Introduction Summary

One of the most important archeological events took place in Upper Egypt in December of 1945 when some Arab peasants found a red, earthenware jar that contained momentous records of Early Christianity. This discovery, made by Muhammed 'Ali al Summan and his brothers, who were digging for sabekh, a soft soil used for fertilizer, would revolutionize scholarship about the teachings of Jesus Christ. When their tools struck the jar, they were not far from the town of Naj Hammadi near a mountain honeycombed with caves. Thus, the find became known as Naj or Nag Hammadi find.

Mohammed 'Ali, a superstitious fellow, at first did not want to break the jar. Perhaps there was a jinn (a powerful, unhappy spirit) inside, protecting the treasure. On the other hand, perhaps there was gold in that red jar. Mohammed 'Ali broke up the jar with a powerful...