Gnosticism Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people ...

used a number of

religious text Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...

s that are preserved, in part or whole, in ancient

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

s, or lost but mentioned critically in

Patristic Patristics or patrology is the study of the early Christian writers who are designated Church Fathers. The names derive from the combined forms of Latin ''pater'' and Greek ''patḗr'' (father). The period is generally considered to run from ...

writings.

Gnostic texts

Gnostic texts preserved before 1945

Prior to the discovery at Nag Hammadi, only the following texts were available to students of Gnosticism. Reconstructions were attempted from the records of the

heresiologists In theology or the history of religion, heresiology is the study of heresy, and heresiographies are writings about the topic. Heresiographical works were common in both medieval Christianity and Islam. Heresiology developed as a part of the emergi ...

, but these were necessarily coloured by the motivation behind the source accounts. * Works preserved by the Church: ** ''

Acts of Thomas ''Acts of Thomas'' is an early 3rd-century text, one of the New Testament apocrypha within the Acts of the Apostles subgenre. References to the work by Epiphanius of Salamis show that it was in circulation in the 4th century. The complete ver ...

'' (Especially ''

Hymn of the Pearl The Hymn of the Pearl (also Hymn of the Soul, Hymn of the Robe of Glory or Hymn of Judas Thomas the Apostle) is a passage of the apocryphal ''Acts of Thomas''. In that work, originally written in Syriac, the Apostle Thomas sings the hymn while p ...

'' or ''The Hymn of the Robe of Glory'') ** ''The

Acts of John The ''Acts of John'' refers to a collection of stories about John the Apostle that began circulating in written form as early as the 2nd-century AD. Translations of the ''Acts of John'' in modern languages have been reconstructed by scholars from ...

'' (Especially ''

The Hymn of Jesus ''The Hymn of Jesus'', H. 140, Op. 37, is a sacred work by Gustav Holst scored for two choruses, semi-chorus, and full orchestra. It was written in 1917–1919 and first performed in 1920. One of his most popular and highly acclaimed composit ...

'') * The

Bruce Codex The Bruce Codex (Latin: ) is a codex that contains Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic manuscripts. It contains rare Gnostic works; the Bruce Codex is the only known surviving copy of the Books of Jeu and another work simply called Untitled Text or ...

(purchased in 1769 by

James Bruce James Bruce of Kinnaird (14 December 1730 – 27 April 1794) was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who confirmed the source of the Blue Nile. He spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Ethiopia and in 1770 became the first Europ ...

): ** '' Books of Jeu'', also known as ''The Gnosis of the Invisible God'' ** The '' Untitled Text'' * The

Askew Codex The Askew Codex (a.k.a. ''Codex Askewianus'') is a manuscript of parchment in quarto size, or 21 x 16,5 cm, held by the British Library (BL Additional MS 5114), that contains Coptic translations of the Gnostic ''Pistis Sophia'' and parts of ...

(

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

, bought in 1784): ** ''

Pistis Sophia ''Pistis Sophia'' ( grc-koi, Πίστις Σοφία) is a Gnostic text discovered in 1773, possibly written between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The existing manuscript, which some scholars place in the late 4th century, relates one Gnostic g ...

: Books of the Savior'' * The

Berlin Codex The Berlin Codex (also known as the Akhmim Codex), given the accession number ''Papyrus Berolinensis'' 8502, is a Coptic manuscript from the 5th century AD, unearthed in Akhmim, Egypt. In Cairo, in January 1896, Carl Reinhardt bought the codex, ...

or The Akhmim Codex (found in

Akhmim Akhmim ( ar, أخميم, ; Akhmimic , ; Sahidic/Bohairic cop, ) is a city in the Sohag Governorate of Upper Egypt. Referred to by the ancient Greeks as Khemmis or Chemmis ( grc, Χέμμις) and Panopolis ( grc, Πανὸς πόλις and Π� ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

; bought in 1896 by Carl Reinhardt): ** ''

Apocryphon of John The ''Apocryphon of John'', also called the ''Secret Book of John'' or the ''Secret Revelation of John'', is a 2nd-century Sethianism, Sethian gnosticism, Gnostic Christian pseudepigrapha, pseudographical text attributed to John the Apostle ...

