Libri Ieû
Standard abbreviation: Bk. Jeu
Other titles: Books of the Great Mystery Discourse, Book of the Knowledge of the Invisible God, Fragment on the Passage of the Soul
Clavis numbers: ECCA 683; CANT 29
VIAF: 174166512
Category: Revelation Dialogues
Related literature: Pistis Sophia
Compiled by: Eric Crégheur, Université Laval ([email protected])
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style): Crégheur, Eric “Books of Jeu.” e-Clavis: Christian Apocrypha. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR. https://www.nasscal.com/e-clavis-christian-apocrypha/books-of-jeu/.
Created June 2022.
1. SUMMARY
The Coptic Gnostic treatise traditionally known as the two Books of Jeu is a composite of three distinct texts: a main treatise, which bears the title Book of the Great Mystery Discourse, is a long, incomplete 82-page text preserved in three sections with an indeterminate number of missing pages between these sections; then follows two different copies of the first four pages of another treatise, the Book of the Knowledge of the Invisible God; and a fragment of two pages of a third treatise on the passage of the soul through the realms of the archons.
The only direct witness of Bk. Jeu is found in the Coptic Bruce Codex (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bruce 96). The manuscript can be dated from between the end of the fourth to the end of the first half of the fifth century, while the original Greek text could be dated in the second half of the third century at the earliest, but more likely somewhere in the middle fourth century. Bk. Jeu recount a post-resurrection dialogue, in which Jesus reveals to his disciples the configuration of the heavenly realms, which are composed of aeons and treasuries, and gives the seals, ciphers and formulas necessary for the soul to pass through these worlds. Once the souls have crossed all the spheres and have overcome all the evil archons who inhabit them, they then reach the Treasuries of Light, where they can contemplate and give glory to the inaccessible God. These revelations of Jesus are accompanied by several diagrams and illustrations, which transcribe the geometry of the treasuries and the drawing of the seals with which the souls must mark themselves.
Named historical figures and characters: Bartholomew (apostle), James (apostle), Jesus Christ, John (son of Zebedee), Matthew (apostle), Melchizedek, Philip (apostle).
Geographical locations: Galilee.
2. RESOURCES
“Les Livres du grand discours mystérique;” “Le Livre des connaissances du Dieu invisible;” “Fragment sur le passage de l’âme.” Bibliothèque copte de Nag Hammadi. Administrator: Eric Crégheur (features a French translation of the three treatises).
“Books of Jeu.” Early Christian Writings. Administrator: Peter Kirby (features information on the history of the Bruce Codex, a brief description of the manuscript, and a summary of its contents).
“Books of Jeu.” Wikipedia.
“Classical Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments.” The Gnostic Society Library (with links to online translations).
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Coptic
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Bruce 96, pp. 1–94 (4th/5th cent.)
Amélineau, Émile. “Notice sur le papyrus gnostique Bruce.” Notice et extraits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Nationale 29/1 (1891): 82–305.
Crégheur, Eric. Les « deux Livres de IÉOU ». Bibliothèque Copte de Nag Hammadi, “Textes 38.” Québec/Leuven: Les Presses de l’Université Laval/Peeters, 2019 (pp. 156–343).
Révillout, Eugène. “Séance du vendredi 23 (août).” Comptes rendus des séances de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres 10 (1872): 351–52 (partial edition).
Schmidt, Carl. Gnostische Schriften in koptischer Sprache aus dem Codex Brucianus. TUGAL 8,1/2. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1892 (pp. 38–141).
Woide, Charles Godfrey. MS. Clarendon Press d. 13. Bodleian Library, Oxford, 1776 (handwritten copy of the Bruce Codex, pp. 1–94).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 English
MacDermot, Violet. “The Books of Jeu.” Pages 3–211 in The Books of Jeu and The Untitled Text of the Bruce Codex. Edited by Carl Schmidt and Violet MacDermot. NHS 13. Leiden: Brill, 1978.
3.2.2 French
Amélineau, Émile. “Notice sur le papyrus gnostique Bruce.” Notice et extraits des manuscrits de la Bibliothèque Nationale 29/1 (1891): 82–305.
Crégheur, Eric. Les « deux Livres de IÉOU ». Bibliothèque Copte de Nag Hammadi, “Textes 38.” Québec/Leuven: Les Presses de l’Université Laval/Peeters, 2019 (pp. 156–343).
3.2.3 German
Schmidt, Carl. Gnostische Schriften in koptischer Sprache aus dem Codex Brucianus. TUGAL 8,1/2. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1892 (pp. 142–225).
