KOLBRINOVA BIBLIJA - GWINEVA ----------------Priredba in prevod Beno Cizelj

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GWINEVA

Maeva, nekoč Dadamova žena, je našla pribežališče med ljudmi Ardisa, kjer je rodila Gwinevo, otroka »Kukavico«, a ko se je ta rodila, je bilo videti, da ima rdeče lase. Čeprav so vsi vedeli, da so svetlolasi in temnolasi ljudje, nihče nikoli ni videl nikogar z rdečimi lasmi. V Ardisu so se tudi začele pojavljati nenavadne nepravilnosti, za katere so krivili prišleke; zato so zaradi teh stvari Maevo in njenega otroka izgnali. Prišli sta do vodnega zbirališča (verjetno mišljena oaza) blizu meje Krowkasis in si zgradili bivališče iz trsja in živeli tam vrsto let. Maeva je bila ubita od divjih zveri in Gwineva je ostala sama, vendar se je veliko naučila od svojih bližnjih, ki so prišli k njej, in tako je postala čarovnica.

Čas je bežal in pol-ljudstvo, imenovano Yoslings, se je začelo zbirati okoli njenega bivališča in mislili so, da je boginja in jo častili. Ko se je razširila njena slava, je na uho Herthewu prišla beseda o čudni tej ženi, zato je poslal može, da bi izvedeli o njej in poročali. Gwineva je vedela za Herthewa, vendar on ni vedel, kdo je ona, in da je živi otrok Maeve. Ko je Herthew slišal poročilo, je bil zaskrbljen in je poslal ljudi, da so jo pripeljali k njemu, in prišla je na njegovo prošnjo. Prinesli so jo k njemu, oblečeno v plašč iz perja in oblačila iz kože, njeni lasje so bili razmršeni kot pri drugih ženskah, katere so se spustile na kolena dotikajoč se njenega plašča. Bil je presenečen nad kaskado rdečih las in njegovo srce je begala njena lepota.

Herthew je Gwinevi dal govedo in spremljevalce, vendar je raje obiskala Yoslingse, ki so jo ljudi ob Herthewu prezirali. Očarali so bili ob čudni ženi, saj je bilo videti, da so Yoslingovi ljudje svobodno vstopili v njeno življenje, vendar je bila njena drža skromna in dekliška, Yoslingi pa so ji izkazovali vse oblike spoštovanja. Bila je  sezona plodnosti (jesen) in ko je Herthew odšel v zbirališče, je z s seboj vzel Gwinevo, toda Yoslingov ni bilo mogoče peljati tja. Torej, ostali so zadaj, vendar so jih ljudje odstranili. Ko so prišli na zbirno mesto in je Gwidon videl Gwinevo, se je začudil, ker je tako ženo videl v temnih sanjah; vendar jo je pozdravil in bil presenečen nad njeno modrostjo in znanjem v čarovništvu. Ko je prišel čas, da Gwidon prerokuje, in so se zbrali tudi vsi, ki so prišli, da bi ga slišali, so postali zaskrbljeni, ker je zamujal in je luna začela izginjati, in jo je jedla črnina noči. Potem, ko so že hoteli pobegniti, je nastal velik krik in pojavil se je Gwidon;  napravil je na vseh straneh velik ogenj. Ljudje so ostali, saj je bil vsak ujet na kraju, kjer je stal.

Gwidon je podrobno govoril, da jim je znak nočnega neba napovedal novo obdobje. Da bo, kot Luna spet raste v svetlosti, tako bi morala biti tudi njihova rasa zrasti v močno in živahno, razširjena široko čez obraz Zemlje, ki je pred njimi vodila manjše rase. Da bi sin Hertheja vodil svoje sinove iz Krowkasis, njegovi sinovi in njihovi sinovi pa bodo nadaljevali proti zahodu, proti Hesperisu, kar pomeni Zemljo duhov. Da bi tam srečali svojo končno usodo. Povedal jim je, da bo prišlo do velikega prelivanja krvi, ko se bo brat boril z bratom in oče s sinom, toda to bo zasaditev središča, okoli katerega bi bil stkan okvir za strukturo njihove rase. Rekel je: "Naredil bom prvi korak v tem duhu".

Kasneje je Herthew vprašal Gwidona, naj vrže palice znamenj in prebere pepel, saj je želel vedeti o Gwinevi. To je Gwidon je storil, da mu je lahko povedal, da je ona njegova usoda, in je bila namenjena biti njegova žena; ker je bila še resnično deklica in da je ne bi pustil zavzeti in da no zaščiti, je rekel: "Ona deluje skozi svojo nedolžnost in ne z brazgotino". Toda to, kar je Gwidon povedal Herthewu ni bilo več kot le zrno žita v žitnici med vsem, kar je vedel in videl.

Ko se je Herthew vrnil k domov, je posvetil pozornost Gwinevi in jo prosil, naj se poroči z njim, in ona se je strinjala, da po enem letu. Ljudje, ko so slišali, kaj je namen, so bili nezadovoljni in so šepetali proti poroki. Govorili so, da je bilo očitno, da se bo njihov kralj poročil s čarovnico in čudno žensko v vseh pogledih. Prav tako je obstajal običaj, ki prepoveduje mešanje krvi, vendar ni bilo nobenega dvoma o tem, kaj je. Nekateri pa so mislili, da je ona tista, ki bi bila sprejemljiva.

Gwineva ni bila krvni rod Herthewa, tako da poroka ne bi bila incestna. Gwineva se je odločila, da ne bo rekla ničesar o njunem sorodstvenem razmerju, ker je bila zaljubljena v njega, ljubezen pa je vedno pripravljena najti izgovore.

