The Nag Hammadi library includes a curious excerpt from Plato's Republic. Here Socrates pictures the soul as the fusion of three figures: a many-headed beast symbolizing unruly appetites and lawless desires; a lion, the spirited part that loves honor; and a man, signifying rational thought. Though brief, this passage reflects the Platonic influences on Gnostic thought and was likely preserved for its evocative description of the soul's internal struggle.
The manuscript differs noticeably from Greek sources. Unfortunately, some of the Coptic scribes who translated much of Nag Hammadi did not have a strong command of either language. This is one reason why these books are confusing and wordy at times, with lengthy run-on sentences and hyperliteralism. Hopefully, as more copies are discovered, scholars will piece together a clearer picture of these scriptures.
Other Gospels proudly presents as part of our Nag Hammadi Initiative. The Coptic text from Nag Hammadi Codex VI was translated by Samuel Zinner and edited by Mark Mattison with our financial support.
The excerpt from Book 9 of Plato's Republic was translated by Paul Shorey and is issued under a Creative Commons license. See the Perseus Digital Library for more information.
How to cite:
Zinner, Samuel. . Translated by Samuel Zinner, technical editing by Rachel Bousfield. Other Gospels. (accessed ).
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