Apokrypha sets real myths from real sources side by side, so you can see where distant traditions tell the same story and judge the evidence yourself. Here is how it is put together, and where to start.
A short, sourced essay that sets one real myth beside the same story told in other traditions.
read a record →A single verified parallel between two traditions, with every source cited and openable.
see the connections →One of five long-standing explanations for why distant cultures tell the same stories — a lens, not a verdict.
the five doctrines →The fastest way in is to read one record from end to end. The flood — a boat, a bird sent out to find dry land, one survivor — is told in Babylon, in Genesis, and in India, centuries apart. Read it, then follow it to the connection it rests on and the five ways the doctrines explain why the same story keeps returning.
Read the flood record — a 3-minute read →Every part of the archive, named by what it does. The four you will use most sit in the bar at the edge of the screen; the rest are one tap away. Press ⌘K anywhere to jump straight to any record, connection, work, or tool.
Complete works in full, the day’s pairing, the map, the descent trees, and themes to follow.
Put a question, two texts, or a thesis to the archive and its tools.
The five explanations, where you fall among them, the recurring patterns, and open votes.
Your own board, and the boards other readers have shared.
Find your way in, search everything, ask for a record, or read how the site is built.
For how the archive is built and sourced, see how this site works.