Travis Simpkins

Thursday, August 11, 2022

M.W. Paul F. Gleason. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. by Travis Simpkins

Official Portrait of

Most Worshipful

Paul Fulton Gleason

89th Grand Master

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts

(2017 - 2019)

Past Master of

William Parkman Lodge

Winchester, MA

(1975 - 1976)

33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason

Valley of Boston, MA

Oil on Canvas

by Travis Simpkins

Collection of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, A.F. & A.M.

Photography by R.W. Philip Nowlan

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts

M.W. Paul F. Gleason. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. by Travis Simpkins

For more info, please visit:

massfreemasonry.org

M.W. Paul F. Gleason. Past Grand Master. Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. by Travis Simpkins

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

The Gnostic Discoveries. The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library. Marvin Meyer

I'm enjoying "The Gnostic Discoveries" by Marvin Meyer. He passed away about 10 years ago and is still one of my favorites among Religion scholars.

The archaeological find of the twentieth century was the astounding discovery by an Egyptian peasant in December 1945 of a large storage jar filled with ancient papyrus manuscripts. Painstakingly restored and translated, these fragments came to be known collectively as the Nag Hammadi library. Through them we glimpse a fascinating alternative perspective on Jesus and many of his earliest followers, including the influence of Gnosticism on their beliefs.
"Gnosticism," a term alluding to special mystical knowledge, designates a series of religious movements that have existed since ancient times. This philosophy permeated Judaism, Greco-Roman religion, and what now appear to be different varieties of Christianity. Some of these alternative views, including Jesus’s relationship to Mary Magdalene, have revolutionized biblical scholarship and were recently sensationalized by Dan Brown in his bestseller, The Da Vinci Code.
The struggle to publish these ancient manuscripts has at times seemed like an ancient story of Egyptian magic -- filled with curses and drama. Included in these discoveries are several gospels of Jesus’s life that never made it into the modern Christian Bible as well as a treasury of lost, esoteric wisdom that portrays a side of Christianity suppressed by the institutionalized church. Meyer provides an overview of all the texts and their contents, grouping the codices by their respective genres, schools of thought, or attributed author, and discussing their meaning and significance for us today. He also provides an appendix that for the first time offers a quick survey of all the texts of the Nag Hammadi library and the Berlin Gnostic Codex, summarizing the contents of each of the texts and offering select quotations to illustrate their character and style.
The Gnostic Discoveries is the best available guide to the history and significance of the find at Nag Hammadi- an amazing archaeological link to the founding of the largest religion in the world.

The Meaning of the Nag Hammadi, now in paperback opens the with the thrilling adventure story of the discovery of the ancient Papyrii at Nag Hammadi. Muhammad Ali, the fellahin, discovered the sealed jar, he feared that it might contain a jinni, or spirit, but also had heard of hidden treasures in such jars. Greed overcame his fears and when he smashed open the jar, gold seemed to float into the air. To his disappointment, it was papyrus fragmenst, not gold, but for scholars around the world, it was invaluable.
Meyer then discusses the pre–Christian forms of wisdom that went onto influence what Christians believe today. In addition, some Nag Hammadi texts are attributed to Valentinus, a man who almost became Pope, and whose rejection changed the church in significant ways. Text by text, Meyer traces the history and impact of this great find on the Church, right up to our current beliefs and popular cultural fascination with this officially suppressed secret knowledge about Jesus and his followers.