Books The Nag Hammadi Library  by James M. Robinson (Author)

The Nag Hammadi Library, edited and translated by James M. Robinson, is a landmark collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered in 1945 near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi. The library consists of twelve leather-bound papyrus codices containing 52 mostly Gnostic treatises, as well as three works from the Corpus Hermeticum and a partial translation of Plato's Republic. These texts, written in Coptic, date from the 3rd and 4th centuries but are based on earlier sources from the 2nd century onward.

Robinson suggests that these codices may have belonged to a nearby Pachomian monastery and were buried due to religious persecution after Saint Athanasius condemned non-canonical books in 367 A.D. The most famous work among these is the Gospel of Thomas, which contains sayings attributed to Jesus and provides insights into early Christian mysticism and Gnostic beliefs.

Robinson’s translation, first published in 1977, made these important texts widely accessible, marking a significant moment in Nag Hammadi scholarship. His work enabled further study of Gnosticism as a serious spiritual tradition, revealing diverse religious and philosophical perspectives that challenged orthodox Christianity.