New Testament Apocrypha Fragmentary Witness Index

New Testament Apocrypha Fragmentary Witness Index

This index gathers fragmentary, disputed, quotation-preserved, composite, and late-but-influential New Testament apocryphal witnesses connected with Yeshua, His family, His disciples, the apostles, and the early proclamation. It is arranged as an insert-ready project index, not as commentary on the texts.

[Index witness marker: some works listed below survive only in fragments, later translations, manuscript excerpts, patristic quotations, disputed references, or developed recensions. No missing text is treated as if it has been fully recovered.]

Lost Gospels and Jesus Traditions

Gospel of Mary Magdalene - [Fragmentary Coptic and Greek witness] Survives principally in the Berlin Codex, with Greek fragments. Beginning and central vision material are missing. Preserved as a witness to Mary as disciple, visionary, and bearer of remembered teaching.

Gospel of Judas - [Fragmentary Coptic witness; disputed interpretation] Preserved in Codex Tchacos, probably from an earlier Greek tradition. Damaged and heavily debated. Preserved as a witness to second-century reinterpretation of Judas, sacrifice, stars, rulers, and hidden knowledge.

Gospel of the Savior - [Fragmentary Coptic witness] Preserved in damaged Coptic leaves commonly associated with the Berlin-Strasbourg Apocryphon, with breaks and uncertain sequence. Preserved as a passion-dialogue and prayer witness with visible lacunae.

Secret Gospel of Mark - [Disputed witness; quotation within a disputed letter] Known through the Letter to Theodore attributed to Clement of Alexandria. The manuscript situation is disputed. Preserved only as a disputed appendix, with no claim of secure canonical or historical authority.

Egerton Gospel - [Fragmentary Greek gospel witness] Preserved in papyrus fragments containing sayings and narrative material with parallels and non-parallels to canonical traditions. Preserved as an early fragmentary Jesus-tradition witness.

Gospel of Peter - [Fragmentary Greek passion-resurrection witness] Survives substantially in the Akhmim fragment, with possible related fragments. The beginning and ending are not fully preserved. Preserved as a noncanonical passion and empty-tomb witness, with later theological shaping kept visible.

Gospel of Thomas - [Coptic complete form with Greek fragments] Known from the Nag Hammadi Coptic version and earlier Greek fragments from Oxyrhynchus. Preserved as a sayings collection with wisdom, kingdom, and self-knowledge themes.

Gospel of Philip - [Coptic witness; sayings and sacramental reflection] Preserved in Nag Hammadi Codex II, with damaged and difficult readings. Preserved as a Valentinian or Valentinian-shaped witness to symbolic teaching, union, and sacred language.

Gospel of Truth - [Coptic homiletic gospel-like witness] Preserved in Nag Hammadi and related Coptic tradition. Preserved as a meditation on revelation, ignorance, the Father, and the restoration of knowledge.

Gospel of the Hebrews - [Lost gospel preserved in quotations] Known only through quotations and reports in early Christian writers. Preserved as a quotation-only Jewish-Christian gospel witness.

Gospel of the Nazarenes - [Lost gospel preserved in quotations] Known through scattered patristic references and reconstructed fragments. Preserved as a quotation-only Jewish-Christian gospel witness, with uncertain boundaries from related Hebrew gospel traditions.

Gospel of the Ebionites - [Lost gospel preserved in quotations] Known chiefly through hostile patristic reporting and brief quoted material. Preserved as a quotation-only witness, without pretending the full original text survives.

Gospel of the Egyptians - [Lost or fragmentary witness; multiple traditions possible] Known through patristic quotation and references; distinct Egyptian gospel traditions must not be confused. Preserved as a fragmentary/quotation witness with uncertain original scope.

Gospel of Eve - [Lost witness preserved through hostile quotation] Known from patristic reporting and quotation, especially in heresiological contexts. Preserved only with caution because the witness is mediated through opponents.

Questions of Mary - [Lost or disputed dialogue witness] Known through reports in later writers; the preserved material is fragmentary and polemically transmitted. Preserved as a quotation/report witness only, not as a recoverable full gospel.

Dialogue of the Savior - [Fragmentary Coptic dialogue witness] Preserved in Nag Hammadi Codex III with damaged portions. Preserved as a wisdom-dialogue witness involving the Savior and disciples.

Sophia of Jesus Christ - [Coptic revelation dialogue witness] Preserved in Coptic codices, with overlap in tradition with Eugnostos material. Preserved as a post-resurrection revelation dialogue witness.

