Excluded Books of the New Testament is a classic early 20th-century collection of apocryphal Christian writings, translated by three of the most influential scholars in biblical studies: J. B. Lightfoot, M. R. James, and H. B. Swete. This volume gathers key early Christian texts that were never included in the canonical New Testament—including infancy gospels, apostolic stories, and legendary traditions that shaped early Christian imagination.
The translators provide clear English renderings along with historical notes that help place each text in its ancient context. Bound in its original Eveleigh Nash & Grayson edition, this book is both academically valuable and highly collectible.
Significance:
Works like this are essential for anyone studying what early Christianity almost included in its Bible. These translations were produced by the leading textual scholars of their era and remain historically important because they shaped modern understanding of apocryphal literature long before the Nag Hammadi discoveries. Early printings of this compilation are increasingly scarce and sought after by theologians, historians, pastors, and collectors of Christian antiquities.