Steve Watson

A Gnostic Library

July 16, 2026 – 8:18 am

Secondary Texts

Modern

Brakke, D (2010) The Gnostics: Myth, Ritual, and Diversity in Early Christianity, Harvard University Press.
Ehrman, B (2003) Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew, Oxford University Press
Jonas, H (1958) The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity, Beacon Boston
Lewis, ND (2013) Introduction to “Gnosticism:” Ancient Voices, Christian Worlds, Oxford University Press.
Markschies, C (tr. J Bowden) (2003) Gnosis: An Introduction, T & T Clark
Pagels, E (1979) The Gnostic Gospels. Penguin
Mead, GRS (1892) Simon Magus
Pearson B.A. (1990) Gnosticism, Judaism, and Egyptian Christianity
Pétrement, S (tr. C Harrison) (1990) A Separate God: The Origins and Teachings of Gnosticism. Harper San Francisco.
Rudolph, K (tr. R McL Wilson et al.) (1977) Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism. Harper San Francisco
Williams M.A. (1996) Rethinking Gnosticism. An Argument for Dismantling a Dubious Category

Ancient

Hippolytus of Rome, Refutation of All Heresies (Elenchus, Philosophumena) in Ante-Nicene Fathers 5 (tr. JH McMahon) 9-153
Irenaeus of Lyon, Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses, On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis) in Ante-Nicene Fathers 1 (tr. Roberts/Rambaut) 309-567
Epiphanius of Salamis, Against Heresies (Panarion) [Relevant sections are extracted in Layton, B The Gnostic Scriptures 185-216]
Clement of Alexandria, Stromata (Miscellanies) in Ante-Nicene Fathers 2 (tr. JH McMahon) 299-568

Primary Texts

Online

Collections

Codices

Askew Codex (Codex Askevianus, BL Additional MS 5114)
- GRS Mead (1921) Pistis Sophia
Berlin Codex (Akhmim Codex, Berlin Gnostic Codex, BG, Papyrus Berolinensis8502)
- Gospel of Mary (BG 8502, 1) in Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library (tr. KL King, GW MacRae, RMcL Wilson, DM Parrott) 523-7
- Apocryphon of John(NHC II, 1, III, 1, IV, 1; BG 8502, 2) in Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library (tr. F Wisse) 104-23
- The Sophia of Jesus Christ (NHC III, 4; BG 8502, 3) in Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library (tr. DM Parrott) 220-43
- Epitome of the Act of Peter (BG 8502, 4) in Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library (tr. J Brashler, DM Parrott) 528-31
Bruce Codex (Codex Brucianus, Bruce 96)
- Book of Jeu (Online Text)
- Untitled Text(Untitled Apocalypse, The Gnosis of the Light) (Online Text)
Codex Tchacos
- Letter of Peter to Philip (NHC VIII, 2) in Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library (tr. MW Meyer, F Wisse) 431-7
- First Apocalypse of James (NHC V, 3) in Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library (tr. WR Schoedel, DM Parrott) 260-8
- Gospel of Judas (Online pdf, tr. R Kasser, M Meyer, G Wurst, F Gaudard)
- The Temptation of Allogenes in Wurst, G & R Kasser (2007) The Gospel of Judas: Critical Edition. National Geographic.
The Nag Hammadi Library (NHC I – XIII)
- Robinson J. (ed.) (1978/88) The Nag Hammadi Library, Harper San Francisco

Texts of the Sethian Gnostics

The Gospel of Judas (Online pdf, tr. R Kasser, M Meyer, G Wurst, F Gaudard) (ex Codex Tchacos)
Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library
- The Apocalypse of Adam (V, 5) (tr. GW McRae, DM Parrott) 277-86
- The Apocryphon of John (II, 1; III, 1; IV, 1; and BG 8502,2) (tr. F Wisse) 104-23
- The Thought of Norea (IX, 2) (tr. BA Pearson, S Giversen) 445-7
- The Trimorphic Protennoia(XIII, 1) (tr. JD Turner) 511-22
- The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit(also known as the Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians) (III, 2; IV, 2) (tr. A Böhlig, F Wisse) 208-19
- Zostrianos (VIII, 1) (tr. JH Sieber) 402-30
- Three Steles of Seth (VII, 5) (tr. JE Goehring, JM Robinson) 396-401
- Marsanes (X, 1) (tr. BA Pearson) 460-71
- Melchizedek (IX, 1) (tr. BA Pearson, S Giverson) 438-44
- Allogenes (XI, 3) (tr. AC Wire, JD Turner, OS Wintermute) 490-500
- The Second Treatise of the Great Seth (VII, 2) (tr. JA Gibbons, RA Bullard) 362-71
- The Reality of the Rulers, also known as The Hypostasis of the Archons (II, 4) (tr. RA Bullard, B Layton) 161-9
- The Thunder, Perfect Mind (VI, 2) (tr. GW MacRae, DM Parrott) 295-303
Untitled Text (Untitled Apocalypse, The Gnosis of the Light) (Online Text) (ex Bruce Codex)
The Coptic Apocalypse of Paul. Shneemelcher, W (1989) New Testament Apocrypha Vol 2 698f.

Texts of the Valentinian Gnostics

Ptolemy’s Version of the Gnostic Myth in Irenaeus Against Heresies I, viii, 5, in Ante-Nicene Fathers 1 328f
Ptolemy’s Epistle to Flora in Epiphanius Panarion (33.3.1 – 33.7.10) in Barnstone, W & M Mayer The Gnostic Bible 299-306
Robinson J. The Nag Hammadi Library
- The Gospel of Truth(I, 3; XII, 2) (tr. HW Attridge, GW MacRae) 38-51
- Tripartite Tractate (I, 5) (tr. HW Attridge, EH Pagels, D Mueller) 58-103
- Prayer of the Apostle Paul (I, 1) (tr. D Mueller) 27f
- Treatise on the Resurrection(Epistle to Rheginus) (I, 4) (tr. ML Peel) 52-7
- Gospel of Philip (II, 3) (tr. WW Isenberg) 139-60
- A Valentinian Exposition (XI, 2) (tr. EH Pagels, JD Turner) 481-9

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