Kljub svojemu znanju in modrosti je bila njeno srce polno strahov zaradi svojega porekla, vendar ni pokazala svojih skrbi. Med ljudmi se ni počutila čisto lahkotno, vendar nikoli ni prosila, da bi Yoslingom dovolili priti nazaj. Poskušala je postati sprejemljiva tako, da je služila bolnim s simboli in pravnimi sredstvi, toda več kot jih je pozdravila, čedalje več ljudi se je je balo, in bilo jo je strah, da jo zavračajo, razen če so zelo potrebovali pomoč.

Vendar pa je Herthew ostal trdno odločeni, da se poroči, čeprav so ga mnogi opozarjali, da bi bil, če bi preprosto vzel Gwinevo kot priležnico ali kot nekaj manj kot ženo, bolj sprejemljiv. Rekli so: "Nihče ne bi ugovarjal, če bi jo obravnavali kot žensko, ki nima statusa, bodi z njo, vendar se ne poroči, ker bi ji poroka dodelila neupravičeni status in je zakon res potreben? Ali modri človek kupi pito, ki jo lahko zastonj je kadarkoli?" Takšni izgovori so bili podani Herthewu, vendar je vedel, da je Gwineva ženska, ki je rezervirana za poroko, in to je poskušal ljudem povedati, vendar so se smejali in rekli: "Vas je začarala? Potem jo preizkusite". Toda on je odgovoril: "To je nedostopno, ker kaže na dvom in nezaupanje: devica je devica, ne glede na to, ali jo je tako imenoval rog ali palica, in ostaja tako, ne glede na domneve telesno mislečih moških, ki bolj poznajo ženske manjšega ugleda" . Kljub temu, da je bila zakonsko narejena poroka, je še vedno bilo veliko dvoma v glavah mnogih, saj nihče ni nič vedel o Gwinevinem rodu, niti ni nihče nič odkril, čeprav je bilo to običajno predstaviti v času zaroke. Toda Herthew in Gwineva sta ostala neomadeževana, čeprav je bil izdan oklic o prihodnjem zakonu.

Sedaj so bili nečaki in rod iz Idalvarja negovani ljudje in ker je bil čas miru, ko niso bile potrebne spretnosti vojaka, so mnogi poslušali njihove besede. Razvili sta se torej skupini, ena so bili za Herthewa in tista druga, ki so bili proti njemu. Potem je Herthew ljudem rekel: »Naj to ne bo nekaj, kar bi se ljudje razdelili, ampak nekaj, o čemer je mogoče odločiti na naslednjem ljudskem festivalu«.

Čas setve je minil, vendar še ni bilo žetve, mladi pa so tekmovali v tekmah v metanju kopja in se med seboj preizkusili v številnih moških spretnostih. V takih časih, je Herthew sedel na platformi naproti palisade, sodil je in nagrajeval zasluge. Znotraj palisade je bila pešpot in kraji, iz katerih so se lahko metali veliki kamni, iz enega takega kraja pa je prišlo morilsko orožje, ki je prerezalo Herthewu glavo, prebodlo je ramo zaščitene roke in ga udarilo ob tla. Takoj je prišlo do velikega hrupa in zmede, izbruhnili so boji, ljudje so umirali, toda Herthew je bil na varnem ob Gwinevi. Tam so ga varovali njegovi stražarji, vendar so  palisado prevzeli vsi, ki so bili sovražni do Herthewa. Pred strahopetnim udarcem so bili tisti za Hertheja številnejši in močnejši, a potem, ko je bil tako hudo ranjen, so bili v manjšini, od teh so se mnogi obrnili od njega, ker je taka narava človeka. Toda v nasprotju s krhkimi trsi, katerih so se znebili, so ostali tisti zvesti, ki so bili odločni, kajti tudi to je narava človeka. Zdaj, ko so Gwineva in modreci posvetili pozornost Herthewu, so videli, da ga je roka ščitila, čeprav je bila ranjena, vendar ni bila neodzivna, ko je prijela Gwineva roko, toda zmečkana roka ni mogla držati meča, bila je neškodljiva. Zato so vedeli, da je belo orožje, ki ga je zadelo, bilo začarano in da nobena ženska ne bi mogla odstraniti takšne čarovnije, prav tako pa tudi ne bi mogli modreci, ker so bili nepokvarjeni, nedolžni, nevedni v tem. V dneh, ki so sledili, je začaranost povzročila, da so demoni vstopali skozi rano in zavzeli njegovo telo kot svoje bivališče, zato je bil Herthew mučen in njegovo telo je kričalo, preden se je umirilo v tišino, ki nastopi pred smrtjo. Demoni so zlorabili Gwinevo in klicali njeno polno ime in kričali z glasnimi glasovi proti ljudem, da morajo zapustiti svojega kralja.

Kraj, kamor so položili Herthewa, je bil blizu jezera in na jezeru je bil otok, imenovan Inskris, kar pomeni Otok mrtvih, kamor so odpeljani umrli preden so bili odpremljeni v vode. Ljudje so verjeli, da so tisti, ki so bili dani v jezero, šli naravnost ozaveščeni v "drugi svet", medtem ko je bil ostali, ki so bili pokopani na kopnem, ob prehodu več le napol budni in napol v spanju. Tisti, ki so bili zvesti Herthewu, so ga odpeljali do čolnov in spremljali njega in Gwinevo na otok in niso bili nadlegovani, ker nihče ni vplival na tiste, ki žalujejo za mrtvimi. Na otoku so bili duhovniki in devet svetih deklet, ki so se posvetili obredu, medtem ko so druge ženske služile novim mrtvim, toda Herthew je bil mrtev, čeprav na pol poti čez prag.

