I just finished reading an interesting article about the lost gospels of early Christianity. According to the article, more than 20 non-biblical gospels were written altogether, but most of them disappeared within a few centuries. Actually, copies of several of them did survive, but their locations were unknown until they were rediscovered in modern times. And the article mentions the possibility that more could be found in the future.
I was surprised to learn that traces of several lost gospels can be found within the New Testament. These traces were discovered by scholars who realized that the authors of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John must have obtained some of their information from earlier sources which no longer survive. Evidently it is even possible to reconstruct some of the content of these lost works by identifying the copied material.
We know about some lost gospels because ancient writers mentioned their names and sometimes discussed their content. Many of these gospels were mentioned in order to warn Christians that they contained heretical ideas. In several cases writers encouraged Christians to destroy these non-conforming books, and that could be one reason they disappeared.
The article also discusses some previously-lost gospels which have been rediscovered in recent centuries. Actually, in most cases only fragments and/or translations have been found. Because several of these rediscovered gospels present unorthodox views of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Judas Iscariot, they have generated debates among biblical scholars and controversy in the public press.
This website also contains a number of other articles relating to various mysteries of the bible. You can find it here. Some of the articles include reproductions of famous works of art.
Tags: Bible, Christianity, gospels
