CONTENTS
Preface -- xi
Acknowledgments -- xii
General Introduction
The Contents of This Collection -- xv
Gnostic Scripture and the Christian Bible -- xvii
Scripture, Canon, and Diversity -- xvii
Gnostic Scripture -- xxi
Valentinian Writings -- xxii
Conclusions -- xxiii
The Nature of the Primary Sources -- xxiii
Sources in Greek -- xxiii
Sources in Other Languages
Irenaeus -- xxv
Ancient Translations of Scripture Manuscripts -- xxv
Editorial Method -- xxix
Explanation of Typographical and Reference Systems JC -- xxi
Other Accepted Names for the Works in This Collection -- xxxv
Ancient Sources and Manuscripts of Works in This Collection -- xxxvii
Illustrations -- xxxix
List of Abbreviations -- xh
I. CLASSIC GNOSTIC SCRIPTURE
Historical Introduction -- 5
The Secret Book According to John -- 23
The Revelation of Adam -- 52
The Reality of the Rulers -- 65
The Thunder—Perfect Intellect -- 77
First Thought in Three Forms -- 86
The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, or, The Egyptian Gospel -- 101
Zostrianos (excerpts) -- 121
The Foreigner (excerpts) -- 141
The Three Tablets of Seth -- 149
Satorninos (according to St. Irenaeus) -- 159
The Gnostics (according to St. Irenaeus) -- 163
“Other” Gnostic Teachings (according to St. Irenaeus) -- 170
The Gnostics (according to Porphyry) -- 182
The Sethians (according to St. Epiphanius) -- 185
The Archontics (according to St. Epiphanius) -- 191
The Gnostics (according to St. Epiphanius) -- 199
II. THE WRITINGS OF VALENTINUS
Historical Introduction -- 217
Valentinus’s Myth (according to St. Irenaeus) -- 223
Fragments of Lost Works -- 229
The Divine Word Present in the Infant (Fragment A) -- 230
On the Three Natures (Fragment B) -- 232
Adam’s Faculty of Speech (Fragment C) -- 234
Adam’s Name (Fragment D) -- 236
To Agathopous: Jesus’ Digestive System (Fragment E) -- 238
Annihilation of the Realm of Death (Fragment F) -- 240
On Friends: The Source of Common Wisdom (Fragment G) -- 242
Epistle on Attachments: The Vision of God (Fragment H) -- 244
Summer Harvest -- 246
Appendix: A Later Allegorical Interpretation -- 249
The Gospel of Truth -- 250
III. THE SCHOOL OF VALENTINUS
Historical Introduction -- 267
Ptolemy’s Version of the Gnostic Myth (according to St. Irenaeus) -- 276
A Prayer of Paul the Apostle -- 303
Ptolemy’s Epistle to Flora -- 306
Treatise on Resurrection (Epistle to Rheginus) -- 316
The Gospel According to Philip -- 325
Related Writings
IV. THE SCHOOL OF ST. THOMAS
Historical Introduction -- 359
The Hymn of the Pearl, or, The Hymn of Jude Thomas the Apostle in the Country of the Indians -- 366
The Gospel According to Thomas -- 359
The Book of Thomas: The Contender Writing to the Perfect -- 400
V. OTHER EARLY CURRENTS
Historical Introduction -- 413
The Writings of Basilides
Historical Introduction -- 417
Basilides’ Myth (according to St. Irenaeus) -- 420
Fragments of Lost Works -- 427
The Cosmological Fragments
The Octet of Subsistent Entities (Fragment A) -- 428
The Uniqueness of the World (Fragment B) -- 430
The Ethical Fragments Election Naturally Entails Faith and Virtue (Fragment C) -- 432
The State of Virtue (Fragment D) -- 434
The Elect Transcend the World (Fragment E) -- 436
Reincarnation (Fragment F) -- 438
Human Suffering and the Goodness of Providence (Commentaries, 23) (Fragment G) -- 440
Forgivable Sins (Fragment H) -- 444
The Hermetic Corpus (excerpts) -- 445
Historical Introduction -- 447
Tractate 1: Poimandres
Tractate 7: That the Greatest Human Evil Is -- 449
Unacquaintance with God -- 460
General Bibliography -- 463
Index of Names and Subjects -- 467
Index of Scripture References -- 519
Scriptures and Testimonia -- 527

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