The Apocalypse of Adam

THE APOCALYPSE OF ADAM

The Apocalypse of Adam is one of the most enigmatic writings preserved in the Nag Hammadi Library. Recovered in Nag Hammadi Codex V, Tractate 5, it presents the final revelation of Adam to his son Seth: a vision of primordial glory, forgotten knowledge, hostile powers, successive destructions, the survival of a hidden seed, and the coming of the great illuminator of knowledge.

This critical edition presents the complete surviving text together with a new English translation, historical introduction, structural commentary, critical notes, key Coptic terminology, glossary, chronology, manuscript history, comparative material, and extended commentary.

Particular attention is given to the structure of the revelation and to the manuscript tradition. Damaged passages and uncertain readings are treated explicitly, distinguishing probable restorations from readings that remain uncertain rather than concealing the difficulties of the surviving text.

At the center of The Apocalypse of Adam stands a haunting conception of revelation: knowledge is not merely something newly discovered, but something ancient-something humanity once possessed and subsequently forgot.

INSIDE THIS EDITION

• The complete surviving Apocalypse of Adam
• New English translation
• Historical and textual introduction
• Nag Hammadi manuscript context
• Structural analysis of the revelation
• Critical and explanatory notes
• Key Coptic terminology
• Glossary of names and concepts
• Chronology and comparative material
• Extended commentary on Sethian Gnostic mythology

A scholarly yet accessible edition for readers interested in Gnosticism, Sethian traditions, early Christianity, ancient religious literature, Coptic manuscripts, apocryphal writings, and the Nag Hammadi Library.

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