The Nag Hammadi Scriptures

The Revised and Updated Translation of Sacred Gnostic Texts Complete in One Volume

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 a treasury of fourth-century texts, including the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Truth, and many other writings the scriptures of the mystical tradition commonly called Gnosticism, from the Greek gnosis, that is, esoteric or secret knowledge.

There had been malicious references to these works by early church fathers, but these were among the first copies seen in modern times. Since this discovery of the renowned Nag Hammadi library, our picture of the world of the historical Jesus, Judaism, Greco-Roman religions, and the early varieties of Christianity has begun to look remarkably different.

The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is the most complete and up-to-date English-language edition of these sacred texts from Egypt. Also included are the Gospel of Mary (from the Berlin Gnostic Codex), the controversial Gospel of Judas, and the previously unknown Book of the Stranger (both from the recently discovered Codex Tchacos). The documents have been newly translated with clarity and grace by a team of prominent international scholars. In addition, this volume features introductory essays and extensive notes to help readers understand the context and significance of texts that have revolutionized the study of early Christianity and ancient religious thought.

The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is essential to any reader who wishes to understand the history of Gnostic thought and mystical spirituality and the impact of such thought upon the Christian church from its formative period to the present day.