Characters
Adam
Adam is a prominent figure alongside Eve in the Old Testament's Book of Genesis, set in the Garden of Eden. He also features in several Nag Hammadi texts, like the Testimony of Truth, where he is part of alternative versions of the creation story that differ from Genesis.
al-Qummus Basiliyusi Abd al-Masih
Al-Qummus Basiliyusi Abd al-Masih was a priest who safeguarded some Gnostic texts for Muhammad 'Ali al-Samman. He handed one of these texts to the history teacher Raghib.
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius served as the Roman emperor during the latter half of the second century. Despite being known as an educated and intellectual ruler, Christians faced persecution during his reign. Pagels notes that he "despised the Christians as morbid and misguided exhibitionists."
Clement of Alexandria
Clement of Alexandria, an esteemed orthodox Christian scholar writing in Egypt near the end of the second century, was known for his progressive views on women and their religious roles. Some people speculated that he might have been a Gnostic initiate.
Pope Clement I
Clement I served as the Bishop of Rome and Pope from A.D. 90 to 100. His letters to the Christian community in Corinth provide an early example of the church's emerging hierarchy. In these letters, he distinguishes between clergy and laity and states that God grants authority to "rulers and leaders on earth." He also asserts that women should "remain in the rule of subjugation" to their husbands.
Constantine
Constantine was the Roman emperor in the early fourth century. After converting to orthodox Christianity, he established Christianity as the empire's official state religion, leading to increased penalties for heresy, as noted by Pagels.
Eve
Eve is portrayed with Adam in the Garden of Eden narrative in the Old Testament's Book of Genesis. She also appears in various creation stories found in the Nag Hammadi Gnostic texts. While Genesis describes her as being created from Adam's rib, many Gnostic texts depict her as independently created by God.
George Fox
George Fox established the Quaker Church in England during the 1600s. Pagels highlights that, like the early Christian Gnostics, he rejected the church's authority and sought his own "inner light."
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud, an Austrian physician, developed the theory of psychoanalysis in the early twentieth century. Pagels references him in her book, drawing parallels between Gnostic pursuits of self-awareness and Freud's exploration of the unconscious mind.
Heracleon
Heracleon, a student of Valentinus in the mid-second century, became a Gnostic teacher. He taught that Christians could express their faith both before a magistrate and through their daily actions. He believed that self-reflection could help Christians understand their relationship with Jesus and God without necessarily relying on church guidance.
Hippolytus
Hippolytus was a Greek Christian scholar who resided in Rome during the late second and early third centuries. He authored the work "Refutation of All Heresies," where he discusses topics such as the universe's origins. Pagels remarks that his "zeal for martyrdom ... was matched by his hatred of heresy." In A.D. 235, Emperor Maximin exiled him to Sardinia, where he passed away. Hippolytus strongly opposed Callistus being appointed as Pope and Bishop of Rome, leading him to spread many defamatory claims about Callistus and to break away from the church during Callistus's papacy.
Ignatius
Ignatius served as the orthodox Bishop of Antioch in Syria until his death in A.D. 110. He asserted that since there was only one God in heaven, there should be only one bishop for each congregation, with the bishop representing God's presence on Earth. Eventually, Roman authorities sentenced him to death for challenging Rome's civil power. According...
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to Pagels, he "accepted the death sentence with joyful exaltation," viewing it as an opportunity to emulate his God and Jesus.
Irenaeus
Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, became the orthodox Bishop of Lyons in France. He authored a five-volume work against Gnosticism and heresy titled "The Destruction and Overthrow of Falsely So-Called Knowledge." He was convinced that salvation was only possible within the orthodox church and emphasized the importance of the church's unity and universality. Irenaeus particularly despised those who "outwardly acted like orthodox Christians, but who were privately members of Gnostic circles." He was also notably concerned about women being drawn to Gnostic groups and participating fully. Pagels frequently cites his words to highlight accepted Christian orthodox beliefs.
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' disciples. He took his own life after betraying Jesus.
James
James, Jesus' brother, eventually became a Christian martyr. Some early Christian traditions claimed James was the first to witness Jesus' resurrection. Gnostics hold James's teachings in high regard, with two Gnostic texts exploring his ideas.
James
James (not the brother of Jesus) was also one of Jesus' disciples and was executed for his faith.
Jesus
Jesus was a Jewish teacher in Palestine whose teachings gave rise to Christianity. Early orthodox Christians believed he was a historical figure who suffered and died on the cross in human form and physically rose from the dead. In contrast, many Gnostics viewed his resurrection as more of a spiritual event than a literal one.
John
John was one of Jesus' disciples. The Gnostic text "Apocryphon of John" claims to disclose Jesus' secret teachings to John.
Justin
Justin was a Platonic philosopher who converted to Christianity in the mid-second century after observing the steadfastness of persecuted Christians. He advised Roman officials to be cautious of those who might use the accusation of Christianity to pursue personal vendettas. Ultimately, he became a martyr for his faith.
Marcion
Marcion was a Gnostic instructor who determined that there must be two distinct Gods. As Pagels points out, two separate divine beings must have crafted a world where both pain and beauty coexist. He appointed women as bishops and priests, which disturbed the orthodox clergy, who often labeled Gnostics as Marcionites.
Marcus
Marcus, a disciple of Valentinus, eventually became a Gnostic teacher. Irenaeus accused Marcus of conducting gatherings without a church bishop's approval, breaking many orthodox rules, and enticing women to follow him. Marcus’s followers sought wisdom from the divine Mother and believed God embodied both male and female elements.