'' ** an

epitome An epitome (; gr, ἐπιτομή, from ἐπιτέμνειν ''epitemnein'' meaning "to cut short") is a summary or miniature form, or an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment. Epitomacy represents "t ...

of the ''

Acts of Peter The Acts of Peter is one of the earliest of the apocryphal Acts of the Apostles in Christianity, dating to the late 2nd century AD. The majority of the text has survived only in the Latin translation of the Codex Vercellensis, under the title ...

'' ** '' The Wisdom of Jesus Christ'' * Unknown origin: ** '' The Secret Gospel of Mark'' ** ''The

Hermetica The ''Hermetica'' are texts attributed to the legendary Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. These texts may vary widely in content and purpose, but are usually subd ...

Complete list of codices found in Nag Hammadi

* Codex I (also known as ''The

Jung Codex The Nag Hammadi library (also known as the "Chenoboskion Manuscripts" and the "Gnostic Gospels") is a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. Thirteen leather-bound papyrus ...

''): ** ''

The Prayer of the Apostle Paul The Prayer of the Apostle Paul is a New Testament apocryphal work, the first manuscript from the Jung Codex (Codex I) of the Nag Hammadi Library. Written on the inner flyleaf of the codex, the prayer seems to have been added after the longer trac ...

'' ** ''The

Apocryphon of James The Apocryphon of James, also known by the translation of its title – the Secret Book of James, is a pseudonymous text amongst the New Testament apocrypha. It describes the secret teachings of Jesus to Peter and James, given after the ...

'' (also known as the Secret Book of James) ** ''The

Gospel of Truth The Gospel of the Truth () is one of the Gnostic texts from the New Testament apocrypha found in the Nag Hammadi codices ("NHC"). It exists in two Coptic translations, a Subakhmimic rendition surviving almost in full in the first Nag Hammadi co ...

'' ** ''The Treatise on the Resurrection'' ** ''The

Tripartite Tractate The Tripartite Tractate is a Valentinian Gnostic work. The date is estimated to the second half of the third century or the fourth century but is "most likely based on an earlier Greek version." It is the second-longest text in the Nag Hammadi l ...

'' * Codex II: ** ''The

'' ** ''The

Gospel of Thomas The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is an extra-canonical Logia, sayings gospel. It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library. Scholars specu ...

'' a sayings gospel ** ''The

Gospel of Philip The Gospel of Philip is a non-canonical Gnostic Gospel dated to around the 3rd century but lost in medieval times until rediscovered by accident, buried with other texts near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, in 1945. The text is not closely related to the c ...

'' ** ''The

Hypostasis of the Archons The ''Hypostasis of the Archons'' or ''The Reality of the Rulers'' is an exegesis on the ''Book of Genesis'' 1–6 and expresses Gnostic mythology of the divine creators of the cosmos and humanity. Text's origin and content The text was found ...

'' ** ''

On the Origin of the World ''On the Origin of the World'' is a Gnostic work dealing with creation and the end time. It was found among the texts in what is known as the Nag Hammadi library, in Codex II and Codex XIII, immediately following the '' Reality of the Rulers'' ...

'' ** ''The

Exegesis on the Soul The Exegesis on the Soul is one of the ancient texts found at Nag Hammadi, in Nag Hammadi Codex II, Codex II. The text emphasizes the importance of prayer and repentance. It states that prayer should be done not just with words but with the spirit, ...

'' ** ''The

Book of Thomas the Contender The ''Book of Thomas the Contender'', also known more simply as the ''Book of Thomas'' (not to be confused with the Gospel of Thomas and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas), is one of the books of the New Testament apocrypha represented in the Nag Hamma ...

'' * Codex III: ** ''The

'' ** ''The Gospel of the Egyptians'' ** '' Eugnostos the Blessed'' ** ''

The Sophia of Jesus Christ The Sophia of Jesus Christ is a Gnostic text that was first discovered in the Berlin Codex (a Codex purchased in Cairo in 1896 and given to the Berlin Museum which also contains the ''Gospel of Mary'', the ''Apocryphon of John'', and a summary of ...

'' ** ''The Dialogue of the Savior'' * Codex IV: ** ''The

'' ** ''The Gospel of the Egyptians'' * Codex V: ** '' Eugnostos the Blessed'' ** ''The

Apocalypse of Paul The Apocalypse of Paul (''Apocalypsis Pauli'', more commonly known in the Latin tradition as the or ) is a fourth-century non-canonical apocalypse and part of the New Testament apocrypha. The full original Greek version of the ''Apocalypse'' i ...

