The Shepherd of Hermas, an early Christian (and somewhat strange) allegory was written sometime in the second century AD. It enjoyed a great vogue in orthodox circles and was even included in some copies of the New Testament — it is found in the Sinaitic Codex, for example.
According to A. D. Howell-Smith, the theology of the Church must have been very elastic at a time when such a book could enjoy popularity and implicit, if not explicit, ecclesiastical sanction, for its Christology does not seem to square with any of the Christologies of the New Testament, or with those of contemporary theologians whose occasional documents have reached us.
The early Christian document Hermas, or Shepherd of Hermas, was known to the early Church Fathers. The Muratorian canon, a list of canonical books from about the 3d century, says Hermas was written by the brother of Pius, Bishop of Rome, about 140-154. Despite much speculation, the author remains unknown. It was written in Rome and involves the Roman church. The document was composed over a longer period of time. Visions I-IV were composeed during a threatened persecution, probably under Trajan (the Clement of 8:3 could be Clement of Rome).
Catholic Classics 