Dear Sheila, Len et al, Here is the introduction to the above. I decided to post it to the list as the "Gospel" itself has been of special interest to scholars & is a Gospel that I believe deserves greater general public awareness & recognition. The Introduction by HELMUT KOESTER: The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of traditional sayings, prophecies, proverbs, and parable of Jesus. The Coptic Gospel of Thomas was translated from the Greek; in fact, several fragments of this Greek Version have been preserved, and can be dated to 200 C.E. Thus the Greek ( or even Syriac or Aramaic ) collection was composed in the period before about 200 C.E., possible as early as the second half of the first century, in Syria, Palestine, or Mesopotamia. The authorship of the Gospel of Thomas is attributed to Didymos Judas Thomas, that is, Judas "the Twin," who was identified particularly within the Syrian Church as the apostle and twin brother of Jesus. The relationship of the Gospel of Thomas to the New Testament gospels has been a matter of special interest : many of the sayings of the Gospel of Thomas have parallels in the synoptic gospels ( Mathew, Mark, and Luke). A comparison of the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas with theri parallels in the synoptic gospels suggests that the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas either are present in a more primitive form or are developments of a more primitive forrm of such sayings. Indeed, the Gospel of Thomas resembles the synoptic sayings source, often called "Q" (from the German word Quelle, "source"), which was the common source of sayings used by Mathew & Luke. Hence, the Gospel of Thomas and its sources of sayings and parables which are closely related to the sources of the New Testament Gospels. The influenece of Gnostic theology is clearly present in the Gospel of Thomas, thought it is not possible to ascribe the work to any particular school or sect. The collected sayings are designated as " the secret sayimngs which the living Jesus spoke." Thus the collection intends to be esoteric: the key to understanding is the interpretation or secret meaning of the sayings, for " whover finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death." According to the Gospel of Thomas, the basic religious experience is not only the recognition of ones divine identity, but more specefically the recognition of ones origin ( the light ) and destiny ( the repose). In order to return to ones origin, the disciple is to become separate from the world by " stripping off" the fleshly garments and "passing by " the present corruptible existence ; then the disciple can experience the new world, the kingdom of light, peace, and life. The numeration of one hundred and fourteen sayings is not in the manuscript but is followed by most scholars today. (End) Yours, Mikey. .