Gospel of Thomas
Also known as Coptic Gospel of Thomas
Coptic-language early Christian non-canonical gospel, part of the Nag Hammadi library
AI overview
The Gospel of Thomas is an ancient Christian text written in Coptic that was discovered as part of the Nag Hammadi library and is not included in the official Biblical canon. It matters to scholars and historians because it offers a window into early Christian thought and beliefs that existed outside the mainstream tradition that became dominant Christianity.
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Wikidata facts
- Image
- Nag Hammadi Codex II.jpg
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- Commons category
- Gospel of Thomas
- publication date
- 1956-00-00
- first line
- Ⲛⲁⲉⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛ̅ϣⲁϫⲉ ⲉⲑⲏⲡ ⲉⲛⲧⲁ Ⲓ̅Ⲥ̅ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϩ ϫⲟⲟⲩ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁϥⲥϩⲁⲓⲥⲟⲩ ⲛ̅ϭⲓ Ⲇⲓⲇⲩⲙⲟⲥ Ⲓⲟⲩⲇⲁⲥ Ⲑⲱⲙⲁⲥ
- inception
- 1000-00-00
- Stack Exchange tag
- christianity.stackexchange.com/tags/gospel-of-thomas
- title
- ⲡ·Ⲉⲩⲁⲅⲅⲉⲗⲓⲟⲛ ⲡ·ⲕⲁⲧⲁ Ⲑⲱⲙⲁⲥ
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Article
The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is a non-canonical sayings gospel. The Gospel differs in tone and structure from other New Testament apocrypha and the canonical Gospels. It is not a narrative account of Jesus' life but consists of logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes embedded in short dialogues or parables; 13 of its 16 parables are also found in the Synoptic Gospels. The text contains a possible allusion to the death of Jesus in logion 65 (Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen), but does not mention his crucifixion, his resurrection, or the Last Judgment; nor does it mention a messianic understanding of Jesus.
Gospel of Thomas was discovered by farmers near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library. Scholars speculate the works were buried in response to a letter from Bishop Athanasius declaring a strict canon of Christian scripture. Most scholars place the composition during the second century, while some have proposed dates as late as 250 AD and others have traced signs of origins to 60 AD. Most scholars conclude that Thomas depends on or harmonizes the Synoptics.