A landmark collection of 14 texts from the Nag Hammadi library that shed new light on the esoteric knowledge of Gnosticism—including the Gospels of Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Judas, and The Sophia of Jesus Christ. Discover the intimate conversations between Jesus and his Disciples.
In 1945, several gospels, hidden since the first century, were found in the Egyptian Desert at Nag Hammadi. This discovery caused a sensation as the scrolls revealed the mysteries of the Gnostics—a movement which emerged during the formative period of Christianity. ‘Gnosis’, from the Greek, broadly meaning ‘hidden spiritual knowledge’, was associated with renouncing the material world, and focusing on attaining the life of the Holy Spirit. Many Christian sects are derived from the esoteric knowledge of Gnosticism.
The gospels selected here by Alan Jacobs reveal intimate conversations between Jesus and his Disciples. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene sheds new light on his relationship with his favorite follower, while the Gospel of Thomas consists of mini-parables of deep inward and symbolic meaning—many of which are not found in the New Testament. The wisdom in this inspiring collection of texts is wholly relevant to our lives today, addressing the questions of good and evil, sin and suffering, and the path to salvation.
Alan Jacobs has made a lifelong study of mysticism. He is an accomplished and highly respected anthologist as well as an author in his own right. His own books include The Essential Gnostic Gospels and When Jesus Lived in India, while as an editor he has been responsible for Poetry for the Spirit, Peace of Mind, as well as Tales from Rumi, The Gnostic Gospels, The Upanishads, Native American Wisdom and Plato's Republic in the Watkins 'Sacred Texts' series.
View titles by Alan Jacobs
A landmark collection of 14 texts from the Nag Hammadi library that shed new light on the esoteric knowledge of Gnosticism—including the Gospels of Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and Judas, and The Sophia of Jesus Christ. Discover the intimate conversations between Jesus and his Disciples.
In 1945, several gospels, hidden since the first century, were found in the Egyptian Desert at Nag Hammadi. This discovery caused a sensation as the scrolls revealed the mysteries of the Gnostics—a movement which emerged during the formative period of Christianity. ‘Gnosis’, from the Greek, broadly meaning ‘hidden spiritual knowledge’, was associated with renouncing the material world, and focusing on attaining the life of the Holy Spirit. Many Christian sects are derived from the esoteric knowledge of Gnosticism.
The gospels selected here by Alan Jacobs reveal intimate conversations between Jesus and his Disciples. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene sheds new light on his relationship with his favorite follower, while the Gospel of Thomas consists of mini-parables of deep inward and symbolic meaning—many of which are not found in the New Testament. The wisdom in this inspiring collection of texts is wholly relevant to our lives today, addressing the questions of good and evil, sin and suffering, and the path to salvation.
Author
Alan Jacobs has made a lifelong study of mysticism. He is an accomplished and highly respected anthologist as well as an author in his own right. His own books include The Essential Gnostic Gospels and When Jesus Lived in India, while as an editor he has been responsible for Poetry for the Spirit, Peace of Mind, as well as Tales from Rumi, The Gnostic Gospels, The Upanishads, Native American Wisdom and Plato's Republic in the Watkins 'Sacred Texts' series.
View titles by Alan Jacobs
