BibleScholar

  Forgotten Scriptures by Lee Martin McDonald      Forgotten Scriptures provides a wide ranging and accessible survey of early Jewish and Christian writings that were ultimately excluded from the biblical canon. McDonald, a leading scholar on canon formation, brings together a diverse collection of texts ranging from apocryphal gospels and apocalypses to pseudepigraphal Jewish literature, highlighting both their content and historical significance.      The book is organized as a curated anthology with interpretive introductions. McDonald briefly contextualizes each writing, explaining its origin, theological themes, and reception history. This structure allows readers to see not only what these texts say, but also why they were valued by some communities and later marginalized by others. Particularly helpful is his attention to the fluidity of the canon in its early stages, challenging assumptions of a fixed and universally recognized set of scriptu...