'' ** ''The

First Apocalypse of James The First Apocalypse of James is a late second century Gnostic apocalypse. Contents The form of the text is primarily that of a Revelation Dialogue/Discourse between James the brother of Jesus (James the Just) and Jesus, with a rather frag ...

'' ** ''The

Second Apocalypse of James The Second Apocalypse of James is a Gnostic writing. It is the fourth tractate in Codex V in the Nag Hammadi library, immediately following the First Apocalypse of James. The order is a deliberate scribal choice, since the first text prepares Ja ...

'' ** ''The

Apocalypse of Adam The Apocalypse of Adam, discovered at Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt in 1945, is a Sethianism, Sethian work of Apocalyptic literature dating to the first-to-second centuries AD. This tractate is one of five contained within Codex V of the Nag Hammadi l ...

'' * Codex VI: ** ''The

Acts of Peter and the Twelve The ''Acts of Peter and the Twelve'' or the ''Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles'' is a Christian text. It is the first tractate in Codex VI of the Nag Hammadi library. The text takes up pages 1–12 of the codex, which contains 78 pages tot ...

Apostles'' (includes

The Hymn of the Pearl The Hymn of the Pearl (also Hymn of the Soul, Hymn of the Robe of Glory or Hymn of Judas Thomas the Apostle) is a passage of the apocryphal ''Acts of Thomas''. In that work, originally written in Syriac, the Apostle Thomas sings the hymn while p ...

) ** ''

The Thunder, Perfect Mind "The Thunder, Perfect Mind" is a text originally discovered among the Gnostic manuscripts in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945. It follows a poetic structure, and has received scholarly attention for its gnomic style and unclear subject. Form Th ...

'' ** '' Authoritative Teaching'' ** ''The Concept of Our Great Power'' ** ''

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

'' by

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

– The original is not Gnostic, but the

Nag Hammadi library The Nag Hammadi library (also known as the " Chenoboskion Manuscripts" and the "Gnostic Gospels") is a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. Thirteen leather-bound papyr ...

version is heavily modified with then-current Gnostic concepts. ** ''

The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth ''The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth'' is an ancient Hermetic treatise. It is one of the three short texts attributed to the legendary Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus that were discovered among the Nag Hammadi findings. Insufficient i ...

'' – a

Hermetic Hermetic or related forms may refer to: * of or related to the ancient Greek Olympian god Hermes * of or related to Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary Hellenistic figure based on the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth ** , the ancient and m ...

treatise ** '' The Prayer of Thanksgiving'' (with a hand-written note) – a

prayer ** ''

Asclepius Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of ...

21–29'' – another

treatise * Codex VII: ** ''The

Paraphrase of Shem The Paraphrase of Shem is a Gnostic text. It is the first tractate in Codex VII of the Nag Hammadi library. The Coptic language, Coptic manuscript is notable for being one of the best preserved tractates despite its length and for its absence of C ...

'' ** ''The

Second Treatise of the Great Seth Second Treatise of the Great Seth is an apocryphal Gnostic writing discovered in the Codex VII of the Nag Hammadi codices and dates to around the third century. The author is unknown, and the Seth referenced in the title appears nowhere in the te ...

'' ** ''

Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter The Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter is a text found amongst the Nag Hammadi library, and part of the New Testament apocrypha. Like the vast majority of texts in the Nag Hammadi collection, it is heavily Gnostic. It was probably written around 100-20 ...

'' ** ''The

Teachings of Silvanus The ''Teachings of Silvanus'' is one of the books found in the Nag Hammadi library. It is generally dated around 150. The author is unknown, but it is pseudonymously attributed to a companion of Paul and Peter – "Silas" of chapters 15-18 of the b ...

'' ** ''The

Three Steles of Seth The Three Steles of Seth is a 3rd-century Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. History The main surviving copies come from the Nag Hammadi library, and were translated and explained by Paul Claude, member of the Nag Hammadi R ...

'' * Codex VIII: ** ''

Zostrianos Zostrianos is a 3rd-century Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. The main surviving copies come from the Nag Hammadi library, but it is heavily damaged.John D. Turner of the University of Nebraska writes concerning its date: "... ...

