord will show in you the price of the redemption of the children of Israel.”

And he placed Her on the third step of the altar, and the Lord God poured out His mercy on Her, and She trembled with joy and danced on Her feet, and all the house of Israel loved Her.

Chapter VIII

And Her parents went, marveling and praising God that the child did not turn to them. Mary was raised like a dove in the temple of the Lord and She received food from the hands of angels.

When She reached twelve years old, the priests gathered in the temple of the Lord and said: “Now Mary spent ten years in the temple; What should we do, for we are afraid that the shrine of our Lord our God might suffer some desecration?” And the priests said to the high priest: “Go to the throne of the Lord and pray for Her, and whatever the Lord declares to you, we will listen to.”

The high priest, having put on his robe adorned with twelve bells, entered the Holy of Holies and he prayed for Mary. And then the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him: “Zechariah, Zechariah, go out and call those who are unmarried among the people, and let each of them bring a staff, and the one whom the Lord indicates with a sign will be given as a husband to Mary to keep her.” " And the heralds went out throughout all the land of Judea, and the trumpet of the Lord sounded, and everyone came running.

Chapter IX

Joseph threw down his ax and went with the others. And having gathered (together), they went to the high priest, receiving each a staff. The high priest took a staff from each one, and he entered the temple and prayed, and then he went out and returned to each one the staff he had brought, and no sign appeared. But when he gave the staff to Joseph, a dove flew out of it and sat on Joseph’s head. And the high priest said to Joseph: “By God’s election you have been commanded to receive this Virgin of the Lord, to keep Her with you.”

And Joseph objected, saying: “I have children, and I am old, while She is very young; I am afraid of being ridiculed by the children of Israel.” The high priest answered Joseph: “Fear the Lord your God and remember what the Lord did to Dathan, Abiron and Korah, how the earth opened up and swallowed them up, because they dared to resist the commands of God.

Beware, Joseph, lest the same thing happen to your house.”

Joseph, terrified, received Mary and said to her: “I receive You from the temple of the Lord, and I will leave You in the house, and go and do my carpenter’s work, and I will return to You. And may the Lord God bless you all your days.”

Chapter X

And there was a meeting of the priests, and they said: “Let us make a curtain or carpet for the temple of the Lord.” And the high priest said: “Call to me the virgins from the line of David.” And they found seven such girls. The high priest saw before him Mary, who was from the line of David and was blameless before God. And he said: “Cast lots to see who gets to spin threads of gold, and amianth, and fine linen, and silk, and hyacinth, and crimson.” And the real purple and scarlet went to Mary by lot, and, having received them, She went to Her house. And at that very time Zechariah became dumb, and Samuel took his place. Until the time when Zechariah again spoke to You, O Mary! And Mary, having received the purple and scarlet, set to work on Her yarn.

Chapter XI

And, taking a jug, She went to scoop up water, and then She heard a voice that said: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with You, blessed are You among all women!” Maria looked left and right to find out where the voice came from. And, being afraid, She entered Her house, and set down the pitcher, and, taking the purple, She sat down to work.

And then the angel of the Lord appeared before Her, saying: “Fear nothing, Mary; You have found favor with the Lord." And Mary, listening to him, thought to herself: “Will I conceive from God and have a child born, as others are born? »

And the angel of the Lord said to Her: “It will not be so, Mary, for the power of God will overshadow You, and a Holy One will be born of You, and He will be called the Son of God. And You will give Him the name Jesus; He will redeem His people from the sins they have committed. And your relative Elizabeth conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible with God.” And Mary said to him: “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.”

Chapter XII

And having finished the purple and crimson, She took them to the high priest. And he blessed Her and said: “O Mary! Your name will be glorified and You will be blessed throughout all the earth.”

And Mary, feeling great joy (filled with great joy), went to Elizabeth, her relative, and knocked at her door. Elizabeth, hearing Her, ran to the door, and saw Mary, and said: “Where do I come from, that the Mother of my Lord has come to me? That which is in me stirred (moved) and blessed You.” And the secrets announced by the Archangel Gabriel to Mary were hidden from Her. And looking at heaven, She said: “What am I, that all generations will call me blessed? »

From day to day Her womb increased in size, and Mary, overcome with fear, returned to Her house and hid herself from the eyes of the children of Israel. And She was sixteen years old when this happened.

