What is the Nag Hamaddi Library?

>The Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of thirteen ancient books (called "codices") containing over fifty texts, was discovered in upper Egypt in 1945. This immensely important discovery includes a large number of primary "Gnostic Gospels" – texts once thought to have been entirely destroyed during the early Christian struggle to define "orthodoxy" – scriptures such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, and the Gospel of Truth. The discovery and translation of the Nag Hammadi library, initially completed in the 1970's, has provided impetus to a major re-evaluation of early Christian history and the nature of Gnosticism.

First start here:

http:// www.gnosis.org/naghamm/Pagels-Gnostic-Gospels.html

..For an excellent overview of what one is dealing with here, as well as a curious story of how this particular set of highly forbidden texts, texts which the church no doubt believed to have stamped out for good, managed to sneak it's way into safe hands without being intercepted by the powers that be, and eventually onto the internet. When I first discovered these texts, I was floored by the fact that, despite the odds, these texts managed to survive and become public knowledge (with its own "red herring" and everything, ever hear about the more famous "Dead Sea Scrolls"? talk about slides..)

Lots of really lucky coincidences.. and what do we say about coincidences?

From there we have (more or less in order of importance in my opinion)

>The Apocryphon (secret) Gospel of John

http:// www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_sbj.htm

>The Gospel of Thomas

http:// www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_thomas.htm

>The Gospel of Truth

http:// www.gnosis.org/naghamm/got-barnstone.html

>The Gospel of Philip

http:// www.gnosis.org/naghamm/GPhilip-Barnstone.html

There are other texts, some that were found along with the other Nag Hammadi texts, and some that were discovered much before. Don't worry about this, it is basically rehashing the same truth that is backed up by above mentioned books, unless this really interests you in which case, go nuts. It's all no that website.

Really makes clear wtf happened to christianity in the 2000 years since Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified on Calvary hill, and more importantly, WHY??

Enjoy.