Gnostic Gospels of Jesus: According to Thomas, Mary of Magdala, Philip . . . & Others by Marvin Meyer, from HarperCollins, ISBN 006076208X. A foremost scholar of gnosticism and Christian origins presents fresh English translations of some of the earliest and most reliable texts that shed light on the Christian messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Painstakingly restored and translated, with helpful introductory essays and extensive notes, these fragments from the Nag Hammadi library—a jar of ancient papyrus manuscripts discovered 60 years ago by an Egyptian camel driver—reveal a fascinating alternative perspective on Jesus and the beliefs of his earliest followers.