Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
1For a full discussion, see Ehrman,
Lost
Christianities,
24–27. 2See the Muratorian Canon and the Canon of Eusebius.
Translation by J. K. Elliott,
Apocryphal
New
Testament
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993) 600–609; used with permission.
280
THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER
281
The following translation follows the more complete and, probably, more accurate Ethiopic version of the text.
1 The Second Coming of Christ and
“And you learn a parable from the
2
Resurrection of the Dead which
fig-tree: as soon as its shoots have
Christ revealed through Peter to those
come forth and the twigs grown, the end
who died for their sins, because they did
of the world shall come.”
not keep the commandment of God, their
And I, Peter, answered and said to him,
creator.
“Interpret the fig-tree to me: how can we
And he (Peter) pondered thereon, that
understand it? For throughout all its days
he might perceive the mystery of the Son
the fig-tree sends forth shoots and every
of God, the merciful and lover of mercy.
year it brings forth its fruit for its master.
And when the Lord was seated upon
What then does the parable of the fig-tree
the Mount of Olives, his disciples came
mean? We do not know.”
to him.
And the Master answered and said to
And we besought and entreated him
me, “Do you not understand that the fig-
severally and implored him, saying to
tree is the house of Israel? It is like a man
him, “Declare to us what are the signs of
who planted a fig-tree in his garden and
your coming and of the end of the world,
it brought forth no fruit. And he sought
that we may perceive and mark the time
the fruit many years, and when he did
of your coming and instruct those who
not find it he said to the keeper of his
come after us, to whom we preach the
garden, ‘Uproot this fig-tree so that it
word of your gospel, and whom we indoes not make our ground unfruitful.’
stall in your church, that they, when they
And the gardener said to his master, ‘Let
hear it, may take heed to themselves and
us rid it of weeds and dig the ground
mark the time of your coming.”
round about it and water it. If then it does
And our Lord answered us saying,
not bear fruit, we will straightway uproot
“Take heed that no one deceive you and
it from the garden and plant another in
that you be not doubters and serve other
place of it.’ Have you not understood that
gods. Many shall come in my name saythe fig-tree is the house of Israel? Verily ing, ‘I am the Christ.’ Believe them not,
I say to you, when its twigs have sprouted
neither draw near to them. For the comforth in the last days, then shall false ing of the Son of God shall not be plain;
Christs come and awake expectation,
but as the lightning that shines from the
saying, ‘I am the Christ who has now
east to the west, so will I come upon the
come into the world.’ And when they
clouds of heaven with a great host in my
perceive the wickedness of their deeds
majesty; with my cross going before my
they shall turn away and deny him whom
face will I come in my majesty; shining
our fathers praised, the first Christ whom
seven times brighter than the sun will I
they crucified and therein sinned a great
come in my majesty with all my saints,
sin. But this deceiver is not the Christ.
my angels. And my Father shall set a
And when they reject him, he shall slay
crown upon my head, that I may judge
them with the sword, and there shall be
the quick and the dead and recompense
many martyrs. Then shall the twigs of the
every one according to his works.”
fig-tree, that is, the house of Israel, shoot
282
NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES
forth: many shall become martyrs at his
command hell to open its bars of adamant
hand. Enoch and Elijah shall be sent to
and give up all that is therein.
teach them that this is the deceiver who
“And the wild beasts and the fowls
must come into the world and do signs
shall he command to restore all the flesh
and wonders in order to deceive. And
that they have devoured, because he wills
therefore those who die by his hand shall
that people should appear; for nothing
be martyrs, and shall be reckoned among
perishes before God and nothing is imthe good and righteous martyrs who have possible with him, because all things are
pleased God in their life.”
his.
“For all things come to pass on the day
And he showed me in his right
3
of decision, on the day of judgment, at
hand the souls of all people. And
the word of God: and as all things were
on the palm of his right hand the image
done when he created the world and comof that which shall be accomplished at manded all that is therein and it was done,
the last day; and how the righteous and
even so shall it be in the last days; for
the sinners shall be separated, and how
all things are possible with God. And
those who are upright in heart will fare,
therefore he said in the scripture, ‘Son of
and how the evil-doers shall be rooted
man, prophesy upon the several bones
out to all eternity. We beheld how the
and say to the bones: bone unto bone in
sinners wept in great affliction and sorjoints, sinew, nerves, flesh, and skin and row, until all who saw it with their eyes
hair thereon.’3
wept, whether righteous or angels, and
“And soul and spirit shall the great
he himself also.
