Acta Petri Clementi supposita
Standard abbreviation: Acts Pet. Clem.
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 534; CANT 205
Category: Apocryphal Acts
Related literature: Acts of Peter, Book of the Rolls, History of the Contending of Paul, Preaching of Peter (Arabic), Pseudo-Clementines, Story of Peter, John, and Paul in Antioch, Cave of Treasures, Testament of Adam
Compiled by: Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Burke, Tony. “Acts of Peter by Clement.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/acts-of-peter-by-clement/
Created July 2020. Current as of January 2024.
1. SUMMARY
The Acts of Peter by Clement is an Ethiopic collection of stories of Peter paralleled in books 7 and 8 of the Arabic Book of the Rolls (which also has some overlap in content with the Ethiopic canonical Book of Clement). The precise relationship between these three texts has not yet been established.
The entire contents of the text are told by Clement, the successor to Peter as bishop of Rome. It begins with Peter’s account of the ascension of Jesus from the Mount of Olives, and a vision of Mary before the throne of God, attended by angels, martyrs, and saints. Before Jesus mounts his chariot, he entrusts Peter with a book of mysteries and seven additional books written by his own hands. Then follows Pentecost and Peter departs Jerusalem to preach to Antioch and the cities of the shore along the way (reflecting the route of the Pseudo-Clementine Romance). At first Peter instructs his converts to circumcise and keep kosher, but his teaching changes after he experiences the vision of the clean and unclean animals at Joppa (Acts 10:9–15). Then Peter moves on to Tyre and Sidon, where he meets Clement. The reunion of Clement’s family is briefly told, likely from an epitome of the Pseudo-Clementines. Clement is baptized and joins Peter’s troupe, which includes his lost brothers Faustus and Faustantinus. On the borders of Laodicea, they meet Clement’s mother and the identities of the brothers are revealed. Peter prays for the missing father, and he arrives from Rome on a cloud. Clement’s mother and father are baptized and go off to live in Jerusalem.
The following section tells the Story of Peter, John, and Paul in Antioch. In this version, an angel appears to Peter in the night and tells him to return to Antioch. When he wakes, he finds himself in the desert with John at his side. They meet up with some woodcutters and find out that they are near Antioch. When John tries to tell them about Christ, the woodcutters become angry because they have heard about this Jesus “whose blood shall judge us,” but they say perhaps it is better that Peter and John die by the hands of those in the city. The apostles preach in the city and end up beaten and imprisoned. Paul comes to their rescue, as in Pet. John Paul Ant., but here the story ends with the emperor ordering all of the idols to be destroyed and three churches are consecrated: one each is built for Peter and Paul, and a temple of Mars becomes a church of John. Paul then moves on to Tarsus, and John is sent to Laodicea to deal with an overflowing river. The problem is solved by John sending a ram to order the river back to its original levels. Then John baptizes the people, appoints priests, and builds churches before moving on to his traditional missionary area in Ephesus.
Peter sends his followers, including Clement, on to Rome; before he joins them, he cures a girl of leprosy, a story told in more detail in the Arabic Preaching of Peter. Then Peter meets up with Clement and other apostles. Clement is appointed archbishop of Rome and Peter and Paul appoint apostles as bishops and preachers of various lands—Philip to Nubia, Mark to Alexandria, etc. There is a short excursion to Carthage where Peter encounters Satan, and then to Philippi, but they quickly leave after Simon Magus follows them and interferes with their efforts to evangelize. From Philippi Paul departs to the “land of ignorance” and here is told briefly a story that occurs in the Ethiopic History of the Contending of Paul. Peter and Paul meet up in Rome once again and there Peter enters into a miracle contest with Simon Magus that recalls portions of the Acts of Peter. Their conflict finishes with Simon’s attempt at flying.
In the final episode, Clement establishes a church in his house and Peter tells him to write an account of all he had seen and heard in their travels together. This account is placed in the Cave of the Treasures of Rome, which Clement calls the “Cave of Life,” along with other writings, including the eight books entrusted to Peter by Jesus. “Books of the disciples” (the Gospels?), and various relics (the robe without seam, the crown of thorns, etc.) are placed in the “Ark of the Covenant.” All of this activity confirms Rome as the epicenter of the church. Rome’s esteem will grow even after Peter’s death; in a series of predictions, Peter announces that “a certain pure woman” (Helena?) shall rule in the last days and various relics will be translated to Rome; he also predicts his coming death, along with Paul’s death by the sword, and remarks that John will not taste death until the second coming.
Named historical figures and characters: Abraham (patriarch), Abgar, Adam (patriarch), Agabus, Ananias (disciple), Andrew (apostle), Barnabas, Beelzebub, Clement (bishop), Daughter of Jairus, Dionysius (disciple), Euphrikos/Euphraxus, Evodius (of Rome), Faustinianus, Faustinus, Faustinus (prince of Antioch), Faustus (father of Clement), Helena, Holy Spirit, Isaac (patriarch), Jacob (patriarch), Jambres, James (son of Zebedee), Jannes, Jesus (Christ), John (son of Zebedee), Joseph (of Nazareth), Lazarus, Mark (evangelist), Mars, Mary (Virgin), Mattidia, Moses (patriarch), Nero, Paul (apostle), Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Pharaoh (of Exodus), Pontius Pilate, Protheus/Zerosus, Satan, Simon (Magus), Thaddaeus (apostle), Thomas (apostle), Timothy, Titus, Titus (emperor), Uriel (angel), Vespasian.
Geographical locations: Alexandria, Antioch, Asia Minor, Athens, Ashdod (Azotus), Carthage, Cave of Treasures, Damascus, Edessa, Emmaus, Egypt, Ephesus, Galilee, Green River, India, Jerusalem, Joppa, Judea, Ḳêsârôs River, Laodicea, Lydda, Mesopotamia, Manṭêṭ, Mount of Olives, Nubia, Philippi, Rome, Sidon, Sodom, Tarsus, Tartarus, Tyre.
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Ethiopic (BHO 944–950)
London, British Library, Or. 683, fols. 10r–32v (17th cent.) ~ IMAGES
London, British Library, Or. 677, fols. 1r–29r (1764/1765)
London, British Library, Or. 679, fols. 4r–28v (1785/1786) ~ IMAGES
London, British Library, Or. 680, fols. 1r–16v ( (1711/1712) ~ IMAGES
London, British Library, Or. 681, fols. 3r–27v (1705/1706) ~ IMAGES
London, British Library, Or. 682, fols. 2r–30v (18th cent.)
Addis Ababa, Patriarchate Library, EMML 676, fols. 1r–44r (20th cent.) ~ CATALOG
Addis Ababa (Takla Hāymānot), Church of the Apostles, EMML 813, fols. 1v–34v (1944/1945) ~ CATALOG
Bausi, Alessandro. “Alcune osservazioni sul Gadla ḥawāryāt.” Annali dell’Istituto Orientale di Napoli 60–61 (2001–2002): 77–114 (list of 31 Ethiopic manuscripts of the collection, pp. 93–97).
Budge, Ernest A. W. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. Vol. 1. London: Henry Frowde, 1899 (Ethiopic text based on British Library, Or. 683, pp. 382–435).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Budge, E. Wallis. Gadla Ḥawâryât: The Contendings of the Apostles, Being the Lives and Martyrdoms and Deaths of the Twelve Apostles and Evangelists. Vol. 2 (English translations). London: Henry Frowde, 1901 (English translation of Ethiopic text, pp. 466–526).
3.3 General Works