“ Apocryphal Acts of Apostles. The beginning of this literature appears to have been the work of one Lucius, of Charinus, in the second half of the Second Century. He composed the Acts, or Travels (Περίοδοι) of the Apostles Peter, John, Thomas, Andrew, and Paul (each apostle treated separately) . His sources were the New Testament Acts and Epistles, current oral tradition, and his own imagination. In these Acts certain Gnostic tendencies were manifest, such as a mystic doctrine of the Cross and those ascetic teachings that exalt celibacy as a form of higher life. ”

“ In The History of Joseph the Carpenter, Jesus is represented as telling his apostles of his mother's betrothal, of his own birth, and, more particularly, of the last sickness and death of Joseph. (2) There is a second group of writings treating of the Passion and post-mortem experiences of Christ. The Gospel of Nicodemus is a late compilation of two earlier and altogether separate works, The Acts of Pilate and The Descent of Christ into Hades. ”

“ The later Jewish-Christian sect of the Ebionites had a gospel called The Gospel of the Twelve, written in Greek, probably not earlier than A.D. 200, and heretical in tendency. A Gospel of the Egyptians was in existence in the latter half of the Second Century. It was probably used in the country districts of Egypt. (4) Other gospels claimed apostolic authorship. The most important of such is the Gospel of Peter. Serapion, Bishop of Antioch, A.D. 190-211, discovered that this work was in use among the Christians of his diocese. ”

“ The date of composition of most of these writings is uncertain. Almost all give evidence of having been recast, and while most are undoubtedly of Jewish origin, they have to a large extent been made to accord with Christian doctrines. It will also be apparent that the dividing line in the case of these writings, between apocalyptic literature and didactic or legendary compositions, becomes at times very faint. ”

“ The Greek Church, at the Council of Laodicea (A.D. 360) , excluded them from the canon; the Latin Church, on the other hand, always highly favored them; and finally the Council of Trent (1545-63) received them in part for edification, but not for the “establishment of doctrine.” ”

“ The Apocrypha is not published by the great Bible societies, but was revised by the Bible Revision Committee, and is separately published by the University Press. The Old Testament Apocrypha consists of fourteen books: (1) First Esdras (q.v.) ; (2) Second Esdras (q.v.) ; (3) Tobit (q.v.) ; (4) Judith (q.v.) ; (5) The parts of Esther not found in Hebrew or Aramaic; (6) The Wisdom of Solomon; (7) The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus (q.v.) ; (8) Baruch (q.v.) ; (9) The Song of the Three Holy Children; (10) The History of Susanna ”