Ko je Herthew prispel, so ga je postavil v mrtvaško hišo, kjer se je Gwineva udeležila obreda. Gwidon je odprl Herthjewo lobanjo, kjer se je razvajala in izgnal demona, ki si je tam vzel prebivališče, in on je pripravil močne napitke, ki so odstranili začaranost. Ko je po večih dneh odšel, Herthew ni bil več na vratih smrti, čeprav je bil šibek in v mnogih pogledih kot otrok.

Medtem ko je Herthew ležal tako osramočen, so se sorodniki po rodbinski liniji Idalvarja spraševali med seboj, kar je pripeljalo do spopadov in bitk. Toda nihče ni prišel blizu otoku, da bi škodil Herthewu, ker je bilo sveto mesto in mu je bil kot svetišče. Ko je prišel čas ljudskega praznika, je bila na mestu zbiranja velika bitka in Gwidon je bil umorjen. Prišel je dan, ko se je Herthew, čeprav še vedno ne cel, lahko premikal, nato pa sta on in Gwineva odšla s tistimi, ki so ostali z njima. Poročila sta se pred odhodom iz otoka. Pobegnila sta daleč od mesta, in minila so leta da je Herthew znova postal cel. Gwineva pa mu je rodila sinove in hčere. Bilo je dobro mesto, plodno, z dovolj vode, zato so uspevali. Toda prišel je čas suše, ko so se vode izsušile in njihove črede umrle. Zato je Herthew poslal moške v Krowkasis in ko so se vrnili, so rekli, da je bila tudi ta dežela prizadeta, ljudje pa so v stiski. Poslal je tudi druge na Zahod in ko so se vrnili, so rekli, da dežela ni bila prizadeta, ljudje pa jih ne bi sprejeli, razen z kopji in puščicami.

Herthew je nato poslal može nazaj v Krowkasis, da povedo ljudem, da je dobro na Zahodu in ljudje so se vrnili z vojnim pasom, ki jih je vodil Itilis, in veliko ljudi mu je sledilo. Herthew ni več mogel nositi orožja, njegovi sinovi pa so bili še mladi in nevešči krvavih bojev. Zato je dal svoja dva sinova, ki sta bila dovolj stara za služenje Itilisu, da bi se lahko naučila vojne umetnosti in mu sledila zvesto, postala moža v spopadu, ki je sledil. Mnogi ljudje so zapustili Krowkasis in se naselili v deželi, ki leži na zahodu, ker sta se tam naselila tudi Herthew in Gwineva.

Čas je mineval in Herthew je postal znan po svoji modrosti, in Itilis, kralj Aranije, ga je častil z zemljo in služabniki. Herthewova sinova, ki sta sledila kralju in sta bila dvojčka, sta se poročila z dvema kraljevima najstarejšima hčerkama, ki sta tudi bili dvojčici. To je povzročilo težave, ker je bil kralj, čeprav je imel tri žene, brez sina, zato sta njegova dediča postala dvojčka. Kralj je bil zmeden, ker dva moška ne moreta vladati in oba sta bila v njegovih oče v enakem položaju. Vendar je bila kraljeva dolžnost nominirati svojega naslednika in ga razglasiti ljudem tako, da po njegovi smrti ne bi bilo delitev. Zato se je Itilis posvetoval s Herthewem o tem, kako naj se sodba opravi, in Herthew je dejal: "Naj se odločim, kdo bo kralj".

V Araniji so se ljudje zbrali štirikrat na leto za ljudske praznike. V takšnih časih je bilo običajno razglasiti nove zakone, dati sodbe in reševali so vsa sporna vprašanja. Torej, pred naslednjim ljudskim praznikom je Herthew pripravil kamen iz peska, gline in drugih stvari, medtem ko je bil še vedno šibek, je vzel v roko velik meč, Dislana "grenka bitka" in ko je bil kamen strjen, je bila Dislana ujeta. Kamen, kamor je bil meč vstavljen, je bil nato postavljen blizu kraja, kjer je kralj dajal sodbe. Okoli njega je bil narisan širok krog, ki je razdeljen na pol.

Na dan, ko so bili ljudje prvič zbrani, da bi slišali njegove besede, jim je Itilis povedal o svoji zmedenosti zaradi težave glede dvojčkov sinov Herthewa in njegovih hčera in dejal: "Tako ljudje niso razdeljeni in kraljestvo najemajo z razpadom, da se to vprašanje zdaj reši, zato postavljam pošten preizkus, ki ne vključuje nobenega moškega razen tistih, ki jih imam enako rad. Kateri izmed njiju bo iz tega kamna odstranil očetovo veliko orožje, da ga osvobodi in ujame, postane moj zakoniti dedič, drugi pa mu postane kot mlajši brat.

Vsakdo bo imel priložnost med trajanjem padca peresa, pri čemer je bo prvi poskusil tisti, ki je odrezal svojo zapestnico čez rezilo. Vsak od Herthejewih sinov je bil postavljen na mestu, kjer se je povezovalna črta dotikala kroga, tako da sta stala nasproti drug drugemu in vsaka imela tri zapestnice, ki sta jih metala, dokler ni eden vrgel na rezilo svoje zapestnice tako, da ga je ta objela.

