The collection of thirteen codices found in upper Egypt near Nag Hammadi in 1946 is one of the major archaeological discoveries of our time. Apparently the library of a Gnostic community in late antiquity, the codices are a repository of important spiritual materials from throughout the ancient world. Hence a thorough analysis of this new material is indispensable for any proper understanding of the history of religions in this period. The rich documentation which the codices add to early Coptic text material promises to raise to a new precision the historical analysis of that language.|This edition presents collotype reproductions in natural size of all folios of the thirteen codices as well as reproductions of the covers and photographs previously taken of fragments that are now lost.

The collection of thirteen codices found in upper Egypt near Nag Hammadi in 1946 is one of the major archaeological discoveries of our time. Perhaps the library of a Gnostic community in late antiquity, the codices are a repository of important spiritual materials from throughout the ancient world. Hence a thorough analysis of this new material is indispensable for any proper understanding of the history of religions in this period. The rich documentation which the codices add to early Coptic text material promises to raise to a new precision the historical analysis of that language.This edition presents collotype reproductions in natural size of all folios of the thirteen codices as well as reproductions of the covers and photographs previously taken of fragments that are now lost.

Given the concept of salvation through knowledge in Valentinian Gnosis, which is basically anti-materialist, one would not expect concrete physical rituals to play a large role in its practice. The Nag Hammadi Gospel of Philip is widely recognized as a Valentinian text, yet it contains portions of a treatise on the value of baptism, anointing, and the eucharist. The text, which arguably comes from the end of the second century, presents the first developed theory and justification of these sacraments in Early Christianity. The present study reconstructs this theory from the fragmentary text and considers its consequences for the organization of the community. Thus, the book is also an attempt to address the problem of institutionalization in early Christian communities.

Writing, reading, and interpretation are acts of human minds, requiring complex cognition at every point. A relatively new field of studies, cognitive linguistics, focuses on how language and cognition are interconnected: Linguistic structures both shape cognitive patterns and are shaped by them. The Cognitive Linguistics in Biblical Interpretation section of the Society of Biblical Literature gathers scholars interested in applying cognitive linguistics to biblical studies, focusing on how language makes meaning, how texts evoke authority, and how contemporary readers interact with ancient texts. This collection of essays represents first fruits from the first six years (2006–2012) of that effort, drawing on cognitive metaphor study, mental spaces and conceptual blending, narrative theory, and cognitive grammar. Contributors include Eve Sweetser, Ellen van Wolde, Hugo Lundhaug and Jesper T. Nielsen.

Preliminary Material --Foreword /James M. Robinson --Preface /Alexander Bölig and Frederik Wisse --Table of Tractates /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Sigla /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Abbreviations /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --The Manuscripts /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --The Title /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --The Content /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --The Presentations of Praise /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --The Text and Translation /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Commentary /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Bibliography /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Coptic Words /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Greek Words /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --Proper Names /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib --References /Alexander Bölig , Frederik Wisse , and Pahor Labib.