The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, second reading: The Gospel Of Thomas

Marvin Meyer (ed.) - The Nag Hammadi Scriptures: The Gospel Of Thomas

This is the most important primary text imo for attending to any dechiperment of the "real-historical" Jesus(es)- plural, in my estimation. Before the Roman/Flavian cooptation of the messianic movement in the area (from which most likely came all or at least two of our synoptic gospels), this sort of Jesus is what was likely current at the time: itinerant ideological/political speakers spreading an evolutionary eschatology throughout the Hellenic hinterland. This is indisputably at least a second century CE text, and is more likely of forst century or earlier composition.

This text contains many passages and parables that ended up in the canonical Bible, though the attentive reader may notice slight differences in familiar passages. There are many other much more combative and overtly political passages that condemn usury, mercantilism, and circumcision, as well as many nods to an latent Gnostic theology, ontology and eschatology subtending these exoteric proclamations. The persistent theme of Jesus being an emissary from the Light, and the loving Father occupying the realm of Light, is rather ~ahem~ telling..

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