The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The International Edition

By Marvin W. Meyer, James M. Robinson, Meyer

Book Overview

The Definitive Collection of Gnostic Writings The year is 1945. At the foot of a cliff along the Nile River, near the city of Nag Hammadi, an Egyptian peasant unearths a large storage jar containing ancient manuscripts. The discovery turns out to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the past century. A treasure of fourth-century texts, the manuscripts are the scriptures of the ancient mystical tradition commonly called Gnosticism, from the Greek gnosis , that is, secret knowledge. It is a discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about the early Christian church, ancient Judaism, and Greco-Roman religions. The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is the most complete and up-to-date English-language edition of these sacred texts from Egypt. It is full of treatises, testimonies, and secret books that had been lost for centuries. In addition to gospels purportedly by the apostles Thomas and Philip, and the revelations of James, Peter, and Paul, this collection also includes the Gospel of Mary and the controversial Gospel of Judas . The documents have been newly translated by a team of prominent international scholars. This volume also features introductory essays and extensive notes to help readers understand the context and significance of these texts that have revolutionized the study of early Christianity and ancient religious thought.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060523786
• ISBN13: 9780060523787
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 844 Pages
• Weight: 2.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.7" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

For the Scholar and Searcher

For those individuals interested in the evolution of Christian thought, Gnosticism in particular, embarking on a major research project, simply curious about alternative perspectives on the teachings of Jesus Christ, this single volume of fourth-century manuscripts discovered in Egypt in 1945, is absolutely essential. Gnostic thought has always been extremely controversial. Its history and various movements throughout the last millennium are fraught with mystery, censorship, intrigue and bloodshed. As some of the manuscripts pose an entirely different view of the Saviour and His teachings, most traditional Christians dismiss these books entirely. Interestingly, these books have been called "heretical"; taking the word heresy in the literal sense, meaning to take the position in opposition to the orthodoxy of the time, the Nag Hammadi texts are indeed heretical. Throughout theological history, the teachings of the Gnostics, and our knowledge of them as a movement, has really only been provided by the "heresy-hunters", (the first Church Father, Irenaeus of Lyons, and his five book treatise, "Aversus Haereses", translated as, "Against Heresies", is the most noted) giving scholars a seriously one-sided perspective of Gnostic theology, practices and belief. It was only when the Nag Hammadi manuscripts were discovered in 1945 in Upper Egypt, and then painstakingly translated, that we have a greater insight into Gnostic belief, its history and practice. This edition of the Library has been revised and expanded since it was first published in 1978. General editor, James M. Robinson's Introduction to this volume, in my view, is worth the price of the entire text. He provides for the scholar and curious reader a clear and concise history of these gospels, their at times dubious translations, and general explanation of the library as a whole. The Nag Hammadi library also contains manuscripts or treatises other than religious traditions from the Judeo-Christian heritage. For example, "The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth", is a previously unknown Hermetic text, that presents a fascinating dialogue between the deities Hermes Trismegistus and his son Tat. As Robinson points out, a number of texts contained in the library are debatable in terms of being truly Gnostic in nature, depending on the individual interpreter, and how they define Gnosticism. Personally, I'll leave that debate to the scholars, however, the text themselves make captivating reading. Many hours have been spent reading the various manuscripts contained in this volume. It has taken a tremendous amount of energy and concentration on my part to gain an understanding of the spiritual message(s) that some of these texts provide. This is not a quick read, but a long process of study that for me, will continue for years to come. Having said that, this library is an absolute must as a reference, for any student of theology, Christian history, archaeology and antiquity in general. It is we