The Lost Books of the Bible Illustrated and Attributed in the First Four Centuries to Jesus Christ, His Apostles and Their Companions

303 Fifth Avenue, New York : Alpha House, Inc., 1926. Statedat at copyright: "Copyrighted, 1926, Alpha House, Inc." Manufactured in the United States of America by H. Wolff." Beautiful dark purplish-brown full cloth boards, gilt spine titles, moderate shelf wear. Ornately tooled cover design features crisp blind-stamped cover titles with richly detailed blind-stamp collage design bordering. Spine features upper and lower band continuing this blind-stamp motif with the gilt titles. Antiquarian signature penned twice inside cover: "Wallace A. Pratt, 718 Pearson St. Walla Walla" and statement penned below: "Given to the Manor by Dr. Pratt, May 1972." Stamp adjacent at endpaper: "Willamette View Manor." Frontispiece illustration from an early Greek manuscript: "Members of the Council of Nice presenting their decision to the Emperor Constantine, Fourth Century." Pages near fine, clean without writing or marks in text body. Bind good, square; hinges intact. Illustrated throughout with thirty-two additional full-page plates from ancient paintings and missals. Scarce sharp antiquarian volume. Full title: "The Lost Books of the Bible. Being all the Gospels, Epistles, and Other Pieces now extant attributed in the first four centuries to Jesus Christ, His Apostles and their Companions not included, by the compilers, in the authorized New Testament; and, the recently discovered Syriac Mss. of Pilate's letters to Tiberius, etc. Translated from the original tongues. Illustrated from ancient paintings and missals." Quotation at title page from Dr. Talmage: "Christ was the joyous boy of the fields. We are not permitted to think that the shadows of Calvary darkened His pathway as a youth, and the Apocryphal Books of the New Testament show a great deal of the early life of Christ not found in the four Evangelists." From preface by R.H.P., Jr. or Rutherford Hayes Platt: "You will find between these covers all the ecclecisastical writings of early Christian authorities that are known to exist, and yet were omitted from the authorized New Testament. etc." (1926). Contents: "The Order of All the Books of the Lost Books of the Bible with Their Proper Names: Mary - 8 Chapters; Protevangelion - 16 Chapters; I. Infancy - 22 Chapters; II. Infancy - 4 Chapters; Christ and Abgarus - 22 Chapters; Nicodemus - 22 Chapters; The Apostle's Creed - 1 Ch.; Laodiceans - 1 Ch.; Paul and Seneca - 14 Ch.; Paul and Threcia - 12 Ch.; I. Clement - 23 Ch.; II. Clement - 4 Ch.; Barnabus - 15 Ch.; Ephesians - 4 Ch.; Magnesians - 4 Ch.; Trallians - 4 Ch.; Romans - 3 Ch.; Philadelphians - 3 Ch.; Smyrneans - 3 Ch.; Polycarp - 3 Ch.; Pilippians - 4 Ch.; I. Hermas: Visions - 4 Ch.; II. Hermas: Commands - 12 Ch.; III. Hermas: Similitudes - 10 Ch.; Letters of Herod and Pilate - 7 Ch." Features two tables at back with alphabetical author listing of gospels referenced in ancient writings, but no longer extant; and, list of ancient books which include a listing or catalogue of the gospels. 288 pages. Insured post.. First Edition Thus. Hard Cover. Very Good. Illus. by Various Illustrators. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall.