Euangelium secundum duodecim apostolos
Standard abbreviation: Gos. Twelve (Syr.)
Other titles: none
Clavis numbers: ECCA 129
Category: Apocalypses
Related literature: Acts of Thomas, Teaching of the Apostles, Testament of our Lord
Compiled by James Toma (York University) under the supervision of Tony Burke, York University
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Toma, James. “Gospel of the Twelve Apostles.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/gospel-of-the-twelve-apostles/.
Created November 2018. Current as of January 2024.
1. SUMMARY
The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles is a Western Syriac apocryphon that dates to the mid-eighth century CE. The work claims to be originally composed in Hebrew and later translated into Greek, where it then made its way to Syriac. Although writers of the fifth century mention a “Gospel of the Twelve” as a second-century work (i.e., Origen and Epiphanius), they either make reference only to the title or provide content that differs from the one at hand. In addition, no earlier source that is extant confirms their claims. Furthermore, the environmental factors of the mid-eighth century Middle East (i.e., the Islamic Conquest) seem to correspond well with the context of Gos. Twelve.
The text begins with a narrative on the nativity, ministerial activity, and resurrection of Jesus. The text also provides an account of Jesus instructing his apostles to scatter across the “four quarters” to baptize and evangelize peoples and nations for the “New Kingdom.” Thus, each evangelist is assigned a region and miraculously, without training, embrace the ability to speak a foreign tongue that is practised in his assigned area. Before the Twelve’s mission takes launch, the apostles gather and pray in a house to ask God to reveal to them the “secret mysteries” concerning the end times. Their prayers are answered, and God instructs the apostles to go to the mountain where Moses and Elijah appeared to them in the past (i.e., the location of the Transfiguration, Mark 9:2–8 par.). Forthwith, these instructions are followed and for seven days the apostles journey until finally, they arrive to receive the divine mysteries. Three of the twelve apostles receive the apocalyptic revelations: Peter, James, and John.
Peter declares that the archangel Michael came to him and gave him a vision in which he saw church leaders “divide out Lord” (perhaps an allusion to Nestorianism), thus displeasing God, who in turn hands them over to oppressive peoples that persecute them (either Romans, Persians, or Moslems). This process continues until the churches unite and depart from their wicked ways and bring back the orthodox teachings to their flocks. The angel then approaches James and James tells the others that he sees the destruction of Jerusalem (perhaps under Hadrian). The people experience waves of oppression and the city is left with only weeping inhabitants. In due time, a ruler rises to power (likely Licinius) and reorganizes the people and leads them into war but dies in battle. His successor (Constantine) constructs the third temple and allows the faithful to worship God within it once more. The final successor “burdens the chief men with many ills,” which would indicate that this ruler should be identified with Julian, yet this same ruler is said to bring peace and prosperity to the land and the author declares that he will save those who call on the name of Jesus.
The angel then approaches John and informs him that he has been exclusively chosen to view the greatest revelation. John’s vision starts with rulers of the “North” gaining power, led by a man who bears a marvellous sign (again, likely Constantine). He is succeeded by kings of the Romans who anger God by their constant idol-worship and turpitude. As punishment, God raises up the Persians who expel Rome. One of the Persian rulers (Chrosroes the Great), a “lover of money,” is killed by his son and then the Persians are succeeded by the Medes. The following events are interpreted by John as the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. The kings of the “South” rise to power (i.e., Arabia and Mohammad) and do so with severe burden with taxation, enslavement, etc. to the world. In addition, the rulers hate the name of Jesus and do even more iniquities to the Christians. Moreover, God soon puts an end to this kingdom by dividing the rulers into “two parties” (i.e., the Abbassid and Omiyyad dynasties) who war against each other until they are severely weakened. At the same time, the kings of the “North” rise and unite the world and all those oppressed by the kings of the “South” and defeat them. The “South” then faces numerous plagues and are fated to never hold a standing army nor engage in battle again. The conclusion of the text is damaged but it is clear that John’s vision comes to a close and a voice commands John to share his vision with his companions.
Named historical figures and characters: Abraham (patriarch), Adam (patriarch), Alexander (the Great), Andrew (apostle), Asher (patriarch), Bartholomew (apostle), Benjamin (patriarch), Daniel (prophet), David (king), Elijah (prophet), Gabriel (angel), Gad (patrarich), Herod (the Great), Holy Spirit, Ishmael, Issachar (patriarch), James (son of Alphaeus), James (son of Zebedee), John (son of Zebedee), Jesus Christ, Joseph (of Nazareth), Joseph (patriarch), Judah (patriarch), Judas Iscariot, Levi (patriarch), Mary (Virgin), Matthaias (apostle), Matthew (apostle), Michael (angel), Moses (patriarch), Naphtali (patriarch), Peter (apostle), Philip (apostle), Reuben (patriarch), Satan, Sibyl, Simeon (patriarch), Simon (the Canaanite/Zealot), Thaddaeus (apostle), Thomas (apostle), Tiberius (emperor), Zebulon (patriarch).
