The Lost Books of the Bible by Hone, William - 1986

This is a collection of apocrypha and other writings from the early Church. For the most part, the apocrypha are fanciful and imaginative legends and stories, all of which were not accepted as "canonical," that is, inspired Scripture, worthy to be read in church at Sunday Mass. As literature, these gospels etc. are fascinating glimpses into the thinking and history of an earlier time. As historical documents, they are unreliable, often heretical, and misleading.

This book also provides an English text for some documents that do have lasting value, even if they are not canonical. Such documents include the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, for example, as well as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas. Of special interest to historians is the First Epistle of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians. These documents give us some insight into the Church of that time. For example, the letter from Clement indicates the importance of the Church of Rome at an early date, as well as the fact that Clement is writing on behalf of the leadership of that community, as opposed to an individual bishop speaking on his own authority.

The very first edition of this work dates from 1820, so the English translation, to our ears, is often stilted and archaic. However, the illustrations are cool; they are line drawings derived from early Christian art. The back of the dust jacket, for example, has a drawing of the Emperor Constantine presenting to Christ the canons of the Council of Nicea. Christ, with a big halo, much bigger than that of Constantine, raises his right hand in blessing, with two fingers held up. Christ is seated on a throne, like the chair of a bishop. His left hand holds a Gospel Book, as would a bishop.