Potem je ta poskušal izvleči orožje s svojo roko, vendar zaradi ostrine ni mogel drugega, kot da je poskušal postaviti dlani na vsako stran rezila, nato pa jih je pritiskal med dviganjem, vendar ga tudi ni mogel premakniti. Prvi je poskusil znova, ponovil je tisto, kar je pravkar naredil še močneje, tako da je kamen skoraj dvignil s tal, vendar meč ni zapustil kamna. Potem se je drugi približal kamnu, tokrat pa je dal roke pod robove kamna, da bi ga lahko dvignil v roke in ga spustil nad kamnino, ki je bila blizu, in se je razbila. Potem je pobral Dislano po ročaju in z njim pomahal nad glavo. Ljudje so ga častili, medtem ko je njegov brat čestital z rokovanjem. Tako je bila z modrostjo premagana težava.

NAG HAMMADi in Gnostični evangheliji priredba Beno Cizelj

NAG HAMMADI

Knjige Nag Hammadi (znana tudi pod imenom "Chenoboskion Manuskript" in "Gnostični evangeliji") je zbirka zgodnjih krščanskih in gnostičnih besedil, ki so bile odkrite blizu zgornjega egiptovskega mesta Nag Hammadi leta 1945.

Lokalni kmet, imenovan Muhamed al-Samman, je najverjetneje odkril trinajst usnjenih papirus kodeksov, ki so bili pokopani v zapečatenih vrčih. Pisanje v teh kodeksih so vsebovali 52 večinoma gnostičnih razprav, vendar pa vsebujejo tudi tri dela, ki pripadajo Korpus Hermeticum in delni prevod / Platonove republike. V svojem uvodu v prevod knjižic Nag Hammadi v angleščini James Robinson predvideva, da so ti kodeksi lahko pripadali bližnjemu pahomianskemu samostanu in so bili zakopani, potem ko je Sveti Atanazij obsodil uporabo ne kanoničnih knjig v svojem prazničnem pismu leta 367. Odkritje teh besedil je pomembno vplivalo na uresničevanje sodobnega preučevanja in poznavanja zgodnjega krščanstva in gnosticizma.

Vsebina kodeksov je bila napisana v Koptskem jeziku. Najbolj znano o teh delih je verjetno Thomasov evangelij, od katerega vsebuje Nag Hammadi kodekse le tega kot edino popolno besedilo. Znanstveniki so po odkritju ugotovili, da so se fragmenti teh govorov, ki so bili pripisani Jezusu, pojavili v rokopisih, ki so jih odkrili leta 1898 v Oxyrhynchusu, in so bile zajete v drugih zgodnjih krščanskih virih. Nato je bilo za izgubljene grške izvirnike Thomasovega evangelija predlagano 1. in 2. stoletje zapisani okoli 80. let ali prej. Zakopani rokopisi so iz 3. in 4. stoletja.

Kodeksi Nag Hammadi so trenutno shranjeni v koptskem muzeju v Egiptu v Kairu

Mesto odkritja, Nag Hammadi na zemljevidu Egipta

Zgodba o odkritju knjižnic Nag Hammadi leta 1945 je bila opisana kot "vznemirljiva kot vsebina samega najdišča". Decembra istega leta sta dva egiptovska brata našla veliko papirusov v veliki posodi, medtem ko sta iskala gnojilo okoli jalovine Jabal al-Ṭārif blizu današnjega Hamra Dom v zgornjem Egiptu. Nista izvirno sporočila o odkritju, saj sta želela zaslužiti denar od rokopisov tako, da jih prodata posamezno, v presledkih. Mati bratov je zažgala več rokopisov, zaskrbljena, očitno, da bi lahko imeli dokumenti "nevarne učinke" (Markschies, Gnosis, 48). Kot rezultat se je tisto, kar je bilo znano kot knjižnice Nag Hammadi (zaradi bližine najdbe do Nag Hammadi, najbližje večje naselbine), pojavljalo le postopoma, njegov pomen pa je bil nepoznan dokler nekdo ni spregovoril o prvem odkritju.

Leta 1946 sta se brata začeli prepirati in prepustila rokopise koptskemu duhovniku. Njegov svak je v oktobru tistega leta prodal kodeks koptskemu muzeju v starem Kairu (ta del je danes v zbirki Codex III). Domači koptolog in verski zgodovinar Jean Doresse, ki je spoznal pomen artefakta, je leta 1948 objavil prve odlomke. Skozi leta je večina prešla od duhovnika na ciprskega trgovca s starinami v Kairu, ki pa ga je obdržal v Oddelku za starine, iz strahu, da bodo prodani iz države. Po revoluciji leta 1952 so bila ta besedila izročena Koptskemu muzeju v Kairu in razglašena za nacionalno lastnino. Pahor Labib, direktor koptskega muzeja v tistem času, je želel obdržati te rokopise v svoji državi.

Medtem je bil v Kairu en kodeks prodan belgijskem preprodajalcu starin. Po poskusu prodaje kodeksa v New Yorku in Parizu ga je leta 1951 s posredovanjem Gillesa Quispel kupil Carl Gustav Jung Inštitut v Zürichu. Namenjen je bil kot darilo za rojstni dan slavnemu psihologu; iz tega razloga je ta kodeks tipično znan kot Jungov Kodeks, ki je Codex I v zbirki.

Jungova smrt leta 1961 je povzročila spor glede lastništva Jung Kodeksa; strani niso bile dane koptskemu muzeju v Kairu do leta 1975, ko je bila objavljena prva izdaja besedila. Papirusi so bili končno združeni v Kairu: od leta 1945 najdemo tam enajst kompletnih knjig in drobcev dveh drugih, ki "presegajo več kot 1000 pisanih strani".

