This accessible selection of the most important and significant of the remarkable and often bizarre apocryphal stories surrounding the life of Jesus and the Early Church has established a reputation as an invaluable introduction to the genre of Christian apocryphal literature. J. K. Elliott clearly explains the scholarly importance of the genre and introduces each section of texts with reference to biblical texts and later church history. Stories found in this selection include Jesus' birth in a cave, his childhood escapades, his secret sayings, and his descent to the underworld; the torments in Hell; Saint Paul baptizing a lion; the death of Pontius Pilate and Saint Peter being crucified upside down. These all come from early Christian legends which did not get into the Bible, yet have had a profound influence on art, literature, and theology from the second century through the Middle Ages and even modern times. Some of the stories included here, especially those involving the Virgin Mary, have affected matters of doctrine; others have influenced the church's teaching on the after life, whilst from the apocryphal Acts there are some of the best examples of accounts of the lives of Christianity's earliest saints.

Facsimiles, photographic reproductions, collations, and studies of the textual character of many of the 5,000 or so manuscripts of the Greek New Testament have been published, but it is only with this book, first published in 2000, that a much-needed bibliography of them has been made available. This considerably expanded and revised edition of J. K. Elliott's 1989 A Bibliography of Greek New Testament Manuscripts marks a substantial increase in the number of titles and references. Some 5,000 new entries have been added, thereby doubling the size of the First Edition. The titles of books and articles are predominantly those published in the last 150 years. The titles are set out in the customary categories of papyri, majuscules, minuscules and lectionaries as classified in the conventional Gregory-Aland register.

Facsimiles, photographic reproductions, collations, and studies of the textual character of many of the 5,000 or so manuscripts of the Greek New Testament have been published, but it is only with this book that a much-needed bibliography of them has been made available. This considerably expanded and revised edition of J. K. Elliott's 1989 A Bibliography of Greek New Testament Manuscripts marks a substantial increase in the number of titles and references. Some 5,000 new entries have been added, thereby doubling the size of the First Edition. The titles of books and articles are predominantly those published in the past 150 years. The titles are set out in the customary categories of papyri, majuscules, minuscules and lectionaries as classified in the conventional Gregory-Aland register.

This collection of apocryphal texts supersedes the best-selling edition by M. R. James, which was originally published in 1924, and regularly reprinted. Several new texts have come to light since 1924 and the textual base for some of the apocrypha previously translated by James is now more secure, as in several cases there are recently published critical editions available. Although a modest appendix to James's edition was added in 1953, no thorough revision has previously been undertaken. In this volume, J. K. Elliott presents new translations of the texts and has provided each of them with a short introduction and bibliography directed to those who wish to pursue further the issues raised in the texts, or to consult the critical editions, other versions, or general studies. The translations are in modern English, in contrast to James's deliberate imitation of the language of the Authorized Version. The collection is designed to give readers the most important and famous of the Christian apocrypha, together with a select sample of gnostic texts. Full translations of the earliest texts are printed.

This book surveys, as openly and objectively as possible, the central questions associated with the life and work of Jesus and the rise of the early church. There are chapters on John the Baptist, the birth and background of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, his trials and death, the Easter narratives, the formation of the early church, and the role of Peter and Paul in its development. In each case, the author presents what the New Testament says and discusses any ambiguities or inconsistencies in the sources. He then attempts to reconstruct as far as possible without resorting to sheer imaginative speculation the likeliest historical events which lay behind the biblical story. Often though all these topics may have been discussed, there has not been a single book dealing with Christian origins which collects together and analyses the evidence in this way. In particular, it is aimed at senior school students or first-year undergraduates embarking on courses of the History of Christian Theology or Religious Studies. The fact that some of the material arose out of articles published in History Today points to the concern of the book to appeal to the widest possible audience, not only within committed Christian circles but also outside them.

Numerous variations in the manuscripts of the New Testament mean that differences occur in printed editions of the Greek and consequently in the way scholars, theologians and translators interpret the scriptures. Textual criticism is thus a vital discipline in assisting those who read, study and edit the New Testament.