Forbitten Books From The Bible
"Forbidden" or removed Bible books—often called Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, or lost scriptures—include significant Old Testament additions like Enoch, Jasher, Jubilees, Maccabees, and Baruch. New Testament exclusions often feature Gnostic texts like the Gospels of Thomas, Judas, and Mary, along with the Acts of Paul and Thecla.
Old Testament Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha
These are often found in Catholic and Orthodox canons but were removed from Protestant Bibles.
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1-4 Maccabees: History of the Maccabean revolt.
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1-2 Esdras: Apocalyptic texts.
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Tobit & Judith: Tales of Jewish piety.
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Wisdom of Solomon & Sirach (Ecclesiasticus): Wisdom literature.
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Additions to Daniel and Esther: Includes Prayer of Azariah, Susannah, and Bel and the Dragon.
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Barnes & Noble +4
New Testament Apocrypha & Lost Gospels
These were generally considered non-canonical or heretical by the early church.
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Epistle of Barnabas.
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Infancy Gospels: Includes the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and Protevangelion (Birth of Mary).
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Gospel of Philip: Gnostic gospel exploring sacraments.
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Gospel of Judas: Presents Judas Iscariot as a favored disciple.
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Gospel of Mary Magdalene: Focuses on her visions and leadership.
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Gospel of Thomas: Contains secret sayings of Jesus.
Why They Were Excluded?
Protestant Reformers largely removed these books because they were not in the Hebrew canon, were written in Greek rather than Hebrew, or were considered later compositions. Many were rejected for lacking divine inspiration, promoting Gnostic theology, or containing pseudepigrapha (books written under a false, usually ancient, name).
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