'' ** ''The

Letter of Peter to Philip The Letter of Peter to Philip is a Gnostic Christian epistle found in the Nag Hammadi Library in Egypt. It was dated to be written around late 2nd century to early 3rd century CE and focuses on a post-crucifixion appearance and teachings of Jesu ...

'' * Codex IX: ** ''

Melchizedek In the Bible, Melchizedek (, hbo, , malkī-ṣeḏeq, "king of righteousness" or "my king is righteousness"), also transliterated Melchisedech or Malki Tzedek, was the king of Salem and priest of (often translated as "most high God"). He is f ...

'' ** ''The

Thought of Norea ''The Thought of Norea'' is a brief Sethian Gnostic text. The main surviving copies come from the Nag Hammadi library. The ''Thought of Norea'' is sometimes considered to belong to the New Testament apocrypha. It is one of the shorter texts of t ...

'' ** ''The

Testimony of truth The Testimony of Truth is the third manuscript from Codex IX of the Nag Hammadi Library. The copy of the manuscript from the Nag Hammadi Codices is in very poor condition and is almost too fragmentary to read and comprehend. The text is differen ...

'' * Codex X: ** ''

Marsanes Marsanes is a Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. The only surviving copy comes from the Nag Hammadi library, albeit with four pages missing, and several lines damaged beyond recovery, including the first ten of the fifth page. ...

'' * Codex XI: ** ''The

Interpretation of Knowledge The Interpretation of Knowledge is the first tractate from Codex XI of the Nag Hammadi Library. The author emphasizes the importance of unity among members of the Gnostic community. Metaphorically, each part of the body has a specific role, and no ...

'' ** ''A Valentinian Exposition'', ''On the Anointing'', ''On Baptism'' (A and B) and ''On the Eucharist'' (A and B) ** ''

Allogenes Allogenes is a repertoire, or genre, of mystical Gnostic texts dating from the first half of the Third Century, CE. They concern Allogenes, "the Stranger" (or "foreigner"),Greek: (''allogenēs''), used in the Septuagint, meaning "rom adifferent f ...

'' ** '' Hypsiphrone'' * Codex XII ** ''The

Sentences of Sextus The ''Sentences of Sextus'', also called the ''Sayings of Sextus'', is a Hellenistic Pythagorean collection of maxims which was popular among Christians and translated into several languages. The identity of the Sextus who originated the collecti ...

'' ** ''The

'' ** ''Fragments'' * Codex XIII: ** ''

Trimorphic Protennoia The ''Trimorphic Protennoia'' is a Sethian (gnostic), Sethian Gnostic text from the New Testament apocrypha. The only surviving copy comes from the Nag Hammadi library (Nag Hammadi Codex XIII, Codex XIII). I mthe Thought of the Father, Prot ...

'' ** ''On the Origin of the World'' ** ''Fragments'' The so-called "Codex XIII" is not a codex, but rather the text of ''Trimorphic Protennoia'', written on "eight leaves removed from a thirteenth book in late antiquity and tucked inside the front cover of the sixth." (Robinson, NHLE, p. 10) Only a few lines from the beginning of ''Origin of the World'' are discernible on the bottom of the eighth leaf.

Mandaean texts

Ginza Rabba The Ginza Rabba ( myz, ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Ginzā Rbā, lit=Great Treasury), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba ( myz, ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Sidrā Rbā, lit=Great Book), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest ...

(''The Great Treasure'', also known as ''The Book of Adam'') (DC 22) * Qolastā (''Canonical Prayerbook'') (DC 53) ** Sidra d-Nišmata (''Book of Souls'') (first part of the Qolastā) ** (''The Responses'') (part of the Qolastā) * Drašâ d-Jōhânā (''

Mandaean Book of John The Mandaean Book of John (Mandaic language ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ') is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which is believed by Mandeans to have been written by their prophet John the Baptist. The book contains accounts of Jo ...

'', also known as ''The Book of Kings'') * Diwan Abathur (''Scroll of Abatur'') (DC 8) * Harran Gawaitha (''Scroll of Great Revelation'') (DC 9, 36) * Diwan Maṣbuta d-Hibil Ziwa (''

The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa ''The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa'' or ''Diwan Maṣbuta ḏ-Hibil Ziwa'' ( myz, ࡃࡉࡅࡀࡍ ࡌࡀࡑࡁࡅࡕࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, "Scroll of the Baptism of Hibil Ziwa") is a Mandaean illustrated scroll. It describes the soteriolog ...

