apocrypha

     

Apocrypha (from the Greek wor ἀπόκρυφα, meaning "those having been hidden away") are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned. In Judeo-Christian theology, the term apocrypha refers to any collection of scriptural texts that falls outside the canon. Given that different denominations have different ideas about what constitutes canonical scripture, there are several different versions of the apocrypha. During sixteenth-century controversies over the biblical canon the word "apocrypha" acquired a negative connotation, and it has become a synonym for "spurious" or "false". This usage usually involves fictitious or legendary accounts that are plausible enough to commonly be considered as truth. For example, Laozi's alleged authorship of the Tao Te Ching, Napolean Bonaparte's self-coronation rather than at the hands of Pope Pius VII, and the Parson Weems account of George Washington and the cherry tree, are all considered apocryphal.

Trivia about apocrypha

  • Our exploits are told in the group of books that Protestants call this, meaning "hidden"
  • Greek for "hidden books", Lutherans view these as non-canonical, but useful works
  • Found in some Bibles but not in others, this collection of writings is from the Greek for "hidden things"