gospel of thomas

gospel of thomas Latest

The presepio (“nativity scene”) is a centuries-old craft and one of Naples’s best-known traditions. Photo: Howard Hudson / Wikimedia Commons

Feb 17 Blog

Christmas Stories in Christian Apocrypha

By: Tony Burke

The modern Christmas nativity scene is drawn from apocryphal texts in addition to the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke.

Gospel of Thomas (Sayings of Jesus) from the Nag Hammadi

Jan 1 Blog

The Gospel of Thomas’s 114 Sayings of Jesus

By: BAS Staff

Read the 114 sayings of Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas as translated by Stephen J. Patterson and James M. Robinson.

Dec 25 Blog

How December 25 Became Christmas

By: Andrew McGowan

Theological scholar Andrew McGowan examines how December 25 came to be associated with the birthday of Jesus and became Christmas, a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world.

Opening credits of The History Channel series 'Bible Secrets Revealed'.

Oct 14 Blog

Bible Secrets Revealed, Episode 3: “The Forbidden Scriptures”

By: BAS Staff

Read what Bible Secrets Revealed consulting producer Dr. Robert Cargill reveals about the third installment of the History Channel series.

Jul 29 Blog

The Sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas

By: Robin Ngo

New Testament scholar Simon Gathercole examines what the sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas reveal about the early Christian world in which they were written.

Jun 6 Blog

Early Copy of Infancy Gospel of Thomas Identified

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

While working through collections of unstudied papyri at the Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky State and University Library in Germany, two scholars made a shocking discovery: […]

Cover of the November/December 2010 issue of BAR juxtaposes two artistic representations of Jesus’ face.

Jun 3 Blog

What Did Jesus Really Look Like?

By: BAS Staff

What did Jesus look like? In “Painting a Portrait of Jesus,” D. Moody Smith examined the difficulties in answering this question.

Jan 23 Blog

What Is Coptic and Who Were the Copts in Ancient Egypt?

By: Megan Sauter

When did the ancient Egyptians stop writing in hieroglyphs, and what came next? From the fourth to ninth centuries C.E., Egypt was predominantly Christian. During this time, the language used by the masses was Coptic.

Oct 20 Blog

Christian Apocrypha: The “Lost Gospels”?

By: Ellen White

The Christian apocrypha—noncanonical gospels—didn’t make the cut. But were they truly rejected, suppressed and destroyed? Until recent times there was no doubt. But now this “truth” may be unraveling. Many early Christians may have regarded these apocryphal texts as sacred.

Jan 14 Blog

The Nag Hammadi Codices and Gnostic Christianity

By: BAS Staff

Until the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in 1945, the Gnostic view of early Christianity had largely been forgotten. The teachings of Gnostic Christianity had been virtually erased from history by the early church fathers.

Must-Read Free eBooks

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future

Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel

Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life

Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus

More Free eBooks

Want more Bible history?

Join Us on an Educational Journey

For more than 40 years, the Biblical Archaeology Society has partnered with world-renowned hosts and guides to provide you exceptional educational offerings in the archaeology of the Biblical lands and in Biblical studies.

Learn More