Prva izdaja besedila, ki je bila najdena v Nag Hammadi, je bila iz Jung Kodeksa, delni prevod katerega se je pojavil v Kairu leta 1956 in načrtovana je bila ena obsežna faksimilna izdaja. Zaradi težkih političnih razmer v Egiptu so posamezni deli sledili iz zbirk iz Kaira in Züricha le počasi.

To stanje se ni spremenilo vse do leta 1966 z organizacijo kongresa Mesina v Italiji. Na tej konferenci, ki naj bi znanstvenikom omogočila doseganje skupnega soglasja o opredelitvi gnosticizma, je strokovnjak za religijo James M. Robinson sestavil skupino urednikov in prevajalcev, katerih izrecna naloga je bila izdaja dvojezične izdaje Nag Hammadi kodeksi v angleščini, v sodelovanju z Inštitutom za starine in krščanstvo na Univerzi Claremont v Claremontu v Kaliforniji.

Robinson je bil izvoljen za sekretarja Mednarodnega komiteja za Nag Hammadi kodekse, ki sta ga leta 1970 ustanovila UNESCO in egiptovsko ministrstvo za kulturo; v tej vlogi je nadziral projekt. Izdaja faksimilov v dvanajstih knjigah je bila objavljena med leti 1972 in 1977, kasneje pa jih je leta 1979 in 1984 izdal založnik E.J. Brill v Leidnu z naslovom Izdaja Faksimile Nag Hammadi kodeksov. S tem so bila vsa besedila na voljo vsem zainteresiranim stranem v določeni obliki.

Hkrati je v Nemški demokratični republiki skupina znanstvenikov, med njimi Alexander Böhlig, Martin Krause in Novega Testamenta znanstveniki Gesine Schenke, Hans-Martin Schenke in Hans-Gebhard Bethge, pripravljali prvi nemški prevod najdbe. Zadnji trije znanstveniki so pod pokroviteljstvom univerze Berlin Humboldt pripravili popoln znanstveni prevod, ki je bil objavljen leta 2001.

Prevod James M. Robinson je bil prvič objavljen leta 1977 z imenom Biblioteka Nag Hammadi v angleščini, v sodelovanju med E.J. Brill in Harper & Row. Publikacija enotnega obsega, po Robinsonu, je "označila konec ene stopnje Nag Hammadi študije in začetek druge" (od Uvodnika do tretje revidirane izdaje). Izdaja v knjigah je sledila leta 1981 in 1984, od E.J. Brill in Harper. Tretja, popolnoma revidirana izdaja je bila objavljena leta 1988.

To je končna faza postopnega razprševanja gnostičnih besedil v širšo javnost - celotno dopolnilo kodeksov je bilo končno na voljo v nepregledni obliki ljudem po vsem svetu, v različnih jezikih. Obstaja tudi križna referenčna naprava za Robinsonovo prevajanje in biblični kanon.

Drugo angleško izdajo je leta 1987 objavil Yale učenjak Bentley Layton ini se imenuje The Gnostic Scriptures: Nov Prevod z opombami (Garden City: Doubleday & Co., 1987). Obseg je vključeval nove prevode iz knjig Nag Hammadi skupaj z izvlečki od heresioloških piscev in drugimi gnostičnimi gradivi. V knjigi Nag Hammadi v angleščini obstaja ena izmed bolj dostopnih količin prevodov najdbe Nag Hammadi. Vključuje obsežne zgodovinske vnose posameznih gnostičnih skupin, beležke o prevajanju, pripise na besedilo in organizacijo traktov v jasno opredeljene premike.

Seveda se vsi znanstveniki ne strinjajo, da je treba celotno knjigo šteti za gnostično. Paterson Brown je trdil, da trije Nag Hammadi evangelijev Tomaža, Filipa in Resnice ne morejo biti tako označeni, saj lahko po njegovem mnenju izrecno potrjujejo osnovno resnico in svetost inkarnacije življenja, ki ga gnosticizem po definiciji obravnava kot iluzorno.

Nag Hammadi or Gnostic Gospels

NAG HAMMADi

The Nag Hammadi library (also known as the "Chenoboskion Manuscripts" and the "Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945.

Thirteen leather-bound papyrus codices buried in a sealed jar were found by a local farmer named Muhammed al-Samman The writings in these codices comprised 52 mostly Gnostic treatises, but they also include three works belonging to the Corpus Hermeticum and a partial translation/alteration of Plato's Republic. In his introduction to The Nag Hammadi Library in English, James Robinson suggests that these codices may have belonged to a nearby Pachomian monastery and were buried after Saint Athanasius condemned the use of non-canonical books in his Festal Letter of 367 A.D. The discovery of these texts significantly influenced modern scholarship's pursuit and knowledge of early Christianity and Gnosticism.

The contents of the codices were written in the Coptic language. The best-known of these works is probably the Gospel of Thomas, of which the Nag Hammadi codices contain the only complete text. After the discovery, scholars recognized that fragments of these sayings attributed to Jesus appeared in manuscripts discovered at Oxyrhynchus in 1898 (P. Oxy. 1), and matching quotations were recognized in other early Christian sources. Subsequently, a 1st or 2nd century date of composition circa 80 AD or earlier has been proposed for the lost Greek originals of the Gospel of Thomas. The buried manuscripts date from the 3rd and 4th centuries.

