Revelation of the Unknowable God

Allogenes: Nag Hammadi Codex XI,3

By Karen L. King

Among the Gnostic treasures uncovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945 is this extraordinary spiritual narrative. In it, a third-century narrator known as Allogenes—the Foreigner—recounts a series of visions and divine revelations. He describes his spiritual progress: how he overcomes fear and ignorance and ascends into the divine realm as he experiences the transcendent Unknowable God. Karen King provides a new English translation of this work, along with complete original-language Coptic text, introduction, and extensive notes.

Karen L. King is Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard University in the Divinity School. An occasional consultant to the Ford Foundation on Religion and Human Rights, Dr. King has received awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst, Harvard Divinity School, the Irvine Foundation, and Occidental College. She is the author of many books and articles including What Is Gnosticism? and The Gospel of Mary of Magdala.