The word pseudepigrapha means “falsely attributed” so technically the Pseudepigrapha are ancient Jewish books that bear the name of an author who didn’t actually compose them. Entitling a work after the name of a famous person was a common practice in the ancient Near East. The Pseudepigrapha date from around 300 B.C. to A.D. 300. Pseudepigraphal books were never accepted as Scripture by Jews or Christians. Among the many works considered to be Pseudepigrapha are Apocalypse of Abraham, Books of Adam and Eve, Apocalypse of Adam, Book of Enoch, Books of Giants, and Testament of Solomon.
Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha?
The Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha can be confusing for the following reasons:
- The use of terms Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha varies among different branches of Christianity. For example, Catholics use the term Apocrypha to refer to what Protestants call the Pseudepigrapha. Why? Because the books that Protestants call Apocrypha have been fully accepted as Scripture by Catholics. (Here’s an overview of the Apocrypha.) So instead of calling these books Apocrypha, Catholics label these books Deuterocanonical, meaning they were fully accepted into the canon after the other biblical books. The Eastern Orthodox Church also labels these books as Deuterocanonical, but they do not view them as having the same status as biblical books. (The Eastern Orthodox Church also uses the Greek word anagignoskomena for these books which means “worthy to read.”) Since Catholics don’t label these books Apocrypha, that term is available for use and they use it for the books not in their canon—the Pseudepigrapha. (The word canon means the official list of books acknowledged as Scripture.) Because the term Apocrypha may refer to the Pseudepigrapha, sometimes the adjective biblical precedes apocrypha (e.g. biblical apocrypha) to clarify that the deuterocanonical books of the Catholic or Orthodox Church are in view.
- Early Christian writings that are falsely attributed, such as the Gospel of Peter, are also labeled Pseudepigrapha giving us a New Testament Pseudepigrapha (or New Testament Apocrypha) to go along with the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha that extends into the Christian era.
Summary
In summary, in scholarly circles and in the Protestant world, the term Apocrypha refers to the biblical apocrypha or the Deuterocanonical books of the Catholic or Orthodox Church. All other ancient Jewish religious writings not found in any canon and bearing the name of an author who didn’t compose them are usually labeled Pseudepigrapha.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.