Uriel give them at the commandment of
And I asked him and said to him,
God; for God has set him over the res
“Lord, allow me to speak your word conurrection of the dead at the day of cerning the sinners, ‘It were better for
judgment.
them if they had not been created.’ ” And
“Behold and consider the corns of
the Saviour answered and said to me,
wheat that are sown in the earth. As
“Peter, why do you say that not to have
something dry and without soul do men
been created were better for them? You
sow them in the earth: and they live again
resist God. You would not have more
and bear fruit, and the earth restores them
compassion than he for his image: for he
as a pledge entrusted to it.
has created them and brought them forth
“And this which dies, that is sown as
out of not-being. Now because you have
seed in the earth, and shall become alive
seen the lamentation which shall come
and be restored to life, is man.
upon the sinners in the last days,
“How much more shall God raise up
therefore your heart is troubled; but I will
on the day of decision those who believe
show you their works, whereby they have
in him and are chosen of him, for whose
sinned against the Most High.”
sake he made the world? And all things
shall the earth restore on the day of de
“Behold now what shall come
4
cision, for it also shall be judged with
upon them in the last days, when
them, and the heaven with it.”
the day of God and the day of the decision of the judgment of God comes. From the east to the west shall all the children
of men be gathered together before my
Father who lives for ever. And he shall
3Ezek 37:4–6
THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER
283
5 “And this shall come at the day of into the river of fire while the works of judgment upon those who have
every one of them shall stand before
fallen away from faith in God and have
them. [Rewards shall be given] to everycommitted sin. Cataracts of fire shall be one according to his deeds. As for the
let loose; and darkness and obscurity
elect who have done good, they shall
shall come up and clothe and veil the
come to me and not see death by the
whole world; and the waters shall be
devouring fire. But the unrighteous, the
changed and turned into coals of fire, and
sinners, and the hypocrites shall stand in
all that is in them shall burn, and the sea
the depths of darkness that shall not pass
shall become fire. Under the heaven there
away, and their chastisement is the fire,
shall be a sharp fire that cannot be
and angels bring forward their sins and
quenched, and it flows to fulfil the judgprepare for them a place wherein they ment of wrath. And the stars shall be
shall be punished for ever, every one acmelted by flames of fire, as if they had not cording to his transgression.
been created, and the firmaments of the
“Uriel the angel of God shall bring
heaven shall pass away for lack of water
forth the souls of those sinners who perand shall be as though they had not been.
ished in the flood, and of all who dwelt
And the lightnings of heaven shall be no
in all idols, in every molten image, in
more, and by their enchantment they shall
every object of love, and in pictures, and
affright the world. The spirits of the dead
of those who dwelt on all hills and in
bodies shall be like them and shall bestones and by the wayside, whom people come fire at the commandment of God.
called gods: they shall be burned with
“And as soon as the whole creation
them in everlasting fire; and after all of
dissolves, the people who are in the east
them with their dwelling-places are deshall flee to the west, [and those who are stroyed, they shall be punished eternally.”
in the west] to the east; those in the south
shall flee to the north, and those who are
“Then shall men and women come
7
in the north to the south. And in all places
to the place prepared for them. By
shall the wrath of a fearful fire overtake
their tongues where-with they have blasthem; and an unquenchable flame driving phemed the way of righteousness shall
them shall bring them to the judgment of
they be hanged up. There is spread under
wrath, to the stream of unquenchable fire
them unquenchable fire so that they do
which flows, flaming with fire, and when
not escape it.
the waves thereof part themselves one
“Behold another place: there is a pit,
from another, burning, there shall be a
great and full. In it are those who have
great gnashing of teeth among the childenied righteousness: and angels of pundren of men.
ishment chastise them and there they kindle upon them the fire of their torment.
“Then shall they all behold me
6
“And again behold two women: they
coming upon an eternal cloud of
hang them up by their neck and by their
brightness; and the angels of God who
hair; they shall cast them into the pit.
are with me shall sit upon the throne of
These are those who plaited their hair,
my glory at the right hand of my heavnot to make themselves beautiful but to enly Father; and he shall set a crown upon
turn them to fornication, that they might
my head. And when the nations behold
ensnare the souls of men to perdition.
it, they shall weep, every nation for itself.
And the men who lay with them in for
“Then shall he command them to enter
nication shall be hung by their loins in
284
NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES
that place of fire; and they shall say one
forth and turn and torment them for ever
to another, ‘We did not know that we
with their husbands because they forsook
should come to everlasting punishment.’
the commandments of God and slew their
“And the murderers and those who
children. As for their children, they shall
have made common cause with them
be delivered to the angel Temlakos. And
shall they cast into the fire, in a place full
those who slew them shall be tormented
of venomous beasts, and they shall be
eternally, for God wills it so.”
tormented without rest, feeling their
pains; and their worms shall be as many
“Ezrael the angel of wrath shall
9
in number as a dark cloud. And the angel