A study of the apocrypha writtings pertaining to Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas giving us a picture of early history of Christianity.

Excerpt from The Apocryphal Acts of Paul, Peter, John, Andrew and Thomas 2. Arrival AT ephesus and work there Lycomedes and Cleopatra The picture of John Healing of the Old women Destruction of the Artemis Temple The Raising of the Priest The Parricide John and the Partridge. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

"The scope of this collection, as it examines the transformation of the ancient world into Byzantine Christianity, demonstrates that the early Christian apocryphal literature is a vital source for historians of Christianity, for scholars of patristics and of the New Testament, and for those inquiring into such timeless issues as the structure of political authority, the role of women, religious experience, and the organization of social responsibility."--BOOK JACKET.

When modern European missionaries arrived in India in the eighteenth century, they were astonished to discover Christian communities that traced their origins back to Thomas. How and when did Christianity spread eastwards? The earliest answer can be found in the pages of The Acts of Thomas. The Acts of Thomas is one of five surviving apocryphal acts along with Andrew, John, Peter, and Paul that recount the adventures of the apostles as they carried the Christian message to the far reaches of their world. The well-known Hymn of the Pearl, widely regarded as an allegory of the soul on its journey, from God and back to God, is found in its pages. (http://www.amazon.com/Acts-Thomas-Early-Christian-Apocrypha/dp/1598150219)

Five major apocryphal Acts survive from the early period of the Christian church, the so-called Acts of Andrew, Paul, Peter, John, and Thomas. The Acts of Peter deals primarily with the conflict between the apostle Peter and Simon Magus, and the apostle's martyrdom. It employs traditional stories and the literary conventions of its day in a free manner to assure believers that they have ample reason to remain loyal to Christ, or return to faith if they have faltered. (back cover).