Chapter XIII

The sixth month of Her pregnancy came, and then Joseph returned from his work as a carpenter, and, entering his house, he saw that Mary was pregnant. And, bowing his head, he threw himself on the ground and surrendered to great despair, saying: “How can I be justified before God? How will I pray for this woman? I received Her as a virgin from the temple of the Lord, and I did not keep Her. Who is the one who did this evil deed in my house and who seduced this girl? Did Adam's story repeat itself with me? For in the hour of his glory the serpent entered and found Eve alone and deceived her; and truly the same thing happened to me.”

And Joseph rose from the sack on which he had fallen, and he said to Mary: “O You, who stood so high in the sight of the Lord, how could You do this? And why have You forgotten the Lord Your God, You who were brought up in the Holy of Holies? You, who took food from the hands of angels, how could You violate your duty like that?”

Mary wept bitterly and answered: “I am blameless, and I do not know a husband.” And Joseph said to Her: “How did it happen that You conceived? »

And Mary answered: “As the Lord my God lives; I call Him to witness that I do not know how this happened.”

Chapter XIV

And Joseph, struck with amazement, thought to himself: “What should I do with Her? “And he said: “If I cover up Her sin, I will be found guilty according to the law of the Lord; If I accuse Her and bring Her before the children of Israel, then I am afraid that this will not be fair, and will I condemn innocent blood to death? What should I do with Her? I will leave Her secretly." And he indulged in his thoughts during the night.

And then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him: “Do not be afraid to accept this woman; The one who will be born from Her, from the Holy Spirit. And you will give Him the name of Jesus; He will atone for the sins of His people." And Joseph stood up and glorified the God of Israel.

Chapter XV

Anna the scribe came to Joseph and said to him, “Why didn’t you come to the congregation?” And Joseph answered him: “I was tired from the road I had walked, and I wanted to rest on the first day.” And the scribe turned around and saw that Mary was pregnant.

And he ran to the high priest and said to him: “Joseph, whom you trust, has sinned gravely.” And the high priest said, “What happened?” And the scribe answered: “He desecrated the Virgin whom he received from the temple of the Lord, and he transgressed the law of marriage, and he hid himself from the children of Israel.” And the high priest answered: “Did Joseph really do this?” And the scribe Anna said: “Send the rulers, and they will see that Mary is with child.” And the rulers went, and they found that the scribe had spoken justly.

And they brought Mary and Joseph to judge them.

And the high priest said: “Mary, how could you do this and why did you destroy your soul, you who were brought up in the Holy of Holies, who took food from the hands of angels, who listened to the mysteries of the Lord and rejoiced in His presence? “She wept very bitterly and answered: “As the Lord my God lives; I am pure before the Lord and I don’t know my husband at all.”

And the high priest said to Joseph, “Why did you do this?” And Joseph said: “As the Lord God lives, and as His Christ lives; I call Them as witnesses that I am clean from all communication with Her.” And the high priest answered: “Do not bear false witness, but tell the truth; you hid her marriage and hid yourself from the children of Israel, and you did not bow your head under the right hand of the Almighty, so that your generation might be blessed.”

Chapter XVI

And the high priest also said: “Return this Virgin whom you received from the temple of the Lord.” And Joseph shed many tears, and the high priest said, “I will give you the water of the testimony of the Lord to drink, and your sin will be manifested before your eyes.”

And the high priest took water, gave it to Joseph to drink, and sent him up to the high places, and Joseph returned in full health. Mary drank also, and She entered the mountains and returned from there without feeling any illness (pain). And all the people were struck with amazement because their sin was not manifested in them.

And the high priest said: “God has not witnessed your sin, and I will not condemn you.” And he released them justified. And Joseph took Mary and brought her to him, filled with joy and glorifying the God of Israel.

Chapter XVII

Augustus Caesar issued a decree that everyone who was in Bethlehem (born in

Bethlehem) were rewritten. And Joseph said: “I will enroll my sons, but what will I do about this woman? How will I write it down? Will I list Her as my wife? She is not my wife, and I received Her from the temple of the Lord for safekeeping. Shall I say that She is my daughter? But all the sons of Israel know that She is not my daughter. What will I do regarding Her?

And Joseph saddled a donkey, and put Mary on the donkey. Joseph and Simon followed in three directions. And, turning around, Joseph saw that Mary was sad, and said: “Perhaps what is in Her depresses Her?” And turning around again, he saw that She was laughing, and he said to Her: “O Mary, what does it mean that Your face is sometimes sad and sometimes joyful?” And Mary said to Joseph: “This is because I see two peoples with My eyes - one weeps and groans, the other laughs and rejoices.”

