Vienna (OTS) – Why were some writings from the Hebrew Bible and accounts of the life and work of Jesus included in the canon of the Christian Bible in early Christianity, but not others? Is there some secret knowledge that the fledgling church wanted to keep from its believers? The “criss-cross” two-part series “Forbidden Writings? – Banned from the Bible” by Kathryn Christy will embark on a historical-theological search for the so-called apocryphal writings, i.e. those writings that are not in the Christian Bible were included. In the first centuries after Jesus, it was the task of the church fathers to put together a collection of writings, the so-called canon, that was binding for all Christians. Church fathers and theologians had to spend years evaluating, interpreting and approving texts so that they could be included in the canon (Greek for guideline) of the Bible. The documentation presents a total of eight texts that did not make it into the Bible and also attempts to understand why.
The first part is about two books that deal with the creation and life of the first humans. The book “The Life of Adam and Eve” deals with Eve’s seduction by the serpent and her expulsion from paradise. What is particularly interesting about this book is that Eve is not portrayed as a sinner who disobeyed God, but rather as a victim of Satan’s seduction skills. The “Book of Jubilees” also deals with the first people to populate the earth. The key issue here is the question of why Cain, one of Adam and Eve’s three sons, suddenly marries a woman even though, according to the Book of Genesis, no such woman can exist. The Book of Jubilees provides an explanation that is not acceptable to everyone. Adam and Eve are said to have also had daughters and Cain married Awan, one of his sisters. A violation of the ban on incest. However, the story can be understood from the special situation of the Jewish people at that time. In order to continue to be the people of God, Jews should stay away from their neighboring peoples and not enter into marriages with foreign women.
Part 2, starting at 11:30 p.m., also embarks on a historical-theological search for traces of the origins of the Christian Bible. Some writings were very popular among the early Christians, yet they were rejected by the Church Fathers. For example, the “Book of Enoch,” which is named after a man who is only briefly mentioned in the accepted Bible’s Book of Genesis. The apocryphal Book of Enoch begins with a warning to humanity that God will destroy all life on earth with a great flood. As a punishment for the fact that the “sons of God” – meaning the angels – had married the earthly women, the “daughters of men”, and thus the race of bloodthirsty giants was conceived.
Another ancient manuscript did not find its way into the Christian Bible: the “Infancy Gospel of Thomas”. A report on the life of Jesus, who was a sometimes quite unruly child between the ages of five and twelve, a “divine brat”, as the Catholic theologian John Dominic Crossan describes him in the documentary. Scripture also shows how Jesus slowly matures into the Jesus of the New Testament. Also banned from the Christian Bible was the “Protoevangelium of James,” a manuscript that deals in detail with the life of Mary and, above all, attempts to provide an explanation for her perpetual virginity. The “Gospel of Mary” describes Mary Magdalene as a close confidante of Jesus to whom he entrusted important parts of his message. A Gnostic scripture that emphasizes the role of women in the Jesus movement. But the Church Fathers did not consider it worthy of inclusion in the canon of Holy Scripture. Finally, an end-time vision is presented that almost found its way into the Bible: Peter’s Apocalypse. A writing that describes the victory over evil in symbolic language. This meant the fight against the tyrannical Roman Empire. But this book was also banned, perhaps because it proclaimed that ultimately all sinners would be forgiven and released from their punishment in hell.