Abstract: An English translation of the oldest and most important early Christian non-canonical writings. It is based on the earlier collection edited in 1924 by Montague Rhodes James. The book is divided into the conventional categories of gospels, acts, epistles, and revelatory texts. A long subsection deals with stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood. Another section deals with fragmentary gospel texts on papyrus. The bulk of the book is given over to second-century legends of individual apostles. Another section covers apocryphal acpocalypses. An appendix gives a selection of stories about the Virgin Mary's assumption and dormition. Each translated text is prefaced with an introduction and select bibliography. Full indexes of citations and themes are provided.

Keywords: Apocryphal acts, Apocryphal apocalypses, Apocryphal epistles, Apocryphal gospels, assumption of the Virgin, Christian Apocrypha, citation index, infancy gospels, M. R. James, non-canonical literature, text bibliography, text introduction, theme index