Ancient Gnostic Texts, The Nag Hammadi Library available online!

[Dover]

About the Nag Hammadi Library Section

The Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of thirteen ancient codices containing over fifty texts, was discovered in upper Egypt in 1945. This immensely important discovery includes a large number of primary Gnostic scriptures -- texts once thought to have been entirely destroyed during the early Christian struggle to define "orthodoxy" -- scriptures such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Truth.

The discovery and translation of the Nag Hammadi library, completed in the 1970's, has provided impetus to a major re-evaluation of early Christian history and the nature of Gnosticism. Readers unfamiliar with this history may wish to review the brief Introduction to Gnosticism and the Nag Hammadi Library provided here, as well as an excerpt from Elaine Pagels' excellent popular introduction to the Nag Hammadi texts, The Gnostic Gospels. (Visit the Bookstore to purchase the The Nag Hammadi Library and The Gnostic Gospels or to find information on other important introductory works that will help explain this material -- or click now to buy The Nag Hammadi Library.) ..cont'd

http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/naghamm/nhlcodex.html

Codex I (The Jung Codex)

The Prayer of the Apostle Paul
The Apocryphon of James:
(Williams translation)
(Cameron translation)
The Gospel of Truth:*
(Grant translation)
(Attridge & MacRae translation)
The Treatise on the Resurrection
The Tripartite Tractate
Codex II

The Apocryphon of John* (long version)
The Gospel of Thomas:
(Patterson & Meyer translation)
(Lambdin translation)
(Patterson & Robinson Translation)
(Grondin interlinear translation)
The Gospel of Philip
The Hypostasis of the Archons
On the Origin of the World*
The Exegesis on the Soul
The Book of Thomas the Contender
Codex III

The Apocryphon of John* (short version, used in long version translation)
The Gospel of the Egyptians*
Eugnostos the Blessed*
The Sophia of Jesus Christ
The Dialogue of the Savior
Codex IV

The Apocryphon of John* (long version)
The Gospel of the Egyptians*
Codex V

Eugnostos the Blessed*
The Apocalypse of Paul
The (First) Apocalypse of James
The (Second) Apocalypse of James
The Apocalypse of Adam
Codex VI

The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles
The Thunder, Perfect Mind
Authoritative Teaching
The Concept of Our Great Power
Plato, Republic 588A-589B
The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
Asclepius 21-29
Codex VII

The Paraphrase of Shem
The Second Treatise of the Great Seth
The Apocalypse of Peter
The Teachings of Silvanus
The Three Steles of Seth
Codex VIII

Zostrianos
The Letter of Peter to Philip
Codex IX

Melchizedek
The Thought of Norea
The Testimony of Truth
Codex X

Marsanes
Codex XI

The Interpretation of Knowledge
A Valentinian Exposition
2a. On the Anointing
2b. On the Baptism A
2c. On the Baptism B
2d. On the Eucharist A
2e. On the Eucharist B
Allogenes
Hypsiphrone
Codex XII

The Sentences of Sextus
The Gospel of Truth:*
(Grant translation)
(Attridge & MacRae translation)
Fragments (translation not provided here)
Codex XIII

Trimorphic Protennoia
On the Origin of the World*

[Burried News]

1. Thank you so much. This looks very interesting. nt

[cliss]

2. Dover, thanks so much for sharing

this incredible news. I've been waiting for this.....for so long.

Just call me a rogue! I'd rather read the Original, Real Deal stuff than the politicized stuff....if ya know what I mean.

Thankx:smoke:

[Dover]

5. Hi Cliss! A rogue and a scholar! Here's an interesting passage >

It's from the Nag Hammadi book on Asclepius (a conversation between Trismegistus "Hermes" and his student Asclepius). Here are two versions (the first one includes a longer excerpt):

"And it happened this way because of the will of God that men be better than the gods, since, indeed, the gods are immortal, but men alone are both immortal and mortal. Therefore, man has become akin to the gods, and they know the affairs of each other with certainty. The gods know the things of men, and men know the things of the gods. And I am speaking about men, Asclepius, who have attained learning and knowledge. But (about) those who are more vain than these, it is not fitting that we say anything base, since we are divine and are introducing holy matters.

