The Lost and Hostile Gospels: An Essay on the Toledoth Jeschu, and the Petrine and Pauline Gospels of the First Three Centuries of Which Fragments Remain

"The Lost and Hostile Gospels" by S. Baring-Gould is a historical account written in the late 19th century. The work examines early Christian texts that were lost or deemed anti-gospel, focusing on the Toledoth Jeschu and the Petrine and Pauline Gospels from the first three centuries. Baring-Gould investigates the context of these writings, their significance, and the theological debates surrounding them, illustrating the complex dynamics within early Christianity. The opening of this detailed essay discusses the silence of key historical figures like Josephus regarding Jesus and early Christianity, raising questions about why no contemporary accounts exist outside Christian writers. Baring-Gould posits that this silence may stem from the historical context of the early Church, which he suggests resembled the Essenes in practices and beliefs. He indicates that Jewish historians might have avoided mentioning Christianity due to its perceived association with a sect that had diverged from traditional Judaism, emphasizing the misunderstandings and tensions between Jewish and Gentile interpretations of faith during the foundational years of Christianity.