History, Meaning, and Hidden Relevance

The Lost Books of Sacred Tradition

The apocryphal texts are a collection of ancient writings that, although related to the Bible and Judeo-Christian traditions, were excluded from the official canon of Scripture. Their content—often revealing, contradictory, or too esoteric for religious authorities—has been subject to concealment and censorship, but also admiration, curiosity, and scholarly interest.

These texts offer alternative visions of biblical figures, expanded or contradictory narratives, and theological, mystical, or symbolic reflections that invite a deeper and more pluralistic understanding of ancient spirituality. In many ways, they are the “forbidden books” of Christianity, but also windows into a richer and more complex universe of religious thought.

Etymology and Definition of “Apocryphal”

The word “apocryphal” comes from the Greek apokryphos, meaning “hidden” or “concealed.” Originally, it did not carry a negative connotation; it referred to texts reserved for the initiated or not available to the general public.

Over time, especially with the establishment of biblical canons by Christian churches, the term came to denote books not recognized as inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore excluded from the official Bible.

Nevertheless, many of these writings were considered spiritually edifying and circulated for centuries in churches, monasteries, and circles of wisdom, especially in the Middle East, Ethiopia, and the Greco-Roman world.

Types of Apocryphal Texts

Old Testament Apocrypha

These are Jewish or Judeo-Hellenistic writings that were excluded from the Hebrew canon but are still preserved in some Orthodox and Catholic Bibles as “deuterocanonical” books.

Examples:

The Book of Enoch
The Book of Jubilees
The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
The Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus (Sirach)
Baruch
1 and 2 Esdras
Tobit and Judith
The Prayer of Manasseh

Many of these were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE and offer prophetic, ethical, and poetic visions of Hellenistic and apocalyptic Judaism.

New Testament Apocrypha

Writings that emerged between the 1st and 4th centuries CE, offering alternative accounts of the lives of Jesus, Mary, the apostles, and other biblical figures.

Notable Examples:

Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Philip
Gospel of Peter
Gospel of Mary Magdalene
Gospel of Judas
Protoevangelium of James
Acts of Paul and Thecla
Apocalypse of Peter
Acts of Thomas

These texts are characterized by theological diversity: some are Gnostic, others proto-Catholic, and others reflect local spiritual traditions distinct from those dominant in Rome and Byzantium.

Formation of the Biblical Canon and Criteria for Exclusion

The formation of the biblical canon was a long and controversial process. Initially, many writings circulated freely among Jewish and Christian communities without a central authority defining “orthodoxy.”

Over time—especially from the 2nd century onward—the Christian Church began establishing which texts would be considered “canonical.” This culminated in the Councils of Laodicea (363 CE), Hippo (393), and Carthage (397), where the accepted books of the New Testament were defined.

Apocryphal texts were excluded for several reasons:

Lack of verifiable apostolic authorship
Elements deemed heretical or Gnostic
Contradictions to established dogma
Limited use in recognized communities or liturgies
Preference for literal over symbolic interpretation

The Book of Enoch: An Apocalyptic Gem

The Book of Enoch is one of the most enigmatic and revered apocryphal texts. It is divided into several sections, such as the Book of the Watchers, the Book of Parables, and the Book of Dreams.

It describes how a group of angels (the Watchers) descended to Earth and took human wives, fathering giants known as the Nephilim. These angels taught humans forbidden arts such as sorcery, metallurgy, cosmology, and cosmetics. God punished them, and Enoch was taken to heaven, where he became the scribe of the divine.

This text deeply influenced apocalyptic and angelological beliefs in Second Temple Judaism and is directly cited in the Epistle of Jude (verse 14).

The Gnostic Gospels and the Nag Hammadi Discovery

In December 1945, a collection of codices in Coptic was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, containing numerous previously unknown or lost Gnostic texts.

This discovery revolutionized the study of early Christianity and revealed an entirely different tradition: the Gnostic Christians, who believed that inner knowledge (gnosis), not blind obedience, was the true path to the divine.

Key concepts in these gospels:

The world was created by an ignorant demiurge, not the supreme God
Christ is a figure of spiritual revelation, not redemptive sacrifice
Mary Magdalene is a guiding initiator, receiver of hidden mysteries
Resurrection is symbolic, not physical

These gospels do not promote sin or anarchy, as they were once accused of doing, but rather a conscious, inward spirituality free from dogma.

Current Importance of the Apocryphal Texts

They awaken forgotten spiritual memory: Apocryphal texts revive voices silenced by religious authority.
They open doors to mystery: They contain mystical visions and cosmologies that enrich contemporary spiritual searching.
They reclaim the sacred feminine: Figures like Eve, Mary Magdalene, and even Sophia (Wisdom) take central, divine roles.
They nourish esoteric traditions: These texts have been key for alchemists, Rosicrucians, Theosophists, Renaissance magi, and modern occultists.
They offer intellectual freedom: Reading them reconnects us with an open, deep, and pluralistic spirituality.

Where Are These Texts Preserved?

Many apocryphal texts have been translated and preserved in ancient manuscripts:

Ethiopian manuscripts of the Book of Enoch
Coptic codices of Nag Hammadi (Berlin Library, Coptic Museum in Cairo)
Vatican Library, which houses multiple Gnostic codices
Dead Sea Scrolls found in Qumran, which, though not strictly apocryphal, include revealing non-canonical texts like the Temple Scroll, the War Scroll, and the Commentary on Habakkuk

Why Were They Hidden?

Heresy: Many apocryphal texts deviated from dogma consolidated after the Edict of Milan (313 CE) and the Councils of Nicaea.
Politics: Official texts reinforced power structures, while apocryphal writings promoted freer interpretations.
Feminist and libertarian elements: Some texts empowered women, challenged ecclesiastical hierarchy, and encouraged personal access to the divine.

Echoes of Hidden Knowledge

Apocryphal texts are not mere literary curiosities. They are living testimonies of a rich and vibrant spirituality. They contain silenced voices, alternative visions, and seeds of inner freedom. Rescuing their message is also an act of historical and spiritual justice.

Today, far from being dangerous, these texts can help us better understand the human soul, the origins of religion, and the power of spiritual language. To discover them is not to deny official faith, but to complete the soul’s map with pieces that were once torn away.

For truth does not fear books. It fears silence.

—-> If you wish to dive into these ancient words and feel the echo of the hidden, you can download the full apocryphal texts here: Download in Spanish

(These texts have been compiled thanks to the work of Podcast Paranormal. Our gratitude to them for preserving and sharing this forgotten wisdom)