"Since we have entered the matter of the communion between the gods and men, know, Asclepius, that in which man can be strong! For just as the Father, the Lord of the universe, creates gods, in this very way man too, this mortal, earthly, living creature, the one who is not like God, also himself creates gods. Not only does he strengthen, but he is also strengthened. Not only is he god, but he also creates gods. Are you astonished, Asclepius? Are you yourself another disbeliever like the many?"

"Trismegistus, I agree with the words (spoken) to me. And I believe you as you speak. But I have also been astonished at the discourse about this. And I have decided that man is blessed, since he has enjoyed this great power."

"And that which is greater than all these things, Asclepius, is worthy of admiration. Now it is clear to us concerning the race of the gods, and we confess it along with everyone else, that it (the race of the gods) has come into being out of a pure matter. And their bodies are heads only. But that which men create is the likeness of the gods. They (the gods) are from the farthest part of the matter, and it (the object created by men) is from the outer (part) of the being of men. Not only are they (what men created) heads, but (they are) also all the other members of the body, and according to their likeness. Just as God has willed that the inner man be created according to his image, in the very same way, man on earth creates gods according to his likeness."

"Trismegistus, you are not talking about idols, are you?"
"Asclepius, you yourself are talking about idols. You see that again, you yourself, Asclepius, are also a disbeliever of the discourse. You say about those who have soul and breadth, that they are idols - these who bring about these great events. You are saying about these who give prophecies that they are idols - these who give men sickness and healing that <...> them.

"Or are you ignorant, Asclepius, that Egypt is (the) image of heaven? Moreover, it is the dwelling place of heaven and all the forces that are in heaven. If it is proper for us to speak the truth, our land is (the) temple of the world. And it is proper for you not to be ignorant that a time will come in it (our land, when) Egyptians will seem to have served the divinity in vain, and all their activity in their religion will be despised. For all divinity will leave Egypt, and will flee upward to heaven. And Egypt will be widowed; it will be abandoned by the gods. For foreigners will come into Egypt, and they will rule it. Egypt! Moreover, Egyptians will be prohibited from worshipping God. Furthermore, they will come into the ultimate punishment, especially whoever among them is found worshipping (and) honoring God.

"And in that day, the country that was more pious than all countries will become impious. No longer will it be full of temples, but it will be full of tombs. Neither will it be full of gods, but (it will be full of) corpses. Egypt! Egypt will become like the fables. And your religious objects will be <...> the marvelous things, and <...>, and if your words are stones and are wonderful. And the barbarian will be better than you, Egyptian, in his religion, whether (he is) a Scythian, or the Hindus, or some other of this sort.

"And what is this that I say about the Egyptian? For they (the Egyptians) will not abandon Egypt. For (in) the time (when) the gods have abandoned the land of Egypt, and have fled upward to heaven, then all Egyptians will die. And Egypt will be made a desert by the gods and the Egyptians. And as for you, River, there will be a day when you will flow with blood more than water. And dead bodies will be (stacked) higher than the dams. And he who is dead will not be mourned as much as he who is alive. Indeed, the latter will be known as an Egyptian on account of his language in the second period (of time). - Asclepius, why are you weeping? - He will seem like (a) foreigner in regard to his customs. Divine Egypt will suffer evils greater than these. Egypt - lover of God, and the dwelling place of the gods, school of religion - will become an example of impiousness.

"And in that day, the world will not be marveled at, <...> and immortality, nor will it be worshiped <...>, since we say that it is not good <...>. It has become neither a single thing nor a vision. But it is in danger of becoming a burden to all men. Therefore, it will be despised - the beautiful world of God, the incomparable work, the energy that possesses goodness, the man-formed vision. Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be preferred to life. No one will gaze into heaven. And the pious man will be counted as insane, and the impious man will be honored as wise. The man who is afraid will be considered as strong. And the good man will be punished like a criminal.

