The Secret Book of James

The Secret Book of James, also known as the Apocryphon of James, is a Gnostic text believed to have been written in the early second century. It is part of the Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered in 1945 near the town of Nag Hammadi in Egypt.

The text is a letter purportedly written by James, one of Jesus's disciples, to someone named "The Addressee." It presents the secret teachings of Jesus given to James and Peter after the resurrection but before the ascension. This apocryphal work is significant for its insights into early Christian and Gnostic thought, differing from the canonical New Testament's content and theological perspectives.

The manuscript of the Secret Book of James was discovered in Codex I of the Nag Hammadi library, which consists of several other Gnostic works. The texts found at Nag Hammadi were likely hidden by early Christians, possibly Coptic monks, who sought to preserve these writings during a time of doctrinal consolidation and suppression of non-orthodox beliefs.