Introduction to the Apocrypha

Reclaiming the Garden

In this episode, we discuss our first impressions of the apocrypha–both the texts that come from the Greek Old Testament that some Christians hold as canon Scripture (such as Sirach, Judith, or 1 Maccabees) and the early Christian texts that did not get canonized in the New Testament (such as several strange Infancy Gospels, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, and the Acts of Paul and Thecla). These texts serve as a reminder that the history of the Christian tradition has always been varied and contested and never as simple as our youth pastors made it out to be. There’s so much more to explore, but we hope this introduction encourages you to go and learn more.

The YouTube video Anna mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idqPwX1XQOg

All the Apocrypha we read can either be found in an online Bible that includes the Greek Old Testament apocrypha or by searching Google for the non-canonical Christian text.

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