Broaden the scope of your New Testament studies with this introduction to early Christian apocryphal literature.To understand the New Testament well, it is important to study the larger world surrounding it, and one of the primary avenues for this exploration is through reading related ancient texts. But this task is daunting for scholars and novices alike given the sheer size of the ancient literary corpora. The Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies series aims to bridge this gap by introducing the key ancient texts that form the cultural, historical, and literary context for the study of the New Testament.Early New Testament Apocrypha offers an entry point into the corpus of early Christian apocryphal literature through twenty-eight texts or groups of texts. While the majority of the texts fall within the first four centuries CE, and therefore are useful for uncovering the earliest interpretations assigned to the New Testament, select later texts serve as reminders of how the meanings of New Testament texts continued to develop in subsequent centuries. Each essay covers introductory matters, a summary of content, interpretive issues, key passages for New Testament studies and their significance, and a select bibliography.Whether you are a scholar looking to familiarize yourself with a new corpus of texts or a novice seeking to undertake a serious contextualized study of the New Testament, this is an ideal reference work for you.Essays and contributors include: Part 1: Apocryphal GospelsAgrapha, Andrew GregoryFragments of Gospels on Papyrus, Tobias NicklasGospel of Barnabas, Philip JenkinsGospel of Peter, Paul FosterInfancy Gospel of Thomas, Reidar AasgaardJewish-Christian Gospels, Petri LuomanenLegend of Aphroditian, Katharina HeydenPilate Cycle, J. K. ElliottProtevangelium of James, Eric M. Vanden EykelToledot Yeshu, Sarit Kattan GribetzRevelation of the Magi, Catherine PlayoustPart 2: Apocryphal ActsActs of Andrew, Nathan C. JohnsonActs of John, Harold W. AttridgeActs of Paul, Harold W. AttridgeActs of Peter, Robert F. Stoops, Jr.Acts of Philip, Christopher R. MatthewsActs of Thomas, Harold W. AttridgeDeparture of My Lady Mary from This World (Six Books Dormition Apocryphon), J. Christopher EdwardsPseudo-Clementines, F. Stanley JonesPart 3: Apocryphal EpistlesJesus's Letter to Abgar, William AdlerCorrespondence of Paul and Seneca, Andrew GregoryEpistle to the Laodiceans, Philip L. TiteEpistula Apostolorum, Florence GantenbeinThe Sunday Lette