The Gnostic Bible Author:Willis Barnstone (Editor), Marvin Meyer (Editor) Gnosticism was a wide-ranging religious movement of the first millennium ce–with earlier antecedents and later flourishings–whose adherents sought salvation through knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. For example, some gnostic tex... more »ts suggest that god should be celebrated as both mother and father, and the self-knowledge is the supreme path to the divine. Only in the past fifty years has it become clear how far the gnostic influence spread in ancient and medieval religions–and what a marvelous body of scriptures it produced.
This is the first time that such a rich and diverse collection of gnostic texts have been brought together in a single volume, in translations that allow the spirit of the original texts to shine. The selections gathered here, in poetic, readable translation, represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar expressions of gnostic spirituality. Their regions of origin include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. Also included are introductions, notes, an extensive glossary, and a wealth of suggestions for further reading.
Gnosticism, Gnostics, and the Gnostic Bible / Marvin Meyer --
Letting in the light : translating the holy texts / Willis Barnstone --
Introduction / Marvin Meyer --
The Gospel of Thomas --
The Gospel of John --
Introduction / Marvin Meyer --
The book of Baruch / Justin --
Sethian literature --
The secret book of John --
The reality of the rulers --
The revelation of Adam --
Three forms of first thought --
The three steles of Seth --
The vision of the foreigner --
The sermon of Zostrianos --
The baptismal ceremony of the Gospel of the Egyptians --
Thunder --
The letter of Peter to Philip --
Valentinian literature --
The gospel of truth --
The gospel of Philip --
Letter to Flora / Ptolemy --
Commentary on the Gospel of John / Herakleon --
The treatise on resurrection --
The prayer of the messenger Paul --
Valentinian liturgical readings --
The secret book of James --
The round dance of the Cross --
Thomas and other Syrian literature --
The Songs of Solomon --
The song of the pearl --
The book of Thomas --
Additional literature of Gnostic wisdom --
The Exegesis on the Soul --
On the origin of the world --
The paraphrase of Shem --
The second treatise of the great Seth --
The Gospel of Mary --
The Naassene sermon --
Introduction / Willis Barnstone --
Poimandres --
The discourse on the eighth and the ninth --
The prayer of thanksgiving --
Introduction / Nathaniel Deutsch --
The Ginza --
Hibil's lament from the book of John --
Songs from the Mandaean liturgy --
Introduction / Paul Mirecki --
On the origin of his body --
The story of the death of Mani --
The Kephalaia --
The coptic Manichaean songbook --
Parthian songs --
The great song to Mani --
Introduction / Marvin Meyer --
The mother of books --
Introduction / Willis Barnstone --
The gospel of the secret supper --
The book of the two principles --
A nun's sermon --
Epilogue : historical meditation on the inner light of Gnosis / Willis Barnstone« less