First Apocalypse of James
Encyclopedia
The First Apocalypse
of James, part of the New Testament apocrypha
also called the Revelation of Jacob, was first discovered amongst 52 other Gnostic Christian
texts spread over 13 codices
by an Arab peasant, Mohammad Ali al-Samman, in the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi
late in December 1945. Another copy has more recently been found in the Codex Tchacos
, where it is merely titled 'James'.
The text itself is remarkably well preserved for its age; it was reported that the cache of texts called the "Nag Hammadi library
", when originally found, were sealed within a large terracotta vessel. Doubtless they were secreted during the fourth century, in an effort to hide the texts from destruction by others.
The form of the text is primarily that of a Revelation Dialogue/Discourse between James the Just
(the brother of Jesus – according to the text, James is not a biological brother but a spiritual brother) and Jesus, with a rather fragmentary account of the martyrdom of Saint James(?) appended to the bottom of the manuscript, connected to the remainder by an oblique reference to crucifixion. The first portion of the text describes James' understandable concern about being crucified, whereas the latter portion describes secret passwords given to James so that he can ascend to the highest heaven (out of seventy-two) after dying, without being blocked by evil powers of the demiurge
.
Some of the framing background details about James given in the text are thought by academics to reflect early traditions; according to the text:
One of the most curious features of the First Apocalypse of James is that the range of dating of its original text, assigned to it by scholars, requires that it was written after the Second Apocalypse of James
.
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
of James, part of the New Testament apocrypha
New Testament apocrypha
The New Testament apocrypha are a number of writings by early Christians that claim to be accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. These writings often have links with books regarded as "canonical"...
also called the Revelation of Jacob, was first discovered amongst 52 other Gnostic Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
texts spread over 13 codices
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
by an Arab peasant, Mohammad Ali al-Samman, in the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi
Nag Hammâdi
Nag Hammadi , is a city in Upper Egypt. Nag Hammadi was known as Chenoboskion in classical antiquity, meaning "geese grazing grounds". It is located on the west bank of the Nile in the Qena Governorate, about 80 kilometres north-west of Luxor....
late in December 1945. Another copy has more recently been found in the Codex Tchacos
Codex Tchacos
The Codex Tchacos is an ancient Egyptian Coptic papyrus containing early Christian Gnostic texts from approximately 300 AD:*The Gospel of Judas*The First Apocalypse of James*The Letter of Peter to Philip...
, where it is merely titled 'James'.
The text itself is remarkably well preserved for its age; it was reported that the cache of texts called the "Nag Hammadi library
Nag Hammadi library
The Nag Hammadi library is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. That year, twelve leather-bound papyrus codices buried in a sealed jar were found by a local peasant named Mohammed Ali Samman...
", when originally found, were sealed within a large terracotta vessel. Doubtless they were secreted during the fourth century, in an effort to hide the texts from destruction by others.
The form of the text is primarily that of a Revelation Dialogue/Discourse between James the Just
James the Just
James , first Bishop of Jerusalem, who died in 62 AD, was an important figure in Early Christianity...
(the brother of Jesus – according to the text, James is not a biological brother but a spiritual brother) and Jesus, with a rather fragmentary account of the martyrdom of Saint James(?) appended to the bottom of the manuscript, connected to the remainder by an oblique reference to crucifixion. The first portion of the text describes James' understandable concern about being crucified, whereas the latter portion describes secret passwords given to James so that he can ascend to the highest heaven (out of seventy-two) after dying, without being blocked by evil powers of the demiurge
Demiurge
The demiurge is a concept from the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy for an artisan-like figure responsible for the fashioning and maintenance of the physical universe. The term was subsequently adopted by the Gnostics...
.
Some of the framing background details about James given in the text are thought by academics to reflect early traditions; according to the text:
- James was the head of the early churchEarly ChristianityEarly Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
- James was the most senior apostle
- James fled to PellaPellaPella , an ancient Greek city located in Pella Prefecture of Macedonia in Greece, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.-Etymology:...
when the Romans invaded Jerusalem in 70AD. This contradicts the testimony of JosephusJosephusTitus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
and Eusebius who both state that James was executed in Jerusalem in 62 AD.
One of the most curious features of the First Apocalypse of James is that the range of dating of its original text, assigned to it by scholars, requires that it was written after the Second Apocalypse of James
Second Apocalypse of James
The Second Apocalypse of James is one of the Gnostic Gospels, part of the New Testament apocrypha...
.
Sources
- Online text of The First Apocalypse of James
- James M. Robinson, ed., The Nag Hammadi Library, revised edition. HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1990.
- Wilhelm Schneemelcher, ed., translation by R. McL. Wilson, New Testament Apocrypha : Gospels and Related Writings (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1992), pp. 313–326.