Texts in Conversation
The Second Discourse of the Great Seth, a Nag Hammadi text, calls the twelve prophets a farce. Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas also turns away from Israel's prophets, calling them the dead, set against the living one in front of the disciples.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Gospel of Thomas 1:52
Nag Hammadi
51 His disciples said to him, “When will the repose of the dead come about, and when will the new world come?” He said to them, “What you look forward to has already come, but you do not recognize it.” 52 His disciples said to him, “Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them spoke about you.” He said to them, “You have omitted the Living One who is in your presence and have spoken only of the dead.” 53 His disciples said to him, “Is circumcision beneficial or not?” He said to them, “If it were beneficial, their father would beget them already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has become entirely profitable.”
Second Discourse of the Great Seth 8:8
Second Treatise of the Great Seth
Nag Hammadi
Solomon was a farce, given that he grew proud by means of the Hebdomad, even thinking he was Christ, as if he had grown stronger than myself and my brethren, but we are innocent with regard to him. I did not sin. The 12 prophets were a farce, given that they appeared as mimicries of the true prophets. They came to exist from the image by means of the Hebdomad, as if it had grown stronger than myself and my brethren, but we are innocent with regard to it, and we did not sin.
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Notes and References
“... Naturally, however, there were more than two views about Scripture on the table in the mid-second century. This raises the question of where Thomas belongs on the spectrum of first- and second-century attitudes. [...] Similarly, the Second Treatise of the Great Seth identifies the prophets as counterfeit, and fit only to be mocked (62,27–64,1). Although the more positive views advocated by scholars do not do justice to the tone of Jesus’ response, there is not sufficient evidence that Thomas has a clearly worked out view of the prophets as had the Second Treatise of the Great Seth. GTh 52 belongs near—though not at—the radical end of re-evaluations of Jewish Scripture in the second century. ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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