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The Nag Hammadi Library in English

by James McConkey Robinson (editor), Marvin Meyer (editor)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 1,864 ratings · 65 reviews

The Nag Hammadi Library was discovered in 1945 buried in a large stone jar in the desert outside the modern Egyptian city of Nag Hammadi. It is a collection of religious and philosophic texts gathered and translated into Coptic by fourth-century Gnostic Christians and translated into English by dozens of highly reputable experts. First published in 1978, this is the revise...more

Paperback, Revised, 576 pages

Published November 21st 1990 by Harper (first published 1977)

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Apr 05, 2012 Bettie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, dip-in-now-and-again, lifestyles-deathstyles, philosophy, books-about-books-and-book-shops

'The Introduction' by James M. Robinson puts everything beautifully into perspective, and points out the very important fact that Gnosticism does not necessarily mean Christian Gnosticism. There were, and indeed are, Gnostics hiding out in many normative religions; there are even traces of Gnostic -Judaism, which would seem to be a contradiction in terms but think of the Essenes.

This is a must-read for not only those who study religion but history of philosophy adherents too.

Within this Introdu...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Erik Graff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gnosticism fans

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: religion

The scholarly controversy about the nature and origins of gnosticism was the topic of my undergraduate thesis at Grinnell College and a subject of further study at Union Theological Seminary, most particularly with Cyril Richardson and Elaine Pagels. It has remained an intellectual hobby since then.

The appearance of the long-discussed Nag Hammadi codices in an affordable English edition was a happy event. Breaking with usual habits, I bought it new, possibly at the bookstore of the C.G. Jung Ins...more The scholarly controversy about the nature and origins of gnosticism was the topic of my undergraduate thesis at Grinnell College and a subject of further study at Union Theological Seminary, most particularly with Cyril Richardson and Elaine Pagels. It has remained an intellectual hobby since then.

The appearance of the long-discussed Nag Hammadi codices in an affordable English edition was a happy event. Breaking with usual habits, I bought it new, possibly at the bookstore of the C.G. Jung Institute in Evanston, Illinois.

The texts themselves, at least versions of them, were substantially familiar, but the critical apparatus is helpful. What one would like, however, is an affordable edition with the texts in their original languages as well as in English translation.

Now, what is Gnosticism?

Gnosticism is a convenient rubric imposed by older heresiologists and modern scholars upon a body of Christian and syncretic literature rejected by the Roman Church. There never was, so far as we can determine at this late date, a Gnostic Church. There were, however, Christian teachers, some, like Clement of Alexandria, still considered orthodox, most others not, who, with their followers, emphasized a salvific knowledge, a gnosis, available to individuals without the mediation of what became the "catholic" church. In other words, salvation was possible without such submission. Beyond this it is difficult to generalize. As the texts found at Nag Hammadi indicate, opinions varied. Some texts read as esoteric mumbo jumbo and suggest occult practices passed from teacher to student. Some have Christ Jesus as a being from another, higher dimension of being and go so far as to anthropomorphize metaphysical principles. Others suggest that the saving gnosis taught by a wholly human Jesus is accessible to anyone willing to do the necessary intellectual and moral work. Clearly, most of the modern interest in a supposed Gnostic Religion relates to this latter tendency. One of the most important suggestions made by the find at Nag Hammadi is that there may have been communities as late as the fourth century which allowed for such a variety of opinion and practice.(less)

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Feb 12, 2009 Rhonda rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: theology

Typically when one does any scholarship, he or she uses source material relatively close to the font of that source. In this particular case, all of these books or letters were written in the second century. In addition, there is not any record that any of the writers of the epistles actually knew Jesus. We have names which imply that actual apostles wrote them, but there is no evidence whatsoever to support this and in fact, considerable evidence against it. In addition, these texts were found...more Typically when one does any scholarship, he or she uses source material relatively close to the font of that source. In this particular case, all of these books or letters were written in the second century. In addition, there is not any record that any of the writers of the epistles actually knew Jesus. We have names which imply that actual apostles wrote them, but there is no evidence whatsoever to support this and in fact, considerable evidence against it. In addition, these texts were found buried in Egypt. While it is true that there was a large contingent of Jews in Alexandria, there is no evidence to support that any of this was even remotely mainstream, even in Egypt, much less in Israel before or after the dispersion.

