| Pliny the Younger our earliest non-Christian witness to Christians |
| Martyrdom of Polycarp One of the earliest martyrdoms from circa 156 CE |
| Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs An early martyrdom, which gives the basic structure of a martyrdom. |
| Infancy Gospel of James A fascinating attempt to stress the divinity of Jesus and the virginity of Mary. |
| Infancy Gospel of Thomas What was Jesus like as a youngster? Curious minds want to know. |
| Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas A fascinating account of two women, including the diary ofone of the martyrs |
| Gospel of Mary A fascinating document which suggests a put-down of regular Christian leadership, and a special role for women leaders |
| Plato's Allegory of the Cave |
| Sallustius Sallustius, a 4th century pagan writer, gives a sense of an educated pagan's view of the world |
| Dura-Europos Fascinating synagogue and Christian Church in Dura-Europos on the Euphrates, from the mid- third century CE |
| Lucian of Samosata Lucian's satiric account of the death of Peregrinus is both a take-off of a holy man becoming immortal, and also in passing mentions that Peregrinus was a Christian at one time. |
| Gospel of Truth Attributed to a Christian named Valentinus who lived in the first half of the second century CE. Note the biblical references, but also the changes. |
| Apocryphon of John A classic example of an alternative way of looking at this cosmos and its creation, as it re-interprets Genesis |
| Ptolemy's Letter to Flora Ptolemy argues how Christians should read the Hebrew Scriptures. |
| Augustine On Grace and Free Will |
| The Martyrdom of Pionius and his Companions |
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