The Chronography of Nieephonia (patriarch of Constantinople 806-^15), In a revised fonn which originated in Jerus. about 860, contains a stichometric list of Biblical books which has inner marks of a much earlier dat« (Zahn, 'perhaps before 6U0'). It contains (1) the can. books of OT and of NT; (2) the antile- ffomena of OT and of NT; (8) A. of OT and of NT. Under the last heading the following list Is given -.—Apocrypha of OT: a)Eno<:h, (2) Patriarchs, (3) Prayer of Joseph, (4) Testa- ment of Moses, (5) Assumption of Moses, (6) Abram, (7) Eldad and Modwl, (8) Elijah, the prophet, (0) Zcnhaniah, the prophet, (10) Zocbariah, father of John, [UJ PBeu(iepignn)ha of Hanich, Habakkuk, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Apocrypha of y f :(1) Itinerary of Paul. (2) Itin. of Peter, (3) Itin. of John, (4) Itln. of Thomas, f6) GoBjiel according to Thomas, (f>) Teaching of the Apostles, (7, 8) Clement's [two Epistles], (9) [Epistles] of Ignatius, of Folycarp, and of Hennas.
Of the A. of OT, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5 are. In whole or in part, extant ; Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9 are cited as genuine * by Urigen or some still older Church l-'ather.' They are all Jewish apfK-alypses, Ce. A. in the earliest sense, but the word now carries an adverse Judgment. This list is repeated tn the so-called Synopjtit of Athanojiiiui. Similar, but in some degree inde- pendent, is the summary of ^. in the anonymous ' Lint of tixty' can. hooks, which may represent the views of the Ejistei-n Church In the 7th cent. After the can. books follows the Intermediat* class of ' thotie outtide of the irixty ' ; and then
* apocrypha' as follows :— <1) Adnm. (2) Enoch. (:t) Lame<'h, (4) Patriarchs, (5) Prayer of Joseph («) P:iilail and .M<^Mlad, (7) Testa- ment of Moses, (8) Assumption of Moses. (0) Psalms of Solomon, (10) Apoc. of EUiJah, (11) Vision of Isaiah, (12) Apoa of Zcph-
aniah, (13) Apoc. of Zachariah, (14) .\\k>c. of Ezra. (15) Historj- of James, (10) Apoc. of Peter, (17) Itinerary and TeachinL'S of the Apostles, (18) Epistle of Barnabas, (lit) Acts of Paul, (liU) .Xpoc. of Paul. (21) Didascaliaof Clement, (22) Didascalia of Ignatius, (23) Didascalia of Polycarp, (24) Gospel ace. to Barnabas, (25) Gosjiel ace. to Matthew.
With reference to these lists, it is to be noticed that they contain in general just those books, Jewish and Christian, which were put forth in the first place as A. in the proper sense. Not the application but the interpretation of the word is changed, in accordance with a changed estimate of the books. Once vahied by some as even super-can., they are now set apart not only from the Canon, but from the class of books that are good for private reading. Nevertheless, they still stand in a recognised class by themselves under the old" title Apocrypha, and are distinct not only from secular or heathen books, bvit from later heretical literature. The great part they played in early Oburcb history has so much recognition.
The Latin Church was further removed from the traditional use of the word, and it is not strange that we find there various novelties in its ajjplica- tion. The greatest extension of its use is fount] in the Decretnm Gelasiit which presents a list of IJibl. books tliat may be regarded as that of the Rom. Synod of 382, under Damasus, After lists of (JT and NT, and a list of patristic works approved by the Church, follows, under the heading Notitia librorum apocryphorum qui non recipiuntury a list of some 60 titles. Only NT A. are given, and to these are added (perhaps in later reWsions of the work) a miscellaneous collection of books con- demned by the Church, including even the works of Kusebius, Tertullian, Clement of Alex., etc., lo each of which, as to the earlier list, the adjective apocnjjthus is added.
Almost equally novel in Christian usage is Jerome's extension of the word in the opposite direction to cover the books of our A., though this rests upon Heb. usage, as we know it from Origen. ' Quidquid extra hos [the 22 books of Heb. Can.] est, inter a.Tri>Kpv<pa esse ponemium ' (Prologus Galeatus). Jerome, in practice, how- ever, gives to our A. an intermediate position (see below), in substantial harmony with Jiujinus, who attempted to introduce the Eastern tlireefuld divi- sion into the West, and gave the name apocrypha to the third class.
The Western Church, however, did not adopt the threefold division. Against Jerome's theory, it included the second division in the first. Neitber did it extend the word apocrypha to heretical books in general, but retained practically its orifrinal application. Another Western novelty, how- ever, maintained it.self through the middle ages, namely, the interpretation of the word aporryphu.t as meaning obscurity of origin or authorsliip. According to Augustine, the A, were so called • because their obscure origin was not clear to the Fathers' [de Civ. Deiy xv. 23), and he oj)])oscs this explanation to the idea of heretics, that they 'are to l»e held in a certain secret authority' (c. Faust, xi. 2). This brought confusion, for the word IkkI come to mean practically non-can., but obscurity of origin was not a corresj)onding concejition. So, during the middle ages, it was variously inodilied by extending the idea of obscurity or unctTl.ainty from the authorsliip to the truth of a book, or to its reception by common consent of the Chnrch. Jth, a"" in the sense that its autlior is un- known, was received (can.) because its truth is evident (Hugo de St. Caro, 1240). Job, a"' in llie same sense, is in the Canon because not uncertainly confirmed by the authority of the Church (Hugo ite St. Victore, d. Il-H).