Essential gnostic scriptures

281 Pages·2010·6.877 MB·English

by  Barnstone, Willis;Meyer, Marvin W

E SS E NT IAL
Texts of luminous wisdom from the ancient
G no st ic
and medieval worlds—including the Gospels of
SCRIPTURES
Thomas, Judas, and Mary Magdalene
Willis Barnstone & Marvin Meyer
Edited and translated by
Shambhala
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Essential
Gnostic
Scriptures
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Essential
Gnostic
Scriptures
Willis Barnstone
and Marvin Meyer
shambhala
Boston & London
2010
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall
300 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.shambhala.com
© 2010 by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publisher.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First edition
Printed in the United States of America
oThis edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the
American National Standards Institute z39.48 Standard.
kThis book was printed on 30% postconsumer recycled paper.
For more information please visit www.shambhala.com.
Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc.,
and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Essential gnostic scriptures/[compiled by] Willis Barnstone and
Marvin Meyer.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
eisbn 978-0-8348-2215-3
isbn 978-1-59030-549-2 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1.Gnosticism.
i. Barnstone, Willis, 1927– ii. Meyer, Marvin.
bt1390.e86 2010
299'.932—dc22
2010023009
Contents
introduction Marvin Meyer 1
1. The Gospel of Thomas 17
2. The Gospel of Mary 49
3. The Gospel of Judas 56
4. The Secret Book of John 75
5. On the Origin of the World 90
6. Thunder 99
7. The Gospel of Philip 107
8. The Gospel of Truth 114
9. The Secret Book of James 121
10. The Round Dance of the Cross 127
11. The Book of Baruch 132
12. The Song of the Pearl 143
13. The Songs of Solomon 151
14. Poimandres 154
15. The Ginza 165
16. Songs from the Mandaean Liturgy 170
17. The Coptic Manichaean Songbook 173
vi Contents
18. The Great Song to Mani 182
19. The Mother of Books 185
20. The Gospel of the Secret Supper 209
21. A Nun’s Sermon 217
epilogue: the inner light of gnosis
A Historical Meditation Willis Barnstone 219
notes 253
bibliography 267
Essential
Gnostic
Scriptures
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