'') (DC 35) * Alf trisar šuialia (''

The 1012 Questions ''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' ( myz, ࡀࡋࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡔࡅࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. The ''1012 Questions'' is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals. The text contains detailed com ...

'') (DC 36 omplete, with all 7 books DC 6 ncomplete * Šarh d-qabin d-Šišlam Rabbā (''

The Wedding of the Great Šišlam ''The Wedding of the Great Šišlam'' ( myz, ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡒࡀࡁࡉࡍ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. As a liturgical rather than esoteric text, it contains instructions and hymns for the Mandaean marriage c ...

'') (DC 38) * Šarh d-Traṣa d-Taga d-Šišlam Rabbā (''

The Coronation of the Great Šišlam ''The Coronation of the Great Šišlam'' (or ''The Coronation of Shishlam Rabba''; myz, ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡕࡓࡀࡑࡀ ࡖࡕࡀࡂࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Šarḥ ḏ-Traṣa ḏ- Taga ḏ-Šišlam Rba) is a Mandaean reli ...

'' – describes a ritual for the ordination of the Mandaean clergy) * Asfar Malwāšē ('' The Book of the Zodiac'') (DC 31) * Diwan Malkuta ʿLaita (''

Scroll of Exalted Kingship The ''Scroll of Exalted Kingship'' ( myz, ࡃࡉࡅࡀࡍ ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡅࡕࡀ ࡏࡋࡀࡉࡕࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. Written as a large illustrated scroll, the text consists of 1,363 lines. The scroll is a commentary on ''tarmida'' ...

'') (DC 34) * see more

Other

* The Hymn of Jesus *

Coptic Apocalypse of Peter The Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter is a text found amongst the Nag Hammadi library, and part of the New Testament apocrypha. Like the vast majority of texts in the Nag Hammadi collection, it is heavily Gnostic. It was probably written around 100-20 ...

Dialogue of the Saviour The Dialogue of the Saviour is one of the New Testament apocrypha texts that was found within the Nag Hammadi library of predominantly Gnostic texts. The text appears only once in a single Coptic language, Coptic codex, and is heavily damaged. The ...

Odes of Solomon The Odes of Solomon are a collection of 42 odes attributed to Solomon. The Odes are generally dated to either the first century or to the second century, while a few have suggested a later date. The original language of the Odes is thought to ha ...

Gospel of Judas The Gospel of Judas is a non-canonical Gnostic gospel. The content consists of conversations between Jesus and Judas Iscariot. Given that it includes late 2nd-century theology, it is widely thought to have been composed in the 2nd century (prior ...

Gospel of the Saviour The ''Gospel of the Saviour'' is a fragmentary Coptic text from an otherwise unknown gospel that has joined the New Testament apocrypha. It consists of a fragmentary fire-damaged parchment codex that was acquired by the Egyptian Museum of Be ...

Quoted or alluded

These texts are mentioned or partially quoted in the writings of the Church Fathers. * ''

Gospel of Basilides The Gospel of Basilides is the title given to a reputed text within the New Testament apocrypha, which is reported in the middle of the 3rd century as then circulating amongst the followers of Basilides (), a leading theologian of Gnostic tenden ...

'' mentioned by

Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...

Philip of Side Philip of Side or Philip Sidetes (''ca'' 380 - after 431), a historian of the early Christian church, was born at Side in Pamphylia. He wrote a Christian history of which fragments survive. For some detail he relied upon the well-known ''Historia E ...

, and

Bede Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...

. *

Basilides Basilides (Greek: Βασιλείδης) was an early Christian Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt who taught from 117 to 138 AD, notes that to prove that the heretical sects were "later than the catholic Church," Clement of Alexandri ...

' ''Exegetica'' mentioned in

Hippolytus of Rome Hippolytus of Rome (, ; c. 170 – c. 235 AD) was one of the most important second-third century Christian theologians, whose provenance, identity and corpus remain elusive to scholars and historians. Suggested communities include Rome, Palestin ...

('' Refutatio Omnium Haeresium'' VII, ixv and X, x) and

Clement of Alexandria Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as Clement of Alexandria ( grc , Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς; – ), was a Christian theologian and philosopher who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils were Origen and ...

