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The Gospel of Peter

Gospel of Peter, circa second century C.E. Parchment, Cairo Museum, Egypt.

This fragmentary parchment of the Gospel of Peter is called the Akhmim Fragment and shows chapters 13-14. Discovered in Akhmim, Egypt, in the grave of a monk by the French archaeologist Urbain Bouriant in 1886, it was the first noncanonical gospel to be discovered. Written in Greek, it is the first document of a codex of four texts and describes events in the life of Jesus during the time of his trial, resurrection, and immediately afterward. It is known for the claim that Herod Antipas, instead of Pontius Pilate, was responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Manuscript page showing chapters 13–14 of the Gospel of Peter.

A gospel is an account that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

The capital of Egypt since 1168 CE, located near the ancient city of Memphis.

A text of pages bound leaf style, like a modern book—as opposed to a scroll, which has no discrete pages.

An apocryphal gospel claiming to be written by the apostle Peter that was not accepted into the official New Testament canon by the early Roman Catholic Church.

Of or related to textual materials that are not part of the accepted biblical canon.

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