Apocryphon of James - [Fragmentary Coptic dialogue letter] Preserved in Nag Hammadi Codex I with damaged opening/closing and uncertain frame details. Preserved as a secret teaching dialogue attributed to James and Peter.

First Apocalypse of James - [Coptic apocalypse dialogue witness] Preserved in Nag Hammadi and Tchacos-related witnesses, with variant forms. Preserved as a revelation dialogue concerning James, suffering, and ascent.

Second Apocalypse of James - [Coptic apocalyptic witness] Preserved in Nag Hammadi Codex V with damaged and difficult passages. Preserved as a developed James tradition with martyrdom and revelation elements.

Infancy, Family, and Childhood Traditions

Protoevangelium of James - [Early infancy tradition; manuscript-rich but noncanonical] Survives widely in Greek and later versions. Preserved as a major witness to Mary, Joseph, birth, temple, and infancy expansion.

Infancy Gospel of Thomas - [Childhood miracle tradition; multiple recensions] Survives in Greek, Syriac, Latin, Slavonic, and other traditions with variants. Preserved as a childhood-power witness, including troubling miracle and curse traditions.

Arabic Infancy Gospel - [Composite late infancy witness] Preserved in Arabic tradition drawing on earlier Syriac, Greek, and apocryphal infancy material. Preserved as a late but influential witness to Egypt, healing, relics, childhood signs, and devotional imagination.

History of Joseph the Carpenter - [Coptic and Arabic family/deathbed witness] Survives in Coptic and Arabic forms, with complete and fragmentary witnesses. Preserved as a witness to Joseph, family memory, death, and heavenly reception tradition.

Life of John the Baptist - [Garshuni/Arabic hagiographic witness] Preserved in Arabic/Garshuni tradition attributed to Serapion, with developed devotional material. Preserved as a witness to later memory of John, his parents, wilderness life, death, and veneration.

Passion, Trial, Resurrection, and Descent Traditions

Gospel of Nicodemus / Acts of Pilate - [Composite passion and resurrection tradition] Survives in Greek, Latin, and many later versions, with trial and descent streams. Preserved as a major apocryphal passion witness, not as a court transcript.

Descent of Christ into Hell - [Composite descent/harrowing tradition] Transmitted with the Gospel of Nicodemus cycle in Greek and Latin forms. Preserved as a dramatic witness to the Anointed One entering the realm of death and breaking captivity.

Questions of Bartholomew - [Variant late dialogue witness] Survives in Greek, Latin, and Slavonic forms with significant variation. Preserved as a witness to descent, abyss, Mary, Beliar, and hidden-question traditions.

Book of the Resurrection by Bartholomew - [Coptic resurrection tradition] Survives in Coptic manuscript tradition and fragments, distinct from Questions of Bartholomew. Preserved as a late but influential resurrection, liturgical, and underworld-victory witness.

Gospel of Gamaliel - [Coptic passion-resurrection homiletic tradition] Preserved in Coptic and related traditions attributed to Gamaliel, with legendary expansion. Preserved as a reception-history witness to Pilate, the cross, burial, and resurrection veneration.

Narrative of Joseph of Arimathea - [Late passion-related apocryphal witness] Survives in later manuscript tradition with legendary expansion around Joseph and the passion. Preserved as a contextual passion witness, not as secure first-century testimony.

Report of Pilate / Letter of Pilate traditions - [Pseudo-official apocryphal witness cluster] Survives in multiple later forms claiming connection with Pilate or imperial authorities. Preserved as reception history of apologetic passion memory.

Apostolic Acts and Disciple Traditions

Acts of Peter - [Fragmentary Greek and Latin apostolic acts tradition] Survives in portions and later versions, including martyrdom material. Preserved as a witness to Petrine legend, mission, conflict, and martyrdom tradition.

Acts of Paul - [Fragmentary apostolic acts tradition] Survives in fragments and related traditions, including Thecla material. Preserved as a witness to Pauline legend and early ascetic narrative.

Acts of Paul and Thecla - [Expanded but early apocryphal acts witness] Survives in Greek and many versions. Preserved as a major witness to Thecla, teaching, celibacy, persecution, and female discipleship memory.

Acts of John - [Fragmentary and composite apostolic acts witness] Survives in excerpts and manuscripts, including hymn and docetic-sounding material. Preserved as a witness to Johannine mission legend and mystical tradition.

Acts of Andrew - [Fragmentary apostolic acts tradition] Survives through fragments, epitomes, and related later acts. Preserved as a witness to Andrew traditions, ascetic preaching, and martyrdom memory.

Acts of Thomas - [Syriac and Greek apostolic acts witness] Survives in relatively substantial form with hymnic material. Preserved as a witness to Thomas traditions, eastern mission, asceticism, and symbolic poetry.

