Subject: Re: Apocrypha

From: "Mirkovic, Alexander" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 17:28:19 -0400 (EDT)

On Mon, 14 Apr 1997 12:59:52 -0500 (EST)  Jim West 
<[email-masked]> wrote:

> I don't think that Gnostic material qualifies as apocrypha, does it?
> Apocrypha are materials written by Jews or Christians which are of an
> orthodox character- but which were not included in the Canon.  I do not
> think that Nag Hammadi qualifies here.
> 
> Jim
This is an interesting question. Let me give an example: 
The Apocalypse of Adam is preserved in a single manuscript, 
codex 5 of Nag Hammadi, yet Charlesworth includes it in his 
collection of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Is he 
right? 
	The problem here is the definition of the 
terms, apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, etc. I would rather 
speak about literature, namely, Jewish literature 
from the Hellenistic Period, or Christian literature 
from the early Imperial Period, and avoid terms like 
apocrypha or pseudepigrapha, since they imply a value 
judgment (a pretty negative one).
	To some, this might sound like political 
correctness, but IMO the terms apocrypha and 
pseudepigrapha have done more harm that good.

PS. A similar discussion started on OT Pseudepigrapha list 
run by James Davila presently at St. Andrews in 
Scotland. Anyone interested could visit St. Andrews 
web-site.

*************************************************
Alexander Mirkovic
Senior Teaching Fellow for Koine Greek
Graduate Department of Religion
Vanderbilt University
Email: [email-masked]
Phone: (615) 421-8331
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