Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (75 page)

bring men and women, with half

Ezrael shall bring forth the souls of those

of their bodies burning, and cast them

who have been slain, and they shall beinto a place of darkness, the hell of men; hold the torment of those who slew them

and a spirit of wrath shall chastise them

and say one to another, ‘Righteousness

with all manner of torment, and a worm

and justice is the judgment of God. For

that never sleeps shall devour their enwe heard, but we believed not, that we trails; and these are the persecutors and

should come into this place of eternal

betrayers of my righteous ones.

judgment.”

“And beside those who are there, shall

be other men and women, gnawing their

8 “And near this flame there is a pit, tongues; and they shall torment them great and very deep, and into it

with red-hot irons and burn their eyes.

flows from above all manner of torment,

These are they who slander and doubt my

foulness, and excrement. And women are

righteousness.

swallowed up therein up to their necks

‘Other men and women whose works

and tormented with great pain. These are

were done in deceitfulness shall have

they who have caused their children to

their lips cut off; and fire enters into their

be born untimely and have corrupted the

mouth and their entrails. These are they

work of God who created them. Opposite

who caused the martyrs to die by their

them shall be another place where chillying.

dren sit alive and cry to God. And flashes

‘And beside them, in a place near at

of lightning go forth from those children

hand, upon the stone shall be a pillar of

and pierce the eyes of those who for

fire, and the pillar is sharper than swords.

fornication’s sake have caused their

And there shall be men and women clad

destruction.

in rags and filthy garments, and they shall

“Other men and women shall stand

be cast thereon to suffer the judgment of

above them, naked; and their children

an unceasing torment; these are the ones

stand opposite them in a place of delight,

who trusted in their riches and despised

and sigh and cry to God because of their

the widows and the women with fatherparents saying, ‘These are they who deless children . . . before God.”

spised and cursed and transgressed your

commandments and delivered us to

“And into another place nearby,

10

death: they have cursed the angel that

full of filth, they cast men and

formed us and have hanged us up and

women up to the knees. These are they

begrudged us the light which you have

who lent money and took usury.

given to all creatures. And the milk of

“And other men and women cast themtheir mothers flowing from their breasts selves down from a high place and return

shall congeal and from it shall come

again and run, and devils drive them.

beasts devouring flesh, which shall come

These are the worshippers of idols, and

THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER

285

they drive them up to the top of the height

“Beside them shall be girls clad in

and they cast themselves down. And this

darkness for a garment, and they shall be

they do continually and are tormented for

seriously punished and their flesh shall

ever. These are they who have cut their

be torn in pieces. These are they who did

flesh as apostles of a man: and the women

not preserve their virginity until they

with them . . . and these are the men who

were given in marriage and with these

defiled themselves together as women.

torments shall they be punished and shall

“And beside them . . . and beneath

feel them.

them shall the angel Ezrael prepare a

“And again, other men and women,

place of much fire: and all the idols of

gnawing their tongues without ceasing,

gold and silver, all idols, the work of huand being tormented with everlasting fire.

man hands, and the semblances of images

These are the servants who were not obeof cats and lions, of creeping things and dient to their masters; and this then is

wild beasts, and the men and women that

their judgment for ever.”

have prepared the images thereof, shall

be in chains of fire and shall be chastised

12

because of their error before the idols,

“And near by this place of torment shall be men and women

and this is their judgment for ever.

who are dumb and blind and whose rai

“And beside them shall be other men

ment is white. They shall crowd one upon

and women, burning in the fire of the

another, and fall upon coals of unquenchjudgment, and their torment is everlastable fire. These are they who give alms ing. These are they who have forsaken

and say, ‘We are righteous before God,’

the commandment of God and followed

whereas they have not sought after

the (persuasions?) of devils.”

righteousness.

“Ezrael the angel of God shall bring

11 “And there shall be another them forth out of this fire and establish a place, very high . . . The men

judgment of decision(?). This then is

and women whose feet slip shall go rolltheir judgment. A river of fire shall flow, ing down into a place where is fear. And

and all those judged shall be drawn down

again while the fire that is prepared flows,

into the middle of the river. And Uriel

they mount up and fall down again and

shall set them there.

continue to roll down. Thus shall they be

“And there are wheels of fire, and men

tormented for ever. These are they who

and women hung thereon by the force of

honored not their father and mother and

the whirling. And those in the pit shall

of their own accord withheld themselves

burn; now these are the sorcerers and

from them. Therefore shall they be chassorceresses. Those wheels shall be in all tised eternally.

decision by fire without number.”

“Furthermore the angel Ezrael shall

bring children and maidens, to show

13

them those who are tormented. They shall

“Thereafter shall the angels

bring my elect and righteous

be chastised with pains, with hanging

who are perfect in all uprightness and

up(?) and with a multitude of wounds

bear them in their hands and clothe them

which flesh-devouring birds shall inflict

with the raiment of the life that is above.

upon them. These are they who trust in

They shall see their desire on those who

their sins and do not obey their parents

hated them, when he punishes them and

and do not follow the instruction of their

the torment of every one shall be for ever

fathers and do not honor those more aged

according to his works.

than they.

