Essential Gnostic Scriptures

Gnosticism was a diverse religious movement of the first millennium c.e. whose followers sought salvation above all through personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non- Christian thought. This collection provides fresh translations of some of the most popular and beautiful Gnostic texts, with an eye to presenting them as literature, with full appreciation of the aesthetic sense of the original languages of Greek, Latin, Coptic, and Arabic. Among the works included are new transla­tions of the best-selling Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the Gospel of Judas—along with many lesser-known texts of pro­found wisdom and striking beauty.