The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Texts: A Firsthand Account of the Expedition That Shook the Foundations of Christianity [Paperback]

Jean Doresse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2005

Details the momentous discovery and significance of the ancient gnostic texts hidden for sixteen centuries in Chenoboskion, Egypt

• Author was a member of the party that discovered these ancient Coptic documents

• Sheds new light on the vanished world in which Christianity was born

• 40,000 copies sold of earlier editions

• Includes the first translation of the Gospel of Thomas, with full commentary

Hidden for sixteen centuries, the Nag Hammadi library, the most prodigious collection of sacred gnostic texts, were discovered in the late 1940s in Chenoboskion, a remote hamlet in upper Egypt. Among them was the Gospel according to Thomas, which aroused international publicity and alerted the world to the significance of this archeological find, believed by many scholars to surpass the Dead Sea Scrolls in importance.

The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Texts is the original survey of the contents of these documents and their significance to the world at large. Doresse's narrative allows readers direct contact with an ancient form of Christianity through the philosophical wealth of the texts-ranging from gnostic revelations and Christian apocrypha to Hermetic literature-Included in the book is the original English translation of the Gospel of Thomas first published in 1960.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For those who are interested in the origins of Gnosticism and the conflict between those who preferred to call themselves "Christian" this work is simply indispensible."
(Sven Davisson, Ashe! Journal of Experimental Spirituality, 2005 )

"The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Texts is a MUST have text for students of early Christianity, the Gnostic gospels, and comparative religion. I highly recommend this most interesting and enjoyable work."
(A. Canales, The Critical Review Service, Oct 2006 )

From the Back Cover

RELIGION / CHRISTIAN STUDIES

Includes the first translation of the Gospel
according to Thomas, with critical commentary

Hidden for sixteen centuries, the Nag Hammadi library, the most prodigious collection of sacred gnostic texts, was discovered in the late 1940s in Chenoboskion, a remote hamlet in upper Egypt. Among these texts was the Gospel according to Thomas, which aroused international publicity and alerted the world to the significance of this archaeological find, believed by many scholars to surpass the Dead Sea Scrolls in importance.

The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Texts is the original survey of the contents of these documents and their significance to the world at large. Doresse was a member of the party that discovered these ancient Coptic documents. His narrative allows readers direct contact with an ancient form of Christianity through the philosophical wealth of the texts--ranging from gnostic revelations and Christian apocrypha to Hermetic literature. Included in the book is the original English translation of the Gospel according to Thomas first published in 1960.

JEAN DORESSE is a renowned historian and a scholar of Egyptology and Greek papyrology. He was head of the research department at the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique and for five years undertook expeditions on behalf of the French government, establishing the first archaeological service in Ethiopia. He lives in France.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (February 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159477045X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594770456
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,522,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars For a limited audience, March 23, 2005

By 

A. Stewart (Toront, On Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Texts: A Firsthand Account of the Expedition That Shook the Foundations of Christianity (Paperback)

As someone who was very excited to understand the background to the Nag Hammadi find, I was disappointed that this account was fairly limited. It glosses over the period of translation and presents a dated view of the contents of the codices themselves. This perhaps was the greatest letdown of all - this is a reprint of a 1958 publication. If you are seeking new information and analysis on this topic then I would consider Elaine Pagel to be my reference of choice.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An extremely biased book, December 23, 2009

By 

tepi "tepi" - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Discovery of the Nag Hammadi Texts: A Firsthand Account of the Expedition That Shook the Foundations of Christianity (Paperback)

This is an extremely biased book, and if you don't believe me here is what the American poet and critic Kenneth Rexroth, who was normally a very mild-mannered man, had to say in a footnote to his Introduction to 'Fragments of a Faith Forgotten' by G. R. S. Mead (NY: University Books, 1960, p.xvii):

"Let the buyer beware! Doresse is a bigot who shares the hatred of Gnosticism of the Fathers of the Church, at this late date. One cannot but feel that his summaries of Gnostic doctrine - especially when he echoes the talk of the Gnostic's "abominations" - are no more to be trusted than those of the Church Fathers. Doresse's viciously prejudiced position becomes plain when he contrasts the Gnostic fragments with the "incomparable superiority" of the New Testament.... Is it not beneath contempt, this falsification of the Christian persecution of the Gnostics and the Church destruction of the Gnostic literature?"

See my Listmania list 'GNOSTICISM - Path of Inner Knowledge' for alternative and better books on the subject.