The Nag Hammadi codices are currently housed in the Coptic Museum in Cairo, Egypt.

The site of discovery, Nag Hammadi in map of Egypt

The story of the discovery of the Nag Hammadi library in 1945 has been described as 'as exciting as the contents of the find itself'. In December of that year, two Egyptian brothers found several papyri in a large earthenware vessel while digging for fertilizer around the Jabal al-Ṭārif caves near present-day Hamra Dom in Upper Egypt. Neither originally reported the find, as they sought to make money from the manuscripts by selling them individually at intervals. The brothers' mother burned several of the manuscripts, worried, apparently, that the papers might have 'dangerous effects' (Markschies, Gnosis, 48). As a result, what came to be known as the Nag Hammadi library (owing to the proximity of the find to Nag Hammadi, the nearest major settlement) appeared only gradually, and its significance went unacknowledged until sometime after its initial discovery.

In 1946, the brothers became involved in a feud, and left the manuscripts with a Coptic priest. His brother-in-law in October that year sold a codex to the Coptic Museum in Old Cairo (this tract is today numbered Codex III in the collection). The resident Coptologist and religious historian Jean Doresse, realizing the significance of the artifact, published the first reference to it in 1948. Over the years, most of the tracts were passed by the priest to a Cypriot antiques dealer in Cairo, thereafter being retained by the Department of Antiquities, for fear that they would be sold out of the country. After the revolution in 1952, these texts were handed to the Coptic Museum in Cairo, and declared national property Pahor Labib, the director of the Coptic Museum at that time, was keen to keep these manuscripts in their country of origin.

Meanwhile, a single codex had been sold in Cairo to a Belgian antique dealer. After an attempt was made to sell the codex in both New York City and Paris, it was acquired by the Carl Gustav Jung Institute in Zurich in 1951, through the mediation of Gilles Quispel. It was intended as a birthday present to the famous psychologist; for this reason, this codex is typically known as the Jung Codex, being Codex I in the collection.

Jung's death in 1961 resulted in a quarrel over the ownership of the Jung Codex; the pages were not given to the Coptic Museum in Cairo until 1975, after a first edition of the text had been published. The papyri were finally brought together in Cairo: of the 1945 find, eleven complete books and fragments of two others, 'amounting to well over 1000 written pages' are preserved there.^[4]

The first edition of a text found at Nag Hammadi was from the Jung Codex, a partial translation of which appeared in Cairo in 1956, and a single extensive facsimile edition was planned. Due to the difficult political circumstances in Egypt, individual tracts followed from the Cairo and Zurich collections only slowly.

This state of affairs did not change until 1966, with the holding of the Messina Congress in Italy. At this conference, intended to allow scholars to arrive at a group consensus concerning the definition of Gnosticism, James M. Robinson, an expert on religion, assembled a group of editors and translators whose express task was to publish a bilingual edition of the Nag Hammadi codices in English, in collaboration with the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity at the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California.

Robinson was elected secretary of the International Committee for the Nag Hammadi Codices, which had been formed in 1970 by UNESCO and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture; it was in this capacity that he oversaw the project. A facsimile edition in twelve volumes was published between 1972 and 1977, with subsequent additions in 1979 and 1984 from the publisher E.J. Brill in Leiden, entitled, The Facsimile Edition of the Nag Hammadi Codices. This made all the texts available for all interested parties to study in some form.

At the same time, in the German Democratic Republic, a group of scholars—including Alexander Böhlig, Martin Krause and New Testament scholars Gesine Schenke, Hans-Martin Schenke and Hans-Gebhard Bethge—were preparing the first German language translation of the find. The last three scholars prepared a complete scholarly translation under the auspices of the Berlin Humboldt University, which was published in 2001.

The James M. Robinson translation was first published in 1977, with the name The Nag Hammadi Library in English, in collaboration between E.J. Brill and Harper & Row. The single-volume publication, according to Robinson, 'marked the end of one stage of Nag Hammadi scholarship and the beginning of another' (from the Preface to the third revised edition). Paperback editions followed in 1981 and 1984, from E.J. Brill and Harper, respectively. A third, completely revised, edition was published in 1988. This marks the final stage in the gradual dispersal of gnostic texts into the wider public arena—the full complement of codices was finally available in unadulterated form to people around the world, in a variety of languages. A cross reference apparatus for Robinson's translation and the Biblical canon also exists.

Another English edition was published in 1987, by Yale scholar Bentley Layton, called The Gnostic Scriptures: A New Translation with Annotations (Garden City: Doubleday & Co., 1987). The volume included new translations from the Nag Hammadi Library, together with extracts from the heresiological writers, and other gnostic material. It remains, along with The Nag Hammadi Library in English, one of the more accessible volumes of translations of the Nag Hammadi find. It includes extensive historical introductions to individual gnostic groups, notes on translation, annotations to the text, and the organization of tracts into clearly defined movements.

Not all scholars agree that the entire library should be considered Gnostic. Paterson Brown has argued that the three Nag Hammadi Gospels of Thomas, Philip and Truth cannot be so labeled, since each, in his opinion, may explicitly affirm the basic reality and sanctity of incarnate life, which Gnosticism by definition considers illusory.

