The Nag Hammadi Library in English: Revised Edition

The book had water damage on cover, and first 150 pages. Not whatvI excepted from a book listed in good condition. As for the book it holds a treasure trove of lost gospels.

I paid for a hardcover and got paperback… the hardcover is like twice the price… and they gave me paperback… that’s all I got to say about that.

This book is not what I had in mind upon reading the reviews, Great mislead. This is Later Day Christian Philosophy wedged before Gnosticism of later day Greeks and Romans. Instead of our purchasing this book I could simply read the Bible. Highly disappointed in this book.

Dr. Marvin Meyer has done a masterful job in producing a volume that will serve for many decades as the standard source. Scholarly understanding of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi has vastly matured since their original publication as the Nag Hammadi Library in 1977. This new edition fully reflects that refinement in "the scholarly ear" for both the forgotten ancient tongue and the spiritual tradition preserved in the Gnostic Coptic texts. In every possible way, publication of The Nag Hammadi Scriptures represents a milestone in modern understanding of Gnostic tradition. Elaine Pagels, the author and professor who introduced a generation of readers to the Gnostic Gospels, appropriately pens the introduction to this landmark edition. Every student of Gnosticism will want to own this book, but before jumping into the big volume, we still highly recommend a study of briefer introductory readings -- a good place to start is Dr. Meyer's "The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library".

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

Many reviewers have noted that they have found spiritual enlightenment through reading these texts. I am an atheist with a passion for history, so the value that I found in the Nag Hammadi Library was of a different sort. The texts reveal the Gnostics as they saw themselves, not as the Church Fathers characterized them, and thus these texts have provided a wealth of information for the study of ancient Gnosticism and, by extension, ancient Christianity. Although some of these texts may be perhaps found on the internet, it is entirely worthwhile to purchase this volume. The translation has been conducted by a team of scholars, correctly noting the lacunae and those places where reconstruction of the text is conjectural or where the English equivalent is approximate. This ensures an accurate translation. Moreover, the notes alone justify the low, mass paperback price of the book. Each one of the documents is introduced with excellent notes on estimated dating and other information critical to an understanding of the text. This volume is a welcome addition to the personal library of any person who professes an interest in the history of early Christianity, and it is absolutely necessary to anyone who is interested in ancient Gnosticism.