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5 min readThe Lost Books of the Bible
The Bible contains 66 books in the Protestant canon, 73 in the Catholic, and up to 81 in some Orthodox traditions—but hundreds of other writings were considered, circulated, or rejected along the way. In a single marathon session, the host of this episode walks through 24 of these "lost books," sorting them into three categories: historical (valuable for context), fanfiction (harmless but inauthentic), and blasphemy (intentionally misleading or theologically dangerous). He makes clear from the start that he is a Christian who believes the canonical Bible is divinely inspired—and that studying these rejected texts has only strengthened that conviction.
How the Canon Was Built
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:02) **Introduction & Framework** - Wendigoon introduces the topic of the lost books of the Bible and his three-part classification system: Historical, Fanfiction, and Blasphemy.
- 2 (14:20) **The Infancy Gospels: Gospel of James** - The first infancy gospel, focusing on Mary's perpetual virginity and a bizarre nativity story.
- 3 (23:49) **The Infancy Gospels: Gospel of the Birth of Mary** - A short, harmless account of Mary's early life and piety.
- 4 (25:20) **The Infancy Gospels: First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ** - A wild, blasphemous account of Jesus' childhood, filled with absurd miracles and historical errors.
- 5 (37:37) **The Infancy Gospels: Second Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ (Thomas)** - A continuation of the previous story, depicting a violent and bratty child Jesus.
- 6 (40:51) **The Passion Narratives: Gospel of Nicodemus** - A compilation of Passion accounts from Nicodemus' perspective, adding plausible context to the crucifixion.
- 7 (48:27) **The Passion Narratives: Acts of Pilate** - A dramatic, poetic account of Jesus' descent into hell and the resurrection, feeling like Dante's Inferno.
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Show Notes
What are the so-called “Lost Books of the Bible,” and why were some ancient religious writings not included in the biblical canon? This episode explores fascinating texts connected to biblical history, including the Book of Enoch, the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Jubilees, the Gospel of Peter, and other ancient writings.
Discover who wrote these texts, what they teach, how they were preserved, and why different Jewish and Christian traditions have treated them differently. Explore the history of biblical manuscripts, ancient communities, canon formation, and the enduring mysteries surrounding writings that stood outside the traditional Bible.
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