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How reliable is the story of the Nag Hammadi discovery?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Goodacre, M
Published in: Journal for the Study of the New Testament
June 1, 2013

James Robinson's narrative of how the Nag Hammadi codices were discovered is popular and compelling, a piece of fine investigative journalism that includes intrigue and blood vengeance. But there are several different, conflicting versions of the story, including two-person (1977), seven-person (1979) and eight-person (1981) versions. Disagreements include the name of the person who first found the jar. Martin Krause and Rodolphe Kasser both questioned these stories in 1984, and their scepticism is corroborated by the Channel 4 (UK) series, The Gnostics (1987), which features Muhammad 'Ali himself, in his only known appearance in front of camera, offering his account of the discovery. Several major points of divergence from the earlier reports raise questions about the reliability of 'Ali's testimony. It may be safest to conclude that the earlier account of the discovery offered by Jean Doresse in 1958 is more reliable than the later, more detailed, more vivid versions that are so frequently retold. © The Author(s) 2013.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Journal for the Study of the New Testament

DOI

EISSN

1745-5294

ISSN

0142-064X

Publication Date

June 1, 2013

Volume

35

Issue

4

Start / End Page

303 / 322

Related Subject Headings

  • 5005 Theology
  • 5004 Religious studies
  • 2204 Religion and Religious Studies
  • 2103 Historical Studies
 

Citation

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Goodacre, M. (2013). How reliable is the story of the Nag Hammadi discovery? Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 35(4), 303–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142064X13482243
Goodacre, M. “How reliable is the story of the Nag Hammadi discovery?Journal for the Study of the New Testament 35, no. 4 (June 1, 2013): 303–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142064X13482243.
Goodacre M. How reliable is the story of the Nag Hammadi discovery? Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 2013 Jun 1;35(4):303–22.
Goodacre, M. “How reliable is the story of the Nag Hammadi discovery?Journal for the Study of the New Testament, vol. 35, no. 4, June 2013, pp. 303–22. Scopus, doi:10.1177/0142064X13482243.
Goodacre M. How reliable is the story of the Nag Hammadi discovery? Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 2013 Jun 1;35(4):303–322.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal for the Study of the New Testament

DOI

EISSN

1745-5294

ISSN

0142-064X

Publication Date

June 1, 2013

Volume

35

Issue

4

Start / End Page

303 / 322

Related Subject Headings

  • 5005 Theology
  • 5004 Religious studies
  • 2204 Religion and Religious Studies
  • 2103 Historical Studies