The worst criticism of Gnosticism which one can bring is exactly what another review lauds, that there are hierarchies of knowledge of God. These occur because one comes to "experience" God inwardly in a way in which others, not yet as “experienced,” cannot know. In this way, Gnosticism is appealing to people who prefer, say Scientology to Christianity. The only thing missing is the language of being clear.

Does Gnosticism make its version of Christianity more appealing? I think it does simply because it promotes inner spiritual awareness and does away with a lot of silly rules that we encounter elsewhere such as in Romans 13: 8-9. However the greatest criticism of Gnosticism is this: Gnosticism does away with Jesus Christ. No more virgin birth, no more women at the tomb, no more visiting the underworld and no more ascension to heaven. The good part is that it cuts down on one’s obligations: your truth remains what you experience, what you learn about God inside yourself. It’s an old song in a different guise. Secular humanism didn’t invent itself last century.

It is unfortunate that Gnostic writings are inconsistent with the Biblical scheme of things which founds itself directly on Christ’s teachings of the first century. Despite what one hears from itinerant atheists posing as college professors, there is no evidence whatsoever to suppose that Biblical accounts are not so. This, of course, does not deny that there are arguments about certain passages of Biblical scripture. However, not one of these arguments does away with a single message of Christ as the one and only son of God.

Secularists have been pounding on these Gnostic writings for years, maintaining that there was a secret collaboration from the church to suppress the truth. Da Vinci Code anyone? I fully understand why one would enjoy getting rid of Jesus as the one and only son of God: that would make religion much freer and open to interpretation. Thus God becomes somewhat of a bumbling idiot presented in so many secular views of this age. The one problem of course, is that these views aren’t new. They always show up with a new name, each maintaining themselves to be correct.

It is true that these books were deliberately not included when the Bible was compiled, chiefly by Jerome in 405 and you can read why if you want to understand. Its compilation and translation to the Latin Vulgate is not without issue, but that is certainly a larger topic; his dismissal of the so-called Gnostic Gospels is not an effort of subterfuge, but one of consistency and sense. Far from agreeing with the canon of our New Testament, the Gnostic Gospels are inconsistent with the Old Testament also.

Lastly, these Gnostic texts should be read. Each person interested should not read a book about these books, but read the original text, just as he or she should read the Bible as we know it, either Catholic or Protestant versions. To do anything else is to give disservice to the fundamental spiritual truths of him or herself. The truth of Jesus Christ is about spiritual life, one which rises above our natural inclinations. This requires considerable humility. I am unable to do that alone.
On the other hand, if you have no desire to do anything other than dream, you can follow Gnostic texts as gospel. Gnosticism costs a little more these days but what’s spiritual clarity worth on the open market? Christ gives it to you for free, but it requires personal change. If paying for spiritual clarity is more your style, enjoy your trance-like states, believe the Gnostic gospels and please say hello to L. Ron Hubbard for me.
(less)

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Sep 01, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Archeologists and Ancient Historians

