Apocrypha

==Esoteric writings and objects==
The word ''apocryphal'' ({{lang|grc|ἀπόκρυφος}}) was first applied to writings which were kept secret<ref>{{cite book|title=A Dictionary of the Bible: Volume I (Part I: A -- Cyrus) |author-last=Hastings |author-first=James |publisher=The Minerva Group, Inc. |year=2014 |isbn=9781410217226 |pages=116}}</ref> because they were the vehicles of [[esoteric]] knowledge considered too profound or too sacred to be disclosed to anyone other than the initiated. For example, the [[Apprenticeship|disciples]] of the [[Gnostic]] [[Prodicus]] boasted that they possessed the secret ({{lang|grc|ἀπόκρυφα}}) books of [[Zoroaster]]. The term in general enjoyed high consideration among the [[Gnostics]] (see [[Acts of Thomas]], pp.&nbsp;10, 27, 44).<ref name="EB1911">{{harvnb| Charles|1911}}</ref>

[[Sinology|Sinologist]] [[Anna Seidel]] refers to texts and even items produced by ancient Chinese sages as apocryphal and studied their uses during [[Six Dynasties]] China (A.D. 220 to 589). These [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] were used as symbols legitimizing and guaranteeing the Emperor's [[Mandate of Heaven|Heavenly Mandate]]. Examples of these include talismans, charts, writs, tallies, and registers. The first examples were stones, jade pieces, bronze vessels and weapons, but came to include talismans and magic diagrams.<ref name="SeidelAnna">{{cite book|author-last=Seidel |author-first=Anna |chapter=Imperial treasures and Taoist sacraments |editor-first=M. |editor-last=Strickmann |title=Tantric and Taoist Studies in Honor of Rolf A. Stein, II |location=Bruxelles |publisher=Institut belge des hautes etudes chinoises |pages=291–371}}</ref>

From their roots in [[Zhou Dynasty|Zhou]] era China (1066 to 256 BC), these items came to be surpassed in value by texts by the [[Han dynasty]] (206 BC to AD 220). Most of these texts have been destroyed as Emperors, particularly during the Han dynasty, collected these legitimizing objects and proscribed, forbade and burnt nearly all of them to prevent them from falling into the hands of political rivals.<ref name="SeidelAnna" />