"And concerning the soul, and the things of the soul, and the things of immortality, along with the rest of what I have said to you, Tat, Asclepius, and Ammon - not only will they be considered ridiculous, but they will also be thought of as vanity. But believe me (when I say) that people of this kind will be endangered by the ultimate danger to their soul. And a new law will be established ... (2 lines missing) ... they will ... (line missing) ... good. The wicked angels will remain among men, (and) be with them, (and) lead them into wicked things recklessly, as well as into atheism, wars, and plunderings, by teaching them things contrary to nature.

"In those days, the earth will not be stable, and men will not sail the sea, nor will they know the stars in heaven. Every sacred voice of the word of God will be silenced, and the air will be diseased. Such is the senility of the world: atheism, dishonor, and the disregard of noble words.

"And when these things had happened, Asclepius, then the Lord, the Father and god from the only first god, the creator, when he looked upon the things that happened, established his design, which is good, against the disorder. He took away error, and cut off evil. Sometimes, he submerged it in a great flood; at other times, he burned it in a searing fire; and at still other times, he crushed it in wars and plagues, until he brought ... (4 lines missing) ... of the work. And this is the birth of the world.

"The restoration of the nature of the pious ones who are good will take place in a period of time that never had a beginning. For the will of God has no beginning, even as his nature, which is his will (has no beginning). For the nature of God is will. And his will is the good."

___________

And this is from another interpretation of the text:

In the Book of Asclepius (or Imhotep), Trismegistus Hermes says:

It befits the wise to know all things in advance, of this you must not remain ignorant: a time will come when...divinity will return from earth to heaven...O Egypt, Egypt, of your reverent deeds only stories will survive, and they will be incredible to your children! Only words cut in stone will survive to tell your faithful works, and the Scythian or some such neighbor barbarian will dwell in Egypt. for divinity goes back to heaven, and all people will die, deserted as Egypt will be widowed and deserted by god and human....Whoever survives will be recognized as Egyptian only by his language; in his actions he will seem a foreigner.
Imhotep, why do you weep? Egypt herself will be persuaded to deeds much wickeder than these, and she will be steeped in evils far worse. A land once holy, most loving of divinity, by reason of her reverence the only land on earth where the gods settled, she who taught holiness and fidelity will be an example of utter unbelief.

In their weariness the people of that time will find the world nothing to wonder at or to worship...People will find it oppressive and scorn it. They will not cherish this entire world, a work of god beyond compare...They will prefer shadows to light, and they will find death more expedient than life. No one will look up to heaven. The reverent will be thought mad, the irreverent wise; the lunatic will be thought brave, and the scoundrel will be taken as a decent person. Soul and all teachings about soul )that soul began as immortal and expects to attain immortality) as I revealed them to you will be considered not simply laughable but even illusory...They will establish new laws, new justice. Nothing holy, nothing reverent nor worthy of heaven or heavenly beings will be heard of or believed in the mind.

They will be driven to every outrageous crime - war, looting, trickery, and all that is contrary to the nature of souls...When all this comes to pass Asclepius (Imhotep), ten the master and father, the god whose power is primary...will take a stand against the vices and the perversion in everything, righting wrongs, washing away malice in a flood or consuming it in fire or ending it by spreading pestilential disease everywhere. Then he will restore the world to its beauty of old so that the world itself will again seem deserving of worship and wonder.
____________________



And here's a bit more about the identity of Hermes, who seems to morph into different divine beings
in various ancient texts. This is also a great website for accessing many ancient texts online:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/sta/sta08.htm

[China_cat]

3. I have had this in hard copy for several years now.

If you start reading it and do some simple math, it makes no sense if you are a bible believer.

Mainly for the one gospel (not sure which one and the book is packed up at the moment) that starts out counting the days from the time of the resurrection and tells of all the disciples (including Judas) writing their accounts of their time with Jesus. A little math show it to be almost 3 years after the bible talks of the ascension.

Read it with the bible...it'll destroy any illusions you have.

[On the Road]

4. Thank You -- I Hadn't Seen That

Now all we need to find are the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Secret Gospel of Mark (if it exists), and the Ascents of James. Maybe they'll turn up.

The ironic thing about all this is that I understand that the consensus now is that this group of documents was kept specifically because they were heretical, in order to refute them. And now the librarian is responsible for bringing them back from the dead.

[silverweb]

6. Wow!

Thanks for posting. This is fascinating stuff.