KOLBRIN'S BIBLE . Cahpter 8 - - -GWINEVA

CHAPTER EIGHT

GWINEVA

Maeva, one-time wife of Dadam, found refuge among people of Ardis where she gave birth to Gwineva the Cuckoo child, but as the child grew it was seen that she had red hair. Though all knew there were fair-haired and dark-haired people, none had ever seen anyone with red hair. Also, Strange maladies had manifested in Ardis for which the strangers were blamed; therefore, because of these things, Maeva and her child were driven out. They came to a pool near the border of Krowkasis and built a habitation of reeds, living there for many years. However, Maeva was killed by a wild beast and Gwineva was left alone, but she learned much from familiars who came to her, and so she became a sorceress.

Time went by and the half-folk called Yoslings began to gather around her habitation and they thought she was a goddess and worshipped her. As her fame spread, word came to Herthew concerning the strange woman, so he sent men to find out about her and report. Gwineva knew about Herthew, but he did not know who she was or that any child of Maeva lived. When Herthew heard the report, he was intrigued and sent men to escort her to him, and she came at his request. They brought her into his presence wearing a cloak of feathers and a garment of doeskin, her hair unbraided like that of other women, falling outside the cloak almost to her knees. He was amazed at the cascade of red hair and his heart was stirred by her beauty.

Herthew gave Gwineva a bower and attendants, but she preferred to be attended by Yoslings whom the people about Herthew despised. They gossiped about the strange woman, for it was seen that Yosling men freely entered her bower, yet her bearing was modest and maidenly, the Yoslings showing her every form of respect. It was the season of fruitfulness and when Herthew went to the gathering place he took Gwineva with him, but the Yoslings could not be taken there. So, they remained behind, but the people removed them. When they arrived at the gathering place and Gwidon saw Gwineva, he was startled, for he had seen such a woman in the darkened waters; but he welcomed her and was surprised at her wisdom and skill at sorcery. When the time came for Gwidon to prophesy and all who came to hear him were gathered about, they became apprehensive, for his coming forth was delayed and the moon began to disappear, eaten away by the blackness of the night. Then, when they started to jostle and flee there was a great shout and Gwidon appeared; as he did, a great fire sprang up on either side of him. The people remained, for each was rooted to the place where he stood.

Gwidon spoke at length, telling them that the night sky sign heralded a new era. That as the moon grew again in brightness, so should their race wax strong and virile, spreading wide across the face of the Earth, driving lesser races before them. That a son of Herthew would lead their sons out of Krowkasis, and his sons and their sons would continue westwardly, towards Hesperis, meaning Land of Spirits. That there they would meet their final destiny. He told them that there would be a great bloodletting, when brother would fight with brother and father with son, but that this would be the planting of the Centre pole around which the framework for the structure of their race would be woven. He said, "I shall go before the vanguard in spirit".

Later, Herthew asked Gwidon to cast the omens ticks and read the ashes, as he wished to know things concerning Gwineva. This Gwidon did, telling him that she was his fate mate, one destined to be his wife; that she was indeed a true maiden and he would not be for ridden. He said, "She acts as she does through innocence and not through brashness". But what Gwidon told Herthew was no more than a grain in the grain sack among all that which he knew and saw.

When Herthew returned to his homesite he paid court to Gwineva and asked her to marry him, and this she consented to do after one year. The people, hearing what was intended, were displeased and murmured against the marriage, saying it was unseeingly for their king to marry a sorceress and one strange in so many ways. Also, there was a custom forbidding the intermingling of blood, but there was no doubt as to what she was, some thinking she was one who could be acceptable.

Gwineva was not the bloodkin of Herthew, so as the marriage would not be incestuous Gwineva decided she would say nothing of their relationship, for she was in love with him and love is ever ready to make excuses.

Yet, despite her knowledge and wisdom her heart was full of fears because of her background, but she displayed none of her anxieties. She did not feel at ease among the people, but never asked that the Yoslings be allowed back. She tried to become acceptable by ministering to the sick with simples and remedies, but the more she cured and healed the more people feared her, and fearing they shunned her, except they were in dire need of her help.

However, Herthew remained firm in his resolve to marry, though many advised that if he simply took Gwineva as a concubine or as something less than a wife, it would be more acceptable. They said, "None would object if she were treated as a woman with no standing, mate but do not marry, for marriage would grant her undue status, and is marriage so necessary? Does a wise man buy the pie whereof he can freely eat at any time?" Such sayings enraged Herthew, for he knew Gwineva to be a woman reserved for marriage, and this he tried to tell the people, but they laughed, saying, "She has bewitched you, put her to the test". But he replied, "This is unworthy, for it displays doubt and distrust; a virgin is a virgin, whether named so by horn or wand and remains so whatever the conjectures of carnal-minded men who are more familiar with women of lesser repute". Yet whether the marriage bar applied was still a thing of doubt in the minds of many, for none knew the lineage of Gwineva, nor did she enlighten anyone, though it was customary to recite this at the betrothal. But Herthew and Gwineva remained unbetrothed, though the forthcoming marriage was made known.

Now, the nephews and kin of Idalvar nurtured seeds of discord among the people and because it was a time of peace, when the skills of a warchief were not needed, many heeded their words. So, it developed that there were those for Herthew and those against him. Then Herthew said to the people, "Let this not be something to cut people apart, but something which can be decided at the next folk fest".