Acts of Philip - [Composite apostolic acts witness] Survives in Greek and related manuscript traditions with multiple episodes. Preserved as a witness to Philip traditions, mission, miracles, and martyrdom.

Acts of Barnabas - [Late apostolic acts witness] Survives in later Greek tradition. Preserved as a contextual witness to Barnabas, Cyprus, mission, and apostolic memory.

Acts of Titus - [Late apostolic acts witness] Survives in later manuscript tradition. Preserved as a contextual witness to Titus-related mission memory.

Preaching of Peter - [Lost apostolic preaching witness] Known through quotations and references in early Christian writers. Preserved as a quotation-only witness.

Kerygma Petri / Preaching traditions attributed to Peter - [Lost or fragmentary witness cluster] Known through patristic reports and quotations. Preserved as fragmentary testimony to early Petrine preaching traditions.

Letters, Apocalypses, Lists, and Related Witnesses

Epistle of the Apostles - [Ethiopic and Coptic apostolic letter-apocalypse witness] Survives chiefly in Ethiopic, with Coptic and Latin fragments. Preserved as a post-resurrection teaching and anti-heretical witness.

Apocalypse of Peter - [Fragmentary Greek and Ethiopic apocalyptic witness] Survives in Greek fragments and Ethiopic form, with related reception in early lists. Preserved as a witness to judgment, purification, and visionary afterlife imagery.

Apocalypse of Paul - [Late apocalyptic journey witness] Survives in multiple recensions and languages. Preserved as a developed vision of heaven, judgment, and the fate of souls.

Apocalypse of Thomas - [Late apocalyptic witness] Survives in Latin and other later forms. Preserved as a witness to signs, judgment, and end-time expectation.

Letter of Jesus to Abgar / Doctrine of Addai cluster - [Syriac royal correspondence and apostolic mission tradition] Survives in Syriac and later versions, with developed Edessa tradition. Preserved as a witness to regional apostolic memory, not as secure original correspondence.

Correspondence of Paul and Seneca - [Pseudo-epistolary witness] Survives in Latin manuscript tradition. Preserved as a later attempt to connect Paul with Roman philosophical prestige.

Laodiceans - [Pseudo-Pauline letter witness] Survives mainly in Latin manuscript tradition. Preserved as a reception-history witness to Pauline letter expansion.

Third Corinthians - [Pseudo-Pauline letter witness] Survives in Armenian and related Acts of Paul traditions. Preserved as a witness to anti-gnostic and Pauline reception traditions.

Lists of Apostles and Disciples - [Late catalog witness cluster] Survives in multiple attributed forms, including Pseudo-Dorotheus and Pseudo-Hippolytus traditions. Preserved as contextual witness to how later communities remembered apostolic names, missions, and deaths.

Dormition and Assumption traditions of Mary - [Composite Marian witness cluster] Survives in many Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, and Arabic forms. Preserved as later testimony to Mary traditions, not as proof of apostolic history.

Martyrdom and Passion traditions of individual apostles - [Fragmentary and composite witness cluster] Survives in multiple later recensions and regional traditions. Preserved where historically meaningful, with apostolic attribution and legendary development kept distinct.

Fragmentary and Disputed Witness Markers

[Complete or substantially preserved] The text survives in a mostly continuous form, though recensions and later shaping may still exist.

[Fragmentary witness] Only pieces of the work survive, or the surviving manuscript is damaged, interrupted, or incomplete.

[Quotation-only witness] The work is known through quotations, summaries, or hostile reports in later writers; the full text is lost.

[Disputed witness] Authenticity, attribution, manuscript history, or ancient status is seriously debated.

[Composite witness] The received text appears to combine layers, recensions, expansions, or traditions from different periods.

[Late but influential witness] The work is not secure as early apostolic memory but deeply influenced later Christian imagination, liturgy, doctrine, art, or devotion.

[Do not reconstruct] Missing sections should remain marked as missing unless future manuscript evidence provides recoverable text.

Restored Index Closing

This index preserves the wider New Testament apocryphal witness-field without pretending that every text carries the same authority, age, preservation quality, or historical reliability. Fragmentary witnesses remain fragmentary. Disputed witnesses remain disputed. Quotation-only witnesses are not expanded into imaginary complete texts. Late witnesses are preserved because they mattered, but they are not allowed to override earlier and stronger textual evidence.

The purpose of this index is to keep the lost, partial, disputed, and expanded witnesses visible within the restored library, so that no meaningful ancient or historically influential testimony is hidden, exaggerated, or erased.