Pistis sophia. A gnostic gospel (with extracts from the books of the saviour appended)

INTRODUCTION.

the opinion that it would be unfair to his memory to publish a manuscript that was in so incomplete a condition.

In 1890 I had already translated Schwartze's Latin version into English and published pages 1 to 252, with a commentary, notes, etc., in magazine form from April, 1890, to April, 1891. But I hesitated to put it forward in book form, and should not have done so, but for the appearance of Amélineau's French version in 1895. I then retranslated the whole book again and checked it by Amélineau's version. I was further induced to venture on this undertaking, because the narrative, though dealing with mystical and therefore obscure subjects, is in itself exceedingly simple, and therefore mistakes cannot so readily creep in as into a difficult philosophical work. I, therefore, present my translation with all hesitation, but at the same time think that the English public, which is steadily increasing its interest in mysticism and allied subjects, will be better satisfied with half a loaf than with no bread.

The work that has been previously done.

In conclusion it only remains for me to append a brief summary of the work that has already been done on the subject. This may best be seen by treating it from a chronological point of view. In addition to a few scattered articles in magazines which are not of the first importance, the chief contributions to the subject are:

a. 1770. Article in British Theological Magazine original: "Brittische Theol. Magazin"; see Köstlin below.
b. 1773. Woide (C. A.). Article in Journal of Scholars original: "Journal de Savants".
c. 1778. Woide. Article in J. A. Cramer's Contributions to the Promotion of Theological and other Important Knowledge original: "Beyträge zur Beförderung theologischer und andrer wichtigen Kenntnisse" (Kiel and Hamburg), pp. 82 ff.
d. 1799. Woide. Appendix to the Edition of the Greek New Testament from the Manuscript Codex Alexandrinus Described by Carl Gottfried Woide, in which are contained Fragments of the New Testament according to the interpretation of the Dialect of Upper Egypt which is called Thebaidic or Sahidic, taken for the most part from Oxford Codices, with a Dissertation on the Egyptian Version of the Bible, to which is added a Collation of the Vatican Codex original: "Appendix ad Editionem Novi Testamenti Græci e Codice MS. Alexandrino a Carolo Godfredo Woide Descripti..." (Oxford)—p. 137.

INTRODUCTION.

Woide not only carefully copied the whole of the manuscript but also the Codex Brucianus Bruce Manuscript at Oxford. He gives the date of the manuscript as about the fourth century, and considers the writer to have been Valentinus. He, however, published no work on the subject.

e. 1812. Münter (F.). Gnostic Odes Attributed to Solomon, in Theban and Latin, Illustrated with a Preface and Philological Annotations original: "Odæ Gnosticæ Salomoni Tributæ, Thebaice et Latine..." (Copenhagen).

Bishop Münter, a learned Dane, probably got his text from Woide's copy; his brief pamphlet is of no particular importance, nevertheless it was solely upon these few brief selections, the seven Odes of Solomon, that, with the exception of Dulaurier, scholars formed their opinion of the Pistis Sophia up to the time of the publication of Schwartze's work in 1851. Münter believes that the original treatise belongs to the second century.

f. 1843. Matter (J.). Critical History of Gnosticism and its Influence on the Religious and Philosophical Sects of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era original: "Histoire Critique du Gnosticisme et de son Influence..." (Paris) — 2nd ed. ii. 41 ff., 350 ff. The first edition appeared in 1828 and contains no reference to the Pistis Sophia. In Dörner's German translation the references are, ii. 69 ff. and 163 ff.

Matter rejects the idea of Valentinus, but he had no acquaintance whatever with the text and bases himself entirely on Woide. He states that the manuscript can scarcely be prior to the fourth century, and (p. 352) places the date of the original treatise between the end of the second and the end of the fifth. He gives no opinion as to the school to which it belongs.

g. 1838. Dulaurier (É.). Article in the Moniteur (27th Sept.).
h. 1847. Dulaurier. Article in the Asiatic Journal original: "Journal Asiatique", Fourth Series, Volume ix., June, pp. 534-548; entitled "Notice