EBOOK Apocryphal Jesus:Legends of the Early Church

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 intothe 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'steaching 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.