(''

Stromata The ''Stromata'' ( el, Στρώματα), a mistake for ''Stromateis'' (Στρωματεῖς, "Patchwork," i.e., ''Miscellanies''), attributed to Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215), is the third of a trilogy of works regarding the Christ ...

'' IV, xii and IV, xxiv–xxvi) * Epiphanes' ''On Righteousness'', mentioned in Clement of Alexandria (Str. III, ii). *

Heracleon Heracleon was a Gnostic who flourished about AD 175, probably in the south of Italy. He is described by Clement of Alexandria ('' Strom.'' iv. 9) as the most esteemed (δοκιμώτατος) of the school of Valentinus; and, according to Orige ...

, Fragments from his Commentary on the Gospel of John, mentioned in Origen (''Commentary on the Gospel of John'') * Naassene Fragment mentioned in Hippolytus (''Ref.'' 5.7.2–9). *

Ophite Diagrams The Ophite Diagrams are ritual and esoteric diagrams used by the Ophite sect of Gnosticism, who revered the serpent from the Garden of Eden as a symbol of wisdom, which the malevolent Demiurge tried to hide from Adam and Eve. Celsus and his opp ...

mentioned in

Celsus Celsus (; grc-x-hellen, Κέλσος, ''Kélsos''; ) was a 2nd-century Greek philosopher and opponent of early Christianity. His literary work, ''The True Word'' (also ''Account'', ''Doctrine'' or ''Discourse''; Greek: grc-x-hellen, Λόγ� ...

and Origen * Ptolemy's ''Commentary on the Gospel of John Prologue'', mentioned in

Irenaeus Irenaeus (; grc-gre, Εἰρηναῖος ''Eirēnaios''; c. 130 – c. 202 AD) was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the dev ...

. * Ptolemy's ''Letter to Flora'', mentioned in Epiphanius.''Hær.'' XXXIII, 3–7. * Theodotus: ''Excerpta Ex Theodoto'' mentioned in Clement of Alexandria.

Manuscripts

contains

and some other unknown texts. *

, 5th century, contains a fragmentary

Gospel of Mary The Gospel of Mary is a non-canonical text discovered in 1896 in a 5th-century papyrus codex written in Sahidic Coptic. This Berlin Codex was purchased in Cairo by German diplomat Carl Reinhardt. Although the work is popularly known as the Gospe ...

, out of nineteen pages, pages 1–6 and 11–14 are missing entirely, the

, and an

of the

Act of Peter :''This article discusses a text which is quite distinct from the Acts of Peter''. The ''Act of Peter'' is a brief miracle text celebrating virginity that is found in the 5th-century papyrus Berlin Codex (Berolinensis Gnosticus 8502). It treats o ...

. *

contains the first and second Books of Jeu and three fragments – an untitled text, an untitled hymn, and the text "On the Passage of the Soul Through the Archons of the Midst". *

Codex Tchacos Codex Tchacos is an ancient Egyptian Coptic papyrus, which contains early Christian gnostic texts from approximately 300 AD: the Letter of Peter to Philip, the First Apocalypse of James, the Gospel of Judas, and a fragment of the Book of Allog ...

, 4th century, contains the

, the

, and a fragment of

. *

contains a large number of texts (for a complete list see the listing) * Three

Oxyrhynchus Oxyrhynchus (; grc-gre, Ὀξύρρυγχος, Oxýrrhynchos, sharp-nosed; ancient Egyptian ''Pr-Medjed''; cop, or , ''Pemdje''; ar, البهنسا, ''Al-Bahnasa'') is a city in Middle Egypt located about 160 km south-southwest of Cairo ...

papyri contain portions of the

: ** Oxyrhyncus 1: this is half a leaf of papyrus which contains fragments of logion 26 through 33. ** Oxyrhyncus 654: this contains fragments of the beginning through logion 7, logion 24 and logion 36 on the flip side of a papyrus containing

surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

data. ** Oxyrhyncus 655: this contains fragments of logion 36 through logion 39 and is actually 8 fragments named ''a'' through ''h'', whereof ''f'' and ''h'' have since been lost.

Notes

External links

The Gnostic Society Library

– from earlychristianwritings.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Gnostic Texts * Lost apocrypha Religion-related lists Religious bibliographies

Gnostic texts

Gnostic texts preserved before 1945

Complete list of codices found in Nag Hammadi

Mandaean texts

Other

Quoted or alluded

Manuscripts

See also

Notes

External links