Apocrypha
Gospel of the Hebrews
Jewish Tradition
3 chapters · read and listen
Reading note
An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.
Chapters
Dossier
A lost gospel, known only from what the church fathers quoted of it — and what they quoted is startling, such as the scene in which the Holy Spirit is called the mother of Jesus.
Where this text comes from
Probably written in the 2nd century AD, in Greek, in a Jewish-Christian setting in Egypt. No manuscript survives: what exists are quotations in Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Jerome and others.
Why it is not in the Bible
It was left out, though it was treated with respect by the authors who quoted it without hostility. The total loss of the text makes it impossible to say exactly why.
What you will find
- The baptism fragment: when the Lord comes up from the water, the whole fountain of the Holy Spirit descends and rests upon him.
- The Spirit speaks — and it is that speech, preserved by quotation, that makes the text unmistakable.
- Reading this book means reading its edges: what exists are passages saved by those who quoted them.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Gospel of the Hebrews exist today?
- Not as a book. Around two dozen quotations by ancient authors survive, and it is from these that the text is read and studied.