Recommended to David by: Holy Trinity Church

Shelves: philosophy

In 1945 some shepherds in Egypt were out tending their flocks when they stumbled upon a cache of documents. They took them back home and because they were poor, and lived in the desert (which means that not only is there a severe lack of burning material, but it also gets very cold at night) they decided to use some of these scrolls for the fire. Fortuitously they did not burn all of them and decided that they would take them to a university to find out what they were. It turned out that these...more In 1945 some shepherds in Egypt were out tending their flocks when they stumbled upon a cache of documents. They took them back home and because they were poor, and lived in the desert (which means that not only is there a severe lack of burning material, but it also gets very cold at night) they decided to use some of these scrolls for the fire. Fortuitously they did not burn all of them and decided that they would take them to a university to find out what they were. It turned out that these documents were over 1500 years old and comprised numerous writings that were attributed to the gnostics, a christian sect that flourished in the later Roman Empire. While this was a significant discovery, it, in my opinion, was nowhere near as significant as a similar find in some caves near the Dead Sea some two years later.
This book is basically a translation of a bulk of these documents, though pretty much all of them are incomplete. Some of the documents we have been able to piece together using other, similar, documents that we already had in our possession, however most of these documents are pretty much unique to this collection. Whether we wish to condemn these shepherds for burning some of these documents or not is really a moot point. The fact is that they did hand in the remainder of the documents, and I now wonder how many other collections were found but completely destroyed in a similar fashion. The wonderful thing about deserts though is that they have a habit of being able to preserve papyrus, and similar finds, such as in Oxyrhincus in Egypt (where we find an ancient version of a medical report used in a personal injury case – 'in my opinion, the plaintiff's injuries were caused by the roof falling down').
Gnosticism is a sect that flourished no only during the Roman Empire, but has been practised right down to today. Even though many of the writings from Ancient Rome have not survived, the practise has. Basically it is a religion where it is knowledge that allows one to reach salvation, and the more knowledge one has, the more likely that person will reach salvation. This is an interesting concept because I have noticed that some branches of the Christian church still practice some form of gnosticism, even though they condemn it.
The argument goes as such, it is our knowledge of the bible that allows us to be good Christians and to grow in our Christian faith, therefore for us to make sure that our salvation is assured, we must continue to read the bible and continue to learn and to grow by reading it. I have heard these churches advertise their camps in similar methods: it is essential that we go on the camp because the teaching that we will receive on that camp will enable us to grow as Christians and thus make sure that our salvation is assured. I have even been to some camps where they deliberately leave the final talk for the Sunday night to make sure that we go to church on Sunday and receive the rest of the knowledge.
Now, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Christian teaching, and I am one who is motivated by knowledge. However, when it comes to God accepting me my knowledge means squat. As I say, there is no entrance exam that you must pass to get into heaven. Much of this teaching, and it is not simply teaching through sermons and talks, it is also teaching that comes out of the plethora of Christian literature that screams for our attention alongside all of the other literature that is thrown in our face, in the end is irrelevant. Personally, I would never suggest leaving our bible stuck in our draws because reading the bible is the sure way of allowing God to communicate with us. However, the problem arises when we begin to chain our bible to tell us what we want to hear rather than listening to what God wants us to hear. Further, this teaching is still beneficial, however we must remember that our Christianity is not defined by what we know but rather by who we are.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 John Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those researching early Christianity

Shelves: reference

This book is a collection of Gnostic gospel's and writings from the early Christian era. Gnosticism was largely centred in Egypt though it existed elsewhere as well. Hints of it are found in the Gospel of John in places.
It was an attempt to move Christianity into the realm of a mystery faith a style of faith and worship popular in Ancient Egypt and practiced there for thousands of years before Jesus' birth. It also insisted, broadly, in requiring the guidance of an adept and questioned the tradi...more

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Aug 13, 2011 Roumissette rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Beginners and Advanced Spiritualists :)

Recommended to Roumissette by: friend

Shelves: consciousness, enlightenment, must-be-read-in-one-s-lifetime, spiritual, self-knowledge, inner-peace, astral-projection

Only missing in this book, is the Gospel of Judas, but then since it was only translated into English in 2006, it is understandably so.

There are many profound texts in the Nag Hammadi Library, and it really shows how much of Jesus' own teachings was thought as heretical by the Fathers of the Church and how much they were separated and blind from His own teachings since so many of His texts did not make it to the Bible.

I would recommend reading the Flight of The Feathered Serpent by Armando Cosan...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Rich Kooyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

The books has a telling quote on the cover as being an absolute authority on the Gnostic texts. This book is a great source but there isn't a lot of explanation to go along with it.

The wonderful book does cover the missing texts wonderfully. The breaks are great and the symbology is nice because it makes it realy easy to read. I wish I had more background on what it might all mean.

I know that it's hard to find one book that's definitive on a subject and you have to go a ways to do extra researc...more

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Aug 19, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is very similar to 'The Gnostic Bible' except the translations are more direct and take some reading and studying to understand. It is probably not for a beginner as the direct translations are harder to understand due to our cultural and language differences. I love the history in the introductions to each gospel and enjoy being able to see accurately the portions that have been lost and are not readable so that I can determine meanings for myself. I've been reading this since I first boug...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Richard rated it 2 of 5 stars

The works themselves are tedious and irrelevant. They're very useful in making contemporary Christians understand that their Bible wasn't compiled as a coherent whole, but has gone through vast periods of revision where books have been added to and subtracted from it. The decision to include or exclude portions of it has been made multiple times in known history by groups of people whose justifications are a matter of record. The book is no divinely inspired text, but a bureaucratic fabrication...more

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Sep 28, 2007 Adrienne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Gnostics or anyone curious about biblical history and time period

Sometime last year I decided...well heck I'm going to read the King James from beginning to end...which I did. And it took me a few months to do it in! I read it every morning when I woke, on my lunch breaks at work and in bed before falling asleep at night. I was always affraid to read the bible because I didn't want to get pissed off at all the woman hating in it. OR SO the church made me believe when I was younger, EVE this and Mary M that etc... Wellll I TOTALLY enjoyed the bible! And it WAS...more

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Feb 09, 2010 Logan Marlowe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellent collection of ancient religious writings found in Egypt in the 1920s I think. My favorites are the gospels that didn't make it into the Bible, such as the ones that show Mary Magdalene as knowing as much as or more than Peter and the other disciples. If you're open to a different view of early Christianity, read this.