__________. Koptisch-gnostische Schriften. Erster Band: Die Pistis Sophia – Die beiden Bücher des Jeû – Unbekanntes altgnostisches Werk. Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte 13. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1905 (reedited 1954, 1959, 1981).
3.2.4. Spanish
García Bazán, Francisco. La gnosis eterna. Antología de textos gnósticos griegos, latinos y coptos. I. Pliegos de oriente 8. Madris: Editorial Trotta, S.A., 2003 (pp. 283–338).
3.3 General Works
Amélineau, Émile. “Le papyrus gnostique de Bruce.” Comptes rendus des séances de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (1882): 220–28.
__________. “Les traités gnostiques d’Oxford.” RHR 21 (1890): 176–215.
Aune, David E. “Jeu.” Pages 906–12 in Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, Band XVII. Edited by Ernst Dassmann. Stuttgart: Anton Hiersemann, 1996.
Crégheur, Eric. “Édition critique, traduction et introduction des « deux Livres de Iéou » (MS Bruce 96), avec des notes philologiques et textuelles.” Ph.D. diss., Université Laval, 2013.
__________. “Pour une nouvelle histoire de la découverte et de l’état primitif du codex Bruce (1769–1794).” JCoptS 16 (2014): 47–68.
__________. “Le parcours mystique de l’initié : le cas des Livres de Iéou du codex Bruce (MS Bruce 96).” Pages 563–84 in La mystique théorétique et théurgique dans l’antiquité gréco-romaine. Judaïsmes et christianismes. Edited by Simon Claude Mimouni and Madeleine Scopello. Judaïsme ancien et origines du christianisme 6. Turnout: Brepols, 2016.
__________. “Sacerdoce et liturgie dans les Livres de Iéou (MS Bruce 96).” Pages 271–93 in La question de la « sacerdotalisation » dans le judaïsme synagogal, le christianisme et rabbinisme. Colloque international, Université Laval, Québec, Canada, 18 au 20 septembre 2014. Edited by Simon Claude Mimouni and Louis Painchaud. Judaïsme ancien et origines du christianisme 9. Turnhout: Brepols, 2018.
Evans, Erin M. “The Books of Jeu and the Pistis Sophia: System, Practice, and Development of a Religious Group.” Ph.D. diss., The University of Edinburgh, 2012.
__________. The Books of Jeu and the Pistis Sophia as Handbooks to Eternity. Exploring the Gnostic Mysteries of the Ineffable. Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies 89. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
Finney, Paul C. “Did Gnostics Make Pictures?” Pages 434–54 in The Rediscovery of Gnosticism: Proceedings of the International Conference on Gnosticism at Yale, New Haven, Connecticut, March 28-31, 1978. Volume 1: The School of Valentinus. Edited by Bentley Layton. SHR 41. Leiden: Brill, 1980.
Hoheisel, Karl. “Jeû, erstes u. zweites Buch Jeû.” Page 848 in Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, Bd. 5. Edited by Walter Kasper. Freiburg, Herder, 1996.
Markschies, Christoph. “Gnostische und andere Bilderbücher in der Antike.” ZAC 9 (2005): 100–21.
Ménard, Jacques É. “Jeû (Les deux Livres de).” Pages 822–24 in Catholicisme: Hier, Aujourd’hui, Demain, vol. 6. Edited by Gérard Jacquement. Paris: Letouzey et Ané, 1965.
Peel, Malcolm L. “Jeu, Two Books of.” Page 450 in Mercer Dictionary of the Bible. Edited by Watson E. Mills. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1990.
Röwekamp, Georg. “Jeu, Books of.” Pages 318–19 in Dictionary of Early Christian Literature. Edited by Siegmar Döpp and Wilhelm Geerlings. New York: Crossroad Publishing, 2000.
Schmidt, Carl. “Über die in koptischer Sprache erhaltenen gnostischen Originalwerke.” Sitzungsberichte der königlich-preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (1891): 215–19.
__________. “Die in dem koptisch-gnostischen Codex Brucianus enthaltenen ‘beiden Bücher Jeû’ in ihrem Verhältniss zu der ‘Pistis Sophia.’” ZWKL 37 (1894): 555–85.
Tardieu, Michel. “Chapitre IV. Oxford (O).” Pages 83–97 in Introduction à la littérature gnostique. I : Histoire du mot « gnostique »; Instruments de travail; Collections retrouvées avant 1945. Edited by Michel Tardieu and Jean-Daniel Dubois. Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf/Éditions du CNRS, 1986.