“And all those in torment shall say with

286

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

one voice, ‘Have mercy upon us, for now

for a light came from them, shining more

we know the judgment of God, which he

than the sun and their raiment also was

declared to us before-time and we did not

shining and cannot be described and

believe.’ And the angel Tatirokos shall

nothing is sufficient to be compared to

come and chastise them with even greater

them in this world. And the sweetness of

torment, and say to them, ‘Now do you

them . . . that no mouth is able to utter

repent, when it is no longer the time for

the beauty of their appearance, for their

repentance, and nothing of life remains.’

aspect was astonishing and wonderful.

And they shall say, ‘Righteous is the

And the other, great, I say, shines in his

judgment of God, for we have heard and

aspect above crystal. Like the flower of

perceived that his judgment is good, for

roses is the appearance of the color of his

we are recompensed according to our

aspect and of his body . . . his head. And

deeds.’ ”

upon his shoulders . . . and on their foreheads was a crown of nard woven from

“Then will I give to my elect

14

fair flowers. As the rainbow in the water,

and righteous the baptism and

so was their hair. And such was the comethe salvation for which they have beliness of their countenance, adorned with sought me, in the field of Akrosja (Achall manner of ornament.

erusia) which is called Aneslasleja (Elysium). They shall adorn with flowers the 16

portion of the righteous, and I shall go

And when we suddenly saw

them, we marvelled. And I

. . . I shall rejoice with them. I will cause

drew near to God, Jesus Christ, and said

the peoples to enter into my everlasting

to him, “O my Lord, who are these?”

kingdom, and show them eternal good

And he said to me, “They are Moses and

things to which I have made them set

Elijah.” And I said to him, “Where then

their hope, I and my Father in heaven.

are Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the

“I have spoke this to you, Peter, and

rest of the righteous fathers?” And he

declared it to you. Go forth therefore and

showed us a great garden, open, full of

go to the city of the west and enter into

fair trees and blessed fruits and of the

the vineyard which I shall tell you of, in

odor of perfumes. The fragrance was

order that by the sufferings of the Son

pleasant and reached us. And of that tree

who is without sin the deeds of corrup

. . . I saw many fruits. And my Lord and

tion may be sanctified. As for you, you

God Jesus Christ said to me, “Have you

are chosen according to the promise

seen the companies of the fathers?”

which I have given you. Spread my gos

“As is their rest, such also is the honor

pel throughout all the world in peace.

and the glory of those who are persecuted

Verily people shall rejoice; my words

for my righteousness’ sake.” And I reshall be the source of hope and of life, joiced and believed and understood that

and suddenly shall the world be

which is written in the book of my Lord

ravished.”

Jesus Christ. And I said to him, “O my

Lord, do you wish that I make here three

And my Lord Jesus Christ, our

15

tabernacles, one for you, and one for

King, said to me, “Let us go to

Moses, and one for Elijah?”4 And he said

the holy mountain.” And his disciples

to me in wrath, “Satan makes war against

went with him, praying.

And behold there were two men there,

and we could not look upon their faces,

4Matt 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33

THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER

287

you, and has veiled your understanding;

and Elijah and went to another heaven.

and the good things of this world prevail

And the word of the scripture was fulagainst you. Your eyes therefore must be filled: “This is the generation that seeks

opened and your ears unstopped that you

him and seeks the face of the God of

may see a tabernacle, not made with hu

Jacob.”6 And great fear and commotion

man hands, which my heavenly Father

took place in heaven, and the angels

has made for me and for the elect.” And

pressed one upon another that the word

we beheld it and were full of gladness.

of the scripture might be fulfilled which

says, “Open the gates, you princes.”7

And behold, suddenly there

17

Thereafter was the heaven shut, that

came a voice from heaven, sayhad been open.

ing, “This is my beloved Son in whom I

And we prayed and went down from

am well pleased:5 [he has kept] my comthe mountain, glorifying God, who has mandments.” And then came a great and

written the names of the righteous in

exceedingly white cloud over our heads

heaven in the book of life.

and bore away our Lord and Moses and

Elijah. And I trembled and was afraid;

and we looked up, and the heaven opened

and we beheld men in the flesh and they

came and greeted our Lord and Moses

5Matt 17:5 6Ps 24:6 7Ps 24:7, 9

The Apocalypse of Paul

In a well-known passage from 2 Corinthians 12, Paul claims that he had once been caught up into heaven to behold a vision of things that could not be uttered. A later Christian nonetheless decided to give utterance to these things, and the present apocalypse is the result. The book describes Paul’s ascent into heaven to receive a revelation concerning the fate of individual souls after death. He observes souls that leave their bodies to appear before God, who knows every detail about their lives and metes out rewards or punishments accordingly. The vision continues with a narrative description of Paradise and a graphic portrayal of the torments of the damned. These parallel in many ways those found in the Apocalypse of Peter (p. 280), which the pseudonymous author—claiming to be Paul—appears to have used as a source.