Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (74 page)

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