The Nag Hammadi Library: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Gnostic Texts Rediscovered in the 20th Century

Includes excerpts from the texts Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Includes a table of contents Many people interested in biblical themes know about the Dead Sea Scrolls and their guardians, the mysterious Essenes, the sect of Judaism that hid its priceless library in caves before marching against the Romans in an end-time war, certain that God would intervene at the decisive moment. The ancient texts found in their rock cabinets have produced tons of literature. Fewer people know about an equally fascinating finding in the same region of the planet, made only a few months apart: a collection of hitherto unknown Christian codices, buried in the 4th century CE, and found accidentally by peasants near the city of Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt. Among the old codices was The Gospel of Thomas, lost for 16 centuries, and other unfamiliar titles, such as The Gospel of Philip and the Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles. In this case it was not Essenes who had entr