The Nag Hammadi Codices and Their Ancient Readers: Exploring Textual Materiality and Reading Practice

Cover
Half-title page
Title page
Imprints page
Contents
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Note on Transcription and Translation
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: The Provenance Controversy
	The Rifts in Current Scholarship
	The Monastic-Origin Hypothesis and the Contribution of the Present Study
	Situating and Outlining the Study
1 Christian Book Culture, New Philology and Gnosticism
	Religious Change in Antiquity: Christian and Gnostic Texts
	Studies in Early Christian Book Culture
	Hypothetical Origins and New Philology
	The Nag Hammadi Codices as the Heretics’ Bible
	Conclusion
2 The Find Story and the Ethics of Postmodern Manuscript Archaeology
	Following the Evidence
	Gnosticism and the Mystic East
	Conclusion
3 The Construction of Codex I: Scribal Errors as Clues to Context
	The Material Features of Codex I
	Approaching the Owners and Creators of the Codex
	Inexperience or Carelessness in Copying Codex I
	Conclusion
4 Notes Made by Monks: The Marginal Markings in Codex I and Codex VIII
	Ancient Christian Scribal Practice and the Use of Diplai
	Scribal Signs in the Nag Hammadi Codices
		The Diplai in Codex I
		Multiple Diplai in The Tripartite Tractate (NHC I,5)
		Elucidating the Monastic Connection of the Diplai Passages in Codex I
		The Scribal Signs in Codex VIII
		Zostrianos (NHC VIII,1)
		The Letter of Peter to Philip (NHC VIII,2)
		Summarising the Markings in Codex VIII
	The Letter of Ammon Read in Light of Codex I and Codex VIII
	Conclusion
5 Vowel Constellations and Secret Language
	An Overview of Magical Vowels in the Nag Hammadi Texts
		The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit (The Gospel of the Egyptians) (NHC III,2/ NHC IV,2)
		Marsanes (Codex X,1)
		The Trimorphic Protennoia (NHC XIII,1)
		The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth (NHC VI,6)
	Contextualising Magical Vowel Features
	Christian Use of ‘Pagan’ Techniques of Holy Letters and Sounds
	Divine Speech and Holy Words in a Monastic Context
	Conclusion
6 The Sacred Symbols in the Nag Hammadi Codices: Books as Weapons in Demonic War
	The Nomina Sacra in the Nag Hammadi Codices: Artefacts, Scribes and Contexts
	The Power of the Cross in Codex I
	Resisting Desert Demons with the Cross as a Sign of Firmness
	The Ontology of Sacred Symbols: How a Book Becomes a Weapon in Spiritual Warfare
	Conclusion
7 Textual Fluidity and Multiple Versions in Monastic Textual Practice
	Initial Reflections on ‘Textual Fluidity’
	The Nag Hammadi Duplicates and the ‘Sub-groups’ of the Codices
	The Monastery as Training Ground for Textual Education
	The Nag Hammadi Texts in Light of Monastic Educational Practices
		Practising Copying and Translation
		The Gospel of Truth (NHC I,3 and XII,2): Reformulating Texts in Light of New Theological Trends
		Eugnostos the Blessed (NHC III,3 and V,1): Practising Editorial Work
	Conclusion
Conclusion: The Nag Hammadi Codices from a ‘Textual Community’ Perspective
Bibliography
	Ancient Authors and Texts
	Secondary Literature
Index