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Feb 03, 2013 Velma Sampson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Scripture/Bible students.

Shelves: religion

Great resource of scriptures that never made it into today's versions of the Bible/Torah. It's not something you sit down and "read" in one sitting. It is a great book for cross-referencing with today's versions of the Bible if you are trying to figure out what was "actually" written or said!

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Apr 14, 2011 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fascinating. Actually life changing for me. Beliefs became a very different thing after reading parts of this. It is something you can skip around in, read bits and pieces, look through, study. Very, very important book - for all brought up in a JudeoChristian household.

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Apr 17, 2013 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: religion

Simply monumental and a very good insight into the realities of the Gnostic religion, rather than through the eyes of their opponents. This is a fantastic insight into the theological creativity and diversity of Gnosticism.

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Jan 15, 2013 Rhina M. Finley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-books

I thought it was odd how these scriptures were found. They didn't stay hidden inside the caves, they were meant to be discover. I've been reading this on and off over the past couple of years and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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Feb 20, 2010 Barnaby Thieme rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christianity, gnosticism, judaism, religion-mythology

A masterful collection of translations and commentaries on the various gnostic scriptures found at Nag Hammadi. I find this a more useful, informative, and readable collection than Barnstone's "The Other Bible".

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Jan 27, 2010 John Mathis rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can see why a patrilineal society sought to instill in people the erroneous concept that divinity lies OUTSIDE of oneself and only a certain caste of people could act as a conduit to that divinity.

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Jul 14, 2011 Tom Darrow rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good resource material for hardcore religious scholars. Not really the kind of book one would curl up on the couch with, but good to have around.

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Jul 29, 2010 Tia Jones rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-books

I can't say that I read the book in it's entirety but I did read the actual texts and a few of the explanatory passages that accompanied them.

Very eye opening. I can see why they were not included in the Bible.

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Oct 25, 2012 John Giannone rated it 5 of 5 stars

Anyone who is interested in the canonically-omitted history of the Christian Bible will find this interesting.

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Dec 16, 2009 Thom Dunn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: archaeology, christianity, classical, history, manifesto-polemic, mythology, a-own-hardcover, philosophy, religion, scholarship, ancient-near-east, biblical, africa-north

Since we were in Art Appreciation class at OWU, Jim has become The Man in textual studies of earlier Christianity.

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Feb 23, 2009 Wayne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bible-reference, religion-and-spirituality

Interesting stuff, but I don't have the knowledge of ancient languages to get the most out of this book.

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Dec 05, 2012 Charlie Heller rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If they wrote the Bible on shrooms while listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rwNe2...

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Aug 22, 2010 63alfred rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ahh, if only we were all exposed to ALL the books of the New Testament instead of just a sanitized four.

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Mar 18, 2009 Mike Luoma rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Students of Early Christianity

Shelves: key-influence, essential-reference

An essential source for the texts discovered in the Egyptian desert in the 1940s.

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Feb 12, 2012 Walt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well, it's difficult to slog through, but very interesting. Best read bit by bit.

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Sep 23, 2010 Craig J. added it · review of another edition

"Nag Hammadi Scriptures, The: The International Edition by Marvin Meyer (2007)"

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May 02, 2008 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy, mythology, favorites

This is said to be the only book with all the surviving Nag Hammadi Gnostic texts/Gospels, but there are other Gnostic texts such as _Gospel_of_Mary_Magdalene_, _Pistis_Sophia_, the Hermetic texts, and another ancient Nazarean text as well as ones from later Gnostic sects. I have read the _Gospel_of_Thomas_ translation that is probably in here, but other than that I have only skimmed some of this book because I am about halfway through the _Zohar_ and concentrating on it, but this Gnostic book i...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Bruce Morton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Want one place to go to understand the original Gnostic Writings? This is it.

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Aug 27, 2011 Cassandra Thiesing rated it 5 of 5 stars

Enlightening. My favorite gospel is " A Thunder Perfect Mind"

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