Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A specific collection of ancient manuscripts: The Nag Hammadi Library refers to a group of 13 ancient books (codices) written on papyrus. These books were translated from Greek into the Coptic language. They were found in 1945 near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi. This collection is a primary source of original texts for understanding Gnosticism, an early religious movement.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • Scholars study the Nag Hammadi Library to understand early Christian thought.
  • The discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library was a major archaeological event.
  • Several texts from the Nag Hammadi Library, like the Gospel of Thomas, are well-known.

Advanced Usage

• "the Nag Hammadi codices": This is a more technical term often used interchangeably with "Nag Hammadi Library" to refer specifically to the physical books.
  • The Nag Hammadi codices are housed in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

Variants and Related Words

• Nag Hammadi codices (n): Another name for the physical books that constitute the library.
• Gnostic texts (n): A broader category of writings to which the works in the Nag Hammadi Library belong.

Synonyms

• The Nag Hammadi collection: A less common synonym emphasizing the gathered nature of the works.
• The Chenoboskion manuscripts: An older name derived from a nearby village.

Related Phrases

• A Nag Hammadi text: Refers to any single work contained within the larger library.
  • The Apocryphon of John is a Nag Hammadi text.

Related Terminology

• Gnosticism (n): The religious and philosophical system whose beliefs are detailed in many texts of the Nag Hammadi Library.
• Codex (n): A type of ancient book with pages, as opposed to a scroll; the format of the Nag Hammadi finds.

Noun

1. a collection of 13 ancient papyrus codices translated from Greek into Coptic that were discovered by farmers near the town of Nag Hammadi in 1945; the codices contain 45 distinct works including the chief sources of firsthand knowledge of Gnosticism