Date of composition

• Late 100s. We might know the author of this work.
• Clement of Alexandria (d. 215) describes a teacher from encratic (against sexual intercourse) Gnosticism, named Julius Cassianus, who wrote against other types of Gnostics. Cassianus may have written this work since it attacks other types of Gnosticism. Even if Cassianus was not the author, the work still dates to the 100s.
• It was later included in the Nag Hammadi Gnostic collection of the 300s.

Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))

• Heretical, since it defends a specific type of Gnostic teaching.

Length

• 16 double-spaced pages.
• Many lines are missing from the copy we have.

Summary

• Defends encratic Gnosticism and attacks other types of Gnosticism (the author mentions the followers of Valentinus and the gnostic leader Basilides) and Judaism.

Noteworthy from the book

1. The writing states that "carnal procreation" ended when Jesus descended. This is an apparent reference to encratic Gnosticism, which taught against sexual intercourse.
2. References and describes at length the story of the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, but from an encratic Gnosticism perspective.