The Apocalypse of Peter

THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER

1 . . . . many of them will be false prophets, and will teach different ways and doctrines of hell: 2. but these will become sons of damnation. 3. And then Yahweh will come to my faithful ones who hunger and thirst and are afflicted and purify their souls in this life; and he will judge the sons of lawlessness.

4. And furthermore Yeshua said: Let us go into the mountain: Let us pray...

5. And going with him, we, the twelve disciples, begged that he would show us one of our brethren, the righteous who are gone forth out of the world, in order that we might see of what manner of form they are, and having taken courage, might also encourage the men who hear us.

6. And as we prayed, suddenly there appeared two men standing before Yeshua towards the East, on whom we were not able to look; 7, for there came forth from their countenance a ray as of the sun, and their raiment was shining, such as eye of man never saw; for no mouth is able to express or heart to conceive the glory with which they were endued, and the beauty of their appearance. 8. And as we looked upon them, we were astounded; for their bodies were whiter than any snow and redder than any rose; 9, and the red thereof was mingled with the white, and I am utterly unable to express their beauty; 10, for their hair was curly and bright and beautiful both on their face and shoulders, as it were a wreath woven of spikenard and various colored flowers, or like a rainbow in the sky, such was their likeness.

11. Seeing therefore their beauty we were astounded by them, since they appeared suddenly. 12. And I approached Yeshua and said: Who are these? 13. He saith to me: These are your brethren the righteous, whose forms you desired to see. 14. And I said to him: And where are all the righteous ones and what is this epoch of time in which they exist and have this glory? 15. And Yeshua showed me a very great country outside of this world, exceedingly bright with light, and the air there was lighted with the rays of the sun, and the earth itself blooming with flowers that never wilted and the place was full of spices and plants that were beautiful, flowering and bearing blessed fruit, and never spoiled. 16. And great was the perfume that it flowed aloft from this place, even to us. 17. And the dwellers in that place were clothed in the raiment of shining angels and their raiment was like to their country; and angels hovered about them there. 18. And the glory of those who dwell there was equal, and with one voice they sang praises. First to Yahweh Elohim, and then rejoicing in that place. 19. Yeshua saith to us: This is the place of your high-priests, the righteous men.

20. And over against that place I saw another place. That one of squalid conditions, and it was the place of punishment; and those who were punished there and the punishing angels had raiment that was dark like the air of the place.

21. And there were certain ones there hanging by the tongue: and these were the blasphemers of the way of righteousness; and under them lay fire, burning and punishing them. 22. And there was a huge lake, full of flaming mud, in which were certain men that pervert righteousness, and tormenting angels caused them to suffer.

23. And there were also others, women, hanged by their hair over that bubbling mud: and these were they who adorned themselves for adultery; and the men who had intercourse with them in the defilement of adultery, were hanging by the feet and their heads in that mud. And I said: I did not believe that I should come into this place.

24. And I saw the murderers and those who conspired with them, cast into a certain narrow place, full of evil snakes, and they were attacked by those beasts, and they turned and twisted back and forth in that punishment; and worms, were like clouds of darkness, and they afflicted them. And the souls of the murdered stood and looked upon the punishment of those murderers and said: O Yahweh, thy judgment is just.

25. And near that place I saw another narrow place into which the gore (blood which was shed in violence) and the excrement of those who were being punished ran down and became like a lake: and there sat women having the blood that was shed due to their violence (gore) up to their necks, and over against them sat many children who were born to them out of due time, crying; and there came forth from them (the children) sparks of fire and struck the women in the eyes: and these who conceived and caused abortion were the accursed.

Other sources add: The milk of the women running down from their breasts and congealing created small flesh eating beasts: and these run up upon them and devour them.

The children who are born out of due time (premature due to the mother's intentional act) shall be of the better part: and these are delivered over to a care-taking angel that they may attain a share of knowledge and gain the better abode after suffering what they would have suffered if they had been in the body: but the others (aborted and delivered dead) shall merely obtain salvation as injured beings to whom mercy is shown, and remain without punishment, receiving this as a reward.

Other sources state: Infants that have been exposed (to this atrocity) are delivered to a care-taking angel, by whom they are educated and so grow up, and they will be as the faithful as a person of a hundred years old are here.

Other sources state: Those of the untimely births are delivered to care-taking angels, even if they are the offspring of adultery.

26. And other men and women were burning up to the middle and were cast into a dark place and were beaten by evil spirits, and their entrails were eaten by worms which never rest: and these were they who persecuted the righteous and delivered them up (for punishment).

27. And near those there were more women and men, these were gnawing their own lips because they were being punished and receiving a red-hot iron in their eyes: and these were they who blasphemed and slandered the way of righteousness.

28. And over against these again other men and women gnawing their tongues and having flaming fire in their mouths: and these were the false witnesses.

29. And in a certain other place there were pebbles sharper than swords or any red-hot sparks of flame, and women and men in tattered and filthy clothes rolled about on them in punishment: and these were the rich who trusted in their riches and had no pity for orphans and widows, and despised the commandment of Yahweh.

30. And in another great lake, full of pitch and blood and mire bubbling up, there stood men and women up to their knees: and these were the lenders of money who charged high interest and those who take interest on interest.

31. And other men and women were being hurled down from a high cliff and reached the bottom, and again were compelled by those who were placed in authority over them to climb up on the cliff again, and from there they were hurled down again, and had no rest from this punishment: and these were those (men) who defiled their bodies by acting as women (do with men); and those women who lay with another woman as if she were a man.

32. And alongside of that cliff there was a place full of a large fire, and there stood men who with their own hands had made for themselves carved images (idols) instead of Yahweh. And alongside these were other men and women who had rods and they were striking each other and never ceasing from such punishment.

33. And others again near them, women and men, burning and turning themselves and roasting: and these were they that left (departed) the way of Yahweh

Another source adds: The earth shall present all men before Yahweh at the day of judgment, being itself also to be judged, with the heaven also which encompasses it.