Volume 2, Slice 2 Part 36 (1/2)

_Gospel of Thomas._--This gospel professes to give an account of our Lord's boyhood. It appears in two recensions. The more complete recension bears the t.i.tle [Greek: Thoma Isrealitou Philosophou hreta eis ta paidika Kuriou], and treats of the period from the 7th to the 12th year (Tischendorf, _Evangelia Apocrypha_, 1876, 140-157). The more fragmentary recension gives the history of the childhood from the 5th to the 8th year, and is ent.i.tled [Greek: Sungramma tou hagiou apostolou Thoma peri tes paidikes anastrophes tou Kuriou] (Tischendorf, _op. cit._ pp. 158-163). Two Latin translations have been published in this work by the same scholar--one on pp. 164-180, the other under the wrong t.i.tle, _Pseudo-Matthaei Evangelium_, on pp. 93-112. A Syriac version, with an English translation, was published by Wright in 1875. This gospel was originally still more Docetic than it now is, according to Lipsius. Its present form is due to an orthodox revision which discarded, so far as possible, all Gnostic traces. Lipsius (Smith's _Dict. of Christ. Biog._ ii. 703) a.s.signs it to the latter half of the 2nd century, but Zahn (_Gesch. Kan._ ii. 771), on good grounds, to the earlier half. The latter scholar shows that probably it was used by Justin (_Dial._ 88).

At all events it circulated among the Marcosians (Irenaeus, _Haer._ i.

20) and the Naasenes (Hippolytus, _Refut._ v. 7), and subsequently among the Manichaeans, and is frequently quoted from Origen downwards (_Hom.

I. in Luc._). If the stichometry of Nicephorus is right, the existing form of the book is merely fragmentary compared with its original compa.s.s. For literature see Hennecke, _NTliche Apokryphen Handbuch_, 132 seq.

_Gospel of the Twelve._--This gospel, which Origen knew (_Hom. I. in Luc._), is not to be identified with the _Gospel according to the Hebrews_ (see above), with Lipsius and others, who have sought to reconstruct the original gospel from the surviving fragments of these two distinct works. The only surviving fragments of the _Gospel of the Twelve_ have been preserved by Epiphanius (_Haer._ x.x.x. 13-16, 22: see Preuschen, _op. cit._ 9-11). It began with an account of the baptism. It was used by the Ebionites, and was written, according to Zahn (op. cit.

ii. 742), about A.D. 170.

OTHER GOSPELS MAINLY GNOSTIC AND ALMOST ALL LOST.--_Gospel of Andrew._--This is condemned in the Gelasian Decree, and is probably the gospel mentioned by Innocent (1 Ep. iii. 7) and Augustine (_Contra advers. Leg. et Proph._ i. 20).

_Gospel of Apelles._--Mentioned by Jerome in his _Prooem. ad Matt._

_Gospel of Barnabas._--Condemned in the Gelasian Decree (see under BARNABAS _ad fin_.).

_Gospel of Bartholomew._--Mentioned by Jerome in his _Prooem. ad Matt._ and condemned in the Gelasian Decree.

_Gospel of Basilides._--Mentioned by Origen (_Tract. 26 in Matt._ x.x.xiii. 34, and in his _Prooem. in Luc._); by Jerome in his _Prooem. in Matt._ (See Harnack i. 161; ii. 536-537; Zahn, _Gesch. Kanons_, i.

763-774.)

_Gospel of Cerinthus._--Mentioned by Epiphanius (_Haer._ li. 7).

_Gospel of the Ebionites._--A fragmentary edition of the canonical Matthew according to Epiphanius (_Haer._ x.x.x. 13), used by the Ebionites and called by them the Hebrew Gospel.

_Gospel of Eve._--A quotation from this gospel is given by Epiphanius (_Haer._ xxvi. 2, 3). It is possible that this is the Gospel of Perfection ([Greek: Euangelion teleioseos]) which he touches upon in xxvi. 2. The quotation shows that this gospel was the expression of complete pantheism.

_Gospel of James the Less._--Condemned in the Gelasian Decree.

_Wisdom of Jesus Christ._--This third work contained in the Coptic MS.

referred to under _Gospel of Mary_ gives cosmological disclosures and is presumably of Valentinian origin.

_Apocryph of John._--This book, which is found in the Coptic MS.

referred to under _Gospel of Mary_ and contains cosmological disclosures of Christ, is said to have formed the source of Irenaeus' account of the Gnostics of Barbelus (i. 29-31). Thus this work would have been written before 170.

_Gospel of Judas Iscariot._--References to this gospel as in use among the Cainites are made by Irenaeus (i. 31. 1); Epiphanius (x.x.xviii. 1.

3).

_Gospel, The Living (Evangelium Vivum)._--This was a gospel of the Manichaeans. See Epiphanius, _Haer_. lxvi. 2; Photius, _Contra Manich_.

i.

_Gospel of Marcion._--On this important gospel see Zahn, _Gesch.

Kanons_, i. 585-718.

_Descent of Mary_ ([Greek: Tenna Marias]).--This book was an anti-Jewish legend representing Zacharias as having been put to death by the Jews because he had seen the G.o.d of the Jews in the form of an a.s.s in the temple (Epiphanius, _Haer_. xxvi. 12).

_Questions of Mary_ (_Great and Little_).--Epiphanius (_Haer_. xxvi. 8) gives some excerpts from this revolting work.

_Gospel of Mary._--This gospel is found in a Coptic MS. of the 5th century. According to Schmidt's short account, _Sitzungsberichte d.

preuss. Akad. d. Wiss. zu. Berlin_ (1896), pp. 839 sqq., this gospel gives disclosures on the nature of matter ([Greek: ulae]) and the progress of the Gnostic soul through the seven planets.

_Gospel of Matthias._--Though this gospel is attested by Origen (_Horm.

in Luc._ i.), Eusebius, _H.E._ iii. 25. 6, and the List of Sixty Books, not a shred of it has been preserved, unless with Zahn ii. 751 sqq. we are to identify it with the _Traditions of Matthias_, from which Clement has drawn some quotations.

_Gospel of Perfection_ (_Evangelium perfectionis_).--Used by the followers of Basilides and other Gnostics. See Epiphanius, _Haer._ xxvi.