The seed sowing time had passed, but it was not yet harvest-tide and the young men held spear-throwing contests and tested each other in many manly skills. At such times, seated on a platform against the palisade, Herthew gave judgement and awarded merits. Inside the palisade was a walkway and places from which great stones could be hurled, and from one such place came a murderous weapon which cut down through Herthew's head to pierce the shoulder of his shield arm, striking him to the ground. Immediately there was a great tumult and confusion, fighting broke out and men died, but Herthew was carried to safety in the bower of Gwineva. There he was protected by his retainers, but within the palisade all was taken over by those hostile to Herthew. Before the cowardly blow, those for Herthew had been more numerous and powerful, but after he was so sorely wounded, they were less, and of these many were inclined to waver, for such is the nature of man. But to contrast with the frail reeds who wavered those who remained loyal were resolute, for this too is the nature of man. Now, when Gwineva and the wise men attended to Herthew they saw that while the shield arm had been injured it was not unfeeling, for it grasped the hand of Gwineva, but this the sword arm could not do, though it was uninjured. Therefore, they knew the slaughter-bent weapon had been charmed and no woman could remove such enchantment, nor could the wise men, for they were unblooded. In the days that followed, the enchantment caused demons to enter through the wound and take up their abode, so Herthew was tormented and his body wracked before subsiding into the quietness which precedes death. The demons had abused Gwineva and called her foul names and cried out in loud voices against people, so that they should abandon their king.

The place where Herthew lay was near the lakeside and in the lake was an island called Inskris, meaning Isle of the Dead, where those about to die were taken, as well as the dead, before being consigned to the waters. For the people believed that those given into the lake went straight into awareness in the Otherworld, while anyone buried on land was only half aware upon arrival and remained half awake and half asleep for many years. So those loyal to Herthew carried him down to the boats and accompanied him and Gwineva to the Isle and they were not molested, for none interfered with those mourning the dead. On the isle were priests and nine holy maidens who attended to the rites while other women ministered to the newly dead, but Herthew was dead, though halfway across the threshold.

When Herthew arrived, he was placed in the hospice house where Gwineva attended to him. Gwidon opened Herthew's skull where it had been cleft and let out the demon which had taken up habitation there, and he brewed powerful potions which removed the enchantment. When, after many days, he departed, Herthew was no longer at the door of death, though weak and in many ways like a baby.

While Herthew lay so sorely stricken, the kinsfolk of Idalvar were disputing among themselves, and this led to fighting and battles. But none came near the isle to harm Herthew, because it was a sacred place and gave him sanctuary. When it came to the time of the folk feast there was a great battle at the gathering place and Gwidon was slain. There came a day when Herthew, though still not whole, could move about and then he and Gwineva departed with those who remained with them. They were married before leaving their isle of sanctuary. They fled to a place afar off where, as the years went by, Herthew became whole again and Gwineva gave birth to sons and daughters. It was a good place, fertile and well-watered and so they prospered. But there came a time of drought when the waters dried up and their flocks died. So Herthew sent men to Krowkasis and these came back saying that there, too, the land was stricken, and the people distressed. He also sent others to the West and they returned saying that there the land was not stricken, but the people would not accept them except with spears.

Herthew then sent men back to Krowkasis to tell the people there of the plenty which lay to the West and they came back with a warband led by Itilis, and many people followed. Herthew could no longer bear weapons and his sons were as yet young and unblooded. Therefore, he gave his two sons who were of sufficient age into the keeping of Itilis, so they might learn the art of war, and they followed him loyally, becoming men of valor in the conflict which ensued. Many people left Krowkasis and settled in the land lying to the West, and Herthew and Gwineva also settled there.

Time passed and Herthew became renowned for his wisdom, and Itilis king of Arania, honored him with lands and servants. Herthew's two sons, who had followed the king and were twins, married the king's two eldest daughters who were also twins. This caused problems, for the king, though having three wives, was sonless, therefore the twin sons of Herthew became his heirs. The king was perplexed, for the two men could not rule together and both were of equal standing in his eyes. Yet it was the king's duty to nominate his heir and proclaim him to the people so there should be no division after his death. Therefore, Itilis consulted Herthew as to how the judgement should be made, and Herthew said, "Let fate decree who shall be king".

In Arania the people gathered four times a year for the folk feasts. At such times it was customary for new laws to be proclaimed, judgements given, and all contentious issues settled. So, before the next folk feast Herthew prepared a manmade stone from sand, clay and other things, and while it was still soft, he set the hilt of his great sword, Dislana the Bitterbiter, into it and when the stone was hardened Dislana was fast. The sword-implanted stone was then set down near the place where the king gave judgement. Around it was drawn a wide circle bisected across.

On the day when the people were first assembled to hear his words, Itilis told them of his perplexity over the problem concerning the twin sons of Herthew and his daughters, he said, "So the people are not divided, and the kingdom rent by strife, it is well this matter be settled now. Therefore, I am setting a fair test involving no men other than these two whom I hold equally dear. Whichsoever of them shall remove their father's great weapon from this stone, so he frees it and grasps the hilt, shall become my lawful heir, with the other being to him as a younger brother. They will each try in turn during the duration of the fall of a feather, the first trier being he who casts his bracelet over the blade. Then each of Herthew's sons was placed in a spot where the bisecting line joined the circle, so they stood opposite each other, and each had three bracelets. They threw until one encircled the blade with his bracelet.

Then this one tried to withdraw the weapon with his hand but could not, because of the sharpness, the other tried by placing his two palms on each side of the blade, then pressing them together while lifting, but he could not move it either. The first one tried again, copying what had just been done more powerfully, so the stone almost lifted off the ground, but the sword did not leave the stone. Then the other approached the stone, but this time he put his hands under the edges of the stone, so he could lift it in his arms and he dashed it down over a rock which was nearby, so it broke asunder. He then picked Dislana up by the hilt and brandished it over his head. The people acclaimed him while his brother grasped his arms in congratulations. Thus, by wisdom was the problem overcome.