The Apocryphal Gospels

The Apocryphal Gospels

Author: History Hit June 29, 2025 Duration: 38:08

If you've heard of the mysterious and often controversial Apocryphal Gospels, you may have been told that they weren't important, or useful; that they 'didn't make the cut' to be included in the Canonical Bible. Not at all, these early Christian texts were hugely significant and influential as well as completely fascinating.


Tristan Hughes is joined by Catherine Nixey to hear stories including the Infancy Gospel of James, where a midwife's hand is burnt off after doubting Mary's virginity, and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, portraying a young Jesus with startling powers and a fiery temper. Together they discuss how these writings reveal the radical thoughts of some early Christians - from alternative crucifixion narratives to magical texts showing Jesus using a wand - and shed light on the vibrant diversity and theological debates of early Christianity.


MORE

The Wise Men

https://open.spotify.com/episode/30JcS3z8gUODOvbR8k47mh

Jesus of Nazareth

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qFWoLLNQFgL0FmBhUoKe2


Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor and producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 


You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Hosted by Tristan Hughes, The Ancients digs into the distant past, one specific theme at a time. This isn't a sweeping lecture but a series of focused conversations. Each episode brings you directly into dialogue with leading historians and archaeologists, who share the latest research and perspectives on the ancient world. The scope is vast, moving from the mysteries of Neolithic Britain all the way through to the complex events surrounding the Fall of Rome. You might find yourself immersed in the details of a single archaeological discovery one week and exploring the broader political currents of an empire the next. Produced by History Hit, this podcast benefits from the same depth and quality that defines their other award-winning series. With new episodes arriving every Sunday and Thursday, there's always a fresh journey into antiquity waiting. For anyone with a curiosity about where we came from, this podcast serves as a reliable and engaging guide, making the remote past feel immediate and vividly real.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Ancients
Podcast Episodes
Homo Sapiens vs Neanderthals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:23
Tristan Hughes is joined by Ella Al-Shamahi, paleoanthropologist and presenter of the hit BBC series Human, to explore what interactions between early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals may have been like, from communication…
The Romans and China [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:38
How did Roman silver travel from Egypt to China across monsoon seas, pirate waters, and bustling ports? Tristan Hughes is joined by legendary archaeologist Sir Barry Cunliffe for a dramatic journey through the Indian Oce…
Judas Iscariot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:29
**Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence, including suicide**What really happened to Judas Iscariot? From shifting accounts in the Gospels to the 30 pieces of silver, Tristan Hughes is joined by…
Britain's First Dog [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:53
Fifteen thousand years ago, as the Ice Age loosened its grip on Northern Europe, humans returned to the previously inhospitable British Isles. But they did not come alone. Among their number was a companion once thought…
The Roman Centurion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:06
What did it take to become a Roman centurion? To command, to punish and to lead from the very front of Rome’s armies?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Ben Kane to uncover the reality behind…
The Delian League: Ancient NATO? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:58
What happens when a defensive alliance slowly turns into an empire? Tristan Hughes and Professor Polly Low explore the Delian League, the so‑called “ancient NATO”, from its Persian War origins to Athenian domination. Dis…
Leonidas: King of Sparta, Hero of Thermopylae [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:44
In 480 BC, at the narrow pass of Thermopylae, a vastly outnumbered Greek force prepares to face the advancing army of the Persian king Xerxes. At its head stands Leonidas, king of Sparta, ready to make a final stand that…
What if the Ides of March Failed? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:25
What if Julius Caesar had survived the Ides of March? This episode explores his last known plans — vast eastern campaigns, sweeping reforms, and his visions for Rome’s future. Could he have rivalled Alexander the Great,…
Herodotus: The Father of History [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
What drove Herodotus to write the first great story of history? Tristan Hughes speaks with Dr. Roel Konijnendijk to uncover the world of Herodotus of Halicarnassus - the traveler, investigator, and storyteller behind The…
The Phoenicians [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:05
Three thousand years ago, Phoenician ships sailed west across the Mediterranean, their holds packed with pottery, wine and enslaved people to trade. Passing beyond the fabled Pillars of Heracles, they were pushing at the…