Martha
Martha and her sister Mary (not the mother of Jesus) lived during Jesus's time. The Carpocratians, a Gnostic sect, claimed they received secret teachings from Martha and Mary.
Mary
Mary was the mother of Jesus. According to early Christians, Jesus was born to Mary through a virgin birth, although many Gnostics mocked this idea.
Mary
Mary (not the mother of Jesus) and her sister Martha lived during Jesus's era. The Carpocratians, a Gnostic group, claimed they received secret teachings from Mary and Martha.
Mary Magdalen
Mary Magdalen, a contemporary of Jesus, is portrayed in the Gnostic Gospel of Mary as someone who received visions and insights from Jesus that were said to be superior to those of Peter. Some Gnostic traditions acknowledged Mary Magdalen as an apostle, and the Gnostic Gospel of Philip suggests she had a close relationship with Jesus.
Matthew
Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, was believed by the Gnostics to have received unique secret teachings from him.
Muhammad 'Ali al-Samman
In 1945, Egyptian farmer Muhammad 'Ali al-Samman discovered thirteen papyrus books, later identified by scholars as a collection of mainly Gnostic Christian texts written between A.D. 120 and 150. He found the clay jar containing the books while searching for a type of soft soil used for fertilizing crops, initially thinking the jars might hold gold. Upon finding the books, he took them home to his mother, who burned some pages in their oven. A few weeks later, Muhammad 'Ali and his brothers killed the man suspected of murdering their father. Before the police could investigate, Muhammad 'Ali hid the books with a local priest, suspecting they held value.
Nero
Nero was the Roman emperor in the mid-first century, notorious for his brutality. He was allegedly responsible for starting several fires in Rome, which he blamed on the Christians. These fires served as a pretext for him to publicly torture and execute many Christians.
Paul
Paul was a Jewish man living during Jesus's time who converted to Christianity after Jesus's crucifixion. This change was prompted by a dramatic event where he experienced a blinding white light and had a vision of Jesus. He became a preacher and teacher of Christianity. Scholars are divided on whether Paul, through his visions and insights, possessed a "secret wisdom" about Jesus and God.
Peter
The New Testament gospels depict Peter as the foremost leader among Jesus's disciples. Eventually, Roman Empire authorities arrested Peter and sentenced him to death.
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate was the Roman official responsible for trying Jesus and sentencing him to death by crucifixion.
Plotinus
Plotinus was a Platonic philosopher known for his criticism of Gnosticism, which he believed lacked a system for teaching enlightenment and self-awareness.
Polycarp
Polycarp served as the Bishop of Smyrna and was a staunch orthodox Christian educator to Irenaeus. He was publicly executed by burning for his Christian beliefs.
Ptolemy
Ptolemy was a prominent Gnostic teacher. Roman authorities executed him for propagating Christian teachings.
Gilles Quispel
Gilles Quispel was a religion professor in the Netherlands. In 1955, after learning about the Nag Hammadi discovery, he traveled to Cairo to examine photocopies of the ancient texts. He also successfully urged the Jung Foundation to acquire some of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts in the 1950s.
Raghib
Raghib was an Egyptian history teacher who received one of the Nag Hammadi books from the priest safeguarding them for Muhammad 'Ali. Recognizing their potential value, Raghib sent the book to a friend in Cairo, who facilitated its sale on the black market.
Salome
Salome lived during Jesus's era. The Gnostic sect known as the Carpocratians claimed they received secret teachings from her.
Simon Magus
Simon Magus was a Gnostic teacher who was cursed for allegedly attempting to purchase the apostle Peter's spiritual power. Pagels describes him as "Peter's archenemy."
Tacitus
Tacitus was a Roman historian active during the late first and early second centuries. Pagels references his writings on Nero and the fires that nearly destroyed Rome.
Tertullian
Tertullian, described as a "brilliantly talented writer," was an orthodox Christian thinker in the second century. He mocked the Gnostics for their intricate cosmologies and viewed disobedience to the bishops as a significant threat to the orthodox church. Tertullian opposed the idea of women serving as priests or bishops and emphasized the distinction between clergy and laity. He also believed martyrdom was an essential aspect of Christianity. Toward the end of his life, he left the orthodox church to join the Montanists, a "radical prophetic circle" that, according to Pagels, revered two women as its founders.
Theodotus
Theodotus was a Gnostic teacher in Asia Minor during the mid-second century. He was part of the Valentinian Gnostics and believed that his fellow adherents were a chosen race.
Thomas
Thomas was a disciple of Jesus. In the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, it is suggested that Jesus was not fundamentally different from other humans, as both "received their being from the same place," according to Pagels. Other Gnostic texts portray Thomas as a disciple of Jesus who was given special teachings.
Judas Thomas
Judas Thomas is described in one of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi as the twin brother of Jesus. Some accounts assert that he authored the Gnostic text known as Thomas the Contender.
Valentinus
Valentinus, an Egyptian poet, was one of the most esteemed Gnostic teachers of the second century. He claimed to have obtained secret teachings of Paul through one of Paul's disciples. Valentinus' followers, known as the Valentinians, were considered a moderate Gnostic group. Some orthodox leaders criticized them, noting that many Christians struggled to distinguish between Valentinianism and orthodox beliefs.