Geographical locations: Africa, Bethlehem, Canaan, Diglath, Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem, Judah, Media, Mesopotamia, Nazareth, Persia, Rome, temple (Jerusalem).
2. RESOURCES
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Syriac
Cambridge Mass., Harvard Houghton Library, Syr. 93. fols. 47r–58r (ca. 750)
Harris, J. Rendel. The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles together with the Apocalypses of each one of them. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1900 (editio princeps based on Harvard Syr. 93).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
Harris, J. Rendel. The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles together with the Apocalypses of each one of them. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1900 (English translation based on Harvard Syr. 93, pp. 25–39).
__________. “A New Gospel and Some New Apocalypses.” Contemporary Review 76 (1899): 802–18 (includes preliminary translation of chs. 1–4 and 7).
Penn, Michael Philip. When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2015 (translation of ch. 7, pp. 146–55).
Toma, James. “Gospel of the Twelve Apostles.” Pages 12–35 in vol. 3 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. Edited by Tony Burke. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2023.
3.2.2 Italian
Erbetta, Mario. Gli Apocrifi del nuovo Testamento. 3 vols. in 4. Turin: Marietti, 1966–1981 (vol. 3, pp. 431–40).
3.3 General Works
Brock, Sebastian P. “Gospel of the Twelve Apostles.” In Gorgias Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Syriac Heritage: Electronic Edition. Edited by Sebastian P. Brock, Aaron M. Butts, George A. Kiraz and Lucas Van Rompay. Digital edition prepared by David Michelson, Ute Possekel, and Daniel L. Schwartz. Gorgias Press, 2011; online ed. Beth Mardutho, 2018.
Drijvers, H. J. W. “The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles. A Syriac Apocalypse from the Early Islamic Period.” Pages 189–213 in The Byzantine and Early Islamic Near East. Vol. 1: Problems in the Literary Source Material. Edited by Averil Cameron and Lawrence I. Conrad. SLAEI 1. Princeton: Darwin Press, 1992.
__________. “Christians, Jews and Muslims in Northern Mesopotamia in Early Islamic Times. The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles and Related Texts.” Pages 67–74 in La Syrie de Byzance à l’Islam, VIIe-VIIIe siècles : actes du Colloque international “De Byzance à l’islam”, Lyon, Maison de l’Orient méditerranéen, Paris, Institut du monde arabe, 11-15 septembre 1990. Edited by P. Canivet and J.-P. Rey-Coquais. Damas: Institut français de Damas, 1992.
Greisiger, Lutz. “The Gospel of the Twelve Apostles.” Pages 222–25 in Christian-Muslim Relations: A Bibliographical History. Volume 1 (600‒900). Edited by Thomas, David Richard and Roggema, Barbara Hjördis. CMR 11. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2009.
Grypeou, Emmanouela. “The Table from Heaven: A Note on Qur’ān, Sūrah 5,111 ff.” Collectanea Christiana Orientalia 2 (2005): 311–16.
Harris, Rendel J. “A New Gospel and Some New Apocalypses.” Contemporary Review 76 (1899): 802–18.
Hoyland, Robert G. Seeing Islam as Others Saw It: A Survey and Evaluation of Christian, Jewish and Zoroastrian Writings on Early Islam. Princeton: Darwin Press, 1997 (pp. 267–70).
Markschies, Christoph. “Das Evangelium der zwölf Apostel (ed. Harris)/Das Evangelium der zwölf Apostle (ed. Revillout).” Pages 444–46 in Antike christliche Apokryphen in deutscher Übersetzung. Bd. 1. Edited by Christoph Markschies and Jens Schröter. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012.
Ohlig, Karl-Heinz. “Hinweise auf eineneue Religion in der christlichen Literatur ‘unter islamischer Herrschaft?’” Pages 223–326 in Der frühe Islam: Eine historisch-kritische Rekonstruction anhand zeitgenössischer Quellen. Edited by Karl-Heinz Ohlig. Berlin: Schiler, 2007.
Penn, Michael Philip. When Christians First Met Muslims: A Sourcebook of the Earliest Syriac Writings on Islam. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2015.
Reinink, Gerrit J. “Early Christian Reactions to the Building of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.” Khristianskij Vostok 2 [8] (2001): 227–41.
__________. “From Apocalyptics to Apologetics: Early Syriac Reactions to Islam.” Pages 75–87 in Endzeiten: Eschatologie in den monotheistischen Weltreligionen. Edited by Wolfram Brandes and Schmieder, Felicitas. Millennium-Studien 16. Berlin and New York: de Gruyter, 2008.
Suermann, Harald. Die geschichtstheologische Reaktion auf die einfallenden Muslime in der edessenischen Apocklyptik des siebten Jahhunderts. Europäische Hochschulschriften 23. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1985
Wolf, Kenneth Baxter. “Back to the Future: Constantine and the Last Roman Emperor.” Pages 115–32 in The Life and Legacy of Constantine: Traditions through the Ages. Edited by M. Shane Bjornlie. New York: Routledge, 2017.