GNOSTICISM
Gnostic background
Gnosticism is a term that has derived from the Greek word "gnosis" which means divine knowledge (Kheper 1B). Also known as Gnostics they were a religious organization that was around in the first and second centuries CE (Hermetic). Gnosticism is believed to first surface in the late Hellenistic period among Jews (Harper's Bible Dictionary 380). There was little knowledge about Gnostic life and their beliefs until 1945 when an Egyptian farmer named Mohammed Ali stumbled upon earthen jars in Nag Hammadi, Egypt (Religious Tolerance 2B). These large clay jars contained large numbers of Gnostic scrolls and manuscripts that were written in a Greek form of writing called Coptic and dated back to the 4th Century CE (Harper's Bible Dictionary 729). These jars contained writings, which had not been known to exist until they were discovered in Nag Hammadi. Some of the more well known writings found at Nag Hammadi include, The Gospel of Thomas, The......
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