And when they reached half the road, Mary said to him: “Take Me off My donkey, for what is in Me greatly troubles Me.” And Joseph took Her off the donkey and said to Her: “Where will I lead You, for this place is deserted? »

Chapter XVIII

And, having found a cave in that place, he brought Mary there, and left his son to guard Her, and he himself went to Bethlehem to look for a knowledgeable woman.

And while he was on his way, he saw the sky stand still, and the air was darkened, and the birds lingered in the midst of their flight.

And, looking at the ground, he saw a cauldron filled with cooked meat, and the workers reclining, whose hands were in the cauldrons. And, having gathered (started) to eat, they did not eat, and those who extended their hands did not take anything, and those who wanted to bring something to their lips did not bring anything, and everyone’s gaze was turned to the sky (directed upward). And the sheep were scattered, they did not walk, but remained motionless. And the shepherd raised his hand to hit them with his staff, and his hand stopped, without lowering.

And, looking towards the river, he saw goats whose lips touched the water, but they did not drink, for at that moment they all turned away from their path.

Chapter XIX

And so the woman coming down from the mountain said to him: “I ask you, where are you going?” And Joseph answered: “I am looking for a knowledgeable woman of the Jewish tribe.” And she said to him: “Are you from the Jewish tribe? "And he answered that it was so. Then she said: “Who is the woman who is giving birth in this cave?”

And he answered: “She is the one who is betrothed to me.” And she said, “She’s not your wife?” And Joseph said: “She is not my wife, but this is Mary, who was brought up in the temple of the Lord, and conceived by the Holy Spirit.” And the woman said to him: “Is it true?” And he said, “Come take a look.” And the woman went with him.

And she stopped when she approached the cave. And now a radiant cloud covered this cave. And the woman said: “Today my soul is exalted, for my eyes have seen wonders.” And the cave was suddenly filled with a radiance, so bright that the eyes could not contemplate it, and when this light gradually dissipated, they saw the Baby. His mother Mary fed Him. And the woman exclaimed: “This is a great day for me, for I have beheld a great sight.”

And she came out of the cave, and Salome met her. And the woman said to Salome: “I will tell you great miracles: a virgin gave birth, and she remains a virgin.” And Salome said: “As the Lord my God lives: if I do not convince myself, I will not believe.”

Chapter XX

And the woman, entering the cave again, said to Mary: “Lie down, for you have to great battle" Salome, touching Her, came out, saying: “Woe to me, the wicked and wicked, for I have tempted the living God. And my hand, burned by the consuming fire, falls and is separated from my hand.”

And she knelt before the Lord and said: “God of our fathers, remember me, for I am from the line of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And do not put me to shame before the children of Israel, but return me to my parents. You know, Lord, that in Your name I performed my healing and healing, and from You I received a reward.”

And the angel of the Lord appeared to her and said: “Salome, Salome, the Lord has heard you; stretch out your hand to the Child and take Him; He will be your healing and joy.” And Salome approached the Child and took Him in her arms, saying: “I will worship You, for a great King was born in

Israel." And she was immediately healed, and she came out of the cave justified. And a voice was heard near her and said to her: “Do not reveal the miracles that you have seen until the Child enters Jerusalem.”

Chapter XXI

And so Joseph prepared to go to Judea. And there was great commotion in Bethlehem, for the magicians came, saying: “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw a star in the East and we came to worship Him.”

And Herod, hearing this, was embarrassed and sent messengers to the magicians. And he called the chief priests and asked them, saying: “What is written concerning Christ? Where should He be born? “And they said: “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written.” Herod let them go, and he asked the magicians, saying: “Tell me, where did you see the sign denoting the newborn King?” And the magicians said: “His star rose shining, and it so surpassed in its brilliance all the other stars of heaven that they were no longer visible. And thus we learned that a great King had been born in Israel, and we came to worship Him.” Herod said to them, “Go and find out about Him, and if you find Him, come tell me to go and worship Him.”

And the magicians went, and the star they saw in the East led them until it entered the cave. And the magicians saw the Child with Mary, His Mother, and bowed to Him. And taking the offerings out of their bags, they offered Him gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And the angel informed them that they should not return to Herod, and they set off (went) to their country another way.